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Reviews by Anthony Conty

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Tripas: Poems (Georgia Review Books Ser.)
by Brandon Som
Poetry is Hard (6/9/2024)
Upon completing 'Tripas: Poems' by Brandon Som, the recent recipient of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, I was captivated by the unique blend of Spanglish and multiculturalism that permeates the book. Drawing inspiration from the rich narratives of his Chinese andmore
Disobedient: A Novel
by Elizabeth Fremantle
Feminism for the Un-Initiated (5/31/2024)
“Disobedient” by Elizabeth Fremantle, author of the phenom “The Queen’s Gambit,” masterfully bridges the gap between the 17th century and today’s society, a feat that top-notch historical fiction often accomplishes. As a reader, I was captivated by the narrative, evenmore
King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner
So Engaging, So Kind to its Characters (5/20/2024)
I had never heard of Hansen’s Disease and had only heard of leprosy in passing; therefore, I had no idea that “leprosy” and “leper” were unacceptable slurs in modern English. When they packed people afflicted into clinics, it reminded you of how people with lesions frommore
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
by David Grann
Tirelessly Researched (5/8/2024)
David Grann's “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder” tells an entirely different story than his previous masterpiece, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in the same captivating way. Understanding the complex life of a sailor, a journey that requires a great deal ofmore
Prophet Song
by Paul Lynch
Not to Everyone's Taste (4/25/2024)
“Prophet Song” by Paul Lynch would seem like a novel stunt if many award-winning Irish books did not seem similar. There are not many paragraph breaks and quotation marks here. You get the point of dystopian suffering even when unsure what is happening. Although this ismore
Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O'Connell's urgent mission to bring healing to homeless people
by Tracy Kidder
A Slice of Life We Often Forget (4/13/2024)
I love books and movies and compare them. “Rough Sleepers” by Dr. Tracy Kidder is the heart-wrenching story that the fictionalized movie “Patch Adams” wanted to be. Yes, the movie was a comedy, but Dr. Hunter Patch Adams wished to be known for more than humor.
Dr. Jim O’more
Go as a River: A Novel
by Shelley Read
I Am Giving 5 Stars a Lot This Year (4/2/2024)
Shelley Read's “Go As a River” does readers a favor by revealing little in the flap. A farm and drifter meet. Tragedy and romance ensue. That gets you to page 25. What results is a family drama about loss, grief, and development that will remind you of “Where the Crawdadsmore
The House of Doors
by Tan Twan Eng
Historical Fiction for Newbies (3/21/2024)
“The House of Doors” by Tan Twan Eng tells interconnected tales about characters within the same realm. A married couple, Lesley and Robert, allow a famous writer and his assistant to live with them in a time of personal trouble. Secrets about their marriage arise, andmore
Let Us Descend: A Novel
by Jesmyn Ward
I Really Wanted to Love It, But... (3/9/2024)
“Let Us Descend” by Jezmyn Ward requires a strong stomach, like most novels about slavery. The reader wants realism, then reads about rape and technical incest and wishes for less. The protagonist, Annis, takes us on a journey inspired by Dante’s Inferno when her Sire (more
Tom Lake: A Novel
by Ann Patchett
Best of the Year So Far (2/26/2024)
"Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett tells the story of a family that hears a long story about an actor's connection to the mother and creates nostalgia for the recent pandemic. We know what happened, but we go back and forth from the present day to the mother's acting debut, and wemore
Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance
by Paulette Jiles
Good Old-Fashioned Western (2/14/2024)
"Chenneville" by Paulette Jiles defies gender stereotypes. It has the emotional sensibilities of your best female authors and the lonely Western adventures you expect from the top male writers. Our protagonist, Jean-Louis Chenneville, suffers a massive head wound andmore
In the Time of Our History
by Susanne Pari
A Culturally Significant Page-Turner (2/2/2024)
“In the Time of Our History” by Susanne Pari shows what happened when two Iranian-American sisters followed entirely different paths. Literature does not always allow those from Iran their humanity. When one woman suffers an untimely death, her family unites for the “Onemore
Poverty, by America
by Matthew Desmond
American Equality (1/21/2024)
“Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond does much research and pulls no punches. It will rev up those who blame poor people for their problems unfairly and prematurely. His previous work, “Evicted,” exposed issues in the rental industry and showed why no easy answersmore
Remember Us
by Jacqueline Woodson
Deep YA (1/12/2024)
“Remember Us” by Jacqueline Woodson is the kind of Young Adult Fiction that reminds you while adults seek out the genre. If your kid has any identity issues, read it. Seeing a rising seventh grader navigate her stuff while the only neighborhood she has ever known goes up inmore
This Other Eden: A Novel
by Paul Harding
Good Brain Food (1/4/2024)
"This Other Eden" by Paul Harding is a short book with a late climax. I recommend, as always, not to read the flap before enjoying it. The basic plot outline reveals things that do not happen until page 180. Explaining the plot without recognizing its primary meaning wouldmore
Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America
by Nicole Eustace
History for Amateurs (12/13/2023)
“Covered with Night” is an expression among the Native American community in the 18th century to describe someone overcome with guilt. In a time when we called people “savages” to rationalize horrific treatment of them, the words meant more than you would imagine. I fixatedmore
Shrines of Gaiety: A Novel
by Kate Atkinson
Slow Burn but Sizzles Soon (11/28/2023)
London, 1926. I am not a history guy, but I love that I have many friends who could tell you so much just from those details. “Shrines of Gaiety” by Kate Atkinson tells the story of a life of excess in the British club scene but gets to its point deliberately. You will notmore
His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice
by Robert Samuels, Toluse Olorunnipa
You May Not Agree With Everything, But... (11/15/2023)
“His Name is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice” by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa breaks “Becoming’s” record for most reviews on Goodreads by people who did not bother to read it. I write these so people can discover a new book they maymore
Trust
by Hernan Diaz
Worthy of a Pulitzer (11/2/2023)
“Trust” by Hernan Diaz is a lot. “Books within books” test your abilities, and you must reread a lot. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the work. You will feel more competent when you finish. The main character, Benjamin Rask, is wealthy and mysterious, earning a great dealmore
Black Cake: A Novel
by Charmaine Wilkerson
Great Book, Better Playlist, Even Better Recipe. (10/7/2023)
“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson tells the story of a deceased woman who leaves behind a cake for her estranged children. You do not understand why, but the book reveals its details methodically. Wilkerson has a story to tell from the past; however, that introduces amore

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