The Snail on the Wall

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

, , , ,
The Book of Love by Link, Kelly
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

What a labyrinthine book this is – over 600 pages for a very simple premise: four people return from the dead, but only two can stay. To do so, they must compete and win magical challenges. That’s the pitch, but the reality of the book is much simpler. It’s about grief and coming of age – of finding one’s place as an adult in a world that keeps trucking on despite your pain and hesitancy. I loved this book because it reminded me of all my favorite fairy tales mashed into one: it’s whimsical, funny, heart-breaking, and gorgeously written. It takes a long time to get going, but I loved every moment of subtle character work that Link did as she set up the players of this story. Fans of whimsical tales such as any of Neil Gaiman’s work or Susanna Clarke’s novels will likely find a lot to enjoy here, as I did.

by Kelly Link, (List Price: $31, Random House, 9780812996586, February 2024)

Reviewed by Whitney Sheppard, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Book of Love by Kelly Link Read More »

The Search Party by Hannah Richell

, , ,
The Search Party by Hannah Richell
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This is a spooky camping excursion dominated by missing children, adult friendships and their complexities, and Cornish storms. I couldn’t wait to figure out who was missing, who was involved, and where the red herrings were leading me astray.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell, (List Price: $17.99, Atria Books, 9781668036068, January 2024)

Reviewed by Lady Smith, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Search Party by Hannah Richell Read More »

We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard

, , , , ,
We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

We Are Too Many is a memoir of the end (and beginning) of a marriage. Told hilariously over three parts, Hannah Pittard invites readers to follow her through ten years of time-jumped remembered conversations. Her story is written with a refreshing amount of honesty as she leads the reader through her discovery that her husband and best friend have had sex, along with what came before and after. Unfinchingly honest and hilarious, Pittard seamlessly blends fact with fiction to make an unforgettable memoir. I finished this in one afternoon. I could not put it down — nor did I want to. A gem for anyone who loves memoir, language play, a book that reads like a documentary, or a delightful and entertaining read.

We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard, (List Price: 26.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250869043, May 2023)

Reviewed by Deva, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard Read More »

Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen

, ,
Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Jessica Tran returns home from LA after a bad breakup hoping to get back on her feet, but things are just as crazy at home: her parents’ nail salon is facing competition from an Instagram-worthy gentrified salon across the street. All five Tran family members — Jessica, her workaholic brother, her immigrant parents, and recently-arrived cousin — get POV chapters as they try to figure out what’s next and how to keep Sunshine Nails afloat. With a light tone, stylized characters, and page-turning short chapters that read faster than quick-dry polish can set, Sunshine Nails is a fun read, even if the ending feels a little rushed and smudged.

Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen, (List Price: 26.99, Atria Books, 9781668010495, July 2023)

Reviewed by Melanie, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen Read More »

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong

, , ,
The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

The Double Life of Benson Yu is a clever novel about art, childhood trauma, and survival. Comic book artist Benson Yu found commercial success with his Iggy Samurai series, but a letter from someone from his past prompts him to start a new project. This project, an autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in 1980s Chinatown, forces him to revisit his pre-teen self (and vice versa). Different versions of characters from his past seem to coexist as Benson writes and rewrites his past to try to deal with traumatic experiences. For fans of complex stories (with a little time travel).

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong, (List Price: 27, Atria Books, 9781668005491, April 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Hardin, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong Read More »

You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg

, , ,
You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This is a sweet story about a modern neighborhood and how the reality of 2023 settles in across generations and races. While the writing is sometimes bland, the characters are interesting and accessible, and you’ll find yourself a little more invested in a mall closing than you thought possible.

You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg, (List Price: , Counterpoint, 9781640095434, May 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine Richardson, Snail on the Wall in Huntington, Alabama

You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg Read More »

Confidence by Rafael Frumkin

,
Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Born con-artist Ezra Green meets Orson Ortman as a teenager, which kicks off a string of schemes and phony businesses. They hit the big time when they dream up NuLife, a process to increase bliss, and target the rich, powerful, and gullible. Ezra’s a scam artist, and would do anything it takes to protect Orson and their business. And even though his morals are undoubtedly questionable, I found myself rooting for him as he slowly loses his vision and remains as desperately in love with Orson as he was when they first met.

Confidence by Rafael Frumkin, (List Price: , Simon & Schuster, 9781982189730, March 2023)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Hardin, Snail on the Wall in Huntington, Alabama

Confidence by Rafael Frumkin Read More »

The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether

, ,
The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Set in New Mexico, this mystery with a bit of the supernatural caught my attention from the beginning. It is told from three viewpoints: Laura, a librarian whose hobby is finding missing persons through genealogical research; Jean Martinez, the NM detective trying to crack a 30-year-old cold case; and the spirits of the murdered victims. Laura is recovering from breast cancer surgery, and the physical symptoms she struggles with add an unusual element to the story. This book feels like the beginning of a series, and I am eager to read the next book.

The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether, (List Price: $26.95, Tin House, 9781953534866, May 2023)

Reviewed by Amy Dance, Snail on the Wall in Huntington, Alabama

The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether Read More »

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

, , ,
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

A May 2023 Read This Next! Title

What if a book, written from an imagined childhood story, could unlock mysteries of the past and reunite lost loved ones? That’s precisely what happens in The Secret Book of Flora Lea, and Henry lets it all unfold with expert storytelling. This is a beautiful tale of the powers of stories and love. I loved how this book highlights the use of stories to provide comfort in chaos and create bonds that transcend distance and time. I fell deeply in love with Whisperwood and the characters of this lovely novel. This book is one that, upon finishing it, you close it gently, hold it close to your heart, wipe your tears, and smile before you set it down.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry, (List Price: 28.99, Atria Books, 9781668011836, May 2023)

Reviewed by Jess Depew, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry Read More »

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

, , , , , , ,
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Maggie Smith shares with readers an intimate reflection as she goes through a personal heartbreak, or rather a thousand tiny heartbreaks, over the course of her thirteen-year relationship. Not only centered around love and loss, her memoir looks at the complex issues of modern womanhood and patriarchy. Though I have not personally experienced the pain she details in her memoir, I felt as if I have because of the power of her words. You will find someone you know in her story and it will help you understand their pain a little better. Maggie Smith has the ability to take the human feelings and emotions we all have, but sometimes lack the words to describe, and present them through a beautiful metaphor that can make you feel seen and understood. She does not stay in the pain; she evolves, changes, makes herself new, and always finds a way to make life beautiful.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith, (List Price: 28, Atria/One Signal Publishers, 9781982185855, April 2023)

Reviewed by Abby, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith Read More »

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee

, , ,
Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

Pomegranate is a raw, beautiful story of reintegration and a mother trying to do and be better for her kids. Oscillating between present-day Ranita and her past self, this story paints a real, painful picture of a woman caught in a cycle of drug use and eventual prison time, and her daily fight for sobriety and wellness when she returns to her family

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee, (List Price: 27.99, Atria Books, 9781982171896, April 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee Read More »

The Angel Maker by Alex North

, ,
The Angel Maker by Alex North
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

I am not a reader of thrillers, but I could not put this down. Following the two octogenarian sons of a future-seeing serial killer, this story weaves between past and present, between investigators and the investigated, and intertwines a horrific legacy with a more recent brutal attack and the siblings that survived. Alex North kept me guessing, and though I had to draw a character map to track all the Englishmen the story follows, I was deeply invested by the end and questioning for myself the roles of family, both blood and chosen.

The Angel Maker by Alex North, (List Price: $28.99, Celadon Books, 9781250757869, February 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Angel Maker by Alex North Read More »

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

, ,
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This debut by Canadian author Heather Marshall captured my attention from the first sentence: "It was a perfectly ordinary day when a truly extraordinary letter was delivered to the wrong mailbox." When Andrea finds the stray letter 7 years later, she searches for the proper recipient, connecting events of the past to the present. Because this story is about of the trauma of adoption, abortion or lack of access, and other difficult topics, this book may not be for everyone, but it is well worth reading, especially for those who have an interest in the history of women’s issues and health care.

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall, (List Price: 27.99, Atria Books, 9781668013687, February 2023)

Reviewed by Amy, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall Read More »

B.F.F. by Christie Tate

, ,
B.F.F. by Christie Tate
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

As kids, we focus so much of our time and energy on friendships, and then as we become adults, everything changes. It’s hard to make new friends, and it’s often harder to keep old ones. In B.F.F. Christie Tate bares her soul about female friendship in the same way she did about her therapy sessions in Group. It’s refreshing and reassuring to find out that other women feel isolated, alienated, and hurt by the people they claim as friends. And, though Tate doesn’t have any easy answers, she does let us accompany her on the journey to heal old wounds and become a better friend.

B.F.F. by Christie Tate, (List Price: $28, Avid Reader Press, 9781668009420, February 2023)

Reviewed by Lady Smith, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

B.F.F. by Christie Tate Read More »

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin

, , ,
Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.

Beautiful and unsettling, Elsewhere is a novel I can’t stop thinking about. Not usually one for dystopian fiction, I started and soon was captivated by this haunting, cloud-covered place and close-knit community from which women occasionally disappear. The families who live here wonder about the world beyond, known only as "Elsewhere," especially when a stranger comes to visit. But, no matter how uncertain the future is for mothers in this place, they wouldn’t consider leaving. Why, you’ll wonder, as you’re drawn in by the mystery of this place and its people. How deep is devotion, and much should motherhood require of a woman? I can imagine book clubs debating this one at length!

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin, (List Price: $26.99, Celadon, 9781250219633, June 2022)

Reviewed by Lady Smith, Snail on the Wall in Huntingdon, Alabama

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin Read More »

Scroll to Top