The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
(This review first appeared in March 2004) Rating: The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, by Louise Murphy. Penguin Books (2003), 306 pages. Through the trees they came, pawing at the snow to uncover the moss and leaves, eating any low-growing twigs and...
People of the Book
Rating: People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. Penguin Books (2008), 386 pages. Geraldine Brooks is an exceptional writer of nonfiction (Nine Parts of Desire was shortlisted for a Gustine in 2008) and fiction set in the past (Year of Wonders, set during...
Pharmakon
Rating: Pharmakon…or the Story of a Happy Family, by Dirk Wittenborn. Penguin Books (2008), 404 pages. The father in this novel is a psychology professor at Yale who has determined that his route to fame and fortune will be his invention of a pill to cure...
Strawberry Fields
Rating: Strawberry Fields, by Marina Lewycka. Penguin Books (2008), 294 pages I loved this book. But before I remark on anything else, I really need to share my thoughts on the stunningly dreadful and inappropriate U.S. cover. (The book was originally...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.