Joseph Peschel.com

Here are some of Peschel's book reviews.
Books to which he has given favorable reviews are now linked to Barnes & Noble.

The Cursing Mommy's Book Of Days, by Ian Frazier
"Mommy’s Daybook Chronicles Her Frustrations With Daily Life. "
The Boston Globe, October 10, 2012
My Heart Is An Idiot, by Davy Rothbart
"Davy Rothbart Regales With Tales Of Drinking And Heartbreak."
The Boston Globe, September 26, 2012
Fobbit, by David Abrams
"'Fobbit' Aims To Be Iraq's 'Catch-22'"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 9, 2012
The Scent Of Scandal, by Craig Pittman
"Greed, Betrayal, and the World's Most Beautiful Orchid"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune August 26, 2012
The Way The World Works, by Nicholson Baker
"Nicholson Baker On The Way Of The World"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 19, 2012
A Case for Solomon, by Tal McThenia and Margaret Dunbar Cutright
"Bobby Dunbar And The Kidnapping That Haunted A Nation"
The Boston Globe August 8, 2012
Chapman's Odyssey, by Paul Bailey
"Tapdancing And Dreaming Toward The End Of Life"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune July 18, 2012
This Bright River, by Patrick Somerville
"Troubled Souls Return Home To Remake Lives"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch July 1, 2012
A Land More Kind Than Home, by Wiley Cash
"Wiley Cash's first novel, 'A Land More Kind Than Home,' Is Woven Together From The Narratives Of Three Characters"
The Boston Globe May 5, 2012
Arcadia, by Lauren Groff
"Commune's Hippies Face Bleak Future In Novel"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch March 25, 2012
Birds Of A Lesser Paradise, by Megan Mayhew Bergman
"Megan Mayhew Bergman's Debut Story Collection "Birds Of A Lesser Paradise Looks At Women Struggling With Identity"
The Boston Globe Mar. 7, 2012
Mr g, by Alan Lightman
"Author Alan Lightman Looks At Creation Through His Own Creation: Mr g."
The Boston Globe Jan.26, 2012
Smut, by Alan Bennett
"Playwright Alan Bennett's New Novel "Smut" Looks At Roles People Play"
The Boston Globe Dec. 28, 2011
Murder In Mount Holly, by Paul Theroux
"Paul Theroux Goes Out On A Limb In This Satirical Novel, Originally Published In The 1960s."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune Dec. 25, 2011
Before the End, After the Beginning, by Dagoberto Gilb
"Dagoberto Gilb’s Characters Struggle To Make Ends Meet."
The Boston Globe, Dec. 5, 2011
Shadow Traffic , by Richard Burgin
"Burgin's Stories Temper Despair With Dark Wit"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Oct. 9, 2011
Cream of Kohlrabi , by Floyd Skloot
"Skloot's New Collection Of Short Stories Shines Brightest When Dealing With Elderly And Infirm"
The Boston Globe, Oct. 7, 2011
Best American Short Stories 2011 , guest-edited by Geraldine Brooks
"Short Story Collection Is Solid If Not Complete"
The Boston Globe, Oct. 6, 2011
Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin , by Calvin Trillin
"A Collection Of 40 Years' Worth Of Lighter Pieces By Calvin Trillin"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Sept. 11, 2011
Anatomy Of A Disappearance , by Hisham Matar
"Hisham Matar Brings Poetry and Heart to a Mysterious Kidnapping"
Web-only. Aug. 9, 2011
In The Fall They Come Back , by Robert Bausch
"Teacher Tries To Fix It All In Masterful Story"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Aug. 28, 2011
In the Sea There Are Crocodiles , by Fabio Geda.
"Harrowing Tale of Young Afghan Refugee"
The Boston Globe. Aug. 2, 2011
The Warsaw Anagrams , by Richard Zimler
"Thrilling Murder Mystery Set In The Warsaw Ghetto"
The Boston Globe. July 7, 2011
My review of The Burning House ,by Paul Lisicky, was selected by the National Book Critics Circle as an "exemplary review" and re-posted at Powell's Books
"Poetic Novella Aches With Desire, Despair"
Powell's Books, June 22, 2011
The Burning House, by Paul Lisicky
"The Burning House Aches With Desire, Despair"
The Boston Globe. May 31, 2011
All The Time In The World, by E. L. Doctorow
"First-Rate Collection Satirizes Modern Life"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune Apr. 10, 2011
The Architect Of Flowers, by William Lychack
"A Collection Of Lyrical Stories About New Englanders"
The Boston Globe Mar. 26, 2011
Rodin's Debutante, by Ward Just
"'Rodin's Debutante' Another Fine Dose Of Realism"
The Boston Globe Mar. 12, 2011
Open City, by Teju Cole
"Stoic Man Walking Through 'Open City'"
The Boston Globe Feb. 24, 2011
Drinking Closer To Home, by Jessica Anya Blau
"Bickering Characters Drive A Story Of Family Dysfunction"
The Boston Globe Jan 19, 2011
Gryphon: New & Selected Stories, by Charels Baxter
"Charles Baxter's 'Gryphon: New and Selected Stories' Finds Magic In Everyday Life"
The Kansas City Star Jan 16, 2011
Lawn Order, by Molly MacRae
"Murder With A Dose Of Drollery:'Lawn Order' Keeps The Puns Coming"
The Boston Globe Jan 5, 2011
The Last Lingua Franca, by Nicholas Ostler
"'The Last Lingua Franca' Examines English's Eventual Demise As The World's Dominant Language"
The Boston Globe Dec. 23, 2010
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, by Walter Mosley
"With 'Last Days,' Mosley Exchanges Hard Times For Mystery"
The Boston Globe Dec. 14, 2010
Tauvernier Street, by Jay Atkinson
"On 'Tauvernier Street,' Tales Of People Finding Their Way"
The Boston Globe Nov. 29, 2010
Luka And The Fire of Life, by Salman Rushdie
"Rushdie's Latest Fable Is Buoyant And Charming"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune Nov. 24, 2010
Sunset Park, by Paul Auster
"Sunset Park By Paul Auster"
The Kansas City Star Nov. 21, 2010
The-Universe In Miniature In Miniature, by Patrick Somerville
"Somerville Spins Tales Of The Future And End"
The Boston Globe Nov. 20, 2010
The Wilding, by Benjamin Percy
"The Wilding--Fathers, Sons And The Pull Of The Forest"
The Boston Globe Oct. 20, 2010
Best American Short Stories 2010, guest-edited by Richard Russo
"2010 Was A Fine Year For The Best American Short Stories"
The Boston Globe Oct. 15, 2010
My Life As A Russian-Novel, by Emmanuel Carrère
"Begins With Emmanuel Carrère's Erotic Dream On A Train To Russia"
The Boston Globe, August 21, 2010
Finny, by Justin Kramon
"Dickensian Optimism, Plus Character Quirks"
The Boston Globe, July 22, 2010
My review of Dear Money,by Martha McPhee, was selected by the National Book Critics Circle as an "exemplary review" and re-posted at Powell's Books
"Social Commentary, And A Seduction Of Sorts"
Powell's Books, June 16, 2010
Dear Money, by Martha McPhee
"Social Commentary, And A Seduction Of Sorts"
The Boston Globe, June 5, 2010
A Dead Hand: A Crime in Calcutta, by Paul Theroux
"A Stymied Writer Is Drawn Into A Mystery With Religious Overtones"
The Barnes & Noble Review, May 12, 2010
Something Red, by Jennifer Gilmore
"A Family Plays Out Diverse Roles In Post-Vietnam America"
The Raleigh News & Observer April 25, 2010
and in The Charlotte Observer
"A Family Plays Out Diverse Roles In Post-Vietnam America"
The Charlotte Observer, April 24, 2010
Stations West, by Allison Amend
"Strong Characters Inhabit Story About Jewish Pioneers Heading West"
April 4, 2010
and in The Charlotte Observer
"Strong Characters Inhabit Story About Jewish Pioneers Heading West"
The Charlotte Observer, April 1, 2010
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
"Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," Released in 20th Anniversary Edition, Renews War's Ambiguity"
The Washington Post Blog, March 23, 2010
Something Is Out There, by Richard Bausch
"Artful Characters Generate Empathy"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 21, 2010
Wild Child, T. C. Boyle
Review of Wild Child," by T. C. Boyle
January 29, 2010
Fun With Problems, by Robert Stone
"Ruined Lives With No Escape"
The Raleigh News & Observer, January 24, 2010
A Fair Maiden, by Joyce Carol Oates
"He's 68. She's 16. Oates Spins A Suspect Seduction"
The Raleigh News & Observer, January 10, 2010
and
"He's 68. She's 16. Prolific Oates Spins A Suspect Seduction"
The Charlotte Observer, Jan.17, 2010
Summertime, by J. M. Coetzee
"The Author Is Digging Himself"
The Raleigh News & Observer, January 10, 2010
But Not For Long, by Michelle Wildgen
"Life Goes On As Society Falls Apart"
The Raleigh News & Observer, December 20, 2009
"Wrapping Up The Year In Books"
50 Favorite Books from 2009
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 6, 2009
Twisted Tree, by Kent Meyers
"Twisted Tree"
The Barnes & Noble Review, November 23, 2009
Invisible, by Paul Auster
"Youth And Desire Collide"
The Raleigh News & Observer, November 1, 2009
Best American Short Stories 2009, edited by Alice Sebold
"'Best' Might Be A Stretch"
The Raleigh News & Observer, October 18, 2009
and
"Short Take"
The Charlotte Observer, October 16, 2009
Amigoland, by Oscar Casares,
"Well-Drawn, Vivid Characters Dominate"
The Raleigh News & Observer, September 6, 2009
and
"Brotherly Discord Fades On Road Trip"
The Charlotte Observer, September 6, 2009
Homer & Langley, by E. L. Doctorow,
"Doctorow's Account Of Sibling Packrats Is A Masterpiece"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 30, 2009
This Wicked World, by Richard Lange,
"'Wicked' Debut Exposes Vile L.A."
The Raleigh News & Observer, August 9, 2009
Old Girlfriends, by David Updike,
"John Updike's son steps out from young-adult genre to craft poignant, elegant tales for grown-ups"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 9, 2009
Waveland, by Frederick Barthelme,
"Details Reveal Character in Post-Katrina Town"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 19, 2009
Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi, by Geoff Dyer,
"Geoff Dyer's Hero Embarks on Sexual, Spiritual Odyssey"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 3, 2009
It Will Come To Me, by Emily Fox Gordon,
"College-Set Debut Is A Comedy Of Manners"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 22, 2009
The Cradle, by Patrick Somerville,
"Wacky Humor Weaves Through Two Stories"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 15, 2009
Love Stories, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell,
"19 Varieties Of Love Story Arrive For Valentine's Day"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 8, 2009
Lark and Termite, by Jayne Anne Phillips,
"War, Flood And Family Intersect In Fascinating Tale"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 4, 2009
I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass,
"Lighter Fare Than Her Previous Books, Julia Glass' Latest Novel Is An Examination Of Sibling Rivalry And Loyalty"
The Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 19, 2008
Best American Short Stories 2008, edited by Salman Rushdie,
"Rushdie Assembles First-Rate Anthology"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 12, 2008
Indignation, by Philip Roth,
Review of Indignation, by Philip Roth
Web-Only, October 1, 2008
How Fiction Works, by James Wood,
"Critic Deconstructs Art Of Writing Fiction"
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 27, 2008
The Garden of Last Days , by Andre Dubus III,
"9-11 Shadow Over Garden; Lush novel Not As Satisfying As Fog"
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 8, 2008
The Soul Thief, by Charles Baxter,
"Charles Baxter Conjures A Rewarding Follow-Up To Feast Of Love"
The Kansas City Star, April 20, 2008
Diary of a Bad Year, by J. M. Coetzee,
"Coetzee’s New Novel Is Adventurous, But Does It Really Succeed As Fiction?"
The Kansas City Star, February 17, 2008


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