It rocks! : Abraham Verghese – “Cutting For Stone”

“Cutting for Stone” is as humane as his author, the Indian-American-by-way-of-Ethiopia doctor Abraham Verghese. His personal experiences surely inform this global saga of twin brothers whose destinies are intertwined. How could they not?  This is one of those transporting, well-written, well-researched books that occasionally pop up on best-seller charts, and surprise critics by fully deserving …

Still Now : Jim Thompson – “Now, And On Earth”

Jim Thompson’s noir reputation is unimpeachable, (“The Killer Inside Me” and “After Dark, My Sweet” are regarded as classics). It is generally accepted that Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler would have gotten their asses handed in by Big Jim had they all collided in some literary alley. I picked up Thompson’s debut expecting tough dames …

All About Evelyn : Taylor Jenkins Reid – “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”

Taylor Jenkins Reid has obviously seen “All About Eve." In the best-selling "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," she takes a similar look at the behind-the-scenes maneuvers of strong women willing to make sacrifices in pursuit of Hollywood dreams. But Hollywood is as good at crushing dreams as it is at manufacturing them. Evelyn Hugo …

Ottoman’s Empire: Fredrik Backman – “A Man Called Ove”

Fredrick Backman's hilarious, sarcastic, ultimately heartwarming first novel, "A Man Called Ove" was a Swedish sensation. It's a Swedish novel about a Swedish character in a Swedish neighborhood. It got "localized" into an American movie starring Tom Hanks. Out goes "Ove", in comes the slightly more familiar "Otto." This is cultural appropriation. Which is fine. I …

Love in an Elevator: Colson Whitehead – “The Intuitionist”

In the high-stakes world of Elevator Inspection, there are Empiricists, who need evidence, and Intuitionists like Lila Mae Watson, who just KNOW when something is wrong. As a colored Intuitionist, Lila first sees herself as an efficient token in the Guild's upcoming Chair election: both the Old Dogs and the New Guys trying to sucker …