We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune

August 11, 2026

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune

Don and Rodney have been together for 40 years, living in Maine. Now both retired, they have traveled all over the United States in their rusty old RV. Don and Rodney have one last quest to fulfill, but a black hole is gradually swallowing the galaxy. They realize that they may have left it too late, and they may be out of time.

Whether he is writing about dogs or robots or children with unusual abilities or the end of the world, TJ Klune is always able to yank at your heartstrings. The story in in this short novel follows a gay couple who have been through the ups and downs of a long life together, and realize that they are almost out of time to fulfill one last promise. Reminded me of The Measure by Nikki Erlick, in that it looks at the different responses that people have to a catastrophic event. The world may be ending but you're left with the feeling that it may just be okay. Not my favorite Klune novel but definitely worth reading.

A black hole, a region of space where gravity is so dense it sucks in everything and doesn't even allow light to escape

The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring

May 12, 2023

The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring

Dalton is a small town in Maine, where everyone is linked to everyone else: Bridget Frazier's parents own the lumber mill, the largest employer in the town; Bridget is married to police officer Nate Theroux and they have a new baby; Nate's mother Bev manages the local nursing home and is having an affair with library director Trudy Haskell (both Bev and Trudy's husbands know about the affair and choose to ignore it); Trudy is married to the town doctor; Rose Douglas is one of Dr. Haskell's patients and is in an abusive relationship with the father of her children. Then the sudden death of a town resident affects everyone living in Dalton.

Taking place over the course of one year, this is a quiet lovely book about interlinked lives that will break your heart. In a small town, everyone knows everyone else's business, public or private, or so they think. But you never really know what is going on inside someone else's life or marriage, no matter how perfect it looks from the outside. Readers who enjoyed A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella will enjoy The Road to Dalton.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Aroostook County, northern Maine