The #metoo movement has inspired a plethora of book titles, ranging from literary fiction to autobiography. The best known is Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill, an engrossing but repetitive account of his pursuit of sexual assault claims against Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer despite pushback from NBC, his then employer. A contender in the fictionContinue reading “Close To #Me”
Tag Archives: books
Killing Time
What are the qualities that make some mysteries better than others? Liz Moore’s Long Bright River offers some clues. The main plot reflects bigger themes in the story: Long Bright River is about the devastation of drug addiction. Specifically it is about two sisters, Mickey and Kasey, who are born to teenage addicts. Their childhoodContinue reading “Killing Time”
Random Facts You Didn’t Know About…
I have read my share of trashy books. I figure as long as I am reading a few serious books a year, I can do it guilt free. I don’t know that the rungs go any lower than celeb authors. Memoirs are supposed to be juicy. I mean, you don’t want to read philosophical essaysContinue reading “Random Facts You Didn’t Know About…”
Hidden Worlds
From time to time, I find myself drawn to stories of Orthodox Judaism. Something about the austere customs and ancient theology appeals to me. I would guess I am not alone in this as there are multiple titles to select from, both fiction and memoir. Movies, too. Tova Mirvis was raised in an Orthodox familyContinue reading “Hidden Worlds”
The Rules
Back before I learned how to read, I had an aversion to the idea of fiction written by co-authors. Surely writing was a solitary pursuit, the result of a singular vision, and not something done through consultation. I held onto that idea for a long time. Then last year, browsing through an airport bookstore beforeContinue reading “The Rules”
Three Sides Now
You are winning at life if no one has ever written a memoir about you. This is the takeaway after seeing what Michael Mewshaw does to Pat Conroy in The Lost Prince. By turns mesmerizing and exploitative, it might require a psychologist to unpack it. The book starts off innocuously when the two men meetContinue reading “Three Sides Now”
Ready to Retire
Writers borrow heavily from each other. There is nothing new under the sun, after all. There is a tipping point, though, where some language and ideas are overused. I notice this especially in the suspense category. So in the interest of keeping things sparkly, I have compiled a watch list of sorts. The ideas hereContinue reading “Ready to Retire”
The Liane Canon
Of the many reasons to read, few pull to me quite as often as the desire to break up a monotonous afternoon. There is a whole genre of books published to entertain away a boring Saturday. Perhaps because I read them regularly, I am often struck by their lack of originality. In fact I haveContinue reading “The Liane Canon”
Learning to read
I only learned how to read a few years ago. Before that I was stuck in a contentious battle between my own particular preferences and a greater sense of obligation to read many books that I did not like, always assuming that the fault lay with me. I’m not entirely to blame for this. IContinue reading “Learning to read”
The Death of the Handsell
A group of strangers board a flight unaware that it is doomed to crash. Before it does we learn the backstories of ten of them. No, I am not talking about the hit show Lost. Instead it is the premise of Dear Edward, my first crack at a Read with Jenna selection (Jenna being JennaContinue reading “The Death of the Handsell”
Books Smitten 