one book leads to another
So. Many. Great. Books. SIMPLY THE BEST 1) It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (1935) 2) The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz (2022) 3) William by Mason Coile (aka Andrew Pyper) (2024) Sadly, Andrew Pyper died two days ago on January 3rd, 2025; he was just 56 years old. He's been a favorite of … Continue reading The best books I read in 2024
On love, intrigue, deception and manipulation My February 2024 review of The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is one of the most popular on my blog. Here's how I summed it up: I finished The Helsinki Affair and immediately put Pitoniak's Our American Friend on hold ("fantastic fun and spectacular" per the blurbs on the … Continue reading Our American Friend
airplane disaster fiction / high altitude thriller You guys, this book, it got to me. I teared up at the end, a combination of anxiety, relief and sadness. Wasn't expecting it but I welcome the feels. That's what I want from a book, not just a great story and great writing, but to be moved … Continue reading Worst Case Scenario
Sinclair Lewis blew me away with It Can't Happen Here. He wrote this spookily modern novel almost 100 years ago and not to be dramatic, but oh how I wish it weren't so relevant. Lewis is my kind of author: smart, witty, observant and incisive. He's a legend - the man won a Pulitzer AND … Continue reading It Can’t Happen Here
AI gone wild I'm disappointed in The New York Times. Have you seen their list of the '100 Best Books of the 21st Century?' They polled over 500 authors and book lovers for their 10 best picks and compiled them into a grand list. Only there's a few glaring omissions including Andrew Pyper. It's a … Continue reading W1LL1AM
Under the sea and under pressure Lately it feels like I'm living through a disaster movie - two major hurricanes in two weeks?! - but I still can't get enough of the genre in movies and books. The cover of Deep Storm and blurb on the back immediately appealed to me. An oil rig in … Continue reading Deep Storm
Does tech = trust? You're Safe Here is an imaginative and ambitious debut novel set in the near future of 2060. I'm familiar with the author, Leslie Stephens, from her time with the blog cupcakes and cashmere and her Substack newsletter, Morning Person. She's always had a way with words, and I liked this climate … Continue reading You’re Safe Here
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