The pace of this story is leisurely, lending to a deep analysis of unfulfilled desires and a vivid portrayal of a landscape that is as much of a character as any of the people. "The Demon Who Peddled Longing", by Khanh Ha, is a quiet,... Read More

This novel is a sincere exploration of the struggles people go through trying to survive and do right, while still holding on to their dreams. Maya and Danny Johnson have all but given up on their dreams. After a decade of scraping... Read More

Sensitive ruminations on one’s place in the community and the world will resonate with independent spirits. May 15, 1969: It’s Bloody Thursday at People’s Park in Berkeley, California, and street theater activist Gus Bessemer... Read More

While the weird situations and characters are humorous and entertaining, the themes beneath its surface offer depth and insight. Surely Dash’s run of bad luck must be winding down. He’s lost his job and fiancée and finds himself... Read More

Spare prose boosts the psychological experience of this snapshot of grief and memory. Colin Winnette’s "Coyote" provides an intimate look at a child’s disappearance, told from the fragmented perspective of a distraught mother.... Read More

Credible teen protagonist Harper struggles with family issues, small-town values, and the problems of growing up. Themes of growing up and small-town communities are explored in this heartwarming and uplifting portrait of an older teen... Read More

With both modern-day and historical characters equally believable in their desires and life journeys, this novel tells a little-known story that is complex and captivating. With "The Cherokee Rose", Tiya Miles has written a complex and... Read More

An Arctic exploration becomes an exploration of the self as a man seeks a new understanding of connection with loved ones. The North Pole reveals itself to be not what government worker Oscar imagined in "Fram", an artfully funny novel... Read More