Anne Applebaum: Twilight of Democracy (Book Review)
Anne Applebaum isn’t an author I’d normally read. But, on the recommendation of a friend, I picked up her book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism from the library. It’s short but presents a variety of anti-democratic and authoritarian...Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian (Book Review)
Chris Bohjalian’s new book, Hour of the Witch, is proof to me that even a beloved author sometimes writes a book that feels like a dud. Your mileage may vary, but despite having elements I usually love, this book just didn’t do it for me. I love journeying back in...Julie Wu — The Third Son: Coming-of-Age in 1950s Taiwan (Book Review)
As a first-time author, Julie Wu draws on family history in her historical fiction novel, The Third Son. Set initially in 1940s Japanese-occupied Taiwan, it follows the life of Saburo. He’s not a favored son. In fact, his mother only occasionally deigns to give him...Charles Person — Buses Are a Comin’: Memoir of a Freedom Rider (Book Review)
Charles Person was the youngest person on the 1961 Freedom Ride. He was younger even than the legendary John Lewis, who went on to represent an Atlanta area district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, Person tells his story in Buses Are a Comin’: Memoir of a...Michele Harper, M.D. — The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir (Book Review)
Michele Harper, M.D. opens her heart in a memoir about her experiences in medicine, The Beauty in Breaking. But this book is more than that. It’s part meditation on finding herself amid divorce, moving to a new city, and finding peace in yoga and stillness. She’s also...Ed West — Saxons vs. Vikings: A Compact but Extensive History (Book Review)
Saxons vs. Vikings is the first mini-history book on my shelf from Ed West. And it’s worthy of the subtitle: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages. But it also contains interminable descriptions of battles and considering its brevity that’s saying a lot....Michiko Kakutani — The Death of Truth: Small Book about Big Ideas (Book Review)
The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump from Michiko Kakutani sat on my shelf for years, since being published to great acclaim in 2018. Other books related to the political situation during the Trump Administration felt more relevant. After reading...Ayşe Kulin — Last Train to Istanbul: Dramatic WWII Story (Book Review)
Well-loved Turkish author Ayşe Kulin illustrates another angle on the early years of World War II in her 2002 book Last Train to Istanbul. (Translated to English in 2013.) The story is set partly in Turkey and partly in the Nazi-occupied French cities of Paris and...M.L. Stedman — The Light Between Oceans: An Unthinkable Dilemma (Book Review)
M.L. Stedman creates historical fiction based around a unthinkable choice in The Light Between Oceans. Set in the years between the World Wars and along the coast of South West Australia, it’s a unique period piece. And the choice its main characters make reverberates...Danielle Girard — Exhume: Dr. Schwartzman #1 (Book Review)
Danielle Girard introduces readers to Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman, Medical Examiner in a new series. This first book is called Exhume and it includes a variety of themes. First, of course is the world of morgues and autopsies. Second, is the way her role of gathering...John O. Brennan, Former CIA Director on His Life: Undaunted (Book Review)
John O. Brennan does everything you’d expect in his 2019 memoir Undaunted: My Fight Against America’s Enemies, at Home and Abroad. He lived a CIA life. But this isn’t all clandestine stuff, like watching a season of Homeland. While there are some parallels, Brennan...Mateo Askaripour: New Author Offers Insightful Novel, Black Buck (Book Review)
Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour is many things—racial justice commentary, social satire about the sales industry, debut novel, and maybe even a morality play. But at its heart, it’s a good story with a compelling main character who indeed sold his ideas effectively to...Boys in Two Unique Coming-of-Age Books
Reading two books about two boys in very different eras and situations warmed my heart at the start of this cold, dark winter. I began Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis with my 10-year-old granddaughter. And then I started The Absolutely True Diary of a...The Arctic Fury–Part Courtroom, Part Adventure—by Greer Macallister (Book Review)
The Arctic Fury, the latest from Greer Macallister, is a hybrid of adventure and courtroom drama. The story centers around Virginia Reeve, who leads a group of women north into Canada and towards the Northwest Territories in 1853. If you look on a map today, you see...Hope Rides Again: Obama Biden Mysteries #2 by Andrew Shaffer (Book Review)
Starting Hope Rides Again: Obama Biden Mysteries #2 by Andrew Shaffer right after Election Day was celebratory. And more than a little bittersweet. With Joe Biden now the U.S. President-Elect Shaffer most likely won’t write another of these quirky mysteries. At least...Bookshop.Org Affiliate
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