“The writing in Changó’s Beads and Two-Tone Shoes is sharp and original throughout most of the book, with skillful intercuttings of first- and third- person viewpoints.”
“When Mr. Banks is on a roll . . . it’s a pleasure to go along for the ride. . . . this is a rewarding novel, full of vigorous prose, grappling with the American experience.”
“. . . justifies the hype . . . an unabashed, full-throated baseball novel that stays just general enough to appeal to those with no interest or knowledge of the game.
“As the author contemplates works of literature and art depicting winter and the effects of central heating, he writes thoughtfully of the miracle, metaphor, poetry, and science of winter,
“In The Grief of Others, a promising and potentially engaging story is overwhelmed by obtuse storytelling. . . . This read was something of an exhausting experience.”
“The Baker’s Wife brings together unlikely characters . . . each with her own agenda and differences, to suggest that all things are possible with faith.
“Coriander, curry, Chinese brothels, drug dens, butchers’ remnants, and brewery smells, tropical heat and Caribbean costume makes this a multicultural city in the west of a dystopian Irelan
“Besides the deftly rendered plot to uncover a conspiracy—which may remind a few readers of another sexually adventurous girl who kicks over a hornet’s nest even if she lacks a dragon tatto
“Ali Smith’s There But For The is a thoroughly modern book that plays with form, structure, and language, never allowing the reader to settle for comfortable passive reading; ultim
“Sam Savage’s exhilarating, often lilting use of language and his faultless characterization of the eccentric, unraveling of his main character, Edna, is evocative, poetic, and compelling.”
“Highly recommended for anyone who wants to look at life and the United States from a new viewpoint—and to savor the sounds, tastes, scents, and textures while at it.”
