Lights of Valencia is a treasure on various levels. The fact it is written by a young man who has lived in Valencia and had similar experiences means that the writing comes from first-hand reflections crafted into fiction. This kind of book will always be sturdier and deeper than those pieced together through third-hand research, and it makes all the […]
Mary is funny and spontaneous […]
In the vein of Story of O, Linda’s appetite for erotic adventure opens up as walls become transparent and she becomes the voyeur or the participant in a series of sexual vignettes with both a woman, Gloria, and two men, Dave and Joe, before they are released from the house […]
This debut novel by South African writer Tidimalo is part romance, part chick lit, but takes a unique approach to both genres. The story is framed by a hiking trip, and that trope comes up again and again throughout the novel. The story begins with the protagonist, Tlotlego (we do not learn her surname until late in the book), catching a bus to the starting location of a week-long hike. The story itself is told through a series of flashbacks, including several that feature other hikes involving Tlotlego’s friends, family, and lovers.
The flashbacks can be a bit confusing at […]
Love isn’t always perfect, but for those who have felt it, knows its power. Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold’s novel, The Whaler’s Bride, is a love story that conquers all, even death. Mary Lee and Lucas had a marriage most people would envy. When they were together all could see how much they loved each other. Once when they stayed at the Billingsgate Motel for their fifth wedding anniversary they forgot to pack up their clothes and left them. All that matter when they were together was being together. Everyday life didn’t matter. Love mattered.
After forty years of marriage, Lucas succumbs […]
The novel is very dialogue-heavy, giving it a sit-com […]