East of Eden is one of those famous books I've always meant to read but have put off until now. In case you’ve been doing the same thing, here are my impressions.

This is supposed to be a retelling of the Biblical Cain and Abel story, but you might not guess that from the text. It involves two Civil War-era families, the Hamiltons of Salinas, California, and the Trasks of Connecticut. Adam Trask enlists in the Union Army while his half-brother Charles stays home to farm their father’s land....

Published in 1965, The Tin Can Tree was Anne Tyler’s second novel. Though she was only 24, her unique insight into human beings shines brightly in this story of tattered relationships.

Three families, the Pikes, the Greens, and the Potters, share a house in North Carolina’s tobacco country. All are grieving over the accidental death of Janie Rose Pike, an exuberant, though bothersome, child. While her mother retreats into a catatonic state, the others try to help while dealing with their own...

It’s nice to see a new novel from Douglas S. Reed. I read Child of Gilead several years ago and enjoyed it immensely. His latest is Elysian’s Son, a thoughtful and engrossing tale about a dictatorial society.

A young boy named David is a citizen of the Divine Five alliance. Children his age receive indoctrination from AI machines. Though orphaned and almost blind, David has qualities that bring him to the attention of authorities. He is assigned to Lady Myla, a highly-placed official’s wife...