The story is long, which works well for readers like me who hate to see a good book end; and the story is well-knit, which works well for scholars who want to tease out influences, tangents and themes. Frankel paints spot-on portraits of the male sex symbol, poor kids in privileged schools, Big Science, and environmentalists. Like Proust, he uses smell as a motif and a motivator.
An interview with Nancy Smiler Levinson
Minnesota born, Nancy Smiler Levinson, after majoring in journalism, worked at newspaper and magazine composition as well as an editing house in New York City; after marriage, she moved to California and had two sons. She has written many books for children and appears in several journals such as: Poetica, Third Wednesday, and Drunk Monkeys. Nancy’s included in Volume 140, Something About the Author: Facts and Pictures About Authors and Illustrators of Books for Young People.
A review of Made by Mary by Laura Catherine Brown
With depth in relationships that celebrate the chaos and imperfect love of mothers and daughters, lovers with lovers, and between friends, Brown delivers a beautiful and painful reminder that love often includes disappointment and failure, but also redemption and forgiveness. In the end, the human connection no matter how fallible, regardless of trappings of belief, is necessary for our survival.
A review of The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford
The whole mix-up of the book, with elements of tennis, teenage and torture, it makes it relatable for people aged 13 to young adults, especially girls. The repeated message of following your dreams rings clear throughout, even when mixed up in love, relationships and secrets.
A review of The Silent Invasion by James Bradley
Callie’s character is very insightful and from her perspective in the book, she describes the world with similes and personifications, creating and painting beautiful or terrible images. It shows the world in all its beauty and horror through the words on a page, but seems so much more than that.
A review of Take Three Girls by Simmone Howell, Cath Crowley, and Fiona Wood
Three girls, three writers, three quite different stories come together into one amazing stand-alone book that captures the heart, mind and emotions in a raw adventure about discovery. Discovery of self, definitely, but also things like true friends, loyalty, sexuality, and love.
An interview with Dr. Aysha Akhtar
The author of Our Symphony with Animals talks about her book, her biggest writing inspiration, some of her most interesting interactions, key themes in the book, the story behind the title, the most challenging and rewarding aspects of writing the book, key lessons, and lots more.
A review of Boats for Women by Sandra Yannone
Sandra Yannone’s brave poems contribute to popular history of the time, flooding us with the arc, the ache, of family and lesbian relationships in her first full-length collection. Some poems live in heartbreak, some, in ecstatic joy. They are worthy of many rereads.
Robert McDowell’s Narratives in Quiet Money and The Diviners
To understand the poetry of Robert McDowell, it is important to see him through the lens of the late, great poet Philip Levine, whom Robert McDowell recalls proclaiming, “Robert, he’s his own cat!” In a way that is prophetic and unique, Robert McDowell enters the circus of human stories, and tells them wryly, reminding us that humor exists even in some of our darkest and bleakest moments.
A review of Wonder By R. J. Palacio
The main character in Wonder is August Pullman: Auggie. He is a funny and sensitive ten-year-old boy from New York who was born with a facial deformity. The story follows his first year at school, after having been home schooled. Auggie wants to feel normal but this is hard when people stare at him and avoid him.