The Blue Orchard
Rating: The Blue Orchard, by Jackson Taylor. Touchstone (2010), 416 pages. Taylor’s novel about abortion in America, from the Depression to the early 1950s, is based on events in his grandmother’s life and on interviews with many of the central figures...
Eye of My Heart
Rating: Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother, Barbara Graham, editor. Harper (2009), 298 pages. This collection of essays is exactly what the title promises—a whole bunch of grandmothers writing about...About Us
The Book Shark began as an independent book review website created by Cindy Pinto and Donna Long in 2002.
From the beginning our goal was not only to write great reviews, but also to recognize the most well-written books we read each year with an award...
Gustine Awards
The Gustine Awards were named in honor of the main character in one of our favorite books—The Dress Lodger, by Sheri Holman. Awards have been given out yearly since 2002 in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and memoir...
Cover Art
A book’s cover is as important as the writing within it. We are aware that this may offend some authors who have toiled for years on their books and believe their words are the only thing that matters...
Reader Reviews
What’s the best or worst book you’ve ever read? What’s the most recent book that you’ve had a strong reaction to? Send us your thoughts, and we’ll post them in this spot.