Book reviews and more!

1356, by Bernard Cornwell

February 4, 2013

MARVELOUS MEDIEVAL BATTLE yarn stars a knight who’s sly, brave, and just as moral a rogue as Cornwell’s Sharpe.

Grade: B PLUS

1356
HarperCollins
2013

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HARMONY, by Keith Brooke

February 3, 2013

FUGITIVE HUMANS ON a planet under the tyrannical rule of other alien species = deftly handled space thriller.

Grade: SOLID B

HARMONY
Rebellion/Solaris
2012

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THE MIDDLESTEINS, by Jami Attenberg

February 2, 2013

RICH IN DETAIL and compassion, a gentle satire of surburban Jewish life revolves around a family in crisis.

Grade: SOLID B

THE MIDDLESTEINS
Grand Central
2012

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EVERYONE LEAVES, by Wendy Guerra (translated by Achy Obejas)

February 1, 2013

LIFE IN CUBA in the 70s and 80s, as captured in the diary of an intense young writer and artist. Fascinating.

Grade: B PLUS

EVERYONE LEAVES
Amazon Publishing
2012

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THESE THINGS HAPPEN, by Richard Kramer

January 31, 2013

A VERY NEW YORK story about a charming, disaffected teenager and his parents and their partners.  Sweet.

Grade: SOLID B

THESE THINGS HAPPEN
Unbridled Books
2012

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THE WRATH OF ANGELS, by John Connolly

January 30, 2013

ATMOSPHERIC PARANORMAL THRILLER mixes a noir detective, some seriously spooky bad guys, and vivid Maine details.

Grade: B PLUS

THE WRATH OF ANGELS: A CHARLIE PARKER THRILLER
Atria
2013

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KORE, by Andrzej Szczeklik (translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones)

ELOQUENT, COMPASSIONATE WORK by a Polish physician and researcher links medicine with the arts and humanities.

Grade: A MINUS

KORE: ON SICKNESS, THE SICK, AND THE SEARCH FOR THE SOUL OF MEDICINE
Counterpoint
2012

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SEVEN LOCKS by Christine Wade

January 29, 2013

HYPNOTICALLY ATMOSPHERIC NOVEL vividly limns pre-Revolutionary New York State, draws on history and legend. B PLUS

SEVEN LOCKS
Atria Books
2013

Grade: B PLUS

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SEVEN LOCKS, by Christine Wade

January 28, 2013

HYPNOTICALLY ATMOSPHERIC NOVEL vividly limns pre-Revolutionary New York State, draws on history and legend.

Grade: B PLUS

SEVEN LOCKS
Atria
2013

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JUNGLELAND, by Christopher S. Stewart

January 27, 2013

REAL LIFE ADVENTURE in the jungles of Honduras as a journalist searches for the fabled, long lost White City.

Grade: SOLID B

JUNGLELAND: A MYSTERIOUS LOST CITY, A WWII SPY, AND A TRUE STORY OF DEADLY ADVENTURE
HarperCollins
2013

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