The Rapture of Canaan
(This review first appeared in December 2002) Rating: The Rapture of Canaan, by Sheri Reynolds. Berkley Books (1995), 320 pages. Who doesn’t love a good story about a young girl growing up in a religious cult in the backwoods of the Southern U.S.? In this...
Cartwheels in a Sari
Rating: Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult, by Jayanti Tamm. Harmony Books (2009), 288 pages. In the memoir category, stories of being brought up in a cult are hard to beat. The craziness surpasses anything one would find in a really good,...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.