Three For A Girl by Kevin Brennan #BookReview

Three for a Girl by Kevin Brennan is one of those character-driven stories that gets into my head and stays and stays and stays. The story is told from the point-of-view of LeeAnn Heartney as she recalls the summer of 1973 when she was 17 and the Watergate hearings dominated the news. Not that she cared.…

Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd #BookReview #MagicalRealism

The premise of this novel--that a woman dies and becomes a sentient tree--is intriguing enough, but that the tree is also a witness to a murder and actually tries to help in the resulting investigation is truly original. Two stories are laid out and told with sympathy, utilizing two distinct POVs, one being that of…

In the Company of Wolves #BookReview #PoetryCommunity

What is a wolf if not the hungry wildness in the heart? --"Human Origin" I read fairy tales when I was a child and was often hoodwinked by them. I tended to take things literally so, for example, when reading about Rapunzel, I considered whether I go could grow my hair as long. Or, after…

“The Ease of Wind-Filled Wings”: A Review of Luanne Castle’s Rooted and Winged #poetry #bookreview

I always review a book of poetry with some anxiety and exhilaration; anxiety because poetry is in the eye (ear/mind) of the beholder, and exhilaration because poetry is in the eye (ear/mind) of the beholder. I'd argue that I don't know what "good" poetry is, only that if I like it, I like it. That's…

A Thrilling Ride as Well as a Short Course in Psychopathology #bookreview

Recently I was the lucky recipient of a free AUDIO version of Fatal Rounds, Carrie Rubin's latest novel. Y'all know how much I enjoy audiobooks. Although I disdain multitasking, audiobooks are what get me through hours of housecleaning, walking, and knitting. So when I learned there was a raffle for a free audiobook, I got…

River Ghosts by Merril D. Smith #bookreview #poetry

I always feel apprehensive when reviewing poetry, maybe more so than when I'm writing the poetry myself. Some time ago, I took an online writing course, and the instructor mentioned in passing that she liked writing poetry because you didn't need to explain poetry like you would explain a story or an essay. While that…

Long Overdue Book Review: Rad Sick Record, a Novel by Michael Trammell

  Imagine a world of endless Cold War, with the U.S. and Russia continuously threatening each other with annihilation. Imagine you are living in the panhandle of Florida during this time, an English grad student with a peculiar sensibility: "For me, I hear unheard voices, important ones. Hear how? By an inner ear as I…

A Dream of Family by Jill Weatherholt: Book Review

Friend of the 1WriteWay blog and all-around exceptionally wonderful person, Jill Weatherholt, recently came out with a new novel, A Dream of Family. Since I knew I'd be retired at its launch, I requested a copy from Jill in exchange for an honest review. I will readily admit to some bias here since I think…

Memoir as a Lyrical Journey Toward Understanding: A Review of Cinthia Ritchie’s Malnourished — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

By Marie A Bailey Caveat: Cinthia Ritchie, author of the memoir Malnourished: A Memoir of Sisterhood and Hunger, is my friend, and I read her memoir keenly aware of my affection for her. I don’t claim to be objective in my review, but, in all honesty, I don’t know that I’ve ever been objective when […]…

It Only Takes a Few Words to Love a Book — BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog

I'm thrilled to have my review of Deep Creek by Pam Houston published in Brevity's Nonfiction Blog! By Marie A Bailey The first time I saw Pam Houston was in 1991 or 1992. I was a graduate student in English at Florida State University. The university was hosting a creative writing conference and Houston was…