Grief and Creation in Philip Jason’s ‘Window Eyes’
With its focus on tellings, retellings, recreation, and the act of seeing Philip Jason’s Window Eyes takes poignant notice of the all-encompassing perspectives we create with the people we love.
Jennifer Vega
About the Books That Make Us Who We Are
In her memoir of a lifetime of reading, Samantha Ellis analyzes her early impressions and explores the ways that her adult reactions have since diverged.
The End Is Not the End in ‘Station Eleven’
Emily St. John Mandel's book about the survivors of a devastating plague is a thoughtful and original take on the post-apocalyptic genre.
“Harry Potter for Grown-Ups” Grows Up
The third and final installment in Lev Grossman's 'Magicians' trilogy, The Magician's Land, is also its best.
The Impossible Reach of History Is Made Possible in ‘The Hundred Year House’
In one of the best books of 2014, Rebecca Makkai tells a story of time, ghosts, fate, unrequited love, requited love unconsummated, and art.
‘Famous Baby’ Shows What Happens When It’s Time for Mommy Bloggers to Grow Up
Famous Baby is fun and funny and a bit flawed, just like its two main characters.
A ‘Simulacrum of Life’ in Words: Marcel Theroux’s ‘Strange Bodies’
In this thoughtful, entertaining novel, Marcel Theroux explores the ways in which we construct 'a workable self out of all the dissonant parts.'
A Mystery, a Marriage and a Fascinatingly Unreliable Narrator
Is Thomas Christopher Greene tipping his hat to the great Russian writers, particularly Dostoevsky, who combined thrillers, romance and domestic drama, too?
‘Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles’ Tries to Speak Truths — But Which Truths?
Ron Currie Jr.'s smart, funny writing is overshadowed by an ambitious reach that falls short.
The Future is Scarily Close to Home in ‘The Office of Mercy’
Who loves Big Brother? You do. The Office of Mercy is only technically about the future. In spirit, it's about the here and now.
Standing on Soil Soaked in Blood: Rohan Wilson’s ‘The Roving Party’
Rohan Wilson composes a work of historical fiction that never shies away from the horrors that gave birth to modern-day Tasmania.