"Reading is the creative center of a writer's life." — Stephen King
Like Pride and Prejudice, this book opens with a lie. It says, “This is the story of Bob Burgess.” The truth is that it’s the story of Bob, Lucy, Olive, Margaret, William, Jim, and Pam and the stories … Read More
There are two groups of readers who will love this book. Descendants of Norwegian immigrants (like me) who have grown up hearing about wanting to go back to Norway someday will recognize many of the … Read More
As a writer, few things give me more pleasure than discovering an excellent writer. Kate Roberts wrote her novels, short stories, and autobiography in Welsh, which meant that most of the English-speaking world didn’t know of … Read More
This quote is from the poem “Fern Hill,” written by Dylan Thomas, one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time. My Welsh Airbnb host included it in his description of the changeable weather, which is one indication of … Read More
This sentence comes at the end of the first paragraph. We see that while everything seems okay, it’s not. Something has ended, and the protagonist is upset. Keegan is reluctant to spell it out for us. … Read More
The title of this novel comes from a gut-wrenching scene in Macbeth, where the central character mourns his wife’s death and wants his now-meaningless existence to come to an end. (And it does. Violently.) Is … Read More
A review of “Poems from the Winter House” in 100 words by Catherine Stover
Daniel Smith’s poetry readings draw people who have never been to a poetry reading before. They come to hear him describe farming and his decision to finally sell his ancestral home and discontinue the way of … Read More
Eva Gayle Six is an American author of historical fiction that few have heard of. Her novel, Jennie’s Tiger: A woman’s pioneering stand in an untamed corner of Washington state, is based on the life of Jennie Wooding, born … Read More
This book is not for those who like to keep things simple. Zadie Smith is curious, she asks questions, and she zigzags her way through ideas to explore multiple perspectives. Her great talent is to do this while being relatable. … Read More
This quote expresses the tension in Small Things Like These, which is about the terrible choice the Irish coal merchant, Furlong, must make between self-preservation and self-respect. Either way, he stands a chance to lose something … Read More
This is one of my favorite lines in American literature. It’s blunt and clear, even though it’s from a book that is neither blunt nor clear. Reading Requiem for a Nun requires participating in an experiment. It … Read More
When Kyoko Mori writes about her love for her cats and birds, she doesn’t hold back. Her devotion is unquestionably…well…obsessive. It’s tempting to see her in that light only. However, in an interview, Mori says this, “I … Read More
In the weeks since Alice Munro’s death, I’ve been thinking about this paradox: While she won the Nobel Prize and the highest respect of reviewers, she never won the hearts of the mass market audience. Why? Hmmm . . . should we start by thinking about the reasons we are … Read More
A Review of “Find Your Story, Write Your Memoir” in 100 Words by Catherine StoverMemoirists have to strike a difficult balance while attempting to meet two goals. Their first goal is to tell us about something that happened in their past by taking us back to the way life … Read More
Here is what I love about the pieces in this book: they are designed to surprise the reader. The stories build to not just one revelation, but often several. And they are sneaky. The last sentence of the last story made me gasp out loud. Because it was written with … Read More