Category Archives: Book Reviews
Natalie Taylor Brings ‘Signs of Life’ to Birmingham Biggby Coffee
What do you do if you’re 24 years old, five months pregnant, and your husband suddenly – tragically – dies? If you’re Natalie Taylor, you write one honestly good book. Yes, we all know that shelves sag with overdone memoirs of … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Natalie Taylor, Signs of Life
Essays and Credits and Recs, Oh My! Korelitz Spins Tale Around Secrets of ‘Admission’
The complex process of college admissions is a high-pressured business that few of us will ever see from the inside. With big money on the line and parents pushing their kids to the brink of insanity, applying to college has … Continue reading
Filed under Admission, Authors, Book Reviews, Jean Hanff Korelitz
Ayad Akhtar’s ‘American Dervish’ – Muslim from the Midwest
Ayad Akhtar’s anticipated debut novel, American Dervish, hit shelves this past Monday. Though I reviewed it for the upcoming issue at Bookbrowse.com, I will share that it is a solid, accessible work that both delights and disturbs. Akhtar is an American-born, first-generation … Continue reading
Filed under American Dervish, Authors, Ayad Akhtar, Book Reviews
2012 Michigan Notable Books Announced
The much anticipated 2012 Michigan Notable Books were announced today. The Library of Michigan annually decides on 20 of the most notable books that “are reflective of Michigan’s diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience” and feature “high-quality titles with … Continue reading
Tis’ the Season for Great Gift Titles
Tis’ the season to pick titles for the lit lovers in your life. Below is this week’s shopping list for those of you looking for great reads to put under the tree. For a little gift-giving on the side, each … Continue reading
Wrap Yourself in Winter with ‘The Windward Shore’
Slowing things down in our furiously paced society is a discipline or luxury few of us can afford. Technology, economy, and mere 21st century self-preservation have together constructed a high-speed connection to a life that leaves many of us sapped … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Jerry Dennis, The Windward Shore
Childress Turns Up Southern Heat and Humor in “Georgia Bottoms”
Looking for scandal and a splash of sass? Then you must meet Ms. Georgia Bottoms of Six Points, Alabama. Mark Childress, author of One Mississippi and Crazy in Alabama, turns up that sultry southern heat in his latest novel featuring … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Georgia Bottoms, Mark Childress
Bohjalian Shoots to Thrill With ‘The Night Strangers’
Yes, it’s October, and inevitably with it’s arrival comes the dark urban legends and tales that tingle our spines and goose-up our flesh. Publishers find readers more receptive to the bizarre, and therefore seize the month to release their edgier … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Chris Bohjalian, The Night Strangers
Mitchell Zuckoff Brings ‘Lost in Shangri-La’ to Grosse Pointe War Memorial
Several noted military attacks took place as part of World War II combat on May 13, 1945. However, on that very same day there also occurred a more anonymous incident of devastation that has, until now, slipped historians and the … Continue reading
Filed under Authors, Book Reviews, Lost in Shangri-La, Mitchell Zuckoff
