Mark West’s Top Ten Charlotte Books of the Year
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In this episode 274, we visit with Mark West, a professor, author and blogger on all things books and writing in Charlotte with his weekly Storied Charlotte blog.
You won’t want to miss this episode. Mark brings his top ten suggestions for books of the year by Charlotte authors or books about Charlotte.
Mark is a Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he has been teaching courses on children’s and young adult literature since 1984. He also holds the title of Bonnie E. Cone Professor in Civic Engagement. He has written or edited sixteen books. He is a book lover who enjoys writing and talking about books.
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About the Author:
Mark I. West is a Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he has been teaching courses on children’s and young adult literature since 1984. He also holds the title of Bonnie E. Cone Professor in Civic Engagement.
He has written or edited sixteen books, the most recent of which is Shapers of American Childhood: Essays on Visionaries from L. Frank Baum to Dr. Spock to J. K. Rowling (co-edited with Kathy Merlock Jackson).
His articles have appeared in various national publications, such as the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Americana, and British Heritage, as well as many academic journals.
Before entering academia, he worked as an early childhood educator and professional puppeteer.
Mark West’s Top Ten Charlotte Books of the Year
Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin. This is a medical novel about a fictional pandemic (not COVID-19).
The Tannery by Michael A. Almond. This is a murder myster/leagl thrill that is set in Wilkes County, NC, in 1900.
Salvation by Avery Caswell (Leslie Rindocks). This is a historical novel that is based on a real-life event. It is set in Charlotte in 1971.
Pandemic: Stories of COVID-19 created by the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative and BOOM Charlotte. THis is a graphic novel that deals with the impact of the pandemic on Charlotte.
List of Ten by Halli Gomez. This is a young adult novel about a teen with Tourette Syndrome.
Phoebe Unfired by Amalie Jahn. This is a young adult novel about a teen with severe germaphobia.
Testimony by Paula Martinac. This is a historical novel set in a small college town in Virginia in the early 1960s. It deals with the persecution of a lesbian professor.
No Common Grounds: Confederate Monuments and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice by Karen Cox. This is a work of nonfiction.
Narrow Escapes: A Poetic Diary of the Coronavirus Pandemic by Tanure Ojaide. This is a poetry collection.
Fatal Scores by Mark de Castrique. THis is a murder mystery set in Asheville.
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