Category Archives: Literary Fiction

The Ocean Above Me by Kevin Sites – a Book Review

Kevin Sites is an award-winning journalist who published three nonfiction books using his expertise as a war correspondent prior to the release of this one, but this is his debut work of fiction. The novel follows Lukas Landon, a former … Continue reading

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The Pole by J.M. Coetzee – a Book Review

Coming in at only 166 pages, this little volume barely constitutes a book, but it manages to just tip the scale between novella and novel. This is deliberate on the part of Coetzee who has opted for what is described … Continue reading

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Apples of Stone by Philip Marsh – a Book Review

Philip Marsh was a local author, poet, and licensed clinical social worker based in the Ozarks where I live. I never got the chance to meet him, but I do know his brother, a lawyer in Springfield, who passed along … Continue reading

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The Stargazer’s Sister by Carrie Brown – a Book Review

I love this kind of book. The Stargazer’s Sister is the mostly-true story of Caroline Herschel, the also famous sister of legendary astronomer, William Herschel. Anyone with even a passing interest in astronomy will know his name, and even those … Continue reading

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The People We Keep by Allison Larkin – a Book Review

The People We Keep follows 16-year-old April Sawicki. Living alone in a motorhome technically owned by her deadbeat dad, her mother existing only in memories from before she ran off, April has only her own grit and willingness to break … Continue reading

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All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood – a Book Review

I’m struggling with how to even start this review. It will be heavy, and more than slightly uncomfortable. Honestly, I’m kind of wishing I never lifted this book off the shelf. Maybe that’s why I haven’t posted a review SINCE … Continue reading

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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – a Book Review

Let me first preface this review by saying this is at once the most infuriating and most wondrous book I’ve read in a very long time. At first glance, I didn’t think this book would be an articulate work of … Continue reading

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The One and Only (hopefully) Lazy Overwhelmed Blogger Post

I decided I really needed to get myself much more caught up, so I’ve decided not to FULLY review some of my more recent reads from January through March of this year. One or two of them I will because … Continue reading

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The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline – a Book Review

I have counted up the number of books I’ve read but not reviewed, and I’m too embarrassed to tell you what that number is. Rest assured, it’s bad. Obviously, I’ve been reading a lot but not much more. Sure, reading … Continue reading

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Beartown, the Series by Fredrik Backman – a Book(s) Review

Of all the literary voices currently on the scene, Backman’s may not be the loudest, but his is certainly one of the most powerful. He has this way of writing something that is extremely heavy but, typically, he does it … Continue reading

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