In 1985, it isn’t easy for a woman to break into the tattoo business, especially not in a small town like Blue Claw. When Gina turns 18, her brother reluctantly lets her apprentice at his tattoo shop, and the next year is filled with unexpected surprises. I was completely wrapped up in Gina’s coming-of-age story. …
Justina Ireland caught my attention with a duology set in an alternate history where the Civil War ended early… due to the dead rising from their graves after Gettysburg. It shouldn’t have worked. Hell, I’ve been tired of zombies (and their myriad knockoffs) for years and I went in with a jaundiced eye. But Ireland …
For more than a hundred years, Apple Island off the coast of Maine has existed in two states. To its residents, immigrants and the descendants of the enslaved, it’s a haven for a self-supporting community of hardworking, close-knit families. To the mainlanders who deign to notice it at all, it’s a poor and squalid place …
From Portland’s Annie Bloom’s Books: Books from Local Authors Want another way to shop local this holiday season? Pick up one (or more!) of these wonderful 2022 books from Portland authors. Lost Restaurants of Portland, Oregon (Paperback) by Theresa Griffin Kennedy A full menu of unforgettable events and historical milestones. Delve into the Rose City’s …
I am always up for a novel in letters (84, Charing Cross Road, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Meet Me at the Museum). I like the challenge of piecing together a picture of each character through the way the letter writers describe the landscape of their lives. This novel has the added …
Ford is a graceful, empathetic storyteller, and he is at his best here. This tale is loosely based on a real Chinese woman who came to the US in the mid-1800s and was briefly popular on stage, where audiences cheered her on as an exotic novelty. It was not a happy life. Across generations and …
[Talk about] unexpected: Silva Moreno-Garcia zigs after zagging with Velvet was the Night, her crime drama about student uprisings in Mexico City. Her new book is The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, and it’s a bit more Mexican Gothicy than Velvety Nighttime. We’ve got genetic hybrids. We’ve got secret research facilities. We’ve got rich patrons who …
I have a handful of authors who belong to a select category labeled “I will read anything you write.” I find their prose irresistibly compelling, no matter the subject, no matter if the characters are likable, no matter if (gasp!) the ending is hopeful. Ann Patchett. Emily St. John Mandel. And Maggie O’Farrell. When I read the description …
A “Gatsby Remix” for Young Adult readers. You might think you know this story already, but I can assure you that this retelling is an enticing, intersectional crown jewel that just might, for me, surpass the original. McLemore has long been a master of writing atmosphere and longing, and this quality really shines in Self-Made …
From the Gold Rush with Chinese, Irish, and Native Americans among the protagonists, Evison alternates time — work on the rails to Amtrak; gold panning to modern West Coast life — tying generations together in a splendid sleight of hand. —Pat Rutledge, A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth, WA Grab epic end-of-summer reads from A …
