For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] Reading Richard Lindberg’s new book Tales of Forgotten Chicago is like spending the afternoon exploring Chicago’s attic. Nestled in amongst the holiday decorations and old suitcases are people, places, and events that were once the talk of the Windy City, but have since slipped from civic memory. Richard Lindberg, an award-winning author and historian, … Read more
[ad_1] What is your “reading personality?” Drawing from my expertise on the Enneagram and from my book, Self to Lose, Self to Find, I speculate on what kinds of books those who identify with one of the nine personality patterns are most likely to read and enjoy. Type Ones focus on Improvement. They seek insights … Read more
[ad_1] Black Midwesterners live complex lives full of love, creativity, and community; but, that’s not usually the story told in mainstream depictions of Middle America. In 2017, scholars, artists, activists, and students banded together at the University of Minnesota to form the Black Midwest Initiative to promote work that more accurately captured the truth of … Read more
[ad_1] It is said that no two people ever read the same book. Our personal history goes a long way in determining the points of references that resonate with us in a story. This is especially true for my time with Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, since so much of what resonates with me about … Read more
[ad_1] Another month has rolled around and, with it, the many continuing stresses and fears affecting our daily lives. So, we turn to books not only as an escape, although it can be that, but also as a strengthening and nourishing force that lend us warmth and endurance. Our favorite reads this month include a … Read more
[ad_1] Following the death of her mother, Fiona buys a new house in order to start a new chapter of her life, one with fewer reminders of painful memories. Unbeknownst to Fiona, this house has a melancholy history, and slightly more ghosts than she anticipated. In learning to live with her unexpected companions and their … Read more
[ad_1] Kirabo presses against the boundaries of tradition in her small village of Nattetta, Uganda. She does not outright reject her people’s customs, but her desire to learn where she comes from—specifically, the history of her mother—drives her to seek help along the edge of what tradition allows to find her own way into womanhood. … Read more
[ad_1] In the opening pages of Evie Wyld’s third novel, The Bass Rock, Viv notes: “Somewhere, out in the darkness, I can hear waves breaking against the Bass Rock though I cannot see it.” It is a literal reminder of the story’s setting — the east coast of Scotland, where the rock rests a mile … Read more
[ad_1] Celebrated Canadian writer Helen Humphreys’s novels almost always find their footing in historical events, often during or around war time, and they seamlessly blend meticulously researched factual detail with the elegantly understated storytelling we’ve come to expect from this author. Humphreys’s latest book, her ninth novel, is no different. Based on the true story … Read more
[ad_1] In Eighty Days to Elsewhere, Ramona Keene works in her family bookshop. Two Old Queens Books & Tea is owned by Romy’s Uncle Merv and his partner Tommy, and she has worked there since she was a teenager. It’s cozy and safe—if a little dusty—and Romy spends most of her time trying to get … Read more