“Pleased down to my clogs, as all bakers are when something they make is properly appreciated, I slid the coffee thermos back onto its warmer . . . “

A review of “Nothing Much Happens” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

Imagine a story about a baker who experiments with a recipe for biscotti that contains pistachios and orange zest. The baker is pleased with the results. The end. Wait, what? How can a story have no plot and … Read More

“So walk on air against your better judgement . . .”

A review of “The Spirit Level” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

The cover photo is a close-up of a level, which is sometimes called a spirit level. Ah, you might say, this poetry collection must be about finding balance. And since the author won the Nobel Prize in Read More

“If a story drew us in, kept us reading, made us feel respected, how did it do that?”

A review of “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

Here’s what I like about George Saunders: even though he is an award-winning author and a creative writing professor –  some go so far as to call him “a secular saint of American Read More