Amanda Montell is a writer and linguist, which means she makes her living studying not only the way the English language has evolved and developed over time, but the ways in which society deploys language to accomplish meaning, identity, hierarchical…
Review: This true story chronicles the amazing lives of Ellen and William Craft. In 1848, they escaped the bonds of slavery, traveling by train and steamship from Macon, Georgia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ellen was light-skinned and wore a disguise to…
SUMMARY The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett is an all-new story set in the world of Brett’s beloved Demon Cycle series. Fifteen years ago, humankind won a devastating war against an army of demons. They were led by a…
In Bullet Train, Ladybug is an unlucky assassin who is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs have gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on the…
Running While Black explores many of the issues and problems Black runners face while running. The sport markets itself as being “for everyone,” yet, for many Black people, it’s filled with anxiety and fear. Désir opens the book by describing…
Perhaps I am staring off on a melodramatic note, but if you’ve read any of my blogs or spoken with me for more than 4 seconds, you know I tend to lean hard into hyperbole and dramatics. And again, I’m…
Summary: On a bitter cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a…
Hopefully, without sounding as though I’m disparaging Extended Universe or media tie-in novels, The Way to the Stars by Una McCormack is, technically, a Star Trek novel. However, you can ignore that entirely for the purposes of this book and this…
Summary: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s, and her all-male team at Hastings…
It’s midsummer, and I’ve been reading some great new books. Each of these novels has a strong sense of place, and although they deal with serious life topics, they are also humorous and touching. I enjoyed reading them and hope…