Literary Fiction Book Shop - Literary Fiction

Welcome to the Literary Fiction Bookshop. I hope you enjoy this selection of review and it's an asset to your reading enjoyment.

	Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer Jane Austen's (1775-1817) classic romance Pride and Prejudice has been a well loved tale since her death. Her writing has been reprinted, studied and immortalized in many films. It was written with its main character Elizabeth Bennet (and her family) as the focus; but haven't you wondered about her love interest Mr. Darcy? Well Darcy's Story follows a long the same two year period as Pride and Prejudice except from the perspective of the "haughty, reserved, and fastidious" Mr. Darcy. Read full review of Darcy's Story
	The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue Amy Richmond and Scott Duncan buy an antique bookcase, from the Washington's, for their home in Baton Rouge; along with it comes a little book on "Family Limitations" and the ghost of Raziela Nolan or Razi as she was known to her friends. Yes, I said ghost. And no, this isn't a trip into fantasy. This is Ronlyn Domingue's first novel and while it does have some fantastical ideas they are not the focus of this enjoyable read. Read full review of The Mercy of Thin Air
	On Beauty by Zadie Smith The ongoing racial and art war going on between Howard and Monty is what drives a wedge between their two families. Howard is for affirmative action and Monty is not. Their battle has been in the newspapers, on the radio, in interviews and in books. Now it's on Howard's home turf; except he hasn't been given tenure yet. Read full review of On Beauty
	Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen Jane Austen (1775-1817) was a popular 19th century author whose works became more popular after her death. Besides Pride & Prejudice her other major works include Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Not only have her works been widely studied, they have been turned into movies, again and again. Read full review of Pride & Prejudice
	The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code opens in Paris at Louvre Museum where renowned curator Jacques Sauniere runs through his museum trying to get away from Silas, an albino monk with a mission. Jacque's escape is unsuccessful and he ends up murdered. Before his death he manages to leave a cryptic message for his granddaughter Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist. Read full review of The Da Vinci Code
	The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass The Iris family lives in Johannesburg, Africa. Where you can "fall asleep with the faint roar of a lion or the laugh of a hyena coming across the lake." Their story takes place in the Spring of 1966 and is described through the eyes of the youngest member, twelve-year-old Emily. Other members of the family include mother Lily, father Bob and older sister Sarah. Read full review of The Year the Gypsies Came
	Belly : a Novel by Lisa Selin Davis It's August 2001 in Saratoga Springs, Florida. It's hot and fifty-nine-year-old Belly O'Leary is being released from prison. He was sentenced six years for illegal gambling in his establishment, The War Bar; but got off early after four years for good behaviour. Lisa Selin Davis' debut novel gives a peek into the life of Belly O'Leary during the week following his release. Read full review of Belly : a Novel
	Little Birds by Anais Nin Anais Nin (1903 - 1977) is considered by many to be an influential writer in the literary world especially for erotic writing. Her ability to express her sexual freedom during a time of feminine repression gave many women the opportunity to explore their sexuality and continues to do so today. She authored several novels, critical studies, essays and numerous diaries. Read full review of Little Birds
	A Girl Like Che Guevara by Teresa de la Caridad Doval In Havana, Cuba during 1982 high school students were required to put in time in the Tobacco fields as part of their learning and as service to the communist regime. A Girl Like Che Guevara follows the life of Lourdes Torres from her sixteenth birthday through her four month term (January - April) in the School-in-the-Fields Pinar del Rio camp. Read full review of A Girl Like Che Guevara
	Girls In Trouble by Caroline Leavitt Sixteen year old Sara comes from a middle class family. Her father, Jack, is a successful accountant and her mother, Abby, is a dental hygienist. Sara dreams of being a psychiatrist. She's a braniac at school and her proud parents are ecstatic she is bound for Harvard. But they didn't count on her meeting and falling head-over-heels in love with pseudo bad boy Danny Slade. Read full review of Girls In Trouble
	1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State by Morgan Llywelyn 1949 picks up approximately two years after the Irish Civil War. Red haired, blued eyed Ursula Jervis Halloran is 16 years of age and riding her horse Saoirse (Irish for Freedom) in Clare, Ireland, where she grew up on a farm with her father Ned (lead character 1916) and his Aunt Norah. She has received a letter from her pseudo-uncle Henry Mooney (lead character 1921) beckoning her to visit him and his wife Ella in Dublin. Against her fathers wishes she "sneaks off to Dublin without telling anyone." Read full review of 1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State
	Getting Over It by Anna Maxted Twenty-six year old Helen Gayle Bradshaw leads a fairly normal life for a young British girl. She shares a flat with a guy she has adored since forever and her equally adoring cat (as adoring as a cat can be), Fatboy. She's in a long term relationship. She's an assistant for an editor from hell (but not really) by day and by night she gets shitfaced with her fun-loving friends Lizzy, Tina and Luke. Read full review of Getting Over It
	I, Richard by Elizabeth George Elizabeth George is best known for her psychological crime novels. She has 15 books published. This is her first short story collection. Three of the five stories were previously published elsewhere. An introduction before each story informs the listener where the idea originated. I wonder if non-writers are interested in this type of information or would they sooner get to the story. From a writing perspective, I was interested but in some cases felt it took away from the story or gave too much away. Read full review of I, Richard
	The Adventures of Flash Jacksonby William Kowalski Kowalski has written Haley's voice as educated, conversational, witty and without shame. I found myself reading her voice with a light southern twang even though the story takes place just outside the fictional town of Mannville, New York. Haley tells the reader that this is "a record of my seventeenth year", and she warns "if you're not interested in this sort of thing you better stop reading right now. I'm writing this for myself..." Read full review of The Adventures of Flash Jackson
	The Nathaniel Hawthorne Audio Collection by Nathaniel Hawthorne "Solitude was his natural element", says Paul Auster (author) in the one hour introduction Hawthorne at Home that gives tribute to Hawthorne's writing life as well as a glimpse into his family and friendship with Herman Melville. The emphasis though is not on the writer of The Scarlet Letter or The House of the Seven Gables but on the more personal side witnessed within his journals. Read full review of The Nathaniel Hawthorne Audio Collection
	White Oleander by Janet Fitch Fitch describes the Santa Ana blossoms as desert survivalists as "delicate poisonous blooms" with "dagger green leaves." Throughout this novel the words sing a poetic duet with the reader and, from her opening description, I was humming along. I felt a bit like a Peeping Tom as I spied on Fitch's fictional prose about the early years of Astrid Magnussen. Read full review of White Oleander