I literally couldn’t wait to read The Dutch House, because Ann Patchett is one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors. The premise was intriguing to me — an unusual house in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and the children who were cast out of it by their evil stepmother after their father dies unexpectedly. My biggest …
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the question
When we love someone, how well do we really know them, and how much are we willing to go through to stay together? In the tightly wound yet sprawling Ask Again, Yes, Mary Beth Keane explores family dynamics through the lens of this question, fearlessly examining the fine points of commitment. Rookie New York City …
groceries
Today at the store there was a woman in my way. More specifically, both she and her cart were in my way. Although it was mid-morning, the store was filled with people out doing their full pre-Thanksgiving shopping, and carts were piled high with groceries. Around here, carts are referred to as “carriages,” but I …
the video
The fact that my phone stand had broken earlier in the day made the task just a bit harder. I was applying for a job, and in addition to my resume the company requested a video in which I answered questions about my self and the position. Should I count the number of ways this …
mean girls
Lisa Lutz weaves a dark, intricate tale of students and faculty at an elite New England boarding school in The Swallows. When Alexandra Witt joins the staff of Stonebridge Academy, she hands her creative writing class an anonymous assignment. After reading their submissions, Witt begins investigating a systemic issue of gender-based crime. When Witt becomes …
journalism matters.
Recently I read “She Said” and “Catch and Kill” back to back. I didn’t set out to read them on top of each other– “She Said” became available for me at the library right before “Catch and Kill” was released, so I’m considering it a happy accident. I believe that my enjoyment of the books …
hot dad summer
Remember that episode of Friends where Monica and Rachel are into the hot doctors? That’s the situation that Dr. Toby Fleishman finds himself in after separating from his wife of 15 years in the absorbing novel Fleishman is in Trouble. Rachel, his soon-to-be ex-wife, is a highly motivated talent agent who started her own firm …
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
There are some bizarre and crazy things happening all around us these days, but try to imagine this scene: a man on trial for murdering his wife decides to represent himself, and to use the defense of insanity. A scintillating true story of fast times during prohibition, The Ghosts of Eden Park describes the empire-building …
love and the BARRE
This past March, I got sick. And when I say sick, I’m talking REALLY sick: back-to-back stomach bugs, doctors thought I had Crohn’s disease sick. I lost almost 15% of my body weight. Prior to the onset of my illness, I was pretty healthy. My husband and I walked a couple miles every day and …
work hard. have fun. make history.
It’s a little surprising that you can purchase The Warehouse on Amazon, as the fictional company at the center of the sci-fi novel, called Cloud, is clearly based on what Amazon has yet to become. In the not-so-distant future, climate change has caused the population to move away from the coastline and small businesses have …
Literal Laura 