I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif Enger, is a dystopian novel set in a future America where a soft-spoken narrator navigates a world unraveling under the weight of despair and fractured human connections. While the novel offers a chilling glimpse into a familiar dystopia, I found myself struggling with its episodic nature and predictable emotional arcs. Read my full review to find out more about what worked for me—and what didn’t.
Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood is a haunting exploration of family dynamics and the lingering effects of unresolved histories. With its subtle, elusive narrative, the book leaves much to the imagination, creating a lasting sense of mystery and intrigue. Read my full review to delve deeper into the complexities of Blackwood’s storytelling.
Andrew Krivak’s The Bear is a quiet, elegiac novel about the last two humans on earth—and what endures when everything else is gone. A tender story of survival, grief, and reverence for the natural world. Here are some of my thoughts.
Eowyn Ivey’s debut novel blends myth and harsh reality in the Alaskan frontier, telling a story that’s both tender and haunting. Here is my reflection on my first encounter with The Snow Child—a book long recommended to me by my wife.
Episodes of The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast: discussions of books and authors, shaped by curiosity, rereading, and the pleasures of talking things through.
The Mookse and the Gripes Instagram features a more immediate space with posts and videos about current reads, recent finds, including a steady dose of Criterion films.
