Tag: Book Blog

Othello on the Playground: New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

June 9, 2017

Yes, you read that correctly: Othello on the Playground! In New Boy , the latest and quite possibly the greatest in the Hogarth Shakespeare collection, famed author Tracy Chevalier transforms the Shakespearean tragedy into an elementary school saga, rife with nostalgia and heartbreak. Chevalier expands upon the themes of Othello- racism, jealousy, and revenge, to name … More Othello on the Playground: New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

A Mother’s Grief Transformed Through the Gospel of John: His Last Words by Kim Erickson

June 4, 2017

  One night Kim’s beautiful, blonde three-year-old son went to sleep. And never woke up. During a time of utter despair, Kim found Christ and began to study the gospel. In His Last Words, she draws upon her insight as a grieving mother and fledgling Christian (at the time), to lead women through a biblical study … More A Mother’s Grief Transformed Through the Gospel of John: His Last Words by Kim Erickson

Brilliant Stories from a Brilliant Mind: The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street by Jacob M. Appel

May 31, 2017

  Man, oh man- this gentleman is brilliant! I might have guessed an “American author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic” according to Wikipedia, would produce some stellar writing, but still wasn’t prepared for how fully invested I’d be in each story in Jacob M. Appel’s The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street! The characters are … More Brilliant Stories from a Brilliant Mind: The Topless Widow of Herkimer Street by Jacob M. Appel

An Outsider’s Perspective: Mexico by Josh Barkan

March 28, 2017

As I have likely mentioned before, I’m a sucker for a short story collection–something about unraveling the thread that links the seemingly disparate characters and tales– so I all but jumped at the chance to review Josh Barkan’s Mexico: Stories. In it, Barkan, a celebrated writer and Creative Writing professor who lives part-time in Mexico … More An Outsider’s Perspective: Mexico by Josh Barkan

A Novel Approach: Writing Literary Fiction in Reverse

March 18, 2017

One day in the not-too-distant past, I sat down and made myself start writing a novel. There was an internal storm that had been gathering within for some time that I was too lazy and defeatist to do anything about–ideas, diatribes, inspirations, musings left to swirl around in under-utilized recesses. But for no specific reason, … More A Novel Approach: Writing Literary Fiction in Reverse

A Delightful Southern Gothic: The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

March 15, 2017

  Family secrets, a decadent and possibly haunted mansion, and an abundance of literary references?! Be still my heart! The Barrowfields, the brilliant debut novel by Phillip Lewis, is a beautifully done southern gothic with all the intrigue, romance, and twists one could hope for. Phillip’s highly-detailed narrative and soothing prose draw readers deep into the … More A Delightful Southern Gothic: The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

A Tempestuous Read:Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

March 9, 2017

           If you’ve never heard of Margaret Atwood , welcome to the planet Earth. Please allow me to show you around. I jest, but the woman has nothing short of 40 major works under her belt, ranging from dystopian fiction, to children’s books, to literary criticism and other non-fiction books on writing … More A Tempestuous Read:Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

Books to Read for A Nation at War with Itself

July 8, 2016

Unless you’ve been hobbit-holing in your warm, safe confines, reading one of the A Song of Ice and Fire installments to alleviate your Game of Thrones withdrawals, you are aware that over the past 72 hours, two African American civilians, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, lost their lives during two separate, seemingly routine, innocuous interactions … More Books to Read for A Nation at War with Itself