And the Mountains EchoedKhaled HosseiniFiction It has been six years since the release of A Thousand Splendid Suns and 10 years since the release of The Kite Runner. Finally, fans of Khaled Hosseini have a reason to rush to the bookstores again – the release of his newest novel, And the Mountains Echoed. And you will not be disappointed. But more on that in a moment. First, the synopsis. SYNOPSIS: And the Mountains Echoed is set mostly in Afghanistan, between the 1950s and the 2000s. The story follows how the decisions made by parents, children, brothers, sisters and ... read more

InfernoDan BrownFiction SYNOPSIS: Dan Brown is back with more intrigue, and Robert Langdon is back with his Harris Tweed jacket. Inferno starts with Langdon waking up in a hospital in Florence. The doctors tell him he has a head wound, an injury that has given him a mild form of amnesia. Langdon has lost 36 hours of his memory. He can’t remember how he ended up in Italy. And he can’t remember why someone is trying to kill him. As he escapes a mysterious woman and a band of soldiers in black, all trying to chase him down, Langdon works ... read more

The long weekend is here and I bet I know what's on your mind: cottages, patios and BBQs. I myself am planning to pull out the BBQ this weekend for the first time this season. Can't wait! And you can be sure that one of the cookbooks at my side will be Gastro Grilling because you can't go wrong with Ted Reader. This new cookbook from the BBQ king isn't about grilling steaks the boring way. It's about grilling food of the highest quality with "fun and passion," as Ted puts it. In his intro, he says, "I'm a fat ... read more

The Miracles of Ordinary MenAmanda LeducFiction INTERVIEW: Listen to my chat with Amanda Leduc about her debut novel, her own beliefs and her thoughts on the necessity of doubt. You can listen to the interview here. SYNOPSIS: Sam, an English teacher, wakes up one morning with wings growing out of his back. Only several people can see the wings, including his childhood priest. Sam turns to him for help – what do the wings mean? Why did this happen to him when he doesn’t even believe in God? Lilah, meanwhile, struggles with figuring out her life. When she ... read more

Drunk MomJowita BydlowskaMemoir INTERVIEW: Listen to my chat with Jowita about her memoir and her battle with alcoholism. She talks about how she felt the day her revealing book was released, and how she hopes her son will take it when he’s older. You can listen to the podcast here. THE BOOK: When Jowita Bydlowska’s son was born, she celebrated by throwing back a glass of champagne. That moment marked her relapse into alcoholism, three years after she had given up drinking. Drunk Mom is Jowita’s account of the months following her son’s birth and her relapse, as ... read more