Indiscretion

Betrayal. Charles Dubow excels at developing the cast of characters in his novel, Indiscretion. He accomplishes what most novelists attempt: presenting us with human behavior in ways that resonate for us in nuance. Each character is neither totally good nor totally evil. There is love and betrayal. There are mistakes and consequences. These recognizable characters, like all of us, live in ways that are shaded, not black and white. What appealed to me so much was the way in which Dubow drew me in from the beginning and helped me care about what happened to these characters. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Indiscretion from amazon.com.

Bear Is Broken

Initiation. A debut novel from Lachlan Smith titled Bear Is Broken will appeal to those crime novel readers who prefer a strong protagonist over a clear and focused plot. Leo Maxwell has just passed the bar exam, and when his brother, Teddy, is shot, Leo’s initiation into the criminal law practice becomes less gradual than either brother had planned. Smith packs this novel with plenty of action, and I was well entertained. I had the sense that Smith included every plot idea he thought of, while not paying enough attention to how it all fit together. Any reader wanting to sample a first novel with an appealing protagonist should consider reading this one. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase Bear Is Broken from amazon.com.

Tenth of December

Masterful. Readers who enjoy short stories are those most likely to appreciate the first collection in six years from a real master of this genre, George Saunders. The stories in Tenth of December are short and shorter, and each one packs a wallop. I finished some only to reread, trying to answer the questions: what did he just do and how did he do it. Some readers will find selected stories to be disturbing or dystopic. Part of Saunders’ skill is in taking elements of our familiar world, and using extreme characters and unusual situations as ways to reflect the range of human behavior. I loved these stories, and highly recommend this collection. Rating: Five-star (I loved it) Click here to purchase Tenth of December from amazon.com.

The Truth of All Things

Details. Mystery fans looking for something new and different should consider the debut novel from Kieran Shields titled, The Truth of All Things. Set in Portland, Maine in 1892, Shields presents historical details and tidbits that provide just the right amount of diversion that mystery lovers savor. Three protagonists are well drawn and come to life readily. Archie Lean is a deputy marshall; Perceval Grey is a freelance criminologist; and Helen Prescott is a historian. The interaction among the three provided me with great entertainment, and I found the mystery to be engaging from beginning to end. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Truth of All Things from amazon.com.

The Dinner

Monsters. Sometimes even the best meals can be hard to swallow. Herman Koch presents an extended family in his novel, The Dinner, and structures the book to match the stages of dining out in a fine restaurant. This is a dark novel in which Koch reveals the darkness of our worst behavior: inhumanity to each other. The tension in the novel remains taut throughout, and the pacing is slow, allowing for gradual revelation of what has happened that led up to this meal. The tension finally breaks with an ending that is unlikely to satisfy all readers. Some of the characters could be considered monsters, and they are not necessarily the ones you suspect. If you like psychological novels and books that make you keep thinking after you finish them, you should consider reading this one. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Dinner from amazon.com.

Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy

Bully. If one of Emily Bazelon’s objectives in writing Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy was to help readers think more broadly about the subject of bullying, she succeeded with me. As a journalist and attorney, Bazelon approached this subject open to understanding the complexity of the issues involved. What preconceptions she brought to the subject became questioned as she investigated a variety of situations. The stories she presents in this book reveal the many gray areas involved in individual incidents of bullying and in the culture in which we live. Parents are an obvious target audience, and this book gives a lot of information to be worried about as well as some suggestions on what to do when raising children. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Sticks and Stones from amazon.com.

Insane City

Slapstick. If Dave Barry’s writing tickles your funny bone, you’re likely to enjoy his zany book, Insane City, presenting Miami in all its weirdness. If you’re not sure, read an excerpt. Chances are you can tell from the sample whether you will laugh throughout the book, or just shake your head at the slapstick absurdity of the behavior of a cast of unusual characters. I fell into the laughing category, and was thoroughly entertained by this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Insane City from amazon.com.