I can’t speak for every locale, but spring is definitely in the air here in Seattle. The snowpocalypse weather that beat us down in February has given way to blooming trees and sweater (not coat) temperatures. Love is in the air—book love that is. It’s time again to shed winter reading and look at the eight books I'm most looking forward to for my spring reading (book covers ... Read More...
Almost Everything: Notes on Hope
Anne Lamott’s new book Almost Everything: Notes on Hope is not straight path reading. It’s not her style and I, for one, am grateful for that. But if you looking for succinct advice on how to feel better about the world today, you’ll be frustrated and, maybe, disappointed. She’s a wanderer, but one who always reaches her destination. In this lovely little book, she makes the ... Read More...
Summer Fun Non-Fiction: Mini-Reviews
As you well know I'm not a big non-fiction reader, but between friends' recommendations and my library's awesome Peak Picks program (brand new releases available without a hold list), I came across these three books that covered all my non-fiction needs. I have always cringed at movie critics who say a movie “made them laugh and made them cry” ... Read More...
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
I feel like a broken record for all the times since 2017 that I’ve said, “Important reading. Timely reading. Everyone should read.”, but here I am again. Not That Bad, with its essays from women around the world, talking about their experiences of rape, harassment, intimidation, and violence is the kind of reading that goes beyond tears. In Roxanne Gay’s foreword we learn that ... Read More...
Still Writing: The Pleasures and Perils of a Creative Life
Often, reviewing a book occurs only in the small space between book and reviewer. Meeting the author is a bonus but usually comes after the review is published when they are touring to promote the book. I was extremely fortunate, then to meet Dani Shapiro this week, before I finished my review. It is the equivalent of getting the answers to your calculus final before you ... Read More...
