I am a stickler for good writing, something Karen Uhlmann clearly also cares about and delivers on. She breathes life into a cast of characters and spins a realistic web of connections and misconnections between them. I was especially taken by the concept of “intersections,” and how it serves as a literal location and a metaphor operating on multiple levels. If you want a quality read, don’t miss this one!
For fans of Emma Straub and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeny, a debut contemporary women's fiction novel about obsession, forgiveness, and friendship between two unlikely people.
Style-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover's baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving.
His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns…
With brilliantly witty dialogue and quirky characters you’ll love—or in some cases, love to hate—Lori Duff keeps speculation at a fever pitch until the ingenious final pages. Building on its prequel, this an intelligent read is both fun and socially relevant.
For fans of the new Matlock reboot, a legal thriller featuring an idealistic young lawyer who believes her bruised and abused client . . . even after discovering that client is keeping secrets that are beyond belief.
Attorney Jessica Fischer is back, and this time she feels good about helping her client. Susan Wolan is the wife of a county commissioner and the victim of domestic violence. Jessica knows the abuse happened—she's seen the handprints on Susan's body. But she also suspects her client is holding something back from her. What is it—and can she help save Susan from her…
Mostly, I just read a book once through. Mistress of Spices is one of the few that I have picked up again and again over the years since I first read it. Because the writing is so good, I sometimes reread passages just to get my own creative juices flowing.
A classic work of magical realism, this bestselling novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells the story of Tilo, a young woman from another time who has a gift for the mystical art of spices.
Now immortal, and living in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman, Tilo has set up shop in Oakland, California, where she administers curatives to her customers. But when she's surprised by an unexpected romance with a handsome stranger, she must choose between everlasting life and the vicissitudes of modern society. Spellbinding and hypnotizing, The Mistress of Spices is a tale of joy, sorrow,…
Anna argues with her mom about a school science award. Ben discovers in his seventh decade that he is Jewish. Chester searches for his little sister in a snowstorm. Dixie is pregnant with her second child.
Their stories and twenty-two others read like the ABC’s of everyday life. One way or another, the challenges that bring drama to our lives work themselves out, right? Or maybe not. Sometimes the ending isn’t at all what you expect.
Shot is a collection of short stories about gun violence, organized as a dictionary, with a story for each letter of the alphabet. Each life is precious. And life itself is to be celebrated.
