North by Amanda Linehan

North is a stirring read that starts much like an updated retelling of Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” if taken in a completely different direction – if the sad story of […]

North is a stirring read that starts much like an updated retelling of Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” if taken in a completely different direction – if the sad story of […]
★★★★★
“Cocaine overtook the lives of many people in the 1980s. That seemed especially true in the Hollywood gay scene, where I was something of a fixture in the bars, especially the seedy ones.”
Simon Powell has lived a life of many regrets – one of religious engagement and chemical addiction; of Hollywood dreams and cold nights on concrete streets, of love and loss, and the harsh bounce back from rock-bottom. Simon is a gay man from Arkansas who’s seen it all, and it’s taken its toll. Recovering from his near-fatal addiction, he worked towards a healthier existence through rehab […]
★★★★
There is a clear line between comic fiction and intelligent social satire, and Marcus Cootsona’s novel, Rubber Match, treads a careful dance between the two, providing an entertaining narrative, but never letting readers forget that they are enjoying the handily crafted prose of a witty wordsmith. Peppered with clever modern allusions and sharp rhetoric, the novel is a smart, savvy, tongue-in-cheek work of fiction. Cootsona knows his audience and plays to the crowd, moving slowly at times, but always with a feeling that things will soon get uniquely interesting.
Following a few brief, tennis-heavy chapters, Wally, an ex-tennis […]
★★★½
Delving into someone else’s mind can be an exhausting and exciting adventure, and in Never A Choice But Always A Gift, Adam Que artfully pulls back the curtain on the inner monologue of Max Kristoff. Once readers move past the frantic pace of the author’s thoughts, and have a chance to settle into the stream-of-consciousness style, the story begins to take on a vague shape. Max is an early 30-something with a dead-end job and a rather cynical view of life, whose attention and thoughts seem out of control, at times, but intriguing nonetheless.
Within the busy writing and […]

The novel is a fun and quick read that will have you smiling frequently, […]

Reeling from missing out on the job of a lifetime, Iris Lee takes an unexpected step in her career – going back home. With a father who can’t remember her birthday and a mother struggling to remember her own name, Iris had been well on her way to leaving the past behind her, but she is unexpectedly pulled back into the swirling, nostalgic mess of Mt. Pleasant, Virginia. With the sharp mind of a corporate shark and the tireless drive of a street-wise sleuth, […]
★★★★½
Harmony to Heartburn by Shelly Hickman is the heartwarming third book in the Fortytude series.
Since her marriage to Kiran a few years ago, Anna’s life has been smooth sailing. Unfortunately, family issues have been brewing under the surface. Her parent’s marriage is in serious trouble and they decide to take a break from the relationship. Luke, Anna’s ex-husband and father to her children, is going through a rough patch with his partner, and they’ve been keeping a secret from Anna. Will Anna’s family troubles threaten her own marriage?
While this book is the third in the series, it […]
★★★★½
American Zeroes by John DiFelice is a darkly comic bit of brilliance.
Novels that defy classification make for an entertaining read, and that is precisely what John DiFelice delivers in American Zeroes. Behind the rambling and sometimes confusing storyline is an intelligent and witty author who knows which subtle buttons to push for laughs, tears and thoughtful musing, forcing readers to see the world through his twisted lens.
At times, the book reads like the rambling manifesto of a conspiracy theorist, or a legitimately deluded patriot, which isn’t actually far off the mark. Jeremiah Stumpf is a modern-day […]