Likely Stories

Collection of wonderful stories by the noted actor, Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks has a solid record as an actor. He was born July 9, 1956. He is well known for his comedic and dramatic roles in such films as Sleepless in Seattle, Forest Gump, Apollo 13, Cast Away, and Saving Private Ryan, to name a few. He is widely regarded as an American cultural icon. Uncommon Types: Some Stories is his first book. The first story, “Three Exhausting Weeks” reveals much of the details of their relationship. Anna is a

Story of a young man who was abandoned by his wife but finds love at last. Robert Hillman’s first novel— The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted— turned out to be a lovely story marvelously written with a backdrop of a frightening past set in Australia. Tom Hope has been abandoned by his wife. He struggles to understand why his wife left him. Trudy returns after a long period and announces she is pregnant. She stays for a while, but then she disappears again, leaving the boy with Tom. Then she shows

Heart-breaking story of a man desperate to reunite with his deceased wife. I’m Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. Over the course of my reading life, I have been fortunate enough to gather a small number of books which deeply affected me and drove me to tears. For example, A Little Life by Yonagihara, The Goldfinch by Donna Tart, and Iris Murdoch: A Life by Peter Conradi to name a few. I now have a fourth to add to my list:

Hysterically funny French satire of life in a small village in France. Many of my graduate school studies were firmly grounded in the 19 th century. Clochemerle by Gabriel Chevallier—suggested by a good friend—recently came my way, and it proved to be a very funny story. According to Wikipedia, Clochemerle is a French satirical novel, which was first published in 1934. The book is set in a fictional French town called "Clochemerle", situated in the Beaujolais region. The book is a comic work,

Fantastic and thrilling story of a young child abandoned by her family in a hidden marsh. In 1984, I purchased a book with an intriguing soft cover with, lots of pictures, and outstanding prose. I read Cry of the Kalahari in one sitting. I was so struck, I immediately read it again. When I noticed Delia Owens’s name on Where the Crawdads Sing, I instinctively knew it would be a masterpiece of fiction. My thoughts proved to be correct. According to the dust jacket, Delia Owens is the author of

Another in a series of Swedish novels, which are quite funny I’m Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. Fredrik Backman is one funny writer. He is a Swedish columnist, blogger, and writer. He is the author of A Man Called Ove , My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Beartown , and Us Against You . His novels offer the reader many, many hours of laughter and tears. Britt-Marie Is Here is my latest read by Backman. Britt

Students at a prestigious academy come under the influence of a charismatic professor I’m Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. One of my earliest of my obsessions with an individual writer was Ann Beattie. Two things about her drew me to her works. The first was the fact she had published—simultaneously—a collection of short stories and a novel. The novel was Chilly Scenes of Winter and the short story collection was

Eerie story of a woman searching for clues to her husband’s intentions. I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. An eerie coincidence led me to Mamta Chaudhry’s novel, Haunting Paris. As I read, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned in a horrible conflagration. I have traveled to Paris a number of times, and the cathedral on the river Seine was always an important stop. Chaudhry’s fiction, poetry, and feature articles have been

Surprisingly funny personal stories of the comic writer. Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. Every family has stories of unusual and funny uncles, nephews, aunts, and siblings. David Sedaris is no exception. Calypso— is no exception. His brand of humor takes a few pages to absorb, but once “bitten,” he will infect your funny bone for good. David Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor.

Story of a couple in England who face the unravelling of their marriage. I'm Jim McKeown , welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies. I always look forward to reading the first novel of a new, young writer. Hellen Cullen wrote her debut novel while in an English novel writing program. She has an MA in theater studies from the University College Dublin. She also has a journalism and broadcasting background. Born in Ireland, she currently lives in