A series of improbable and unfortunate events leave an astronaut stranded on the Red Planet in Andy Weir's The Martian. The novel is a unicorn in fiction, the rare title that can impart scientific accuracy without losing readers who lack the education to follow along. Less than a week into his team's exploration of Mars, … Continue reading The Martian: A Review
What is the book that matters most to you? That's the question members of an exclusive book club must answer in Ann Hood's aptly titled novel, The Book That Matters Most: A Novel. For one of the club's newest members, Ava, the novel she chooses holds more secrets and meaning than she realizes when she … Continue reading The Book That Matters Most: A Review
I've read my fair share of dystopian fiction, but I have never come across a book outside of the genre that gave me the same signature sense of hopeless terror. At least I hadn't, until I read Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet. This chilling tale of a woman's flight from her manipulative husband … Continue reading Sweet Lamb of Heaven: A Review
I used to be a devoted fan, but I stopped reading fantasy, somewhere along the line. With that being the case, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoyed The Color of Magic, the first title in Terry Pratchett's legendary Discworld series. If you aren't a fantasy fan at all, fear not. The … Continue reading The Color of Magic: A Review
Why do the people who claim to be anti-abortion staunchly oppose measures --- such as access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education --- that would allow women to avoid unwanted pregnancy, and therefore abortion? That's the question at the heart of How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America, Cristina Page's examination of the abortion issue at … Continue reading How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: A Review