Book Review
Jerusalem through the Ages
For those wondering why another book on Jerusalem is needed, Jodi Magness’s "Jerusalem through the Ages" provides an eloquent answer based in archaeology, from the biblical era through the crusades of the twelfth century. The book...
Book Review
Strong Like You
In T. L. Simpson’s moving coming-of-age novel "Strong Like You", a high school student in Arkansas struggles to understand what happened to his missing father. When the book begins, Walker’s father is already gone without...
Book Review
The Jail Is Everywhere
Through the social justice-themed essays of "The Jail Is Everywhere", activists work against the expansion and normalization of jails. After decades of massive expansion in the United States’s carceral system, most counties now host at...
Book Review
Alexandria
Islam Issa’s "Alexandria" is an outstanding biography of a unique city, describing how the Egyptian locale changed from its founding by Alexander the Great into the modern day. “Despite its classical renown and enduring impact,...
Book Review
George Washington
Memorable stories pair with beautiful artistic renderings in this effective graphic novel biography of the first president of the United States. Peter Dabbene, with illustrator Juan Carlos Colla Acland, introduces the events of George...
Book Review
Small Shoes, Great Strides
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s excellent book "Small Shoes, Great Strides" covers how, in November of 1960, Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost made history by going to first grade—as the first Black students at a public school in...
Book Review
the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life
In Alcy Leyva’s novel "the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life", sixteen-year-old Maji’s New York world is falling apart, and he sets out to sea in search of a miracle. The book is miraculous in its own right, featuring...
Book Review
The Diver
Samsun Knight’s novel "The Diver" is a singular mashup of noir fiction, dark comedy, occult thriller, and legal intrigue. The result is sometimes disturbing, sometimes funny, and full of interesting ideas. In the book’s memorable...