I don’t quite know what attracted me to “In the Land of Second Chances.” The book revolved around some strange happenings in a small town in Nebraska as narrated by a woman who ran the town’s only bed and breakfast. […]
People laugh at me when I tell them I know I will win the lottery someday. I really do think that. It might not happen, but I believe it will. When I finished reading the novel “Lottery” by Patricia Wood […]
You can pretty much always get me with a book about music. The way emotions and memories collide through song fascinates me. Almost every novel I have written or attempted to write has had some connection to specific songs. I […]
When I develop an interest in something, I generally go overboard. I don’t just listen to R.E.M.’s albums, I know detailed information about the bootlegs I own. I have only been to Vegas three times, but have read enough and […]
While searching for titles to read recently, I came across a new book by Brett Easton Ellis. Like a lot of people my age, I had read some of his early work. I bailed when he started to get gory […]
One of the perks of working in publishing is that you might grab a book which would ordinarily not catch your attention. “The Mistress of Riversdale” definitely fits that bill. I bought the collection of letters from the early 19th […]
I don’t remember where I first came across Michael Chabon‘s debut novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. The book came out in 1988 when I was finishing my sophomore year of college just about 90 miles north of Pittsburgh. The superficial […]
I recently found myself in a bit of a reading rut. I have managed to stay ahead of the pace I hoped for – I like to read at least 12 books a year – but have had problems with […]
When I started reading “Summer Crossing” by Steve Tesich recently, I almost tossed the book aside after a few pages. The story opens at a state wrestling championships where the protagonist, Daniel Price, has a chance to win the championship […]
In his debut novel “Then We Came to the End,” Joshua Ferris took a clever look at an advertising agency in hard economic times. His insightful use of the first person plural narrator brought the reader into the action. I […]