In “Rubbing Stones,” two seemingly separate stories converge, with both uplifting and tragic results. Jane is an American psychiatrist whose teenage son has gotten into trouble with the law. Meanwhile, Katura is a teenage girl from Botswana, whose older brother has also gotten into what turns out to be much more serious trouble with the […]
Read more "“Rubbing Stones” by Nancy Burkey"We all know about ballerinas whose stories are exceptional. But what about those are aren’t principal dancers? What about the ones who don’t struggle up from unusual circumstances to become household names? What about the ones who do everything by the book and dedicate their lives to ballet only to remain in the corps for […]
Read more "“Outside the Limelight” by Terez Mertes Rose"I thought I’d take a break from book reviewing to meditate a little more on an issue of all-consuming interest for me–namely, my mysterious illness that may or may not be CFS/ME, an obscure strain of Lyme disease, babesiosis…the possibilities are vast and confusing, and your run-of-the-mill MD is left in a muddled quandary when faced […]
Read more "In Which I Contemplate Day-to-Day Activities When You Feel Like Hell"Ray is a struggling crab fisherman in Alaska, trying to keep his business afloat and raise his granddaughter alone. Then his long-estranged daughter comes home after being released from prison, upsetting the fragile balance of his life and forcing him to face his past. The conflicts in this novel are all small-scale and personal, which […]
Read more "“The Gods of Second Chances” by Dan Berne"I’m doing a Goodreads giveaway of TMLI from now till December 30. Enter here to win a free signed paperback copy!
Read more "Win a Free Signed Copy of “The Midnight Land: Part One”!"“Chick lit” (oh, how I hate that phrase! But use it I must, for it defines the genre so well) that is also “Brit lit,” but with the twist that the three main characters are, as promised in the title, fat. And not just a little bit fat: Dotty, the heaviest of the three, can’t […]
Read more "“Three Fat Singletons” by J.M. Bartholomew"This is the third installment in the serialized story of the young shadow stalker Auren and her fight against the Galvadi Empire. Auren is still struggling with her destiny and her difficulties dealing with her controlling mentor Kado, as well as her guilt over the suffering that others must undergo on her behalf. This book […]
Read more "“Shadow Stalker Part 3” by Renee Scattergood"“Matylda” is the story of a wide-eyed Czech boy who spends the summer of 1998 on a work exchange in the US. Intertwined with his impressions of American food (too sugary), American cops (constantly keeping an eye on him), and American shopping (amazing, but out of his price range), are the stories of his parents […]
Read more "“Matylda: And I Thought Everyone Drives a Limo in Amerika” by Filip Zachoval"What to say about this magnificent album? Well, many things, as it happens. But I’ll just pick one or two. One could wax on at length about the infectiously catchy songs, tinged with just the right touch of sorrow. One could talk about Swift’s meteoric rise from country curiosity to pop star of epic proportions. […]
Read more "“1989” by Taylor Swift"A compelling mystery full of twists and turns, with a troubled heroine who finds she’s much more tightly entwined in the case she’s investigating than she ever suspected. A former police detective who’s lost her badge, her home, and her self-respect over her gambling problem, Nicole finds herself pulled out of the women’s shelter and […]
Read more "“The Sound of Rain” by Gregg Olsen"
E. P. Clark: Author, Book Reviewer, and All-Around Literary Handiwoman 