Book reviews by the Reading Rock Books staff.
Bellwether (n.)- one that takes the lead or initiative; one that sets trends; an indicator or predictor of something. In Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley, the eldest son chooses to name his ship Bellewether because he says it will lead the other ships across the waters. When his mother corrects his spelling, he responds that Belle isRead more about Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley[…]
Marie Benedict creates an unlikely yet believable love story that provides what she imagines could be the explanation for Andrew Carnegie’s transformation from ruthless industrialist to generous philanthropist. The tale is told from the point of view of Clara Kelley, a poor farmer’s daughter who has immigrated from Ireland to America in hopes ofRead more about Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict[…]
Store favorite J.T. Ellison, whose thrillers typically take place in Nashville, is back with another venture into domestic noir. Last year’s No One Knows, about a young woman coping with the apparent death of her husband after he disappears at the Opryland Hotel, was somewhat of a departure for Ellison, since her books are usuallyRead more about Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison[…]
Fen, a debut short story collection by Daisy Johnson, is captivating. While the characters and stories are not formally connected, meaning the characters from one story don’t know the characters from another, they are all set in the marshy Fenland region of eastern England. The local pub, the Fox and Hound, is visited by charactersRead more about Fen by Daisy Johnson[…]
Exes is a debut novel told in inter-connected stories all (mostly) set in Providence, RI. The first story introduces us to Clay Blackall, a man who is emotionally lost and directionless, seemingly unable to cope with the death of his brother. Each story has a new narrator, but in between these stories are sections thatRead more about Exes by Max Winter[…]
The Redemption of Galen Pike is a collection of flawless short stories and flash fiction. Setting, character, and plot are of such a variety that the strongest similarity between the stories is that each is more surprising than the last. Davies deftly turns every situation, and the world, on its side. In surprisingly few pages, DaviesRead more about The Redemption of Galen Pike by Carys Davies[…]