“The Infinite” by Patience Agbabi is a young adult science fiction novel that follows Elle, a Leapling with the ability to leap through time. Alongside her friend Big Ben, Elle attends a school for gifted children and uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of time itself. The novel explores themes of friendship, identity, and the ethical implications of time travel.
I just wanted to take a second and say that I nor anyone associated with this website approves of or appreciates the destructive and bigoted transphobic messages coming from J.K Rowling recently. If you are not familiar with the issues, ContraPoints does a fantastic job describing the issues. While I say that, I do want to say, I really love Harry Potter and the wonderful world the books create. Such a delight and wonderful addition to the world. ...
Who helped shape your life? Is who you are today genetic? Environmental? Or some combination of both? J.R. Moehringer looks for the answer tosome of these questions in his memoir “The Tender Bar”. J.R. only knows his father as a disembodied voice on the radio. Growingup in small town Manhasset, New York, JR struggles with his identity. From a small town bar, the beach, Arizona, Yale, to the New York Times, J.R. Searches for himself. ...
S.H. Jucha’s debut novel, “The Silver Ships,” introduces a future universe where colony ships from old Earth have settled in different, distant systems, and worked to make a life for themselves. Two of the groups, with very different experiences and opportunities, meet again after centuries. The now, very different cultures must work through some challenges and face a common alien threat. The main character, Alex, while out asteroid mining, snags what appears to be an alien ship entering his solar system. The ship appears dead at first, but Alex soon makes contact with the ship’s AI, who reminds me a little of Mike from “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.” ...
We had a lot of great reviews on the old ClubReading website. And so those don’t go to waste, (and so we have some fresh content here occasionally), I’m going to post an old review now and again for your reading pleasure. Enjoy! “Knots and Crosses” by Ian Rankin is a classic noir crime mystery, set in 1980’s Edinburgh. Ian Rankin’s recurring police detective, John Rebus makes his debut in this story about serial killing and revenge. ...
Jack Kerouac’s first published novel, The Town and the City is a story of monumental scope and great emotional depth. The book’s jacket cover talks about Kerouac’s idolization of Thomas Wolfe and this book reflects that interest. The story is about choices and regrets. It’s also about a generation robbed of choices and left wondering and apathetic and lost. The book tells the story of a family growing up in a small New Hampshire town pre-World War II and follows the family through war and loss. ...
As I mentioned in a previously, I am working on recovering all of the old ClubReading.com reviews. We had some good reviews on that old site, and I’d like to have that content available again. I did not write all of those old reviews, and will include the reviewers name when I have it. So I’m going to post a few as time allows in the blog stream, and they will be in their own ClubReading category. Enjoy! ...
Reviewer: Linda The main characters in this book are Ukrainian immigrants in the U.K. The narrator is the youngest daughter, and she doesn’t remember WWII. Her father and older sister, however, have vivid memories, memories they have never shared with the narrator. The book weaves the tale of the father’s marriage to a much younger Ukrainian (Russian?) gold-digger who is looking for permanent residence with tales of the past. The narrator and her sister have not spoken since their mother died, yet the gold-digger, as a common enemy, gets them back together. And they both learn lessons about the value of family. ...
Reviewer: Sally Angela Hunt is in the top five of my favorite authors list. Her stories are exciting from page 1 to the end. I know when I start one; it is likely to be a very late night. They are hard to put down. “The Novelist” is a little different than the majority of Angela Hunt’s books…excellent…but different. That is not surprising, given the storyline of the book. ...
Russo’s novel is wonderful! The characters, even the minor characters are real, tangible, quirky, heartwarming and heartbreaking. His writing style is rich and engaging; his style reminds me of John Cheever, or John Updike, John somebody anyway. Empire Falls, a small mill town in Maine, has seen the last of the good times. Miles Roby grew up in Empire Falls, had a brief chance of escape while in college, but was drawn back because of his mother’s failing health. Now, middle aged and struggling to make ends meet, Miles runs the Empire Grill. ...