The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin For anyone that loves books and bookstores, this novel is for you. A.J. Fikry is a middle-aged owner of Island Books, a book store on Alice Island off the coast of Massachusetts, where “No Man is an Island; Every Book is a World.” He is ill-tempered with customers […]
“It Rained in the Desert” by Jocelyn Dettloff
The story of tragedy always starts out the same – it comes uninvited and unannounced. In a second, life as it’s known and taken for granted is irrevocably altered. It Rained in the Desert by Jocelyn Dettloff is the account of tragedy’s striking on Sunday, April 13, 1997. Jocelyn, a free-spirited woman, travelled the globe seeking adventure […]
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” by Jonas Jonasson
On the first page of this novel, centenarian Allan Karlsson, in an effort to dodge his 100th birthday party, climbs out the window of his nursing home room and heads to the local bus station with no destination in mind. With neither planning nor malice intended, he hops on the next bus with a […]
“Sitting at the Wrong Dinner Table” by Stephen Nauta
Sitting at the Wrong Dinner Table, written by local author Stephen Nauta, tells of homecoming and healing. The book’s central character is Fran who faces the impending death of Richard, her abusive husband of forty years. Seeing a therapist, she is transforming herself and exploring possibilities for her future. Most importantly, she wants her […]
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Sometimes, a true tale can be more implausible than fiction, which is the case in the unforgettable story of Louis Zamperini in Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. This nonfiction account begins with Louis, a wily and irredeemable juvenile delinquent in the 1920s, who channels his boldness to become a UCLA track star and U.S. Olympic track […]
“Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn
This will probably be the shortest review ever since to say much about this book, since to say too much would risk spoiling it. One can say, however, the author grabs you right away with her writing style and hooks you with multiple plot twists to the very end. This is a real psychological thriller. […]
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green
This is a moving story of star-crossed lovers in a time of cancer told by 16-year-old Hazel. Hazel has stage-four thyroid cancer with a “satellite colony” in her lungs. As she tells it, “depression is a side effect of cancer” and, at the behest of her parents, she attends a support group at the local […]
“Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter
This is a beautiful book – one that can be relished from cover to cover: the story, the writing, the characters – everything exudes charm, warmth, and humor. The story begins circa 1962 in Italy during filming of Cleopatra, the notorious costly flop starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. An unknown extra actress, Dee […]
“A Long Way Down” by Nick Hornby
Middle-aged Martin Sharp had an enviable life: a wife, two daughters, and a successful career as a celebrity host of a morning show “Rise and Shine with Penny and Martin.” That was until he slept with a girl that was 15 years and 250 days old – just 115 days shy of being of legal […]
“Orange Is The New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison” by Piper Kerman
Piper Kerman, a Smith College graduate, was living a happy, successful life as a freelance producer in New York City with her magazine-editor boyfriend when her past abruptly caught up with her. Two policemen showed up on her doorstep and arrested her for a crime she committed years earlier. Neither her boyfriend nor her family […]