Courtney is a freelance writer who loves reading and thinks there's nothing quite as wonderful as the moment you crack open the cover of a new book.
We Live in Water is a collection of short stories by Jess Walter. Though the stories are fictional, each of Walter’s characters feels very real. Characters whose traits you may see in yourself or people that you know. The stories are based in small towns, with everyday people trying to survive. Harper Perennial | February…
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson is a work of non-fiction which takes the reader on a thrill ride through history. Larson combines the true stories of two men whose paths seemingly should have had no connection to one another. Each man’s tale highlights important events not only in their own lives but in society as well. Crown | October…
The Last Werewolf is a work of fiction by Glen Duncan. The author takes the well-known werewolf origin story and breathes new life into it. Duncan creates a narrator who the reader should by all counts feel nothing but disdain for. He is after all a werewolf who eats people. But Duncan injects an element…
The Financial Lives of Poets is a work of fiction that follows our main character Matt through the current downward spiral that is his life. He is days away from losing his house (unbeknownst to his unassuming family), suddenly aware of his wife’s sudden disinterest in their marriage, jobless and living with his father who…
By Nightfall is a contemporary work of fiction by lauded author Michael Cunningham. It is a coming of age tale not only for the younger characters but for the middle-aged main character as well. The story is centered around Peter Harris and his wife Rebecca. Peter is an art dealer in New York City…
The Vampire Gaytooth is not your average story about vampires. The main character is Rodger, who aptly calls himself Gaytooth, who has a clever take on his vampirism (fangs) and his sexual preference (guys). He is, in fact, a most unusual vampire. He does not require human blood to feed or need to completely…
The Cost of Crude is a work of fiction– a modern-day murder mystery, set against the backdrop of two large-scale oil companies dueling for maximum profit. It is a page-turning thriller that continuously challenges the reader’s assumptions about what will happen next. As a dedicated book lover, I generally pride myself on the ability to anticipate a book’s twist…
When You Leave is a contemporary Young Adult novel. Don’t let the Young Adult genre turn you away if it is not a genre you usually read, this book is filled with complicated characters and emotional depth. The main character is Cass, a rebellious teenager who prefers skateboarding and her close friends to school…
The Opposite of Loneliness is a short story collection by Marina Keegan. The book has a mix of both fiction and non fiction pieces. The introduction essay was written by Marina for her college newspaper regarding her class’s upcoming graduation. She discusses the idea that they are still so young and have a life filled…
A Visit From the Goon Squad is a work of fiction by Jennifer Egan which most notably won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2011. The novel focuses on two main characters, the music executive Bennie and his assistant Sasha. Egan explores the themes of adolescence, aging, death, friendship and family through a uniquely woven narrative…