I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. According to the dust jacket, Elliot Ackerman served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor, and the Purple heart. His essays and fiction have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The new Republic, and Ecotone, among other publications. He currently lives in Istanbul, where he writes on the Syrian Civil War. He is a true hero

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Swedish author, Fredrik Backman, has written six thrilling stories of life in Sweden. Most revolve around ice hockey. The seventh is every bit as wonderful, tragic, filled with love, hate, and greed. Us Against You continues the story of “warfare” between two rival towns over hockey supremacy. I have loved every minute of these stories, and you will, too!

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and Poetry. One of the most talented writers to come out of South America is Isabelle Allende. She began her career with The House of Spirits, which gave her world-wide acclaim. Since then, she has written twenty-four bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Her latest book is A Long Petal of the Sea. She was born in Peru, raised in Chile, but she now lives in California.

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. I have read several books by Lily King— The English Teacher, The Pleasing Hour, and Euphoria. All were resounding successes. Naturally, I was immediately drawn to her latest book, Writers & Lovers: A Novel. This story tells of a writer desperately trying to finish the manuscript of her first novel. It began with Case Peabody shortly after the death of her mother. Page after page reminded me of so

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Chris Cleave has taken an exciting racing story as a recent setting. The main characters are two young women in competition while training for the Olympics. He was the author of an interesting story, Gold. He currently resides in Kingston-upon-Thames, England.

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. I have always been fascinated by nature--especially animals. When I came across Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson, I could not resist. I had never heard of Williamson, but the intro had a vast selection of stories by him. The New York Review Books also provided a brief biography. “Henry Williamson was born in Brockley, London. In January of 1914, he enlisted in the British Army, and by November he

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. A large part of my graduate education revolved around the trinity of 19 th century authors: George Eliot, the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen. Susan Carson edited 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen. This remarkable book drives the reader into Austen’s entire world from all angles. Every devotee of Austen should own a copy of this work. I hope I can find a similar book for Eliot and the

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Julia Alvarez is an amazing writer. Julia has an impressive collection of literary rewards. In 2013, President Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. According to the dust jacket, Crissy Van Meter grew up in Southern California. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the New School. Creatures is her first novel.

I’m Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. The Redhead by the Side of the Road is the latest offering by Anne Tyler. This story of Micah Mortimer is the life of a man living a well-ordered household. He has a lady friend, but their interactions are on and off. One day, she reveals she has been evicted from her apartment, but Micah shows no apparent interest in her problem. Then, to make matters worse, a teenager shows up and