BOOK REVIEWS

CHILDREN’S BOOKS | LITERARY FICTION | WRITING CRAFT | NATURE

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

Melanie Wood 9/12/25 Melanie Wood 9/12/25

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

A beach holiday provokes dark memories

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The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns

MG Whitmarsh 8/31/25 MG Whitmarsh 8/31/25

The Vet’s Daughter by Barbara Comyns

Trapped in a domestic nightmare, seventeen-year-old Alice develops an extraordinary power.

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The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

MG Whitmarsh 6/18/25 MG Whitmarsh 6/18/25

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

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No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym

MG Whitmarsh 6/17/25 MG Whitmarsh 6/17/25

No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym

Love, life, and a woman’s lot makes for a classic Pym.

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Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott

Melanie Wood 1/18/25 Melanie Wood 1/18/25

Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott

Now reading…

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If I Die Before I Wake by Sherwood King

Melanie Wood 11/23/24 Melanie Wood 11/23/24

If I Die Before I Wake by Sherwood King

A twisty 1930s noir with a gripping finale.

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Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead by Barbara Comyns

MG Whitmarsh 3/19/24 MG Whitmarsh 3/19/24

Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead by Barbara Comyns

Village poisonings

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Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

MG Whitmarsh 9/19/23 MG Whitmarsh 9/19/23

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

Literary popcorn!

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Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

MG Whitmarsh 6/7/23 MG Whitmarsh 6/7/23

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

A comedy of age and manners

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Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan

MG Whitmarsh 5/30/23 MG Whitmarsh 5/30/23

Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan

Life at the racetrack

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The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

MG Whitmarsh 4/11/23 MG Whitmarsh 4/11/23

The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Horror on the farm

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The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen

MG Whitmarsh 11/29/22 MG Whitmarsh 11/29/22

The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen

Rural life on a weather-beaten island

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The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt

MG Whitmarsh 8/12/22 MG Whitmarsh 8/12/22

The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt

A wife reclaims her individuality

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Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

MG Whitmarsh 8/8/22 MG Whitmarsh 8/8/22

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Murder and philosophy in the wilderness

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Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet

Melanie Whitmarsh 2/15/22 Melanie Whitmarsh 2/15/22

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet

A young writer goes up against her psychotherapist in this battle of wills.

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Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

Melanie Whitmarsh 1/21/22 Melanie Whitmarsh 1/21/22

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

An elegant, thoughtful novel of memory and art

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Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham

Melanie Wood 12/7/21 Melanie Wood 12/7/21

Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham

A satire of literature and class

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The Book Collector by Alice Thompson

Melanie Wood 11/29/21 Melanie Wood 11/29/21

The Book Collector by Alice Thompson

A gothic fairytale

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Bad News by Edward St Aubyn

Melanie Whitmarsh 11/19/21 Melanie Whitmarsh 11/19/21

Bad News by Edward St Aubyn

A love letter to drugs and drink

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A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns

MG Whitmarsh 11/2/21 MG Whitmarsh 11/2/21

A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns

Haunting, sad, and darkly funny: an utter joy to read

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