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Hits all the right notes, all the inside jokes, all the nostalgia of the 1990s. I was gripped by The Rome of Fall for a quick day and a half. Told in two threads, thirty years apart, in the life of Marcus Brinks, high school senior/ washed up rock star... 1994: Marcus is forced to... Continue Reading →
Cherry is an autobiographical novel that Walker wrote while in jail. It's a piece about addiction, PTSD, and a desperation for purpose. Initially enrolled in college and dating a girl named Emily, the main character loses his direction and flunks out. He chooses another path and enlists in the Army as a medic. But he... Continue Reading →
There is a rhythm to the game that those who are familiar with it can sense. The flip to start the double play, the throw back to the catcher, the tapping of the dirt off the cleats... Nemens captures much of the game in nine emotion -filled chapters. The characters run the gamut of the... Continue Reading →
A special category on PaulsPicks for this one: I got through it in less than one day. Darius is just a fantastic character who you will want to follow along with. Two key parts of Khorram's book with stick with me: his treatment of mental illness and male friendships. Darius is being treated for depression.... Continue Reading →
Marisol was lost to her family in the Cuban Revolution... it pains the relatives to try to remember this time in their lives and most just choose not to. Her sister Nilda had moved to the US and is now living in New Jersey. Yet, after the the trauma of the past, she lives as... Continue Reading →
An epic story of a drive to get north and a chance to help others. The gift that Coates gives to the reader is his language. The illustrative metaphors that help a 21st century reader try to get some semblance of the life of a 19th century slave. Hiram Walker is the son of the... Continue Reading →
You know those books that stalk you? The ones that you see everywhere you go? In the library or the bookstore or while you're surfing the web... This book is one of those. I had it on my wishlist on Amazon and when it went on sale, I picked it up immediately. Simon is being... Continue Reading →
Campusland by Scott Johnston is a scathing satire of modern college life... it touches on many of the topics that are being discussed on university campuses across the nation: gender issues, racial equality, the MeToo movement, safe spaces, tenure, admissions, etc. It's an good debut that pushes the notions of the PC movement to an... Continue Reading →
The stark voice of a young man who desires for a feeling of racial integrity after his world and family are stripped away and America remains, staring directly at him. As the son of a Nigerian immigrant, Tunde experiences the shockwaves of frustration and disappointment of the American Dream. His father found his way to... Continue Reading →
