Category Archives: Uncategorized

I have to confess that “messy woman” novels are generally not my favorites. I don’t need women protagonists to have it all together, but I’m kind of bored with stories that are all about women being self-destructive. Some such novels … Continue reading →

Lexicon by Max Barry is a near-future thriller in which talented individuals known as poets are able to use special nonsense words to force people to submit to their will. Aspiring poets are trained at a special school where they … Continue reading →

Thelonious Monk Ellison, the narrator of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, writes obscure, but well-reviewed novels that draw on classical history, and he gives talks at academic conferences that even his colleagues can’t really follow. What he doesn’t do is … Continue reading →

This 1936 novel by Rosamond Lehmann is a follow-up to Invitation to the Waltz. I remembered very little about the earlier novel, but I had no real trouble following this story—it works well as a standalone piece. It’s also extremely timely … Continue reading →

The fictional rock duo Opal and Nev became notorious in the 1970s after a riot broke out at one of their concerts and Opal was photographed in a posture of defiance while Nev carried her on his back away from … Continue reading →

A few years ago, I read Kelly Link’s short story collection Get in Trouble. Despite generally liking short stories best when they’re kind of weird, I thought that collection was a little too weird. I can’t remember the details of those … Continue reading →

In the early 17th century, Katharina Kepler, mother of astronomer Johannes Kepler, was accused of witchcraft. Rivka Galchen draws on that incident for a novel about how one little rumor in the wrong hands can spread and cause tragedy. Galchen’s … Continue reading →

I’ve been trying to read books from my shelves, both physical and digital. I was sort of craving a mystery this weekend, so I decided to try this Swedish crime novel by Viveca Sten, and translated by Marlaine Delargy. I … Continue reading →

The day when Daisy met Jay Gatsby again should have been beautiful, the same kind of day on which she had been married, or at least a crisp and dying summer day like the one where she had met the … Continue reading →

Maggie and her eight younger brothers and sisters have lived in near isolation for as long as they can remember — just them and their parents and occasional trips to the library in town. But then Maggie decides that it’s … Continue reading →