One of the cool things about doing the book reviews for WKAR’s Current State and this website is when I discover a book or author that might have slipped through the literary cracks if it wasn’t for that review copy in my hand. A little bit of an unexpected treasure. And some publisher just sent it to me? For free? Sweet…
While I don’t love writing a bad review (even though I can have an eerie Dorothy Parker-esque talent for it from time to time), writing a good book review is a lot of fun. Many times, it is difficult for me to edit the review down to the necessary length. I’m gushing about the book, and I want to gush more. It’s a gush-tornado!
Here are seven books I’ve done over the years that I recommend you check out (and the links to my reviews):
- Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
- The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
- Bird Box by Josh Malerman
- Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg
- The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore
- My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
- A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Bell
When the war is over and the last battle has been won, we like our heroes to ride off into the sunset. They have earned the peace. Of course, the snag with that earned peace is that there is nothing more to say. Plain and simple, you need conflict for a story. A hero without an adventure to back him up is just any old normal dude… even when he has a cool lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
When you are in your twenties, sometimes it can feel like the world is your oyster and ripe with possibilities. This feeling is definitely true for the group of friends that make up the center of Why We Came to the City by Kristopher Jansma. At the beginning of the story, they are sneaking into elite art parties in New York City, complaining about the more successful, and passing out on couches… many times not their own.
On WKAR’s Current State, I reviewed the new novel by Anna Quindlen. I really enjoyed Miller’s Valley and it’s obvious to me why it is doing so well with the market (and readers).
Today on WKAR’s Current State, I got the opportunity to catch up with some of my fellow reviewers. You can add me to the chorus now, singing the praises of The Turner House by Angela Flournoy.
One of my favorite things to do on WKAR is talk about new books that really impress me. Some like to believe book reviewers get more pleasure out of negative reviews, but that has never been the case for me. So today was a highpoint for me as I take on My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.
I was back on the radio today, this time taking on the latest literary fiction by noted author Sebastian Faulks, Where My Heart Used to Beat.
Today on WKAR I took on the new literary fiction and ghost story by Samantha Hunt. Check out my take on Mr. Splitfoot.
Today on WKAR’s Current State, I reviewed the new novel by Steve Toltz, Quicksand. I hope you like it!
The Stories of Scott D. Southard 