Finding Dorothy

Fascinating story about how the author of The Wizard of Oz went about Finding Dorothy interspersed with the making of the movie in 1938-39. Maud Baum is the unifying character in the two strands of her life described in the book. It begins with a 77-year-old Maud attempting to getContinue Reading

Such Good Work

Such Good Work is the inspiring tale of addiction and recovery based on a true story. Jonas works as an adjunct creative writing teacher in the US. When he isn’t being fired. And if he isn’t high on oxy or another opiate. When Jonas hits rock bottom, he makes theContinue Reading

Miraculum

Miraculum is a carnival with a big top, a midway, and freak show in 1922. It is also the setting for a battle of good against evil. After the suicide of the carnival’s chicken biting geek, a mysterious well-dressed man applies for the job. Despite a lack of experience, heContinue Reading

Take-Out

Loosely tied together by the theme of food, the sixteen stories contained in Take-Out vary from crime stories to humor. While I enjoyed reading all the stories, my favorite was “The Gift of the Wiseguy”. It’s the story of a Mafioso’s son who writes a memoir. His father had rattedContinue Reading

Mouthful of Birds

You awaken in a cold sweat with a fast-beating heart. Was that just a dream? It takes you several minutes to calm down. Still, the dream’s story continues to haunt you until the next feverish dream occurs. This is the feeling you will have after reading each story in theContinue Reading

Looker

The unnamed narrator of Looker is having a bad year. After years of unsucessful infertility treatments, her husband has left. Her job as adjunct professor has shrunk to only one poetry class. Despite having a PhD in Literature, she can’t find another job. The professor falls into an increasing obsessionContinue Reading

Not a Clue

Very literary version of a mystery using the characters and mechanics of the board game, Clue. Throughout most of it, I felt Not a Clue who would find this book an enjoyable read. “There are six of you and you killed me. One of you or maybe each of you.”Continue Reading

Quantum Convention

Containing eight science fiction/fantasy stories, Quantum Convention has a story for all tastes. A man sneaks away from his wife to a Quantum Convention where he meets himself from 100 different universes each where a single different decision was made. An orphan finds a career as a professional mourner. AContinue Reading

Family Trust

Stanley is dying. All any of his family are concerned about is whether he has set up a Family Trust and named them as trustees. Stanley is the domineering and occasionally abusive father of Kate and Fred. Their mother and Stanley’s ex-wife, Linda, is concerned that Stanley will leave hisContinue Reading

Witch Elm

The Witch Elm was an acceptable family drama but not much of a thriller. Toby is a lucky privileged jerk. His girlfriend, Melissa, is a sweet bubblehead. After celebrating his ability to talk his way out of a possibly career-ending mistake at work, Toby goes home. There he surprises twoContinue Reading

Under My Skin

Marvelous psychological thriller that totally got Under My Skin. Poppy, a former travel photojournalist, now owns a boutique agency representing other photojournalists. Her husband, Jack, died a year earlier—attacked early one morning while running in a local park. After his death, Poppy had a nervous breakdown with a two-day blackout.Continue Reading

Dinner List

It’s a familar party game. Put your five favorite people, living or dead, on your Dinner List. This book speculates on what would happen if the dinner actually occurred. Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner at a trendy restaurant. Seated at the table are the five guests she named.Continue Reading

Lake Success

The rich and obnoxious American is alive and well in Lake Success. Barry is an uber rich hedge fund manager. He has a just diagnosed autistic 3-year old son. He has split from his wife, Seema, a first-generation Indian immigrant. And he wants to recapture his youth by taking aContinue Reading