Category Archives: Best Books of the Year

We Are The Goldens, by Dana Reinhardt (2014)

Posted on May 10, 2014 by tom

We Are the Goldens (2014) By Dana Reinhardt Nellayla That’s what a young Nell used to call herself, because she was so close to her older sister. Layla would laugh: “I am Layla,” and [Layla] tapped [her] chest, then you … Continue reading →

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The Summer of Letting Go, by Gae Polisner (2014)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by tom

This book killed me. Not only is it unputdownable, I received a review copy from the publisher last November. It was one of my favorite books of the year, and yet I COULDN’T PUT IT IN MY TOP TEN! FINALLY, … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Books Read in 2014, Young Adult | Tagged , | 7 Comments

William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back, by Ian Doescher (2014)

Posted on March 17, 2014 by tom

William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back By Ian Doescher When first I read Ian Doescher’s Shakespearean twist on the “Star Wars” saga, I spent more time laughing than thinking about why I was laughing. I think it’s because it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Books Read in 2014, Fantasy or Sci-Fi, Humorous, series | Leave a comment

The Summer of Letting Go, by Gae Polisner (2014)

Posted on March 10, 2014 by tom

(nb: I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley) It’s summertime, to paraphrase the song, and the livin’ ain’t easy, not for Francesca “Frankie” Schnell. It’s the summer she turns sixteen, and it’s supposed to be filled … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | 2 Comments

The Best of 2013: Part One (Biography and Memoir, Plus a Pithy Introduction)

Posted on January 10, 2014 by tom

Alas, the boiling excitement of the 2013 Holidaze (yawn) has died down, and I have yet to do my Year’s Best post. My goal for 2013 was 150 books; I ended up reading 168. Something odd happened around the ninety … Continue reading →

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Sixteen, Sixty-One, by Natalie Lucas (Kindle vers. 2013)

Posted on October 26, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) It’s an interesting coincidence that I was IM-ing with a friend earlier. This young woman is a sweet soul, and I love her to pieces, … Continue reading →

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Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King (2013)

Posted on October 19, 2013 by tom

Stephen King has created some amazing characters in his career, and in the process of creating them, I think he’s become a character himself, far more so than other equally prolific writers. King is the guy who doesn’t just write … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Horror, Mysteries/Thrillers, series | 2 Comments

Woman Walks Into a Bar, by Rowan Coleman (2013)

Posted on October 4, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss) “Woman Walks Into a Bar” tells the story of a woman who has not had an easy life, but she’s found a sort of comfortable … Continue reading →

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The Owners Manual for Driving Your Adolescent Brain, by Terrence Deak, PhD; JoAnn Deak, PhD; illustrated by Freya Harrison

Posted on September 23, 2013 by tom

Adolescence is never easy. We know to expect many of the changes we encounter: girls growing breasts and curves, boys voices deepening, and everyone growing hair all over parts they used to be scared to wash. These are the “normal” … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Non Fiction and/or Commentary, Science: from Anatomy to Zoology, series, Young Adult | 1 Comment

The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes (2013)

Posted on September 12, 2013 by tom

It’s 1931 Chicago, and like so many Americans during the Great Depression, Harper Curtis has it rough. Harper lives in one of the many “Hoovervilles,” small villages of tarpaper shacks and tents where those with nowhere else to go try … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, General Fiction, Mysteries/Thrillers, Paranormal | Tagged , , | 1 Comment