Controversies in the world of literature and articles on authors and their books.
The man in the picture above is Calvin Duncan. I can’t believe he is smiling after all he has been through. At age 19, he was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years at a Louisana Prison. While in prison, he studied law and began to help himself and other inmates file appeals and motions for procedural improvements. The woman in the picture is Stephanie Cull. She
Patrick Ryan has written a book that New York Times reviewer Jess Walter calls an old-fashioned American novel. That book is Buckeye, and the publisher has really hyped this novel set in a fictional town in Ohio. From all accounts, Buckeye lives up to its promise–well worth reading and more than. The author introduces us to two families brought together by the war and then
The first father is Arthur Candlewick. He and his family live a privileged life in the Cotswolds. After suffering a near-death experience, Arthur decides to give away all of his worldly goods. The book follows him and his family as they deal with this very unexpected turn of events. Next, we have Vic Kemp, a famous artist who has just moved to an Italian villa,
*about women You have no doubt heard about each of these three women, but you may not know much about who they really are. Maybe preconceived ideas about Kate Spade and questions such as “who’s Octavia Butler.” You may decide you want to get to know them better, and the following books will be a good starting point: Dawn Staley is almost a legend in
While the title The Carpool Detectives sounds like a humorous set-up, this book by Chuck Hogan will not be humorous, but it will be a ‘fun’ read for those who like crime stories. Hogan is a seasoned author of true crime. Some may know him for his previous books: The Town and Devils in Exile. Normally, I do now like crime novels if they are
The last two books I have read involved missing persons. All The Colors of the Dark involves many missing people, including, for a time, the main character. Heartwood only has one missing person. The thing about both of these books is that I could not put them down. I had to read and read until I found out about the missing person. Don’t worry, I
I know, of course, that the Mississippi River is generally referred to as “old man river.” Even if it isn’t the longest river in North America, it is huge! I am partial, however, to the Tennessee River because I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee where ‘the river’ refers to the Tennessee. In fact, I was just there seeing friends and relatives and can attest to
No, “Twist and Tilt” is not a new song nor is it a new dance. The two words are titles of new, critcally acclaimed books that are worth considering, even if they aren’t the type of book you typically read. Twist, by Irish author Colum McCann, is an adventure book and a thriller. It is set mostly at sea where journalist Anthony Fennell is searching
In this ambitious post, I will write about four different books all set during World War II. Why aren’t authors and readers tired of World War II? If you have any ideas, please share them with me. I know that people my age grew up with stories about the war and the bravery of those who lived through it. One reason we are seeing more
I have tried to read what reviewers label as ‘Beach Reads’, and many times these books just don’t do it for me. Not that I am a literary snob, because I have read and enjoyed many books that are simply entertaining. So, I am willing this sumer to try a few new suggestions that I have noticed in several publications. First of all, Elisabeth Egan,
