Can a fifty-two year-old woman be the central character in a coming-of-age novel? In skillful hands, she can. Claire is in desperate need of resolving the central dilemmas of her life. After years of selling old and abandoned church properties, she travels to Rome to market another convent. There, she falls in love—first with Rome
Language has its own personality, one that adapts and evolves to meet the pressures of its time but has the binding power to attract and cohere its speakers. Ilan Stavans, professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, has assembled a gallery of American English written samples to illustrate the power within the
Bret Easton Ellis has been avoiding his past as if it were the plague. In his senior year at the Buckley School, friendships were tested, relationships formed and broken, and a serial killer roamed the city. In 1981, Bret is in a relationship with Debbie, best friends with Thom and Susan, but also in an
Glitterland is hands down one of the best romances I’ve read this year. I don’t know how I went so long without reading any of Alexis Hall’s books! The story follows Ash Winters, a rising literary star who suffered a mental breakdown and now writes crime fiction to get by. Diagnosed with bipolar depression and
Norene Paulson writes picture books that celebrate friendship, acceptance, and inclusion, and Nila’s Perfect Coat exemplifies the generosity of helping others in need. Nila has a perfectly good coat that still fits from last season but on a trip to a Thrift store it’s a puffy, highly-colored coat that catches her eye. Her Mother nixes
Children and adults of all ages will find great joy in reading this fantastic adventure story by author Steven Joseph. Snoodles in Space tells the story of three brothers and how they save the planet with their wacky inventions. Sour Croodleman creates a stinky vehicle called the Krautmobile that runs on sauerkraut. Then, his brother
Mighty Bad Land is an excellent memoir. Author Bruce Luyendyk, geologist and namesake of Antarctica’s Mount Luyendyk, writes of his and his team’s dangerous, exciting, and eventful expedition to Antarctica. With the objectives of exploration and discovery, Luyendyk and his team are looking to find the when, how, and why of the supercontinent Gondwana’s split.
Could adolescent high school jealousy in South Bend, Indiana, be the catalyst for a vicious murder in Paris, France? After learning of the murder of a fellow operative, Boomer, recording artist and CIA contractor Brad James continues Boomer’s investigation into a possible terrorist plot. Antoine d’Arvor, a wealthy media mogul, was one of the people
A lot of young people would love to be able to draw, but they are intimidated by the idea of it. They are afraid it is too hard and takes a very special talent and that others might laugh at their efforts. But Christopher Hart has put together a wonderful book that should go a
