Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (book review)
There’s nothing like a Black salesman on a mission. An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby [...]
Writers are Readers: MB Mooney
Believe it or not, many authors don't have a favorite author--it can be hard to signal out one writer you love, respect, or appreciate above all others. For writers like MB Mooney, though, it's easier to identify that one person. That doesn't mean he only reads that author's works, though [...]
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (book review)
She’s going too far to go it alone. It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set [...]
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (book review)
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of [...]
The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia (book review)
Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster. In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi's and Chicken Frannie's have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state--and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. [...]