I have been a fan of T.C. Boyle for the past few years. I first read “Tortilla Curtain” in 2011, and followed that up a few years later with “Drop City.” Boyle has a distinctive voice, cutting and dour, but also reflective. His examination of topics through, and he tackles tough subjects and places characters into situations of existential crisis with almost a relish. His books cover hard topics and hardened people, often in hopeless situations, but his writing forgives him for taking you down […]
Fools in the Northeast: Round 2
Richard Russo is a masterful storyteller. I always enjoy falling into one of his novels, filled with a rich cast of characters. He manages to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary, as he examines common people in small town Americana. This book is a sequel to “Nobody’s Fool” that I read back in 2011. I took a look at that review to see what I had to say about it, as a precursor to this novel. “Russo is one of my favorite authors because […]
A rainy and murdery winter pick-me-up
In prepping for my move from the south to the Midwest in winter I asked some folks for reading suggestions in two categories: light fluffy happy things to cheer my spirits, and dark winter-y tales to remind me things could be worse, in a schadenfreude sort of way. This is the latter, and it definitely delivered. Set in rainy chilly Iceland, an old man is found murdered in his home. Motive unclear, and nothing too strange other than a note left on the body that […]
Sweet Sequel to a Sweet Family Debut
I first fell for the Waverly Family in Allen’s debut novel, “Garden Spells.” Small town living, sisters, baking, luuurv, and a magical apple tree that throws apples at innocent bystanders. What’s not to love? I knew that the sequel would be a good read for the winter time, something light fluffy, and a little warm for the cold days, and it delivered. The Waverly sisters have both made their way home and are living happy lives. The book picks up about 10 years after the […]
Slow Food. Any idea what I am talking about?
This book came across my radar as it was the January pick for the Slow Food Chicago Book Club. I’ll let the Slow Food International website speak for itself: “Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization, founded in 1989 to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.” In sum, Slow Food is the […]
Good book for the new year. Sort of.
I have been a fan of Nick Hornby since I read “High Fidelity.” I came at it after having seen the film, and they can both really standalone as solid entertainment. I later read “About a Boy” and enjoyed that as well, so this is my third Hornby, and I liked it just as much as the first two. The subject matter could be a bit of a downer, especially for this time of year, but it really just depends on your perspective. I have […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- …
- 73
- Next Page »