Timothy James Beck

What does it mean to strike out on your own?

This novel conveys a sense of our main character Nick in many subtle ways, so that when he balks, hesitates, remembers and so on, we gain understanding without any overt layering. It was more organic than many authors manage, and I loved it. This is Nick's...coming of age story, I suppose, in the shadow of loss after 9/11, in the distance from his parents and brothers, and the distances he's feeling from friends in New York. The reasons are revealed in that organic process I described. And I loved the ending. It feels very much like the latest book in a series, though it isn't labeled that way anywhere I saw but on the Goodreads page. The only problem I had was keeping a few names straight. Ultimately, I remember all the critical people in Nick's life.

Couple notes:
There's no on-page sex, if that's a thing you care about. In the Kindle edition, the next-to-last chapter is a series of scenes without any dividing spaces, which is a bit jarring. By then I was too invested to do more than scowl and read on, but I'd have appreciated a little warning.… (mais)

Fun book in which a young man recently graduated from college becomes a kept boy of a wealthy man. He wants to have a life of his own as well as his own money and seeks employment in the Mall of the Universe where they live. He meets several new people at his job both good and bad. With the help of some of these friends he leaves his lover for a bit and near the end comes back. It's actually set in my hometown which was a real kick. It had me hooked on page 3 with "The hair that ate Terre Haute."… (mais)