The Five Acts of Diego Leon: A Novel About a Poor Mexican Man Who Becomes a Hollywood Star by Alex Espinoza

On April 7, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, Historical Novel, by Editor

Acclaimed author Alex Espinoza, whose writing Lisa See has called “fresh, magical, beautiful, and evocative,” returns with a captivating, unforgettable novel set in Hollywood’s Golden Age, as a gifted and determined young man leaves Mexico—and everything he’s ever known—to follow his dreams.

The Accursed, A Novel Made of Supernatural Yarn by Joyce Carol Oates

On March 8, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, Historical Novel, by Editor

An utterly fresh work from Oates, The Accursed marks new territory for the masterful writer. Narrated with her unmistakable psychological insight, it combines beautifully transporting historical detail with chilling supernatural elements to stunning effect.

Farewell, Dorothy Parker – A Self-Empowerment Romantic Comedy by Ellen Meister

On February 25, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

What if inspiration came to visit…and wouldn’t leave? Wickedly funny and surprisingly poignant, Farewell, Dorothy Parker perfectly re-imagines one of America’s most iconic voices in a captivating and unforgettable tale.

There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister’s Husband, and He Hanged Himself: Love Stories by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

On February 16, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, Short Stories, by Editor

Love stories, with a twist: the eagerly awaited follow-up to the great Russian writer’s New York Times bestselling scary fairy tales. With the satirical eye of Cindy Sherman, Petrushevskaya blends macabre spectacle with transformative moments of grace and shows just why she is Russia’s preeminent contemporary fiction writer.

Safe Haven, A Love Story About a Woman Escaping Her Past by Nicholas Sparks

On February 11, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo.

Prodigy: A Legend Novel With Great Action Adventure by Marie Lu

On February 1, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

In this highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Legend, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

Hikikomori and the Rental Sister: A Novel of Grief and its Porn-Fantasy Resolution by Jeff Backhaus

On January 30, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

Hikikomori and the Rental Sister is a taut novel that packs a big philosophical punch. In this revelatory and provocative debut, Jeff Backhaus asks, What are the risks of intimacy? Can another woman ever lead a husband back to his wife? And what must we surrender for love?

Me Before You, Second Novel by British Author Jojo Moyes

On January 5, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, by Editor

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Unusual Uses for Olive Oil: A Professor Dr von Igelfeld Entertainment Novel by Alexander McCall Smith

On January 4, 2013, in Book Reviews, Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense, by Editor

Welcome to the insane and rarified world of Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Von Igelfeld is engaged in a never-ending quest to win the respect he feels certain he is due—a quest which has the tendency to go hilariously astray.

Another Insane Devotion: On the Love of Cats and Persons by Peter Trachtenberg

On December 29, 2012, in Book Reviews, Nonfiction, Social Studies, by Editor

From “a genuine American Dostoevsky” (The Washington Post): a dazzling, funny, bittersweet exploration of the mysteries of relationship, both human and animal. Trachtenberg ponders the mysteries of feline intelligence (why do cats score worse on some tests than pigeons?), the origins of their domestication, their terrible treatment during the Middle Ages.