The Shadow of the Wind
(This review first appeared in January 2006) Rating: The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Penguin Books (2005), 487 pages. This is a book for people who love books. Not just the language of books, but the very essence of bookness—the feel and sight...
A Charmed Life
Rating: A Charmed Life: Growing Up in Macbeth’s Castle, by Liza Campbell. Thomas Dunne Books (2006), 324 pages. Cawdor Castle is fifteen miles east of Inverness, Scotland, an area with countless castles both standing and in various stages of ruin (nearby...
All Souls
Rating: All Souls: A Family Story from Southie, by Michael Patrick MacDonald. Ballantine Books (1999), 265 pages. The six kids on the cover of this book (the photo wraps around to the back) are only the beginning of the story—the author and...
The Lost City of Z
Rating: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, by David Grann. Doubleday (2009), 313 pages. There are many reasons to read this book, the primary one being the ending, which I will refrain from saying anything about, even though I...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.