Category Books & Writing

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Book Review: Hotel Cuba

An immigrant story with a twist: they left Russia aiming to get to America but landed in Cuba. I highly recommend this eminently readable story of struggle and hopes for a better life in a new land.

Tema
June 16, 2024

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Book Review: That Was Then

"That Was Then" is a fast-paced thriller tackling abuses of power, corruption, and the rise of right-wing extremism in contemporary United States by author M.K. Tod.

Tema
June 10, 2024
1 Comment

Books & Writing

Book Review: The Good Sister

Book Cover; The Good Sister, by Sally Hepworth

The Good Sister is a twisty story of twin sisters: one, a reasonably highly functioning autistic woman; the other, her close companion and advisor. All is not as it seems.

Tema
June 10, 2024

Books & Writing

Book Review: The Miniaturist

Book cover of The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton

A richly textured look at 17th century Amsterdam, "The Miniaturist" by Jessie Burton is a beautiful read, although it had some plot weaknesses.

Tema
June 10, 2024

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Book Review: Babel, by R.F. Kuang

Cover of the novel, Babel, by R.F. Kuang

Babel, by R. F. Kuang, is an outstanding historical fantasy novel exploring racism, sexism, colonialism, power politics, social justice, and ... linguistics!

Tema
April 17, 2024

Books & Writing

Book Review: The Secrets We Kept

Cover of The Secrets We Kept, by Lara Prescott

Not all women of the 1950s were willing to settle back into non-career life. Learn the story behind the spies who helped launch Doctor Zhivago to fame.

Tema
February 10, 2024

Books & Writing

Book Review: Liberation Day, by George Saunders

book cover: Liberation Day, by George Saunders

An inventive, entertaining and thought-provoking book of short stories.

Tema
January 13, 2024

Books & Writing

Book Review – Demon Copperhead

Book cover: Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver

An extraordinary book. Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead is well worth the time it takes to read or listen to.

Tema
December 30, 2023

Books & Writing

Holiday Reading Ideas

Four books to enjoy reading over the holidays (or at any other time!)

Tema
December 17, 2023
1 Comment

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Fun With History

Poor old man in Lower East Side ~1915 reading a newspaper (AI generated image)

You get a different sense of history when you read old newspapers instead of just history books.

Tema
October 12, 2023

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Book Review: Darkness at Noon

Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler - new edition book cover

Written in 1940 about Stalinist Russia, Darkness at Noon contains a chilling explanation of the recent trend towards authoritarianism in much of the world. I give it 5 stars.

Tema
September 9, 2023

Books & Writing, History & Politics

Book Review: Street Corner Dreams

book cover of Street Corner Dreams, by Florence Reiss Kraut

Street Corner Dreams: A Novel by Florence Reiss Kraut My rating: 4 of 5 stars My father grew up in a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn that was about half Italian and half Jewish. It marked him in several ways, most…

Tema
August 7, 2023
2 Comments