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Lincoln Journal Star Book Reviews
Every Saturday and Sunday morning issue of the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper includes the “The (402) 411” section. Included in that section of the paper each week were regular author profiles and book reviews, by both local reviewers and national review services. Due to the regular popularity of the titles reviewed in the paper, we’ve designed this page of the Lincoln City Libraries’ Web site as a simple listing of the books recently reviewed in the Lincoln Journal Star, with links into the library’s holdings for all the listed books which are currently in the collection. If a title below is not hotlinked, this is an indication that the library does not currently own that book, but you may consider requesting the title through the services of our Interlibrary Loan department, or suggesting that we purchase it via our on-line Suggest-a-Title form. Beginning in early 2023, the number of book reviews being included in both the print and digital versions of the Lincoln Journal Star have notably decreased, with most of the Sunday reviews being syndicated book reviews from other newspapers — often short recommendations of from 5 to 10 reviews in the same article.
Note: Although the Lincoln Journal Star is reviewing fewer books in the print edition of the paper, they have included syndicated book reviews (from outside sources) on their website. This index on BookGuide is primarily to the reviews that have appeared in the print edition of the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper — UPDATE: Starting in May 2019, we now also provide a list of the titles reviewed by the LJS only on their website as well.
— Book by a Nebraska author
Past Years: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
last updated March 28, 2024
2024 Selections
Books reviewed in March
Three New Memoirs – Women Figure Things Out Through World Around Them: (3 books recommended by Laurie Hertzel of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane, Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon, Private Equity by Carrie Sun.
Non-Fiction — 3 of 3 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
The Fenway Effect: A Cultural History of the Boston Red Sox
by David Krell
Non-Fiction – (not currently in the libraries’ collection)
New Thrillers: Check out a follow-up from the author of The Woman in the Window, and a bold debut from a promising newcomer: (2 books reviewed by Chris Hewitt and Malcolm Forbes of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
End of Story by A.J. Finn, Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra.
Fiction — 2 of 2 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
BookTrib’s Bites: Four Fascinating Reads (4 books recommended by booktrib.com)
The Challenge of Choice: How to Make a “Good” Decision When It Really Matters by Richard Fast, Third Collection of Short Stories by Stanislas M. Yassukovich, Historical Perspective and International Relations by Yoav J. Tenembaum, Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas.
Fiction and Non-Fiction — 1 of 4 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection
Decoding Tech: Five Books That Teach Essential Computer Skills to Kids: (5 books reviewed by Megan Beauregard of BookTrib.com)
Design, Animate and Create With Computer Graphics by Max Wainwright, SQL Quest: A Journey Through Data by Neha Saini, How to Code a Rollercoaster by Josh Funk with illustrations by Sara Palacios, Machine Learning for Kids by Dale Lane, Learn the Language of Computers by William Anthony.
Youth Non-Fiction — 1 of 5 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
Scandalous Stories: True-Crime Titles With Underhanded Politics and the Art World’s Shady Side: (2 books reviewed by Chris Hewitt of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics and the End of the Jazz Age by Michael Wolraich, Warhol After Warhol: Secrets, Lies and Corruption in the Art World by Richard Dorment.
Fiction — 2 of 2 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
Books reviewed in February
Everyday Magic: Full of Likably Flawed Characters, “The Road From Belhaven” is a Book to Cherish: (Plus 5 other books by Margot Livesey, reviewed by Chris Hewitt of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The Road From Belhaven by Margot Livesey, Banishing Verona by Margot Livesey, Mercury by Margot Livesey, The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey, The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey, The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey.
Fiction — 6 of 6 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
Frightful Fiction: 3 Novels Offer Horror for Every Palate: (3 books recommended by Carole E. Barrowman of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, The September House by Carissa Orlando, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due.
Fiction — 3 of 3 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
Motor Tomes: 6 Books Every Automobile Enthusiast Should Read: (6 books recommended by Casey Williams of The Tribune News Service)
Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile by Ralph Nader, Rockers and Rollers: A Full-Throttle Memoir by Brian Johnson, Disaster in Dearborn: The Story of the Edsel by Thomas E. Bonsall, Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow by Steve Lehto, Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars by Paul Ingrassia, Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil by Hamish McKenzie.
Non-Fiction — 4 of 6 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
BookTrib’s Bites: Four Perfect Valentines Gifts (4 books recommended by booktrib.com)
What Eyes Can’t See by Paulette Stout, Searching for Zen: A Tale of Devine Destiny by Albert T. Franklin, Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love by Shepherd Siegel, Messed Up Like You by Rick Culleton.
Fiction and Non-Fiction — 1 of 4 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection
Reserve Some Shelf Space: A Roundup of 12 Upcoming Titles Worth Adding to Your Reading List: (12 books recommended by Chris Hewitt of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Martyr by Kaveh Akbar, An American Dreamer: Life in a Divided Country by David Finkel, The Blueprint by Rae Giana Rashad, End of Story by A.J. Finn, The Deerfield Massacre by James L. Swanson, My Heavenly Favorite by Lucas Rijneveld, The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian, Where Rivers Part by Kao Kalia Yang, Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles, The Husbands by Holly Gramazio, The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas, The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger.
Fiction — 4 of 12 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection (so far).
Books reviewed in January
In the Stacks: Browse These Novels Set in Scenic Bookshops Around the World: (9 books recommended by Chris Barsanti of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan, The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa.
Fiction — 9 of 9 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
The Lost Tomb and Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burial and Murder
by Douglas Preston
Non-Fiction – (930.1 Pre)
Dancing Room Only: New and Selected Poems
by Jim Reese
Non-Fiction – (not currently in libraries’ collection)
Visual Voyages: Graphic Novels About Hip-Hop’s History, Castro’s Cuba, Neapolitan Frenemies and Immortality: (4 books recommended by Chris Barsanti of The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Worm: A Cuban-American Odyssey by Edel Rodriguez, Artificial: A Love Story by Amy Kurzweil, Hip-Hop Family Tree: The Omnibus by Ed Pisko (the libraries have multiple individual entries in this series but not the Omnibus collection), My Brilliant Friend: The Graphic Novel by Elana Ferrante, adapted by Chiara Lagani, illustrated by Mara Cerri (the libraries have the original novel and audiobook of this title, but not the graphic novel).
Graphic Novels — 2 of 4 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood
by David Mamet
Non-Fiction – (Biography Mamet)
Reading Refreshments: 7 Titles That Pair Perfectly With These Delicious Drinks: (7 books recommended by the staff of the Seattle Times)
Irish Coffee — Shy by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green
Peppermint Mocha — Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Spiced Hot Chocolate — The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Espresso Martini — The Guest by Emma Cline
Black Coffee — Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Mulled Wine — Dune by Frank Herbert
Hot Toddy — Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Mix of Fiction and Non-Fiction — 7 of 7 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection. This is a shortened version of a nearly-identical list of books that appeared in the LJS in late 2023.
2023 Year in Review | Books: Memorable Reads — Some of the Best Titles Released This Year (2023): (12 books recommended by Christopher Borrelli of The Chicago Tribune)
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey, The Fraud by Zadie Smith, Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy, Whalefall by Daniel Kraus, Lone Women by Victor LaValle, Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer, Motherland by Paula Ramon, King: A Life by Jonathan Eig, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial by David Lipsky, The Deadline by Jill Lepore.
Fiction — 10 of 12 in the Lincoln City Libraries’ collection.
