Category Archives: Literary or Genre Fiction

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, by Ian Doescher (2013)

Posted on July 27, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss) Yes, “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” is precisely what the title implies, and it is exquisite. Author Ian Doescher has taken the familiar story of the original “Star Wars,” and … Continue reading →

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Interstate, by Stephen Dixon (orig. 1994; e-book published 2013)

Posted on July 24, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley) Stephen Dixon’s “Interstate” takes eight different passes at the same story, and each of them is remarkable in its own vision. Imagine you’re a father, driving … Continue reading →

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The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan (2013)

Posted on July 23, 2013 by tom

“The Panopticon” is one of the best-written, saddest, most-moving and triumphant coming-of-age novels I’ve ever read—easily one of the best books of 2013—and I have absolutely no damned idea how to review it. I love books like that, books that … Continue reading →

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One Man’s Initiation: 1917, by John Dos Passos

Posted on June 11, 2013 by tom

One thing I noticed while reading John Dos Passos’s “One Man’s Initiation: 1917” is how much I know about World War 2. And how much I know about Vietnam. Even about the Korean War. All I know about World War … Continue reading →

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Three Lives of Tomomi Ishikawa, by Benjamin Constable (2013)

Posted on June 3, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley) On Getting to Know Your Dead Best Friend Winston Churchill is credited with the phrase, “A riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, inside an enigma,” a phrase that perfectly … Continue reading →

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The Girl, The Gold Tooth, And Everything: A Novel, by Francine LaSala (2012)

Posted on May 15, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley) In the past 16 months, I’ve read 168 books, and I can count on one hand those that hooked me as quickly and thoroughly, relentlessly chained … Continue reading →

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There are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes, by Robert Jacoby (2012)

Posted on May 6, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) (nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) Novels tell stories. If you think of, say, the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling relates Harry’s adventures as … Continue reading →

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Ghost Trio, by Lillian Q. Irwin (2013)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley) When NYC-based pianist Lee Howe’s partner, mezzo-soprano Devorah Manikian, moves to California, the couple is separated by more than just physical distance. Lee feels personally and … Continue reading →

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Double Feature, by Owen King (2013)

Posted on April 29, 2013 by tom

Owen King’s debut novel, “Double Feature,” is a sprawling, sometimes uneven novel that takes awhile to penetrate. Once you get into it, the story and characters move in a memorable dance between absurdism and apple pie America, blurring the lines … Continue reading →

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The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway (1926)

Posted on April 1, 2013 by tom
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