We’ve started reading chapter books to Baguette at bedtime. Our first was The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. Neither Mr. Sandwich nor I had read that as children, and we’re continuing that with our next selection: Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. On its surface, the story is cute enough. A seasonally unemployed house painter unexpectedly takes delivery of a penguin, and hijinks ensue. There is a second penguin, and then little penguins, and more hijinks. Baguette is enjoying the story, […]
“Look at this progressive-ass devil. Literally.”
That title is from my Kindle notes as I was reading this story, in response to the main character, who is supposedly the devil, who says things like “Homosexuality is not flammable. You can’t burn by it alone.”, and therefore makes him approximately 9000% less devilish than many humans I know. I wasn’t sure what to make of the synopsis Net Galley provided for this book before I received it; “Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched […]
What Is Hidden In Snow Is Revealed At Thaw
“As if on Blackåsen, there was no God. As if Blackåsen belonged to someone else.” In the summer of 1717, a settler family—a husband, wife, and two daughters—arrives on the fictional Blackåsen Mountain. Before they can so much as settle in, their daughters discover the body of a murdered man. What follows is a winter of secrets, mysteries, and ghosts. Read the rest at Pop Culture Penalty Box. [Photo is mine, and is of Alta, Utah, not Sweden.]
An insightful take on the American Dream
(This post originally appeared on Persephone Magazine.) Cristina Henríquez’s newly published The Book of Unknown Americans, is not about immigrants’ relationship to white people. Ideally, this would not be unusual in a novel, but in a literary landscape that is still struggling with diversity, it’s refreshing to read her insightful take on the American Dream. And what is the “American Dream,” anyway? Different economic classes might answer in specific ways, but at the root of every response is the wish, “Can life be a little […]
There’s an excellent book floating around in here somewhere, but…
(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Set during World War I and promising an aristocratic feminist awakening, I wanted to like Somewhere in France a lot more than I did. Jennifer Robson’s story of Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford and Doctor Robert Fraser goes on too long for what is at stake, but it still has its redeeming qualities. Lady Elizabeth — Lilly, to most everyone who knows her — has left her comfortable lifestyle in order to join the war effort. Her parents more or less […]
A diverse, impressive world for the middle-grade and adult reader
(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Akashic Books has long been at the indie forefront of interesting literature. Along with other fun releases like Simon’s Cat and Go the F—k to Sleep, they’ve expanded their stable to include books aimed at middle grade and young adult readers under their new imprint, Black Sheep. Game World by C.J. Farley is one of their first releases, and it’s a diverse, impressive world aimed at the advanced elementary school-aged reader on up to adults. My [now] 10-year-old daughter […]