Redemption and Hope in The Yiddish Policemen’s Union

Is it Science Fiction? Fantasy?  Romance?  Detective Noir?  How about all of the above?  The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is an amazing amalgamation of genres.  Definitely a story of redemption and hope, the novel follows the trials and tribulations of homicide detective Meyer Landsman as he attempts to solve the mystery of the murder of a man who looks to be a typical hotel drunkard, at the end of his rope.  The type of person someone like Meyer Landsman might identify with.  Divorced, down on his luck and mostly drunk, Meyer sees that the end of his world is fast approaching and he wonders if the changes are worth sticking around for.  Then this case begins to spark his interest, his ex-wife returns as his boss and he realizes life can’t be found in the bottom of a bottle of Slivovitz.

10+ for George R.R. Martin: What to Read While Waiting for the Next Game of Thrones Book

There are a number of people making suggestions for what you might read to fill the void while George R.R. Martin continues to turn out his Game of Thrones series of books.  For the suggestions below, anyone who reads fantasy has probably already encountered these.  I did try to go back a few years (to keep with the theme of this blog), to find some possibly forgotten gems.  However, if GOT is your first foray into fantasy, then the books below are of a similar genre.  I am not going to recommend that you read The Lord of The Rings.  That recommendation would be from people who think all fantasy is the same thing.  Certainly, LOTR is the master of its genre and I’d encourage you to read it whether or not you are a fan of GOT.  Although the movie version has definite parallels to GOT, the books are really of a different mindset and more focused on the development of smaller characters than a larger dynastic succession.