Book Review
Making Skeletons Dance
In Peter Macsovszky’s philosophical novel "Making Skeletons Dance", a barfly takes on Amsterdam. As a struggling writer and relative newcomer to the Netherlands, Simon’s perspective on the place is different than most people’s. He...
Book Review
Something Close to Nothing
In Tom Pyun’s biting novel "Something Close to Nothing", two exes learn to accept the imperfect but wonderful world as it is. Wynn and Jared seemed to have it all: a nice house, a successful long-term relationship, and, thanks to a...
Book Review
Camp Jeff
A disgraced writer fails to confront or acknowledge his crimes in Tova Reich’s discomfiting novel "Camp Jeff". Jeffrey Epstein (not that one) founded Camp Jeff to rehabilitate people like Gershon, a high-profile author brought down by...
Book Review
Sex Work Today
The fresh, informative essays collected in "Sex Work Today" concern challenges faced by those engaging in modern erotic labor. According to the authors in this collection, the stigma and stereotypes surrounding erotic labor often obscure...
Book Review
Amphibian
In Tyler Wetherall’s novel "Amphibian", a prepubescent girl grapples with new desires, codependent relationships, and incomprehensible threats. Eleven-year-old Sissy is an outcast at her new school. At home, she serves as caretaker to...
Book Review
The Way
In Cary Groner’s dystopian novel "The Way", a reclusive Buddhist wonders about his place in a changed world. Will is living on borrowed time in the postapocalyptic American Southwest, where his circumstances feel hopeless. Now in his...
Book Review
Kree
A woman navigates life and death in a post-apocalyptic world in Manuela Draeger’s literary novel "Kree". Long after wars and famine decimate the world, new creatures, religions, and autocracies arise to carve out places of power among...
Book Review
Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
Covering differing versions of a single life seen side by side, the reflective novel "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart" is a satisfying dual adventure about a lifetime of joy and mysteries. In Rex Cole’s touching novel "Too Soon Old, Too...