Jason Pettus's Blog, page 14

First Time Around: "White Teeth," by Zadie Smith

White Teeth By Zadie Smith Hamish Hamilton, 2000 Reviewed by Chris Schahfer A more divisive book than you might expect, given how fervent its supporters are. White Teeth earned rave reviews upon its release, won all sorts of awards, sold gangbusters, and placed Zadie Smith on the forefront of young British writers. She was all of twenty-four when she wrote this novel, which led many to believe we had a genius in our midst. It's possible, of course, that all the hype around Zadie Smith made t...

Book Review: "Spring Chicken" by Bill Gifford

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying) By Bill Gifford Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Review...

Book Review: "Earth Flight (Earth Girl, Book 3)" by Janet Edwards

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Earth Flight (Earth Girl, Book 3) By Janet Edwards Pyr Reviewed by Karl Wolff In the 28th century, humanity h...

Book Review: "Jottings from a Far Away Place" by Brendan Connell

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Jottings from a Far Away Place By Brendan Connell Snuggly Books Reviewed by Jason Pettus I have to confess, I...

Book Review: "Girl Through Glass," by Sari Wilson

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 12 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Girl Through Glass By Sari Wilson Harper Collins Reviewed by Nora Rawn It's hard not to be disappointed by th...

Book Review: "Dietrich & Riefenstahl" by Karin Wieland

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Dietrich & Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives By Karin Wieland Liveright / WW Norton...

Book Review: "The Best of Black Heart 2014," edited by Edited by Laura Roberts, M. Chaistan Flournoy, and Danielle White

Best of Black Heart 2014 Edited by Laura Roberts, M. Chaistan Flournoy, and Danielle White Black Heart Books Reviewed by Chris Schahfer The Black Heart Review is an internet literary magazine that seems to do a lot: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction all factor into these collection. However, little of it impressed me. The fiction felt more like stories written by undergrad students than polished, professional work. Lots of second person, lots of clunky phrases like "We were strangers....

Book Review: "The Search for Heinrich Schlogel" by Martha Baillie

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) The Search for Heinrich Schlogel By Martha Baillie Pedlar Press Reviewed by Jason Pettus This is the newest t...

Book Review: "Cure" by Jo Marchant

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body By Jo Marchant Crown / Penguin Random House Reviewed by Ja...

Book Review: "Loss Angeles" by Mathieu Cailler

(CCLaP is dedicated to reviewing as many contemporary books as possible, including self-published volumes; click here to learn how to submit your own book for possible review, although be warned that it needs to have been published within the last 18 months to be considered. For the complete list of all books reviewed here, as well as the next books scheduled to be read, click here.) Loss Angeles By Mathieu Cailler Short Story America Press Reviewed by Jason Pettus I've been mentioning throu...