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cstucky2
"Decent People"| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
It’s March 1976, and the small community of West Mills, North Carolina is in turmoil. Three well known Blacks from the same family have...
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Welcome to my favorites list — a continuation of “Novel Ideas,” a book review column I wrote for 18 years.
I’ll regularly suggest new books here, presented in a snappy new format.
These are the stories I’ll share when you ask, “read anything good lately?”
These are the books that have captivated me with well-drawn characters and plots that move like runaway trains.
Each favorite has a place of honor on my bookshelf, cherished friends I’m happy to suggest.
Page On! Enjoy!
cstucky2
- Jan 10
- 3 min
"Age of Vice" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
It’s been a while since I’ve sunk my teeth into a book as gripping as “Age of Vice” by Deepit Kapoor. This 531-page novel, set in India...
56 views
cstucky2
- Dec 7, 2022
- 2 min
"The Light Pirate" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
We’re besieged with headlines about climate change and its effects—hurricane season starting earlier, lasting longer; catastrophic...
40 views
cstucky2
- Nov 1, 2022
- 2 min
"Meredith, Alone" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
In the contemporary novel “Meredith, Alone,” by Claire Alexander, the main character suffers mightily from anxiety, panic attacks and...
33 views
cstucky2
- Oct 25, 2022
- 3 min
"Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of An Ordinary Man" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
The title of this memoir couldn’t be more spot on. Paul Newman didn’t take kindly to his movie-star status, didn’t like the fuss about his...
23 views
cstucky2
- Oct 18, 2022
- 2 min
"Signal Fires" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
A horrific car wreck involving teenagers kicks off “Signal Fires” by Dani Shapiro, an immersive, beautifully constructed novel about how...
40 views
cstucky2
- Sep 22, 2022
- 2 min
"The Old Place: A Novel" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
It’s sublimely satisfying to finish a novel with a contented sigh. That’s exactly what I did after spending treasured time in fictional...
51 views
cstucky2
- Sep 14, 2022
- 2 min
"All That's Left Unsaid" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Tracey Lien’s intense debut, “All That’s Left Unsaid,” is a murder mystery with multiple themes—family, friendship, cultural assimilation...
67 views
cstucky2
- Sep 8, 2022
- 2 min
"The Marriage Portrait" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Eager to read a novel with exquisite plotting and richly drawn characters, related in a voice that’s detailed and atmospheric bringing...
40 views
cstucky2
- Aug 24, 2022
- 2 min
"Dirt Creek" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
The innocent voices of children ring painfully true as they endure family dysfunction, self-identify issues and deal with the loss of a...
34 views
cstucky2
- Aug 1, 2022
- 2 min
"Flying Solo" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Sick of the heat—need a light read set in Maine? I suggest “Flying Solo” a simple, yet charming tale about a woman who marches to a...
16 views
cstucky2
- Jul 21, 2022
- 2 min
"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A Novel" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
One must caution against judging people, or books, based on their appearance or what one has heard about them. I almost refused a newly...
11 views
cstucky2
- Jul 11, 2022
- 2 min
"The It Girl" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
A master of mystery, author Ruth Ware has quite a following. Her newest, “The It Girl,” provides more fodder for her fans. It’s a tale of...
33 views
cstucky2
- Jul 6, 2022
- 3 min
"Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
There is historical fiction and then there is historical fiction. Some books in this genre can be read without a lot of focus, as mere...
47 views
cstucky2
- Jun 29, 2022
- 2 min
"The Angel of Rome" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Author Jess Walter has enjoyed great success with his novels “The Cold Millions,” (2020) and “Beautiful Ruins” (2012). He’s back wowing...
35 views
cstucky2
- Jun 22, 2022
- 2 min
"This Dark Road to Mercy" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet best-selling author Wiley Cash this Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Washington Public Library. His...
20 views
cstucky2
- May 17, 2022
- 2 min
"Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
"Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance,” By Alison Espach, is a gripping, coming-of-age novel that peels back the layers of grief,...
15 views
cstucky2
- May 10, 2022
- 2 min
"Half Baked Harvest Every Day" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
While I don’t spend as much time in the kitchen as I did when our children were growing up, I’ve become an enthusiastic fan of Tieghan...
23 views
cstucky2
- Apr 10, 2022
- 3 min
"Shmuel's Bridge"| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Former Fontbonne University English Professor and poet Jason Sommer has penned a searing, yet illuminating memoir certain to stay with...
26 views
cstucky2
- Mar 23, 2022
- 2 min
"The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found"
Author Frank Bruni wasn’t overly concerned when he woke one morning feeling sluggish, the vision in his right eye blurry. Later in the...
19 views
cstucky2
- Mar 8, 2022
- 2 min
"In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Bestselling author Amy Bloom writes with courage and honesty in her poignant, thoughtful book “In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss.” The...
33 views
cstucky2
- Feb 27, 2022
- 2 min
"One Italian Summer: A Novel" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Author Rebecca Serle’s new release “One Italian Summer” is an easy read set in Positano, an Italian city on the breathtaking Amalfi...
31 views
cstucky2
- Feb 21, 2022
- 2 min
"I Must Betray You" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
There’s much to be learned in the heartfelt, illuminating thriller “I Must Betray You” by Ruta Sepetys. The award-winning author...
52 views
cstucky2
- Feb 2, 2022
- 2 min
"No Land to Light On" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
A Syrian man and woman meet in America, arriving in the U.S. at different times and under far different circumstances. Their experiences...
36 views
cstucky2
- Jan 13, 2022
- 2 min
"The Maid" Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
It’s been ages since I’ve read a book with a more endearing character than the protagonist author Nita Prose has created in her simple,...
87 views
cstucky2
- Jan 5, 2022
- 2 min
"The School for Good Mothers"| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider.
View it as negligence or a knee-jerk misstep by a sleep-deprived single mom. Readers of “The School for Good Mothers,” by Jessamine Chan,...
69 views
cstucky2
- Nov 14, 2021
- 2 min
"The Family" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
The focus of “The Family,” an immersive new novel by Naomi Krupitsky, makes this must-read a fascinating story from page one. It’s about...
65 views
cstucky2
- Oct 27, 2021
- 2 min
"The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
“The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven” isn’t a memoir, but it’s written as such, told in first person by a fictional hunter who spent years...
30 views
cstucky2
- Oct 5, 2021
- 2 min
"The Lincoln Highway" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
With a satisfied sigh and ready smile, I closed the cover on “The Lincoln Highway,” a historical fiction novel that begs for a reread by...
52 views
cstucky2
- Sep 29, 2021
- 2 min
"Cloud Cuckoo Land" | By Anthony Doerr
It’s been a long time coming, but a treasure is worth waiting for. Anthony Doerr enraptures with “Cloud Cuckoo Land” a gorgeously written...
68 views
cstucky2
- Sep 27, 2021
- 2 min
"When Ghosts Come Home" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
I’ve been a Wiley Cash fan since his debut novel “The Last Ballad.” His next two books were equally addictive, “This Dark Road to Mercy,”...
29 views
cstucky2
- Sep 14, 2021
- 2 min
"Apples Never Fall" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
You’ve got to love Liane Moriarty, known for bestsellers like “Big Little Lies,” made into a Netflix series, and “Nine Perfect Strangers”...
38 views
cstucky2
- Aug 24, 2021
- 2 min
"The Guide" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Author Peter Heller has been a favorite of mine since I absorbed “The Dog Stars” (2012) in one sitting. His novel “The River” (2019)...
32 views
cstucky2
- Aug 12, 2021
- 2 min
"The Reading List"| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
They comfort, educate, inspire, challenge, sadden and tickle us—become treasures that live on in our minds and hearts. The most cherished...
40 views
cstucky2
- Aug 3, 2021
- 2 min
"Agatha of Little Neon" Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
I was smitten from the first page with “Agatha of Little Neon,” a treasure of a debut by Claire Luchette with the most endearing...
59 views
cstucky2
- Jul 16, 2021
- 2 min
"Falling" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
True to life experiences went into the new thriller “Falling” a riveting time-stealer about an ill-fated flight in which the pilot faces...
23 views
cstucky2
- Jul 4, 2021
- 2 min
"What's Done in Darkness," Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
It’s a joy to see Missouri author Laura McHugh enjoying such success in the literary world. Her new book, “What’s Done in Darkness” is...
48 views
cstucky2
- Jun 29, 2021
- 2 min
"The Personal Librarian" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Author Marie Benedict, familiar to those who relish her historical novels about famous women, impresses with in her newest, “The Personal...
45 views
cstucky2
- Jun 26, 2021
- 2 min
"The Great Mistake" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Don’t let your attention be diverted by books of lesser merit—“The Great Mistake” is an eloquently written work of historical fiction...
33 views
cstucky2
- Jun 16, 2021
- 2 min
"The Maidens," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Fans of “The Silent Patient” a psychological murder mystery embraced by many are sure to be taken with “The Maidens,” a second book by...
44 views
cstucky2
- Jun 6, 2021
- 2 min
"Malibu Rising," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Though literary fiction and thrillers with believable plots are my pick choices, occasionally I’ll dip into a light read. I recently dove...
38 views
cstucky2
- Jun 2, 2021
- 2 min
"Ridgeline: A Novel," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Five months of bloodshed in 1866, between tribes and soldiers from Fort Phil Kearny, form the groundwork for Michael Punke’s newest...
45 views
cstucky2
- May 22, 2021
- 2 min
"Hour of the Witch," Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Though Chris Bohjalian’s newest offering is set in Boston in 1662, its theme is timely. Readers are certain to have sympathy for the main...
41 views
cstucky2
- May 18, 2021
- 2 min
"Early Morning Riser," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
“Early Morning Riser,” by Katherine Heiny, is a contemporary novel with a homespun ambiance, its characters likely found at church...
29 views
cstucky2
- May 8, 2021
- 2 min
"The Mysteries," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
Local readers will be drawn to “The Mysteries,” its narrative set in St. Louis in the 1970s, the novel peppered with references to local...
30 views
cstucky2
- Mar 16, 2021
- 2 min
"Klara and the Sun," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
We readers can get stuck in our favorite, tried and true genres, habitually turning to biographies, romance, mysteries or historical...
38 views
cstucky2
- Mar 13, 2021
- 2 min
"We Begin at the End," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
“We Begin at the End” is a thriller with richly drawn characters and a plot that builds to a believable, shocking conclusion. After a...
39 views
cstucky2
- Feb 11, 2021
- 2 min
"What Could Be Saved," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
“The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children” could be the theme of “What Could Be Saved,” a gripping novel by Liese...
35 views
cstucky2
- Feb 3, 2021
- 2 min
Review: "The Four Winds," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
If you were taken with Kristin Hannah’s novel “The Nightingale” prepare to be captivated by “The Four Winds.” In this must-read, Hannah...
51 views
cstucky2
- Jan 15, 2021
- 2 min
"The Push," | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider
“The Push,” a physiological thriller by Ashley Audrain, grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Its cover captures the duality of Blythe, the...
88 views
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