Anyone who’s read a steady diet of literary fiction and award winners will have heard the name Zadie Smith. She shot to fame in her early twenties with White Teeth, which is surely one of the most impactful books of the 21st century written. Ever. Her follow-up, The Autograph Man, was interesting but unmemorable (I remember liking it, but not enough to keep it on the shelves, and I can only tell you that it involves male friendship, a friend’s dad, and boxing? I think?). […]
Who run the world? Girls! [At least, they should]
2016 has been a rough year. And as a woman, I’ve keenly felt the slings and arrows of misogyny this year. So Jessica Bennett’s workplace superhero manual for feminists is an absolute gift to anyone who is a woman or an ally in the professional workplace. You might think the humor is schlocky or stupid based on the title, but I can assure you, it’s a deeply practical and necessary guide to implementing successful techniques in your workplace environment. Seriously, this book is just so […]
Another CBR gift that turned out to be a great pick
Yay! I’m finally getting around to reading those CBR Exchange books that I’ve lovingly admired but not cracked open on my shelf. And books are meant to be read. So, A Prayer for Owen Meany comes to me courtesy of Malin from CBR7’s Book Exchange. It’s a long read and uneven in parts, but very much worthwhile in the end. Consider this a journey that you must be willing to embark upon for the payoff to arrive. I dig into the reasons why in my […]
Writing in life and life in writing
My book club choice was one I’d not previously read. I’ve been going through the books on my shelves, and Carol Shields’ The Stone Diaries was a thrift store find. When I took a women’s literature course, we read Shields’ Swann, a novel about the art of writing and literary theory. I loved it so much I wanted to read MORE Shields. So, for me, this last book club was all about killing two birds with one stone (pun not intended). Read my full review […]
Shirley Jackson is the divine goddess of the bizarre and horrifying.
When I was in college, I read Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” as part of my twentieth-century literature survey. A good deal of the class was shocked by it. I thought the conceit was *genius.* When I taught a narrative unit in my Comp. I class about three years ago, I decided to include “The Lottery” and pair it with the Reaping scene from The Hunger Games. My students were electrified. They were simultaneously horrified by the concept and curious to see its echoes […]
That time A.J. Jacobs grew out his earlocks for his book.
When I first participated in the CBR Book Exchange, emmalita had graciously gifted me two books: The Year of Living Biblically and Colm Toibin’s The Master. I am in the process of reading the Books I Own But Have Not Read, and I thought this would be a great addition to my bookshelves. As it turns out, I was right. I’ve long enjoyed Jacobs’ shorter works, and reading a whole book was a great way to dive into his style. Read my full review here!
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