Controversies in the world of literature and articles on authors and their books.
Time of the Child by Niall Williams is a book that I meant to feature at Christmas. The story is set in the 60’s in a small Irish village called Faha. While Williams has written many other books, the one he wrote before Time of the Child (This is Happiness) is also set in Faha. This isn’t a Christmas book, but it takes place during
It’s the beginning of a new year. Have you made any resolutions? I did. I bought a ‘stretching journal.’ Everyday, I am supposed to do these specific stretches, which are apparently necessary at my age if I want to continue to get in and out of a bath tub or climb stairs or whatever! So, I have gotten as far as opening the journal and
It is no secret that white women my age did not gravitate to black authors in the same way we did to white authors. I am referring to my reading life as an adult, beginning in the 70’s. Through the years, thankfully, from book clubs, Oprah and other media sources, black authors across all literary genres have earned respect from a host of readers from
This blog entry is not meant to be political in nature. I picked these two books from an article in the New York Times written by the book review staff and entitled The Best Books of the Year (so far). Of course the year is almost over so there may not be many more that make the list, but here are two that I would
Some books sound too good to pass up. If I had all the time in the world, I wouldn’t be able to get to all of them. The following are books that I have read very good reviews about but certainly haven’t read. I will read Memory Piece soon because I’m going to facilitate the discussion in one of my book club. If you find
Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II, Elyse Graham Elyse Graham is a professor and historian at Stony Brook University, which is part of the State University of New York system. In an interview with Tobias Carroll in October of 2024, she explained that she was researching the CIA and discovered the hidden role librarians and academics
And ‘no’, I don’t mean that they are being presented to society. They have published their first book! That is very special for them and for us because the books listed below have been reviewed by many readers who overwhelmingly enjoyed them. Here they are: Welcome to the Hynam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum This book has caused a real sensation in Korea. It has already
Very often in history, there are women whose role is either forgotten or entirely erased. In the past few years, however, we have seen a spate of books written by authors whose purpose is bring to life some of these women. The following books do just that and are worth your consideration. Enjoy! A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson is a book that will
This post will discuss two books. The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn, is getting a lot of attention partly because critics and readers like Kate Quinn and the other books she has written. The other new book is entitled The House Keepers, by Alex Hay. They both have a cast of interesting and capable women. The Briar Club is set in the McCarthy era in
The following books focus on mothers, not JUST as their role as mothers, but the motherhood role figures prominently in the stories. These books promise to be entertaining–good August reads! Same as It Ever Was, by Claire Lombardo, is about a mother who feels like she’s reached a plateau in her life–things are pretty good for her at age 57. Guess what? Right. Her kids
