Greg Barlin
Assassins Anonymous
★★★★★ A fresh take on the assassin genre, balancing globetrotting action with a main character truly trying to change via a 12-step program.
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Greg Barlin
- Aug 7
- 3 min
The God of the Woods
★★★★★ Set in 1975, the search for a missing child acts as the foundation for Moore's tactful exploration of societal themes of the time.
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Greg Barlin
- Jul 13
- 5 min
60 Songs That Explain the '90s
★★★★★ A nostalgia-inducing romp through the most impactful songs of the '90s, focusing on their meaning to the decade and to music overall.
180
Greg Barlin
- Jun 23
- 3 min
Devil's Kitchen
★★★★★ Reminiscent of "The Shield", it's a split between a missing persons mystery and a dirty firefighting crew committing thefts in NYC.
150
Greg Barlin
- Jun 17
- 4 min
Lost Man's Lane
★★★★★ Set in 1999, a coming-of-age story about high schooler who finds himself embroiled in a supernatural missing persons investigation.
320
Greg Barlin
- Feb 27
- 3 min
The Will of the Many
★★★★★ A truly excellent start to a trilogy about an orphan who infiltrates an Academy for societal elites in order to uncover a conspiracy.
270
Greg Barlin
- Feb 21
- 4 min
The Year of the Locust
★★★★★ Another great spy thriller from Hayes after 10 long years. Despite some questionable supernatural plot choices, it's still a winner.
150
Greg Barlin
- Feb 12
- 5 min
All the Colors of the Dark
★★★★★ Whitaker delivers another masterpiece of character development while tackling several tough topics -- a challenging but uplifting read
580
Greg Barlin
- Jan 29
- 4 min
First Lie Wins
★★★★★ A twisty plot-driven novel about a woman who manufactures a relationship, only to find she might be the one being played.
370
Greg Barlin
- Jan 15
- 5 min
The Mayor of Maxwell Street
★★★★★ Skillful dialogue and prose adorn this debut that combines a love story with the search for a mysterious gangster in 1920s Chicago.
450
Greg Barlin
- Dec 23, 2023
- 14 min
The Best Books of 2023
A running tally of my "Best Books of 2023", updated each time I finish a book throughout the year.
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Greg Barlin
- Dec 22, 2023
- 4 min
All the Sinners Bleed (#1 of 2023)
★★★★★ Another tightly crafted Southern Noir novel from Cosby packed with social commentary and memorable characters. Possibly his best yet.
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Greg Barlin
- Dec 21, 2023
- 4 min
The Covenant of Water (#2 of 2023)
★★★★★ It's long, but it's also a brilliant tour de force, presenting a multi-generational character study spanning nearly 80 years in India.
770
Greg Barlin
- Dec 20, 2023
- 3 min
Chain-Gang All-Stars (#3 of 2023)
★★★★★ Set in a near-future society that feels all too possible, prisoners fight in gladiatorial death matches for a chance at freedom.
280
Greg Barlin
- Dec 19, 2023
- 3 min
Small Mercies (#4 of 2023)
★★★★★ A masterful book, Lehane's best since Mystic River, set against the racial tensions of Boston school busing during the summer of '74.
520
Greg Barlin
- Dec 18, 2023
- 4 min
Still Life (#5 of 2023)
★★★★★ A beautifully written character study of a cast of memorable souls that spans 30 years from the end of World War II until the mid-70s.
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Greg Barlin
- Dec 17, 2023
- 4 min
Fourth Wing (#6 of 2023)
★★★★★ Perhaps the most-hyped book of 2023 lives up to it, as we follow the journey of a young girl as she attempts to become a dragon rider.
540
Greg Barlin
- Dec 16, 2023
- 3 min
Rubicon (#7 of 2023)
★★★★★ A stand-alone novel unrelated to her "Divide" series, author Dewes elegantly explores immortality, AI, and what it means to be human.
380
Greg Barlin
- Dec 15, 2023
- 5 min
Starling House (#8 of 2023)
★★★★★ Harrow returns to top form with a genre-blending story of a young woman trying to scrape by in a town haunted by its past and secrets.
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