Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney

Written by fellow blogger James J. Cudney, whose awesome blog This Is My Truth Now is among my favorite sites,  Watching Glass Shatter was a lengthy and awesome read about family secrets, family dysfunction, and ultimately, family bonds and love that keep people connected, even during some of the worst times. The premise of the … Continue reading Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney

The Unburied by Charles Palliser

Charles Palliser is my favorite author after Umberto Eco, writing as he does in the most lucid, erudite, intellectual and bawdy style that sucks you into the vivid, dirty, and virulent world of Victorian, post-Industrial England. His settings are the traditional British country house or vicarage, manor or townhouse, and his Dickensian-named characters show off the … Continue reading The Unburied by Charles Palliser

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

Special thanks to RP for the photography and kitchen assistance. Having minored in art history in college, I always fall in love with books that tell stories about painters and their inspiration for famous works. I previously blogged about Girl with a Pearl Earring, which tells the story of Vermeer's masterpiece. In The Last Painting … Continue reading The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

Thanks to AL for the photography. Being a sucker for fairy tales, The Snow Queen is a particular favorite. I remember reading it as a little girl and being fascinated by the oh-so-foreign Northern European world of Gerda and Kay, the two children in this tale, though I'd forgotten there are several small backstories that … Continue reading The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I don't normally go for "best sellers," mainly because I've found that what sometimes constitutes a best seller, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, is actually terrible literature. In this case, I was quite happy to be wrong. The Girl on the Train is wildly popular and being made into a movie, and is so … Continue reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins