Tag Archives: recluses

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown

17 Monday Nov 2025

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller

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As long as she can remember, Jane has lived in the woods with her father, cut off from most of society. As she grows into a teenager, she begins to investigate her past and realizes her father has not been honest with her. Loosely inspired by real events, this is a thought-provoking page turner.

“A breathtaking story of love, loyalty, family, and fate, What Kind of Paradise is an incredibly prescient and nuanced exploration of the impact of technology on society and individuals.”—Alafair Burke, author of The Note

“Sinuous, intensely satisfying, spectacular . . . Janelle Brown’s new novel is a complete knockout.”—Amity Gaige, author of Heartwood

“[What Kind of Paradise] deftly captures both the giddy enthusiasm of that period when the internet’s possibilities felt boundless, as well as the unforeseen dangers and downsides that were ushered in with the digital revolution.”—San Francisco Chronicle

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You Are Here: a Novel by David Nicholls

27 Wednesday Nov 2024

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, romance, Travel

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A witty, touching love story. The writing is magnificent: taut and vivid. I was so happy while I was reading it and now I’m bereft. Gorgeous.” — Marian Keyes, internationally bestselling author of Rachel’s Holiday

“Captivating [and] flawless. . . . Sharp-tongued and irresistible.” — New York Times Book Review

“I finished this novel in two breathless sittings, as invested in its outcome as I would be in the happiness of a friend. This is the magic of You Are Here: warm, generous and funny, it invites readers into the world of Marnie and Michael with the promise that everyone is welcome, and that choosing happiness and being courageous in any small way we can is always possible. I loved this book.” — Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time

Oh this book! What’s better than rooting for two shy, once-burned characters to recognize that love is within reach? I stopped often to reread and savor its sparkling, wry sentences. You Are Here is both up-to-the-minute and old-fashioned in the best way: sharp, yet so very kind, funny, and bittersweet.” — Elinor Lipman, bestselling author of Ms. Demeanor

“A stunning, funny, frank and beautiful look at loneliness, friendship, and the risks taken to love and be loved. In a career of standout books, You Are Here takes its place at the top. David Nicholls is my favorite writer.” — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin At The End

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The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

02 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Fiction, murder, mystery

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I loved this dark, creepy novel. The main character is an alcoholic, agoraphobic woman who lives in NYC who hasn’t been able to leave her apartment in almost a year. She spends her days drinking, watching old black and white movies, and spying on her neighbors through their windows. One day she thinks she sees something very disturbing happen, but can we, the reader, trust her point of view? If you like Alfred Hitchcock, you’ll like this one.

“The Woman in the Window is a tour de force. A twisting, twisted odyssey inside one woman’s mind, her illusions, delusions, reality. It left my own mind reeling and my heart pounding. An absolutely gripping thriller.” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny)

“The Woman in the Window is one of those rare books that really is unputdownable. The writing is smooth and often remarkable. The way Finn plays off this totally original story against a background of film noir is both delightful and chilling.” (Stephen King)

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The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Biography, case studies, Non-fiction

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If you have ever dreamed of getting away from it all, then this is the book for you!

In 1986, a young man seeking a quiet and peaceful life, drove his car into the back woods of Maine, left the keys on the dashboard and disappeared for 27 years.  Where did he sleep, what did he eat, how did he survive the black fly season and the rain and the bitter cold and was he ever lonely?  All these questions and many more will be answered.  P.S. This book has a Metrowest Boston connection.

“A story that takes the two primary human relationships—to nature and to one another—and deftly upends our assumptions about both. This was a breathtaking book to read and many weeks later I am still thinking about the implications for our society and—by extension—for my own life.”—Sebastian Junger

“An absorbing exploration of solitude and man’s eroding relationship with the natural world. Though the ‘stranger’ in the title is Knight, one closes the book with the sense that Knight, like all seers, is the only sane person in a world gone insane—that modern civilization has made us strangers to ourselves.”—Nathaniel Rich, The Atlantic

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Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Fiction

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9780812975635_p0_v1_s114x166Inside a 5th Avenue mansion filled with early, loving childhood memories, Homer (soon to become blind) and brother, Langley, suddenly lose both their parents to the 1918 flu. Their world shrinks and they bar the doors. Exposed to mustard gas during the war, Langley in a somewhat altered state, cares for his brother but also extravagantly collects the detritus of the city that they have shut out. This is a fascinating story about eccentricity, aloofness, and a lifetime of collecting.

“A sweeping masterpiece about the infamous New York hermits, the Collyer brothers…. Occasionally, outsiders wander through the house, exposing it as a living museum of artifacts, Americana, obscurity and simmering madness. Doctorow’s achievement is in not undermining the dignity of two brothers who share a lush landscape built on imagination and incapacities. It’s a feat of distillation, vision and sympathy.” «–Publishers Weekly

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