Literature & Fiction 2/3

Greg Barlin

Dec 19, 20233 min read

Small Mercies (#4 of 2023)

★★★★★ A masterful book, Lehane's best since Mystic River, set against the racial tensions of Boston school busing during the summer of '74.

Greg Barlin

Dec 18, 20234 min read

Still Life (#5 of 2023)

★★★★★ A beautifully written character study of a cast of memorable souls that spans 30 years from the end of World War II until the mid-70s.

Greg Barlin

Dec 15, 20235 min read

Starling House (#8 of 2023)

★★★★★ Harrow returns to top form with a genre-blending story of a young woman trying to scrape by in a town haunted by its past and secrets.

Greg Barlin

Dec 2, 20232 min read

The Berry Pickers

★★★★☆ A decent but unremarkable debut about a young girl's disappearance, its impact on her family, and ultimately their path to reuniting.

Greg Barlin

Nov 23, 20234 min read

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

★★★★☆ Set in the 1930s, an expansive cast from the Black and Jewish section of Pottstown, PA come together to rally around a common cause.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Greg Barlin

Nov 20, 20233 min read

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

★★★☆☆ The semi-autobiographical account of the author's childhood, focused on him leaving the reservation to attend a white high school.

Greg Barlin

Nov 9, 20232 min read

Signal Fires

★★★☆☆ A character study of two neighboring families on the outskirts of New York City. I hoped for spellbinding; what I got was milquetoast.

Greg Barlin

Oct 26, 20233 min read

Go As A River

★★★☆☆ A mostly tragic decades-spanning debut about a young woman dealing with adversity while growing up in rural Colorado circa 1950.

Greg Barlin

Aug 6, 20233 min read

This Tender Land

★★★☆☆ Inflated expectations probably diminished my enjoyment of this river odyssey tale. It's an okay story, but Ordinary Grace it is not.

Greg Barlin

Jul 30, 20233 min read

Weyward

★★★★☆ Hart's tale of women finding their power through witchcraft is diluted by her one-dimensional portrayal of universally horrible men.

Greg Barlin

Jul 28, 20234 min read

Warrior Girl Unearthed

★★★☆☆ A rushed sophomore slump of a novel that fails to live up to Boulley's first book, Firekeeper's Daughter, in almost every way.

Greg Barlin

Jul 20, 20234 min read

Yellowface

★★★★☆ Societal commentary abounds in this story of a white author stealing the final manuscript of an Asian American author after her death.

Greg Barlin

Jul 15, 20232 min read

City of Dreams

★★★★☆ The 2nd book in the Danny Ryan Trilogy fails to live up to the 1st, but it's a quick read if you want more time with the Dogtown crew.

Greg Barlin

Jul 1, 20234 min read

The Whispers

★★★☆☆ Audrain once again examines the trials of parenting, but this time fails to balance character flaws with anything remotely redeemable.

Greg Barlin

May 19, 20233 min read

Hang the Moon

★★☆☆☆ A disjointed mess of a novel about a young woman growing up during Prohibition in rural Virginia. I wanted this to be so much better.

Greg Barlin

Apr 7, 20233 min read

Hello Beautiful

★★★★☆ Napolitano once again tugs at heartstrings by creating memorable characters who share moments of happiness amid plenty of tragedy.

Greg Barlin

Mar 20, 20232 min read

Ordinary Grace

★★★★★ A 1961 coming-of-age story about a boy in rural Minnesota, who is forced to deal with tragedy as he navigates his path to manhood.

Greg Barlin

Feb 18, 20233 min read

Good Eggs

★★★☆☆ It's primarily a character study, but for all the time spent developing the characters, I unfortunately didn't especially like them.

Greg Barlin

Jan 27, 20232 min read

Age of Vice

★★★★☆ Thinking this is going to be the "Indian Godfather" is setting your expectations way too high, but it's an intriguing character study.

Greg Barlin

Jan 22, 20233 min read

A Tale for the Time Being

★★☆☆☆ Welcome to A Tale for the Time Being, or as it may alternatively be known, “the most depressing book I've read in years".