(Reviewed by JD Jung) So why would anyone want to remove a brain? Author David Haviland answers the “why” and the “how” in this informative and entertaining book. Haviland also shares with us a gross method of contraception in ancient Egypt. What were condoms made of in the 16th century? Also did you know that…
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) 309 is a science fiction novel written about Lisa Hudson, a journalist living in Pittsburgh. A disaster changes Lisa’s life, causing her to observe things she never thought were possible. She and a team have to work together to defeat aliens; the struggle to achieve peace is when the story becomes…
(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan) Reader beware: this story is about people involved in child kidnapping and child deaths. Wanting to turn away from such a topic, I was lured inside, like a child promised treats which can only be gotten in a nondescript, white van. Ms. Vivier gives a compelling opening of an abduction…
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Eric (Keyvan) fled Iran as a child during the Islamic revolution and grew up in Paris. He later studied Comparative Literature at Princeton. That is one scenario. What would have happened if he was forced to stay in Iran? So much of one’s life (or death) is determined by a…
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) Lee Matthew Goldberg’s, The Desire Card, is the kind of book that can put a strain on your relationship. That’s right, it’s that "pull-you-right-in, page-turner" type of book that can evoke the ire of your significant other when you can’t seem to put it down. Goldberg is a great storyteller…
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Rejections From a Literary Agent is a humorous book about literary agent, Marcie Ribbons. She is retired and spends her day responding to query letters. She shares her view on the publishing industry and often expresses her thoughts and emotions on writers who approach her agency. Marcie has a distinguished character.…
In celebration of National Library Week here in the U.S., I want to share a quote with you from The New York Review of Books 31-March 2019: A public library is predicated on an ethos of sharing and egalitarianism. It is nonjudgmental. It stands in stark opposition to the materialism and individualism that otherwise define…
(Reviewed by JD Jung) The Pursuit of Ordinary has been announced as a finalist in The People's Book Prize for Fiction. Congratulations, Nigel! “With me inside him, he didn’t feel dislocated like he used to. It was like he was back in tune with the world, experiencing real, solid emotions for the first time in…
(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Suicide Letters of Jack Monroe is a psychological thriller about Susan wanting to commit suicide and Jack Monroe trying to stop her. What then conspire between them are numerous amounts of letters and dialogue defining their relationship as Jack attempts to stop her from this action. The book conveys the…
