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
Tag: novellas
Short Shots
Serving up a flight of reviews for your reading pleasure. Prepare to knock back tastes of gritty novellas, a refined spy thriller, a complex memoir, and family fiction with both sweet and sour notes. Cheers! Owning Up by George Pelecanos (2024) What’s better than a new George Pelecanos novel? Four new Pelecanos novellas! Quality and … Continue reading Short Shots
Remote Control
My blog's tag line is one book leads to another because it's true for me! Here's how it worked with Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor. I read about it in a magazine and wrote the title down in my notebook. Months later I finished listening to Matrix by Lauren Groff on audiobook and was so … Continue reading Remote Control
Family Curse: Field Notebooks (1880-2020)
First, I love a novella. Not too big, not too small, sized just right. Who has time for 900-page tomes? Not me. Short stories are great, I enjoy them, but they’re stories, not (mini) novels. Novellas rule by allowing just enough space to set the stage, round out a character, and develop a plot. Tenacity … Continue reading Family Curse: Field Notebooks (1880-2020)
The Story King
I just finished If It Bleeds, the book of four novellas Stephen King published last year. It’s classic King: rich characters, real dialog and a little squeamishness. The novellas are titled Mr. Harrigan’s PhoneThe Life of ChuckIf It BleedsRat If you’re not a big Stephen King fan you may be under the impression that all … Continue reading The Story King




