For The Book Obsessed
[ad_1] Stanley Plumly—author of eleven books of poetry, four books of nonfiction, Maryland poet laureate, professor, and winner of numerous literary prizes—died of multiple myeloma in April 2019 at the age of 80. According to his own poem leading off this, his last collection called Middle Distance, he was a “White Rhino,” the last of … Read more
[ad_1] Climate change may be a planet-wide problem, but novels about the subject can be deeply personal. Case in point: Australian author Charlotte McConaghy’s transporting debut, Migrations. It tells the story of Franny Stone, who seeks out the last flock of Arctic terns in Greenland and then follows them on what might be their final … Read more
[ad_1] As tropical storms rain down and heat waves keep coming, we hope you can take a break from the chaotic August weather to sit down with a book or two. Our favorites this month are as eclectic as ever, encompassing biographies, like that of Civil Rights leader Representative John Lewis; memoirs, like Vicki Laveau-Harvie’s … Read more
[ad_1] Last week I saw the groundhog for the first time. He lumbered across the patch of lawn at the bottom of our garden, looking much like a muskrat or a beaver but for his tail—the muskrat has a tail, unsurprisingly, like a rat; the beaver of course has his paddle; whereas the muskrat’s tail … Read more
[ad_1] It’s been said before, but let’s say it again: books connect us. During a year of anxiety, stress, and grief, books have provided an outlet and escape that’s unattainable anywhere else. They introduce us to new people, they take us to new places, they teach us about the world, and most importantly, they bring … Read more
[ad_1] It all starts with a sentence. “Her name was Magda.” Then three more. “Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.” But the ground is clear. No body, no blood. No signs of a struggle. Just the conspicuous note, printed in blue ballpoint pen on notebook paper, … Read more
[ad_1] In Space Station Down, by Ben Bova and Doug Beason, scientist Kimberly Hadid-Robinson is the senior-ranking American aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The most extraordinary thing she expects about her mission is that her ex-husband, former ISS Commander Scott Robinson, will serve as the lead astronaut at NASA mission control, managing communications between … Read more
[ad_1] Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, Alice I Have Been, and most recently, Mistress of the Ritz, which is an amazing historical fiction novel set during World War II in Paris. Mistress of the Ritz is based on the story of the extraordinary … Read more
[ad_1] Transition is often met with uncertainty. Changes in life challenge our perceptions, our emotions, and the way we feel about ourselves. In Shruti Swamy’s debut story collection, A House is a Body, a thread of internal change weaves throughout the twelve stories. Characters accept and face the consequences of unavoidable circumstances in life, and it’s … Read more
[ad_1] Exile’s End is a complex, sometimes uncomfortable examination of artifact repatriation and cultural appropriation. An artifact of indescribable and irreplaceable beauty created by an “extinct” culture has been the basis of another culture’s origin stories. The race who created the artifact has survived on a distant world and has sent a representative to reclaim … Read more