PositiveThe Shepard ExpressIs collectivism the key to revolutionary change during these unsettling times? Defined as an adjective, collectivism refers to actions done by people as a group; as a noun, the word is defined as a cooperative enterprise. In The Sun Collective , the latest novel by National Book Award finalist Charles Baxter, a hodge-podge collection of Minnesotans searching for meaning seek collectivism as the portal to self-actualization. Chaos and conflict, as well as a certain uneasy awareness, settle around the protagonists in the book as they are all drawn closer toward a dangerous local activist group.
Halle Butler
PositiveThe Shepherd Express... it is only fitting that a wry new novel about a professionally unsatisfied 30-year-old bad feminist is written by one of America’s brightest millennial authors ... Butler delivers a delightfully sarcastic account of American office culture and beautifully captures the universality of our most hidden inner monologues. Despite the mess that protagonist Millie has made of her young life, readers will desire her friendship and devour this concise novel by one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists.
Bonnie Nadzam
RaveThe Milwaukee Shepard ExpressThroughout her haunting sophomore release, Lions, she returns to the same breed of masterfully created melancholy and bittersweet characters that have defined her work ... Mesmerizing and somber, Lions is a memorable story of small-town life on the edge of collapse and the citizens who are equally tormented by the extraordinary costs and obligations of remaining, and the uncertainties and expectations of walking away. Powerfully told, Lions beautifully captures America’s changing countryside and the tumultuous lives of some of its most poignant inhabitants.
Mark Johnson & Kathleen Gallagher
PositiveThe Milwaukee Shepard ExpressJohnson and Gallagher chronicle both the intricate science and the heart-wrenching, intimate personalities behind this groundbreaking case. As readers follow Nic’s brave fight for his life, they also come to understand the complex passion and dedication of a team of pediatric specialists who helped make his recovery possible.
Blair Braverman
RaveThe Milwaukee Shepherd ExpressWith grace and lyrical prose, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube is at once an adventurous travelogue and an intimately personal narrative. Throughout this tender and honest memoir, Braverman, a graduate of the Iowa’s Writers Workshop, brilliantly captures the stark landscapes of the North and her repeated attempts to thrive in their extremely harsh conditions.
Steven Hyden
RaveThe Milwaukee Shepard ExpressThis far-reaching chronicle, which moves fluidly from Biggie to Sinead O’Connor, is much more than a lyrical journey through time. In addition, Your Favorite Band is Killing Me is a reflective contemplation about how music speaks to us and what our musical preferences say about who we are as individuals. Original and thought-provoking, Hyden’s writing combines pop psychology with jaw-dropping personal lessons and compelling music history ... A deep and musing narrative, Your Favorite Band is Killing Me is a well-written and insightful cultural criticism that is destined to produce both passionate debates and fierce loyalty in music fans.
Helen Macdonald
RaveThe Milwaukee Shepard ExpressMacDonald’s prose is breathtaking and graceful, enveloping readers in nature writing so beautiful that her words capture both the essence and depths of her emotions. H is for Hawk is a powerful memoir of loss and agony, while at the same time this genre-denying classic shares an uplifting portrait of both human and animal’s seemingly endless abilities for recovery and renewal.
Chris Cleave
RaveThe Milwaukee Shepard ExpressBeautifully written and gut-wrenchingly hopeful, Everyone Brave is Forgiven is an insightful portrait of a time when every day felt perilous and no one was guaranteed survival. Strikingly intense, this new novel by the award-winning author of the bestseller Little Bee will resonate strongly with a wide range of readers.
