Book Review
Boys of the Beast
Three very different cousins go on a life-changing road trip in Monica Zepeda’s young adult novel "Boys of the Beast". Oscar’s father died in a school shooting; his activist mother is often absent. Matt is home schooled, and aspires...
Book Review
Correctional
In "Correctional", poet and academic Ravi Shankar reckons with his public fall from grace, which landed him in jail, but also allowed for an inside look at the court system of the United States. Born in Washington, D.C. to Brahmin...
Book Review
Gastro Obscura
"Gastro Obscura" is a fascinating compendium of international food facts and lore. The entries, most about a page long, span the globe and are illustrated with bright photographs and drawings. Some will no doubt induce...
Book Review
One Pound, Twelve Ounces
"One Pound, Twelve Ounces" is a memoir that covers the terrifying experiences of mothering a premature baby. Written with candor, Melissa Harris’s memoir "One Pound, Twelve Ounces" is both harrowing and joyful in covering at-risk...
Book Review
America Calling
The compelling memoir "America Calling" argues that foreign students should be welcomed into the United States. "America Calling" is the insightful memoir of Rajika Bhandari, an Indian student abroad; it’s interwoven with relevant...
Book Review
Disquiet
Subcultures clash with tragic results in Zülfü Livaneli’s impactful novel "Disquiet". Ibrahim lives and works as a newspaper reporter in Istanbul, a contemporary metropolis where the East mixes with the West. But he is drawn back to...
Book Review
Pleasantview
Through the interlocking stories of "Pleasantview", Celeste Mohammed creates a microcosm of a Trinidad rarely seen by tourists. Sunil, an escaped prisoner; Consuela, the prostitute he loves; Mr. Jagroop, Consuela’s influential client;...
Book Review
Blooming in Winter
"Blooming in Winter" is the biography of a fascinating woman who managed to live her long life to the fullest. "Blooming in Winter", Pam Valois’s biography of her vivacious nonagenarian friend, Jacomena “Jackie” Maybeck, celebrates...