“You are a newborn, a wrinkled girl confined to your crib, the high chair, the stroller.” Thus begins “Living Arrangements,” the first story in Laura Maylene Walter’s debut collection of pensive short fiction. “Living... Read More

Ogden Walker—biracial, former Marine, sheriff’s deputy, main character in Percival Everett’s latest novel, "Assumption": a man who prefers fly fishing to firearms and violence. Or so we assume. Everett’s prose is stark, so plain... Read More

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a time of prosperous trade with the Orient, an exciting backdrop for Thomas Steinbeck’s new novel. Filled with rich, meticulous detail, "The Silver Lotus" portrays two culturally... Read More

Occasionally a book comes along that is so full of wisdom and inspiration that we want to share it with others because it speaks so magnificently in support of the human spirit. Susyn Reeve and Joan Breiner have teamed up to create just... Read More

Holding strong beliefs about the environmental impact of fossil fuels is easy when a gas company doesn’t knock on the door with a lucrative drilling contract for your land. That’s the lesson at the heart of Stephanie Hamel’s first... Read More

The Critic’s Handbook to Pontificating About Everything offers no guidance on how to assess the quality of an opera libretto that’s written in the form of a mystery novel—which is precisely what "Quicksand" announces itself to be.... Read More

Economic theory, forbidden romance, and an international business trip don’t seem the most likely recipe for a juicy novel. But author Bethe Lee Moulton combines these ingredients, hoping for a savory treat that blends real sustenance... Read More

Eight-year-old Latasha Gandy has a lot on her mind. Her mother is trying hard to be a successful nurse’s aide, which leaves her little time and energy for Latasha. Mrs Okocho, their downstairs neighbor and landlord, is willing to... Read More