Committed
Rating: Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Viking (2010), 285 pages. The movie adaptation of Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love will be opening in theaters this August. It is still May as I write this, yet the cover from the book...
As Hot As It Was You Ought to Thank Me
(This review first appeared in February 2005) Rating: As Hot As It Was You Ought to Thank Me, by Nanci Kincaid. Back Bay Books (2005), 384 pages. Many literary fiction readers undoubtedly missed out on this book due to the unwieldy chick-lit like title and...
House of Cards
Rating: House of Cards: Love, Faith and Other Social Expressions, by David Ellis Dickerson. Riverhead Books (2009), 369 pages. Sadly, I must begin this review with a tirade against the cover art. There are other things to say, much of them positive, but...
Another Cover Art Disappointment
Who doesn’t love a vintage photograph from the author’s childhood on the cover of her memoir? When the image is just right, these covers are among the best. But if a photo that speaks directly to the story does not exist, why force an inappropriate one upon the book?...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.