When Dhumketu's first collection of short stories, Tankha, came out in 1926, it revolutionized the genre in India. Characterized by a fine sensitivity, deep humanism, perceptive observation, and an intimate knowledge of both rural and urban life, his fiction has provided entertainment and edification to generations of Gujarati readers and speakers.The Shehnai Virtuoso brings together... Continue Reading →
ALC Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives... Continue Reading →
ALC Review: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are... Continue Reading →
ARC Review: Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.But when the king asks her... Continue Reading →
ARC Review: The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there?Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda—a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is... Continue Reading →
ALC Review: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a... Continue Reading →
ALC Review: A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
“Stolen me? As soon to say a caged bird can be stolen by the sky.”Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua
A teenage girl living in 1960s China becomes Mao Zedong's protégée and lover--and a poster child for the Cultural Revolution--in this provocative, poignant novel from the bestselling author of A River of Stars.On the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and her sixteenth birthday, Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater
It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during... Continue Reading →
Audiobook Review: Invisible Storm by Jason Kander
From political wunderkind and former army intelligence officer Jason Kander comes a haunting, powerful memoir about impossible choices—and how sometimes walking away from the chance of a lifetime can be the greatest decision of all.In 2017, President Obama, in his final Oval Office interview, was asked who gave him hope for the future of the... Continue Reading →