Category: Book Reviews

Book Reviews

A review of Good Faith by Jane Smiley

Stratford is an interesting narrator, and his passive acceptance, even in the worst of situations keeps the tone of the book light. In typical Smiley style, Good Faith is a tight, fast paced, and carefully set out novel full of…

A review of Stress Free Foods by Lee Gold

According to nutritionist/chef/home economist Lee Gold prolonged stress can lead to significant health problems from heart disease to stroke, ulcers, depression, cancer, diabetes, and more. It is a vicious cycle. The more stressed you get, the more you will develop…

A review of The ABCs of Writing For Children

If you are a writer or illustrator of childrens’ books, or want to be, Koehler-Pentacoff’s book is really a must read. This is no didactic guide from a world weary author, but instead, is a series of questions and answers…

A review of Where in the World by Simon French

This is an engrossing and sensitive story. The subtlety of the narrative structure is one which French handles in a way that makes it clear and easy for young readers to handle, while still complex enough to keep the interest.…

A review of Where Do You Stop? by Eric Kraft

It may seem strange that, in a book where so much is tied together in ways that have to do with physics, a contrary motion coming from the same source is also possible. The key to the book is discontinuity.…

A Review of The Promised Land by Ruhama Veltfort

While the novel slouches towards magic realism, the double voice enables the reader to maintain enough of a distance to create a tension. It is quite possible that Yitzhak is a visionary. It is equally possible that he is either…

A review of Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry

The mixture of everyday life, and a very common set of tragedies coupled with moments of transcendence makes for a fast paced read. In the end, we are left with the permanence of love in the face of the temporarily…

A review of Write to Publish by Christopher Klim

For beginning writers, or young people wanting to take their work to the next level–including publication–Write to Publish will be helpful in both a practical sense, as well as inspirational, without suggesting that writers try to run before they can…

A review of Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Atwood’s world is thoroughly formed, her imagination extraordinary, but only just one step in front of the world of today. She touches on serious biological concerns, terrorism both individual and corporate, and big philosophical concerns, without losing the beauty and…

A review of The Light of Day by Graham Swift

Go deep below the surface of any person, and you will find Swift’s narrator, George Webb, a man for whom the normal movements of life have become odd, and replaced by a kind of quiet obsession – love perhaps, or…