The careful dance between the worthy and the regrettable helps the narration maintain balance, even as its characters careen toward their own ruination. The latest novel from NPR contributor Alan Cheuse draws its inspiration from the... Read More

Romance gives way to reality, and vivacity to human fragility in this novel about rebuilding a family after a loss. The novel that won Paul Cavanagh the spot as the first-ever Lit Idol hits the international stage. "After Helen" is a... Read More

Taitz’s style will appeal to an intellectual audience that craves more than a stereotypical rendering of ardent relationships. In this poignant story of young love derailed, a renowned actor returns to his first flame, only to discover... Read More

Busman makes her gritty characters’ experiences specific yet universal, to expose the difficulties of lower-class women. Uniquely blending first-, second-, and third-person narration, Debra Busman jumps around in time and place to tell... Read More

"Plus One" provides a comic view of Hollywood excesses, but at its heart is a family reclaiming what’s important. Christopher Noxon’s "Plus One" describes a family struck by sudden good fortune in Hollywood. It’s a laugh-out-loud,... Read More

Suspense and a series of flashbacks ups the excitement of this thriller. Themes of confronting past demons and searching for identity exist at the heart of prolific writer Les Roberts’s second thriller starring Dominick Candiotti, "Wet... Read More

This philosophical novel reflects on physics and cults, analyzing the nature of mysteries. Is there life beyond our world? What if a hazy childhood dream was in fact a memory of an impossible visitor? In "Radiomen", poet and novelist... Read More

A decades-long, epic love story, this novel offers hope through choosing love despite religious objections. R. L. Sommer’s Courtship: A Novel of Life, Love, and the Law puts a poignant spin on the age-old trope of lovers from different... Read More