BOOKS – Page 103 – Reads A Lot

Invisible Lives in “High as the Waters Rise” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 23, 2020 by Amy Brady

[ad_1] Burning Worlds is Amy Brady’s monthly column dedicated to examining how contemporary literature interrogates issues of climate change, in partnership with Yale Climate Connections. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter to get “Burning Worlds” and other writing about art and climate change delivered straight to your inbox. As mainstream media outlets become (slightly) better at covering climate change, their … Read more

Books to Read If You Love What We Do In the Shadows

Book BuzzSeptember 22, 2020 by Rachel Krupitsky

[ad_1] We are living through some dark times, and I’ve found no better distraction than Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s dark comedy What We Do In the Shadows. This farcical documentary-style show follows the lives of four vampires living together in a gothic mansion on Staten Island. There’s Nandor The Relentless, a former warrior of … Read more

Incorrigible Passion in “Furia” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 21, 2020 by Jen Cox

[ad_1] In Yamile Saied Méndez new YA novel, Furia, two childhood friends in Rosario, Argentina grow up to fall in love — with each other and with fútbol. But their paths diverge as the game becomes not just an expression of childhood joy, but a symbol of masculinity and its ties to wealth and resources. … Read more

Books to Read if you Love Succession

Book BuzzSeptember 21, 2020 by Grant Griglak

[ad_1] If you’ve ever broken some Gr-eggs to make Tom-elette, then these are the books for you. Succession, in so many ways, is a perfect TV show. It’s full of family drama, high-stakes business dealings, and dark humor. However, the story is literally as old as time (it’s the “Prodigal Son” or “King Lear” told … Read more

Marginalization and Magic in “Master of Poisons” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 20, 2020 by Malavika Praseed

[ad_1] Approaching a genre for the first time is like learning a new language. Sifting through the impenetrable for words you understand, learning the conventions and tropes as one would nouns, adjectives, and verbs. And while most start with simple phrases, others take on ambitious, intimidating projects and throw themselves in headfirst. I, a new … Read more

Belonging and metaphysical horror in “That Time of Year” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 18, 2020 by Kat Solomon

[ad_1] It’s hard to sum up Marie NDiaye’s That Time of Year (Un temps de saison, translated from French by Jordan Stump), a short novel that unfolds with a dreamlike logic. Every year Herman, a math teacher from Paris, spends the month of August with his wife Rose and their son in a small country … Read more

Books for Fans of POSE

Book BuzzSeptember 18, 2020 by Grant Griglak

[ad_1] If you watch POSE, you love POSE. And if you’re not watching, you’re missing out. This show tells the story of Harlem’s ballroom scene—filled with unforgettable characters, out-of-this-world fashion, heartwarming tales of finding your own family, heartbreaking stories of discrimination and death, but above all, it’s a tale of humanity. The stories from the … Read more

Religion, Art, and Britney Spears in ‘Snake’ – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 15, 2020 by Amy Brady

[ad_1] Few writers have attempted to connect the art of Britney Spears to the pictorial language of early cave dwellers, or to the religious rituals of fringe Christian groups, but that’s exactly what poet, mystery novelist, and essayist Erica Wright achieved with her book, Snake, one of the latest editions to Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series. … Read more

Women Resurrected in Léger’s Triptych – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 15, 2020 by Clancey D'Isa

[ad_1] When asked about her triptych, now translated in full from the French and published by Dorothy Project, Nathalie Léger suggested that her intention was to “try to rescue the words of a woman who couldn’t utter them herself.” Indeed, Léger’s three books give voice to many women: The Italian aristocrat Countess of Castiglione in … Read more

The Tactile Experience of History in “Tales of Forgotten Chicago” – Chicago Review of Books

Book ReviewsSeptember 14, 2020 by Dana Dunham

[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