Elizabeth Gilbert was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and grew up on a small family Christmas tree farm. From earliest memory, all she ever wanted to do was write. It is quite possibly genetic: Her sister, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, also became a writer, and is today the author of such beloved young adult novels as DAIRY QUEEN and PRINCESS BEN.
Elizabeth Gilbert lives in rural New Jersey with her husband, her garden, and far too many beloved pets. She is at work on a new novel.
American Mermaid (2023) Julia Langbein "American Mermaid is, like a mermaid herself, a beautiful mix of two things. It is a brilliantly funny and perfectly modern satire, as well as being an elegant exploration of soulfulness, longing and belonging, and the ungovernable wildness of nature herself. I've never read anything quite like it, and I loved it."
All the Secrets of the World (2022) Steve Almond "Steve Almond is a fierce talent--a writer who possesses both a deep heart and a sharp edge. His work shimmers with intelligence and simmers with eroticism. He's got the goods."
Astrid Sees All (2021) Natalie Standiford "I loved this dark and smart thriller about the East Village in the 1980’s, starring a bright but lost young woman who is determined to chase danger and glamour and madness right up to the edge of reason. With shades of both Gatsby and Warhol, Standiford has created a vivid portrait of a seedy, edgy, artsy, and seething New York City that will never exist again. I flew through these pages."
A Side of Murder (2021) (Cape Cod Foodie Mystery, book 1) Amy Pershing "This is one of the freshest, funniest murder mysteries I’ve ever read. I fell absolutely in love with Samantha Barnes — the brave, sarcastic,crime-solving, relatable heroine we’ve all been waiting for. A SIDE OF MURDER is a rich, satisfying meal that delights from beginning to end, and Amy Pershing is wonderful and clever author."
The Queen of Tuesday (2020) Darin Strauss "Anything Darin Strauss writes is magic. I have been his fan since the beginning of time, and I will be his fan until the sun explodes."
Olive (2020) Emma Gannon "This tale of four young women trying to sort out the dilemmas of motherhood … will bring relief and recognition to many. It’s a lovely book - thoughtful, searching, funny, and (most importantly) honest."
Looking For Eliza (2020) Leaf Arbuthnot "I've never read a love story quite like Looking for Eliza, and it has absolutely stolen my heart. This tale of two intelligent, charming, eccentric, and lonely women who reach across a generational gap in order to create a beautiful friendship with each other filled me with joy, delight, and pathos. How beautifully Leaf Arbuthnot has shown us that the one we've been looking for our whole lives might be living right across the street, quietly working in her garden. I loved this book."
Valentine (2020) Elizabeth Wetmore "It is nearly impossible for me to believe that Elizabeth Wetmore is a first-time novelist. How can a writer burst out of the gate with this much firepower and skill? VALENTINE is brilliant, sharp, tightly wound, and devastating. Wetmore has ripped the brutal, epic landscape of West Texas out of the hands of men, and has handed the stories over (finally!) to the girls and women who have always suffered, survived, and made their mark in such a hostile world. These are some of the most fully realized and unforgettable female characters I've ever met. They will stay with me."
The Nickel Boys (2019) Colson Whitehead "A gripping and brilliant novel based on a true story about a boys' reformatory school in Florida in the 1960s. Whitehead is one of the most daring and gifted authors writing these days, and I will never miss one of his books."
Fleishman is in Trouble (2019) Taffy Brodesser-Akner "Just the sort of thing that Philip Roth or John Updike might have produced in their prime (except, of course, that the author understands women)"
Lake Success (2018) Gary Shteyngart "Stupendous... Reflecting with perfect comedy and horrible tragedy exactly what America feels like right this minute... I barked with laughter at the same time as wincing in pain."
Girl Waits With Gun (2015) (Kopp Sisters, book 1) Amy Stewart "A smart, romping adventure, featuring some of the most memorable and powerful female characters I've seen in print for a long time. I loved every page as I followed the Kopp sisters through a too-good-to-be-true (but mostly true!) tale of violence, courage, stubbornness, and resourcefulness."
Friendswood (2014) René Steinke "Steinke's sense of this small Texas town, with its explosive and interconnected lives and deaths, is absolutely masterful."
The Vacationers (2014) Emma Straub "I would read anything Emma Straub writes. She's a natural talent and a gorgeous and witty storyteller. The characters will linger with me long into the future."
Gone (2012) Cathi Hanauer "You will see yourself in these pages, and your heart will open wide."
Your Voice in My Head (2011) Emma Forrest "Unforgettable... I can't remember the last time I ever read such a blistering, transfixing story."
The Typist (2010) Michael Knight "The Typist is Knight's best book yet. It reads with a combination of urgency and a quiet, rush-less pace to the novel's slow reveal. There is not a misstep, not a mislaid sentence. I believed and breathed every single word. This book awed me."
Try (2006) Lily Burana "My God, it's refreshing to read a novel as good and rank and honest as Try."
The Observations (2006) Jane Harris "The Observations is a deliriously captivating tale of sex, ghosts, lies, and mysteries. But that’s not the good part; the good part is our narrator Betsy, a fifteen-year-old Irish made living in Scotland with the freshest, sharpest, naughtiest, and most charming voice you’re apt to encounter in literature in a good long time. I adored her and couldn’t put her story down."
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