“If we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” Shakespeare’s words evoke the hot tension of summer—sweltering heat, restless desire for trouble, conflict, and excitement. This... Read More

There is something natural about poetry. Something in the descriptions, how lines flow from one to the next. It can make you want to take to the nearest patch of nature, the closest tree or blade of grass. It can recall memories of places... Read More

Librarians speak for books, but sometimes those books can also speak for themselves. Audiobooks, always popular at the local library, are rapidly growing in popularity among consumers of books. Our reviewers are listening to them, too, and... Read More

If you go to a bookstore, every shelf is filled with words upon words upon words. There is a corner or a section dedicated to the special books that include pictures as well: graphic novels. But those books are so diverse, so varied,... Read More

Do you go to gift books for inspiration? Do you look to them for knowledge? Or do you receive them as, well, gifts and display them on your coffee table? Gift books can do more; they can teach and motivate you. If you need a gift book too... Read More

Covering issues from childhood to old age, each of these books offers thoughtful, expert advice for developing greater self-awareness, compassion, peace, and harmony. Mothering with Courage: The Mindful Approach to Becoming a Mom Who... Read More

War, internment, illness, racism, failed relationships, all kinds of loss: it’s a catalogue of what troubles us, the shadow side of humanity we just can’t seem to shake. In these debut novels, shadows are plumbed to find the ties that... Read More

A platter of new cookbooks and food writing from indie publishers covers many ethnic traditions and diets, but all the books have a common theme of getting back to healthy, traditional ingredients and techniques–from LA taquerias to... Read More