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Dark, soulful tales that haunt long after the last page.
Stoner by John Edward Williams My rating: 5 of 5 stars Having just now finished John Edward Williams’ Stoner, I’m almost at a loss as to what to say about it. The novel may be the most pleasant kick in the teeth you’re ever likely to get. William Stoner may be the saddest character in…
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Brace yourselves. This could be the sappiest book review I’ve ever written. It was hard to choose categories for this novel. Adventure? Mystery? Science fiction? Historical drama? It’s a little of everything. The novel is divided into sections that barely connect, but each one…
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck My rating: 4 of 5 stars I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. For The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. Some of his shorter books, though, are hit or miss. I’d heard good things about Tortilla Flat…
Razor’s Edge, The by Michael Page My rating: 4 of 5 stars My journey through books about the meaning of life continued with W. Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge. While not as enlightening as Hesse’s Siddhartha, it was a solid, entertaining book, particularly for fans of Victorian British literature. Yes, I realize it was written…
Well, that didn’t take long. Sorry, folks. My bad. Yes, it seems every time I get involved with a small press publisher things go into the crapper. 3F Publications? Gone. Scrybe Press? Gone. Graveside Tales? Gone. (Yes, the Web site is still there, but check the dates.) Stone Thread Press? Closed up shop just before…
For the first time since I began teaching AP English Literature and Composition back in 2008 my reading list is the same for two consecutive years. I’ve finally found a year-long schedule of longer works that I really enjoy, that are of high literary merit, and that the majority of my students don’t complain about…
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’d give this one a 4.5 if Goodreads allowed half stars. I’m very tempted to give it a five. Normally, any book that is able to evoke so much emotion would be a sure five, but there were a…
Yes, after months of not blogging, of my only updates being book reviews, I’m going to write about the Adrian Peterson drama. But I’m going to write about something I’ve not seen covered yet. First, though, a possible disclaimer: I was horrified in 2007 when Peterson announced he was leaving my Alma mater, the University…
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was in the mood for another meaning-of-life book, so did some searching and The Alchemist came up on several lists. I saw reviews on Goodreads from people who found it life-changing and from people who hated it. I guess I’m in the middle.…
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is an interesting story about the generation of Germans who came along immediately after World War 2 and how they dealt with the sins of their parents and the guilt of their nation. The Nazi crimes are personalized in the character of Hannah,…
Steven E. Wedel 