I don’t read thrillers regularly, but You Are Dead caught and kept my attention throughout. James kept a tight rein on the plot, and there was no obvious suspect. He added a twist to Logan and Jamie’s engagement that I didn’t expect, although I would have liked more details on that relationship.
A review of Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm
Rebecca Scherm’s Unbecoming is a heist tale, a bildungsroman, a love story, and above all, a compelling psychological study of a likeable young woman with strong anti-social tendencies. As the novel progresses, Grace, the protagonist, not only behaves in “unbecoming” ways, but “unbecomes” the promising girl she once was. She grows in independence, strength and daring, but it is impossible to approve of her.
A review of Mr Copacabana: An American History by Night by Jim Proser
Monte lived the American Dream and its Nightmare. He frequently had it all and just as frequently had nothing – often, it seems, at the same time. He opened the Copacabana nightclub in New York City in 1940 and for thirty years it remained the centre of the show business world: if a performer could succeed at the Copa, their career was made (and for those on the skids, frequently remade).
An interview with Janice Y. K. Lee, author of The Expatriates
The author of The Expatriates talks about her new book, its setting and characters, the draw of Hong Kong, the nature of the expatriate community, the trailing spouse, motherhood, on writing in present day versus writing the historical novel, and lots more.
Interview with Tom Maremaa
The author of Of Gods, Royals and Superman talks about his new book and how he characterises it, about his characters and how he finds them and brings them to life, his writing process and more.
A review of The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan
This detox plan is comprehensive, gentle and flexible, providing a fantastic full-body cleanse for anyone willing to commit to the 28-day process. The author is a highly trained Doctor of Natural Medicine and Doctor of Acupuncture. Her dedication to helping others shines through in this holistic cleansing guide.
A review of Sveshnikov vs. the Anti-Sicilians: A Complete Repertoire for Black by Evgeny Sveshnikov
Some 75 theoretically significant games are presented in full, with many featuring Sveshnikov. There are 36 exercises, involving positional and strategic questions as well as tactical puzzles, with full solutions to follow. Apart from one chapter – there are far better ways to meet the Morra than to adopt the remedies given here, in my view – I found Sveshnikov’s analyses impressive.
A review of The Last Wife of Attila the Hun by Joan Schweighardt
A Review of Seven by Antonio J. Hopson
During the Crusades, European priests kissed cannons, by way of blessing them, as soldiers marched east to fight what was perceived as the threat of Islam. Instead of cannons, Antonio J. Hopson uses words as his weapon of choice in the poetry collection Seven, and that for the most part focuses on a love affair. “I am a poet. I use words” (Mr. Law, 31). Amazingly, his use of words gives the impression that this affair—at least for him—resembles the carnage of the Crusades.
A review of Fainting with Freedom by Ouyang Yu
Time and again, the poetry confounds expectations and unpicks itself, structurally, grammatically, and linguistically, presenting what looks like a story, a letter, a footnote, a telegram, a Wikipedia entry, a diary entry, or even a simple poem about a single thing, only to undo the stereotype, the perception, or the form, through a reworking of its conventions.