An anonymous competition to design the 9/11 memorial in NYC. A panel of 13 judges including the widow of a man who died in one of the towers. A winner who turns out to be a Muslim. With these straightforward facts begins a book that is anything but straightforward: Amy Waldman's debut novel, The Submission. Even at first glance it's clear that the opportunity for ... Read More...
The Dovekeepers
I’ve read enough Alice Hoffman to believe that she is one of the world’s best writers about women. Her plots may be fantastical but even as her female characters behave in magical and mystical ways their deepest mystery lies in their female essence. Imagine then, taking a subject as masculine and obscure as the decimation of the Jews at the siege of Masada- the ... Read More...
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Writing a review about a Stephen King book feels almost as daunting and futile as deciding to climb Everest. What is left to say that hasn’t been said by professional reviewers the world over? His background, writing style, mental stability and more have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam so I won't go there. The man has written 50 books and whether you like the ... Read More...
Inventing the Rest of Our Lives
I recently had the opportunity to read Suzanne Levine Braun’s Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood. Although not a new release its message is still relevant for mid-life women. The book explores what Levine calls the Second Adulthood, the years from fifty forward, years that are often portrayed as a winding down time. She posits that while ... Read More...
The Way We Live Now
I just finished The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (like he didn’t catch shit in school) and while you might think 738 pages is a slog far too great for any book that isn’t part of the The Girl series it’s not for this one. My biggest complaint is that as I read lying in bed it did hurt my wrist to hold the book up but hey, suffering is a part of art. If you want true ... Read More...
