Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

I’ve read a number of books that present themselves as short story collections, but which, when taken as a whole, comprise powerful novels.  I think one reason that this succeeds is that the author can approach the same topic from a number of different angles without losing the narrative thread that ties the whole package [...]

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The Yard Dog, by Sheldon Russell

1943.  A dreary Oklahoma town, where the Dust Bowl and Depression still hang heavily over the residents.  Hook Runyon is drifting from one drunken spree to the next, moving the old caboose where he lives when he wants some variety.  Hook, you see, is a yard dog – a railroad bull – ok, a guy [...]

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Ordinary Heroes, by Scott Turow

Turow is well-known for his legal thrillers, including Presumed Innocent, which I think paved the way for a new generation of legal writers, including John Grisham.  Although he hasn’t scored as big since, his character development, courtroom drama, and exploration of the legal personality of the fictional Kindle County keep his books selling and circulating.  [...]

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The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James

As I mentioned yesterday, in England ghost stories are  common fare for the Christmas season. In that tradition, James begins his chilling tale as a story offered at a holiday gathering long after the events of the tale have occurred. The guests at a holiday celebration gather around to hear one of their members relate [...]

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The Bookshop, by Penelope Fitzgerald

It is my unscientific but educated opinion that most authors are better at short stories than longer works. With full-length narratives, authors are prone to blathering on or cramming in unnecessary details or cluttering the story with extraneous characters. With short stories they are forced to make careful choices about each word and sentence. The [...]

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The King’s Coat, by Dewey Lambdin

This is a good, rousing tale of sailing life in 1780. You will learn much about ships and how they work as well as battles of the time and the weapons used. Our “hero,” (and we use the word loosely) is a wild young fellow who suddenly finds himself in a new world. Think Horatio Hornblower, but [...]

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Crystal Rain, by Tobias Buckell

John deBrun has two problems with his past. The first is that 27 years before the action of Crystal Rain, he was washed up on the shore of the island nation of Nanagada. He can’t remember anything prior to those events. He spent a few years rising through the ranks of sailors and eventually led [...]

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Six Feet Under

This television series aired on HBO 2001-2005. It’s probably one of my all-time favorites. I own all five seasons on DVD. The premise of the show is dark and morbid. The Fisher family owns and operates a mortuary out of their home. In the very first episode, the father is killed and leaves the business [...]

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My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult

With every book she publishes, Jodi Picoult attracts new readers who go back to inhale her earlier works.  As hard as it is for us to satisfy the demand for her most recent title (at this writing, Handle With Care), we can’t even keep up with the demand for her books going all the way [...]

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The 25th Hour, by David Benioff

In David Benioff’s debut novel, a convicted drug “kingpin” spends his last night of freedom roaming the city, putting an end to the dreams and desires he is bound to lose in prison.
Three characters anchor the story:   the dealer Monty, a good-looking but tough kid;  Jakob, an introverted English teacher at an upscale private [...]

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