J. Ryan Stradal follows his excellent debut novel, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, with an equally delightful family saga filled with Minnesota characters, beer and pie. Stradal grew up in Minnesota so understands how the locals think, talk and act. He is gifted at writing about hard-working, seemingly ordinary people, revealing how they are extraordinary.…
I was captivated right off the bat by this book’s title and cover. Both are such perfect representations of what is inside: enigmatic, a little dirt-stained, filled with many shades of gray — but mostly, two people holding each other. The book radiates with love flowering in the most difficult circumstances. It’s the story of…
The Kamchatka Peninsula is as far east as you can go in Russia. Set in the North Pacific Ocean, it is about the size of New Zealand but only has about 400,000 residents. Its isolation and beauty make it unique, as does its ethos – a juxtaposition of Russian culture, indigenous tribes, and the legacy…
One of the perks of working at a library is access to what we call pre-pubs, which are advance reader copies of books coming out in the next few months. So many terrific books are coming out this summer, and here are just a few I’ve enjoyed. Evvie Drake Starts Over is the delightful debut…
Erica’s Picks of the Week use unusual structures to deepen their stories.
