In an effort to keep up with all of the books and authors that I love and want to share with the world, I'm starting a monthly series with bite-sized book reviews. Here goes January....


 Fallen Land by Taylor Brown
 Taylor Brown's Fallen Land is the first novel I think I've ever read that I believe really and truly is following in Cormac McCarthy's footsteps. A story of love and war in the South, Fallen Land is stylistically gorgeous and thematically sweeping. A true gem. Available now.  Rift by Kathy Fish and Robert Vaughan 
 An incredible collection put together by two masters of the flash fiction craft. Poetic, experimental, at times heartbreaking and at times delightful, Rift offers deep insight into the power of the moment. Read my dual interviews with Kathy Fish and Robert Vaughan to learn more about creating flash and collaborative collections. Available now.   Sex and Death by Ben Tanzer 

So far, my favorite Tanzer collection. These short stories will surprise you, unsettle you and play with your relationship to the story itself. Check out my full review over at Small Press Book Review. Available now.  Brown Bottle by Sheldon Lee Compton 

Brown Bottle is a raw, gritty novel that doesn't mess around. Sheldon Lee Compton's prose is powerful and precise and his Appalachian anti-heroes are authentic and unforgettable. Available early February 2016.