The Black Box: a Novel

Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly was called “today’s Dostoevsky of crime literature” in Publishers Weekly He books are consistently on the New York Times Best Sellers List and he has won every major mystery writing award. He was in Traverse City in November 2012 to speak at the National Writers Series. ...

Review by Larry F. »

You've Got to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life

Jack Canfield
Not that I need more books to read but..... You've *Got* to Read This Book! has added a number to my "to read" list. Jack Canfield of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series with Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline asked authors, actors, sports figures, and more, "What book changed your life?" ...

Review by Katheryn C. »

The World of a Few Minutes Ago: Stories

Jack Driscoll
This Michigan Notable Book award winning title for 2013 is Driscoll’s second collection of short stories. The stories take place in Michigan with the exception of one which features a Michigan family on vacation in Maine. Throughout the book readers are introduced to a variety of colorful characters ranging from a 15 year old boy to a 77 year old...

Review by Brice B. »

Sleight of Hand: a Novel of Suspense

Phillip Margolin
As a New York Times bestseller, I would have expected nothing less from Margolin than a fantastic, edge of your seat, gripping novel. Although somewhat predictable I still thought the story was classic Margolin with twists, turns and this time illusions that help the theme throughout the book become alive. His character, private detective Dana Cutler...

Review by Betsy M. »

Last Days

Brian Evenson
Kline has recently been divested of a hand, which unluckily qualifies him to solve a murder that has taken place in a religious cult whose members willingly undergo amputations. Easily one of the most disturbing and well-written novels I've ever read. Evenson's style is dark, twisted and fast-paced. ...

Review by Amy B. »

The Black Opera: a Novel of Opera, Volcanoes, and the Mind of God

Mary Gentle
The secret occult brotherhood of the King's Men don't want to destroy the world, per se. They just think the devil would do a better job at running things than God has. So to change the balance of the world, they are going to write an opera so powerful that the very foundations of the earth are altered. ...

Review by Amy B. »

The Name of the Wind: the Kingkiller Chronicle Day One

Pat (Patrick J) Rothfuss
What to be said about this book? I came across it accidentally online in a blog. Yes, there is almost always someone who will save something good about a book but I decided to take a chance. ...

Review by Christopher S. »

American Ghost: a Novel

Janis Owens
Totally CAPTIVATING! That was my reading experience with “American Ghost” by Janis Owens. The story developed from the author’s research on a real lynching that occurred in 1934 in Marianna, Florida. ...

Review by Larry F. »

All There Is: Love Stories from Storycorps

Dave Isay
This book is a compilation of vignettes taken from true stories about love. The people who share their stories in All There Is are participants of the Storycorps project. Storycorps is a national project designed to inspire everyday people to share their stories orally. ...

Review by Brice B. »

Heat Wave: a Novel

Nancy Thayer
Nancy Thayer writes with warmth and wisdom in this emotional but heartwarming story of a widowed woman who keeps her family together as she feels her life unraveling. Strong and determined Carley moves on with plans for financial security by opening her house as a bed and breakfast regardless of the conflicting opinions of others. Relationships become...

Review by Betsy M. »