Early reviews of Ariel Courage’s debut Bad Nature painted a portrait of a deeply flawed character, who, shortly after a terminal cancer diagnosis, embarks on a cross-country drive to kill her estranged father. The picture I had in my head of this story was much funnier than the book turned out to be. There are…
'"I host a radio show," Aiden says calmly. "Maya called in to ask for dating advice." My hand clenches around the phone. "Dating advice? She's twelve." "She didn't call for herself. She called for you." He makes a small huff of amusement. "My name is Aiden Valentine and you're live with Heartstrings, Baltimore's romance hotline.”'…
Love is in the air for the perfect couple in this debut domestic thriller, The Perfect Home. Dawn and Wyatt Decker seem to have it all; a hit remodeling show, a loving relationship and millions of adoring fans all across the county—but what fun would that be to read about? Cracks in the veneer begin…
“The whole wreck heaves, and then the two men are lifting something from within. A body in white, soaked through with rainwater, her long chestnut hair streaming free from her limp head like a flag of a wrecked ship. Darkness rises all around me, and I sink to the earth.” Kat Dunn, Hungerstone, pg. 27…
Romance novels often have a meet/cute, that moment the couple meets. Some romances are termed “grumpy/sunshine” because one of the pair can be grouchy in his or her demeanor while the other is more, well, sunshiny. The protagonists in The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison come together with a meet/cute. When Ruth and Abe are…
In Rosarita, Booker Prize-shortlisted Anita Desai gives our heroine an uneven footing from the first, and the reader shares in the confusion (at least I sure did). Bonita is a young woman accosted one afternoon by a theatrical older woman. She is dropped into a situation that leaves both character and reader in the…
Nothing better during these frosty winter months than snuggling down with a cup of something warm and a cozy read. I recently had the pleasure of curling up with Julie Leong’s debut novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes. A fantasy tale of found family, adventure, and immigration (featuring a magical feline – I mean but…
'"You like her too much," Zamena says. Nobles are not like us. Never forget it." "She is different." "Why? Because she was born common? She isn't common now."' Costanza Casati, Babylonia, pg. 173 I'm always one to make sweeping predictions for what the new year will bring, literary-wise. Last year, I predicted that 2024 would…
It might sound odd to close out 2024 with a deeply unsettling novel about a woman trying to solve the mystery of where she goes when she’s asleep, but I read this short novel in one sitting. While Knutsdottir’s The Night Guest appears slight at first glance (some chapters are just a few words…
“No matter how great a work of art is, it comes to an end. In fact, in order to be great, it must end.” Juhea Kim, City of Night Birds, pg. 305 When I was five years old, I wanted to be a ballet dancer more than anything in the world. All my child-sized brain…
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