Over the past few weeks, reading two books had a profound impact on the way I see the country I live in and the structure of its society. The books are Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen and These Truths by Jill Lepore. Loewen, a college professor, conducted an extensive survey of …
Tag Archives: Books
the view from here
A young adult thriller set in New York City in 2118, The Thousandth Floor transports you inside The Tower, the skyscraper which changed the city’s skyline forever. It’s the tallest building in the world, encompassing entire neighborhoods and school districts. The perspective shifts between 5 teenagers that have all sorts of challenges in their lives …
life and death are one
Long Bright River is a stunner. There’s no other way to put it. Liz Moore crafts a slow-burn of an intergenerational novel set in the opioid ravaged streets of Philadelphia. Police officer Mickey walks her beat in Kensington, watching the ladies work the streets and fearing for the well-being of her estranged sister, Kacey. As …
The Empty Chair
Un-Su Kim’s The Plotters is the story of a strangely endearing assassin fighting for both continued business and personal survival in South Korea’s hectic election season. Reseng was raised in the Dog Library, the hub of government-sponsored murder for hire, after being abandoned in a garbage can as an infant. Old Raccoon, the appointed head …
The Educated Family
In The Topeka School, readers meet the illustrious psychotherapists of the Gordon family, their son Adam, and members of their community in Topeka, Kansas. Author Ben Lerner introduces the doctors Gordon, Adam’s parents, separately, and also reveals a great deal about their back story as a couple. Young Adam grows up throughout the book, transforming …
More Money, More Problems
In The Two Income Trap, not-yet-Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter examine the results of a detailed study of bankruptcy in America and highlight why families still can’t make ends meet, in a society where more often than not, both parents are working. Wait, did I lose you? I promise, it’s not a snooze-fest. And …
2019 In The Books
It’s January 1, and according to my 2019 spreadsheet, I finished 64 books last year. That’s a huge leap from the 2018 total of 37 — a jump that I attribute to my extended illness and the increased free time I had due to not working. Since I didn’t write up every single book I …
this is our house
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 …
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 …
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 …
Literal Laura 