The 14th Colony, which is the 11th book in the Cotton Malone series, is a political thriller that explores what would happen if the president-elect and VP-elect both died before the inauguration. It’s an interesting concept and I enjoyed the Cold War references, but I would say this book falls under the category of “brain candy” – it’s mildly entertaining and I’ll soon forget it. Continue reading
Category Archives: Fiction
Book Review: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
American Dirt is a gripping novel about a woman and her son who have to flee Mexico and migrate to the US in order to escape a violent drug cartel. It’s a sympathetic and suspenseful take on one of today’s biggest political topics – illegal border crossings. Continue reading
Book Review: Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Dear Committee Members is a clever epistolary novel mainly composed of letters of recommendation written by Jay Fitger, a cynical creative writing professor at Payne University, located somewhere in Minnesota. The letters are mostly hilarious and reveal a lot about Fitger, academia, and the practically of an English degree. Continue reading
Book Review: The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Guest List is a highly satisfying suspense novel that takes place during the wedding from hell on a completely inhospitable island off the Irish coast. A cautionary tale about destination weddings? Perhaps! Continue reading
Book Review: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Shipping News, published in 1993, is a personal evolution story about Quoyle, who transforms from a downtrodden big oaf to a content, well-regarded man. It took awhile to get used to the writing style and I didn’t care for the first part of the book, but I ended up enjoying this novel. Continue reading
Book Review: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Evvie Drake Starts Over is about a young widow who’s stuck in one of those places in life that can be hard to get out of. I would say this book is mostly a romance, but it also has strong themes of friendship, family, and breaking free of what’s holding you back to finally move forward. Continue reading
Book Review: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge is a Pulitzer Prize winner that tells the story of an aging retired school teacher through a series of short stories, many of which just mention Olive in passing. It’s an unusual approach to character development that kind of worked for me and kind of didn’t. Continue reading
Book Review: March by Geraldine Brooks
March is a Pulitzer Prize winning story about CPT March, the father of the March family in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. It covers the year he spent in the Union Army during the Civil War, so it’s dark and heavy, but it’s also imaginative and well-researched and doesn’t shy away from tough topics and grim historical realities. Continue reading
Book Review: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Can you escape your past? That’s one of the major questions explored in The Dutch House. And for the two main characters, Maeve and Danny, the answer is “not really.” Continue reading
Book Review: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
In Five Years is a novel about friendship, love, and grief. Lots of grief. Continue reading
