You should know something about me: I’m a snob. Not the, “You don’t shop at J. Crew? OMG, I can’t look at you anymore” kind of snob, but rather the kind of snob who doesn’t watch Glee, listen to The Fray, or read Twilight. If you like those things, more power to you. They just aren’t for me. I need more than that to be impressed. I like movies you’ve never heard of and music most of my generation would discount. My snobbery is never more evident than when literature is presented.

I like books that were written when not just anyone with a laptop could be a writer. I like the kind of books that make me smile or nod knowingly from the way the author masterfully crafts his or her beautiful lines of language. I love books that stop my soul and ignite my imagination. With all that in mind, I take recommending work fairly seriously. Forthwith, this is that.

My friend and fellow writer, Max Dubinsky, was kind enough to forward me a copy of his new book of short fictional stories entitled, “We Can’t Go Home Again”. Now, Max is a stellar writer, and one who is never afraid to say or write what he feels needs to be said; I respect that about him. But when I opened his book, I was nervous. What if I didn’t like it? What if it wasn’t for me? What if I didn’t feel right about recommending it to my friends and/or readers? I’m glad to say that those questions were answered within the first paragraph. Mad Max does not disappoint.

Laid bare within the six short stories of “We Can’t Go Home Again” are bits and pieces of the author—it’s hard not to see that. But more so, he’s constructed these wonderfully broken characters that somehow make you relate to whatever situation they’re facing. No, you may not have shared in their particular story, but there is a piece of all of us within these hopeless heroes.*

Using a writing style that I can only describe as “beautifully stripped down”, Max takes the time to put his characters through their harrowed paces, weaving and breaking them around the people and places they face and conquer (the story “31 Days in May” makes you feel like J.D. Salinger allowed Holden Caulfield to keep on writing). Love, doubt, hope, peace, acceptance…it’s all here within the pages of these simple, yet breathtaking stories. It takes a lot to impress me, but Max Dubinsky did it in 93 pages.

Now, here’s the best part: this wonderful work of Max’s is available right this second for 99 cents. That’s right. If you so choose, you can buy his mighty work of fiction—consisting of six tear-inducing stories—for less than the cost of burrito. I humbly ask that you take the time to support such a striking work from this gifted writer. You’ll be glad you did.

You can buy “We Can’t Go Home Again” through iBooks here and Amazon here.

You can also read Max’s blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

Show your support of a worthy project. It’s more than worth your time.

*I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is a smattering of colorful language throughout Max’s book. Maybe that kind of thing bothers you, maybe it doesn’t. I just felt the need for a simple warning.

(Follow me on Twitter here. Thanks for reading.)