Controversies in the world of literature and articles on authors and their books.
Husbands, by Holly Gramazio, is really a fantasy. I mean, how can someone open their attic door and always find a new husband up there each time? Think “Bewitched” with lots of Darrens. And why would somone read this book? Well, Washington Post reviewer Elizabeth Hand, April 5, 2024, writes “There’s something delightfully addictive about Holly Granmazio’s fiction debut…a bottomless champagne flute of a novel
Politics aside, I was touched by something Nikki Haley is quoted as saying about her father, among other heartfelt tributes to him. “My parents were more American than anyone I knew.” So, what does it mean to be American? Who IS an American? Real Americans is the title of a new book by Rachel Khong. Her story is one of Chinese Americans, three generations of
American Daughters, by Piper Huguley, is based on the real life friendship of Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt. Alice Roosevelt, of course, was the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. Booker T. Washington was Portia’s father. While the two women were different in their aspirations and social status, they shared a desire to support their famous fathers. Through their letters to one another, the author reveals both
Gilbert Cruz is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. He has suggested three books that his team thinks are the best books of 2024 so far. Two are surprises, and one certainly is not. That book is James, by Percival Everett. I don’t think I can overemphasize the power of this book judging from the critical reviews. A wonderful opportunity awaits those
Book Clubs are not a recent phenomenon. They go back as far as the 17th Century. But this post is not about the history of book clubs in general. Instead, I am featuring Celebrity Book Clubs! The undisputed ‘queen’ of celebrity book clubs is Oprah Winfrey. Now we have Reading with Jenna and Reese’s Book Club. In fact, a recent article in the NYT about
Julia and James are both family names that show up frequently on our family tree. Don’t worry. I don’t plan to bore you with the details. These names are also the titles of two separate books that have recently been published. We can start with the one that has been getting the most attention. James, by Percival Everett, is a reimagining of Huckelberry Finn but
Does anyone still stay up late enough to watch The Tonight Show? Do we remember who the host is now? While researching a new book by Sierra Greer entitled Annie Bot, I ran across this news flash (at least for me) that Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight Show, has a book club and apparently has had one for some while. He is ‘reviving’ it
Two recent books take a look at something we usually don’t notice or even think about. For example, if you have taken a cruise through the Panama Canal, you were certainly in awe of the engineering feat that made this artificial waterway and its series of locks possible. After all, the canal is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. BUT, did you
This just in from the Charleston Literary Festival–a chance to see and hear authors from past festivals talk about their books. If you click ‘view this email in your browser’, you will see the posting from the festival. Then click on the author’s name to watch the video. These talks are very interesting and entertaining. View this email in your browser In honor of International
In this post, I feature two new books of fiction, one contemporary and one historical, one about a forest fire and the other about an icy dead body! They are both very compelling. The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri takes place on a tiny Greek island and is about a family whose lives are traumatized by a deliberately set fire. After the wildfires in
