Recounting nearly 30 years of Egyptian history in three Cairo summers, Yasmine El Rashidi's Chronicle of a Last Summer: A Novel of Egypt drives readers through an evolving --- perhaps even crumbling --- country on the brink of revolution. At the heart of El Rashidi's story are the unnamed narrator and her ever-dwindling family. The … Continue reading Chronicle of a Last Summer: A Review
I often wonder why adults forget what it's like to be children, and how they can feel comfortable inflicting on younger generations the same kind of abuses they suffered, like being called "stupid" by an adult, or being told that what you have to say is not --- and will never be --- important. If … Continue reading The Greatest of Marlys: A Review
It's always a little strange when new fiction tackles current issues. Once you consider publishing schedules, the authors who write these texts seem downright prescient. In Air, Ryan Gattis takes on police brutality in Baltimore, and creates an instant --- if flawed --- classic in the process. Air centers on Grey Monroe: a mixed-race teenager … Continue reading Air: A Review
Last week was a busy one, for both books news and me. Check up on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Fight Club, The Fault in Our Stars, and more below. Is There a The Fault in Our Stars Sequel? John Green Says He Has No Plans to Write One John Green broke hearts and dashed hopes last week, when … Continue reading UPDATE: All Posts 14 – 20 August 2016
It's not often you find a novel that tells you everything you need to know in the title, but Jeremy P. Bushnell's The Insides is one such book. Bushnell's magical realist tale about a special knife, a psychic for hire, and a street magician turned butcher is all about the interior: of our world, of … Continue reading The Insides: A Review