Novels Now

Where The Love of God Hangs Out
By Amy Bloom
Completed February 1, 2010
For readers unfamiliar with Amy Bloom, her latest selection of short stories, Where The God of Love Hangs Out, would be a good start into this talented writer’s world. Stories in this collection showed the wide range of love - family love, friendship, forbidden [...]

Secrets of Eden
By Chris Bohjalian
Completed February 21, 2010
A trademark Chris Bohjalian novel is one of suspense, engaging characters and a plot twist that few could anticipate. This magic formula is once again employed in Bohjalian’s latest book, Secrets of Eden.
Secrets of Eden tells the tragic story of Alice Hayward – an abused wife who was [...]

The Wives of Henry Oades
By Johanna Moran
Completed February 28, 2010

The Wives of Henry Oades, the debut novel by Johanna Moran, was inspired by a court case from the late 1800’s. Henry Oades was accused of polygamy when his first wife, who he thought was dead, found him in California. By the time the first Mrs. [...]

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
By Daniyal Mueenuddin
Completed March 14, 2010
Daniyel Mueenuddin’s debut short story collection is certainly worthy of its accolades, including finalist for the National Book Award, Publisher’s Weekly Best Books and New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders offers its readers a glimpse into modern-day Pakistan through [...]

Every Last One
By Anna Quindlen
Completed March 24, 2010
In her latest book, Every Last One, Anna Quindlen takes her readers to a place where most of us hope to never be. It’s uncomfortable, sad, tragic – but when you’re done with this book, it offers you a chance to reflect on life’s blessings and the tenacity [...]

The Lotus Eaters
By Tatjana Soli
Completed March 29, 2010
The Vietnam War. The very term means “conflict” in every context. From the battles in the jungle to the peace movement at home, the American involvement in Vietnam was a conflict for many. It’s this part of American history that serves as a backdrop for Tatjana Soli’s debut [...]

Solar
By Ian McEwan
Completed April 4, 2010
Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. These are the seven deadly sins, and Michael Beard, the main character of Ian McEwan’s latest book, Solar, possesses every single one of them.
Michael peaked early in his career as a physicist, winning the Nobel Prize in his twenties. Nearly three decades [...]

A Separate Country
By Robert Hicks
Completed December 6, 2009
In A Separate Country, Robert Hicks draws upon one of the Confederacy’s most colorful generals, John Bell Hood, to tell a story of love, redemption and life in post-Reconstruction New Orleans.
After the war, John Bell Hood came to New Orleans a shredded man. Physically scarred with [...]

So Brave, Young and Handsome
By Leif Enger
Completed November 8, 2009

Leif Enger’s So Brave, Young and Handsome, like its predessor Peace Like A River, was one of those thoughtful books – full of interesting characters, beautiful prose, and journeys both physical and emotional. Like a river, the plot flowed steadily – sometimes tumbling forth in a [...]

Her Fearful Symmetry
By Audrey Niffenegger
Completed October 22, 2009

It’s very hard to write a review of Her Fearful Symmetry - the latest book by Audrey Niffenegger – without giving away spoilers. I usually summarize a book before I offer my opinions, but with this book, I will remain vague about its plot. I don’t want to [...]

The Heretic’s Daughter
By Kathleen Kent
Completed October 16, 2009
There are many dark points in American history, and one of the earliest was the Salem Witch Trials. Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretic’s Daughter, based her debut book on her ancestor, Martha Carrier, who was executed for witchcraft. Kent researched extensively her ancestry and this time period, [...]

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
By Katherine Howe
Completed OCtober 6, 2009
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe examined an alternate view of witchcraft in colonial New England. The story was based on “cunning women,” who used magic, herbs and prayer to heal people. While an interesting premise, this story didn’t fit together as [...]

In The Kitchen
By Monica Ali
Completed August 23, 2009

In The Kitchen by Monica Ali was like a good-looking, sweet-smelling dessert that held so much promise – until you sunk your teeth into it. Despite its delectable exterior, it turned out to be a book with little taste or appeal.
The recipe was classic. Gabriel Lightfoot was on [...]

Sacred Hearts
By Sarah Dunant
Completed August 15, 2009
The third novel in her Italian Renaissance series, Sarah Dunant transported her readers into the everyday lives of nuns in her latest book, Sacred Hearts. Set in a convent in Northern Italy, Dunant continued her pristine historical writing through strong characters and women’s quests to find freedom during a [...]

The HelpBy Kathryn StockettCompleted August 9, 2009
Set in the turbulent Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960’s, The Help was the debut novel by Kathryn Stockett. Many times, when I read a novelist’s debut book, I think: “that’s not a bad start” or “some flaws but a promising career.” Rarely does a debut knock my socks [...]

The Elephant Keeper
By Christopher Nicholson
Completed August 2, 2009
For an animal lover like me, it’s hard to dislike The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson. The main character, Tom Page, is a likeable guy, who devoted his life to care for two elephants in late 18th century England. The elephants were all personality – characters that you loved [...]

American Wife
By Curtis Sittenfeld
Completed July 30, 2009
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld is, according to the author, 15 percent based on the life of former First Lady Laura Bush. I feel obligated to express that I am not a fan of George W. Bush’s presidency, and the quiet, submissive nature of the First Lady also bothered [...]

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivey
By Reif Larsen
Completed July 2, 2009
It was with great anticipation that I picked up The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet from the library. The synopsis of a 12-year-old science prodigy hopping a train “hobo style” to accept an award from the Smithsonian sounded like the coming of tale that I [...]

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
By David Wroblewski
Completed June 28, 2009
 Suspected murder, family loyalty and tragedy all marked David Wroblewski’s debut book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Loosely based on Hamlet, this doorstop of a book centered on main character, 14-year-old Edgar, and his suspicions of his father’s death.
Edgar was born mute. While going to school, [...]

Shanghai Girls
By Lisa See
Completed May 12, 2009
Shanghai Girls is the latest book by best-selling author, Lisa See. Readers have raved about her Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I have not read, but I jumped at the opportunity to read See’s latest book. Overall, I was not disappointed.
Pearl and May were young Chinese women [...]