In a novel that derives its title from the smoothest but most potent bootleg liquor in the projects, McBride has given use a taste of all the characters in the neighborhood... The protagonist is Sportcoat, a lifelong drunk and church deacon who does odd jobs around 1969 Brooklyn. One day apropos to who-knows-what he takes... Continue Reading →

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 →