“We Are Animals: Essays on the Nature and Politics of Motherhood” by Jennifer Case

We Are Animals: Essays on the Nature and Politics of Motherhood (Trinity University Press 2024) by Jennifer Case is a collection of essays containing sharp observations and poignant revelations about what it means to be a mother, or child-bearing mammal, in today’s society. Case explores the many ways in which women, when faced with pregnancy, must […]

“Beware the Tall Grass” by Ellen Birkett Morris

It’s easy to see why Ellen Birkett Morris’s enchanting debut novel, Beware the Tall Grass (Columbus State University 2024), won The Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence. The novel expertly entwines two moving tales, that of Eve Sloan, a mother trying desperately to understand and protect her son Charlie circa 2010; and that of […]

“House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen

House of Glass (St. Martin’s Press 2024) by Sarah Pekkanen is a wonderfully crafted, well-paced mystery with a good bit of psychological thriller blended in. It is a character driven “who done it?” but not in a police procedural way as no law enforcement detectives are center stage in solving the death of a young […]

2024 Book of the Year

  2024 Book of the Year WOFFORD’S BLOOD By Donna Coffey Little   Wofford’s Blood (Mercer University Press 2024) is a stunning work of historical fiction based on the life of James Daugherty (J. D.) Wofford, a half White, half Cherokee, who became a conductor and interpreter on the Trail of Tears. Outstanding research underlies […]

2024 Book of the Year Finalists & Book Lovers Gift Guide

  Book of the Year to be announced Sunday, December 15.  Which one will win? Any of these titles make fine holiday gifts. (Finalists listed alphabetically by title.) Birdhouse Jesus by Terri Chastain Using a combination of charm and horror and finally transcendence, Chastain creates a protagonist who comes to terms with childhood abuse by […]

“Walton’s Creek, Land of our Fathers” by Rickie Zayne Ashby

Walton’s Creek, Land of Our Fathers (Acclaim Press 2024), Rickie Zayne Ashby’s debut novel, is a book you should judge by its cover. Not only is the artwork evocative of the story inside, but also the cover itself under the dust jacket, is a thing of beauty. This book is available in hardcover only, so […]