“Restless in L.A.” by Robin Finn

Alex is approaching forty and suddenly doesn’t know what she wants in life. She has three kids, a great husband, and a lovely house, and she’s drowning in all her good fortune, which isn’t actually that good. Her middle child has ADHD and is constantly getting into trouble at school, the other children resent […]

“X–Wembley Edition” by Ed Sheeran

X Wembley Edition (CD+DVD) In “X,” Ed Sheeran’s follow-up to his stunning debut “+”(read my review here) he continues to dazzle with a wide variety of musical styles, all tied together with his trademark combination of rapid-fire rapping and mellow singing. In the “Wembley” deluxe edition, listeners are treated to some extra studio tracks, including the […]

“Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko In “Pachinko,” Min Jin Lee weaves a multigenerational story of a Korean family in Japan from the pre-WWII Japanese occupation of Korea to the 1980s. Surviving–or not–war, partition, discrimination, and rejection, the Baek/Boku/Park family rises from desperate poverty to wealth through shrewd entrepreneurship, an unstoppable work ethic, and pachinko, a gambling business of dubious […]

“Lilyth–Book 2” by Tiyana Angel

Lilyth – Book 2 (The Shadow Spirits Paradox) In “Lilyth–Book 2” the story begun in Book 1 is continued. Lilyth has realized that she loves Tristan and has set off to save him, even though that would mean endangering herself, something that others want to prevent, since she seems to be the child of prophecy who […]

“Lala Pettibone’s Act Two” by Heidi Mastrogiovanni

Lala Pettibone’s Act Two Lala Pettibone is a forty-something widow whose life is not on a good track right now. Forced to leave her beloved Manhattan and move back to Southern CA (oh, the horror!) when she loses her job following a cell-phone-related indiscretion, Lala and her menagerie of senior pets struggle with health problems, […]

“Suite Francaise” by Irene Nemirovsky

Suite Française “Suite Francaise” is an astounding book, but even more astounding is the story behind its composition. Born in 1903 to a well-to-do Jewish family in Kiev, then part of Russia, Irene Nemirovsky, the author, was forced to flee in 1917 first to Finland, and then finally to France, where, still in her 20s, […]

+ by Ed Sheeran

+ (Bonus Tracks) I have to confess I’m late to the Ed Sheeran bandwagon. I sort of liked “The A Team” when it came out as a single, but I could never quite get into most of Sheeran’s other songs. I could recognize why it was good, but it never quite gelled for me. Now, […]

“I Am a Chechen!” by German Sadulaev

I Am a Chechen! In “I am a Chechen!” German Sadulaev pulls together a set of stories, based heavily on his own biographical experiences, about the Chechen conflicts. Fragmentary, lyrical, in turns desperate and magical, and often non-linear, this collection follows in the tradition of Russian writers such as Lermontov and Babel, taking bare biography […]

“Patchers of the Code” by CB Archer

Patchers of the Code (The Anders’ Quest Series Book 3) At last! The hotly anticipated (by me, at least) final book to the “Annals of Gentalia” series, “Patchers of the Code,” is finally here! Lovers of comic fantasy and very bizarre erotica, rejoice! If you haven’t read the first two installments in the series, then […]

“Monumental Propaganda” by Vladimir Voinovich

Monumental Propaganda Aglaya (“The Shining One”) Revkina (“The Zealous One”) may have never had an orgasm, but she does know what love is. All the passion her skinny body is capable of has been dedicated her entire life to Comrade Stalin. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the world is incapable of matching her ardor. […]

E. P. Clark: Author, Book Reviewer, and All-Around Literary Handiwoman

Month: February 2017