Aquarium by David Vann
Leo Tolstoy famously wrote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” In David Vann’s novel Aquarium, Sheri and Caitlin, mother and daughter, are living lives of quiet...
Run Spot Run
Dramatic Irony
There are three primary types of irony, of which dramatic irony is one. Situational Irony Situational irony is the most common application of the word “irony.” It is when you expect one thing and...
God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Lula Ann Bridewell (known simply as “Bride” in her professional circles) is a successful black woman working in the high fashion and cosmetics industry in California. She recently had a steamy sexual fling with...
The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James
Observe a herd of elephants in their natural surroundings and you will be mesmerized by their calm magnificence, their almost human relationship with one another. Majestic and truly the kings of the jungle, they...
Shark by Will Self
Shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize, Will Self’s Umbrella is a misunderstood and surprisingly overlooked gem and a precursor of sorts to his exceptional new novel Shark. The experimental Umbrella flows simultaneously across...
Selected Letters of Langston Hughes
Selected Letters of Langston Hughes captures the measure of the man. From the first letter to the last, a portrait of a complete artist emerges. Hughes was a renowned poet, playwright, and novelist who...
Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
Etta and Otto and Russell and James has taught me that not enough books take elderly people seriously, that I might have to give magical realism a second chance, and that author Emma Hooper...
Letter to a Future Lover by Ander Monson
The life of a reader is a private one. Reading a book, whether an e-book, mass-market paperback, or vellum-bound incunable, creates an incontrovertible connection between you and its creator. Regardless of how many readers...
The Unloved by Deborah Levy
The Unloved is a murder mystery with a difference. The “who dunnit” is a mystery wrapped within an enigma; however, the narrative adds to the complications for it is certainly not straightforward. The setting...
