Review of ‘Transcendent Kingdom’, by Yaa Gyasi—Must Read In case anyone had any doubts after reading her first book: Yaa Gyasi is an incredible storyteller. Although filled with heavy topics and complex writing, Transcendent Kingdom reads as easily as cutting through butter on a hot summer day. I use that analogy with intention; the book… Read More Book Review Round-Up: November 2020
Review of ‘Anxious People’, by Fredrik Backman—Must Read This book was beautiful in many ways. The first is the way the story is told—it weaves in and out but always centered around the main plot. It ebbs and flows, wrapping the reader in so much information but at the same time, exactly what we need… Read More Book Review Round-Up: October 2020
Review of ‘Never Have I Ever’, by Mary Jayne Baker It’s hard to wrap one’s head around the idea of falling for one twin and then, the other. But other than that, this book was a fun, easy, and funny read, featuring a cast of lovable characters and a well-paced plot. While I liked the… Read More Book Review Round-Up: September 2020
Review of ‘I Killed Zoe Spanos’, by Kit Frick On the one hand, this book kept me reading way past my bedtime. I just HAD to know who had killed Zoe Spanos, but also, how all the weird things that were happening were going to be explained. There was so much happening and presented perfectly—the… Read More Book Review Round-Up: August 2020
Review of ‘The Speed of Falling Objects’, by Nancy Richardson Unhealthy relationships with parents are never easy to address in normal, regular life. The pretty insane setting of The Speed of Falling Objects—the tropical forest in which Danny, her reality TV star father, and the filming crew crash landed—did make for a great background, in… Read More Book Review Round-Up: July 2020
About the Author, Sarah Stonich Sarah Stonich been awarded a number of grants, including a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship and a Loft McKnight Fellowship. Her first novel, There Granite Islands, was translated to eight languages and was short-listed for France’s prestigious Grand Prix de lectrices d’Elle. Her second novel The Ice Chorus has been… Read More Book Review: ‘Fishing!’, by Sarah Stonich
Review of ‘No Fixed Address’, by Susan Nielsen (Must-Read) When I read Nickled and Dimed, I remembered thinking that this book should be turned into a movie, a TV show, and a series of books, and that the story of the struggle of the working poor should be shared in a way that will make… Read More Book Review Round-Up: June 2020
Review of ‘Catch and Kill’, by Ronan Farrow (Must-Read) A must-read for anyone trying to learn more about the way The System works, trying to understand why so many women who are sexually assaulted or raped never report it, and how some people are able to cling to power despite being terrible people. Ronan Farrow’s… Read More Book Review Round-Up: May 2020
Review of ‘All We Ever Wanted’, by Emily Giffin I’m having a tough time writing this review because I’m feeling all the feels. This story made me so angry–but for all the right reasons. Rich white male privilege made life a living hell for a bunch of characters–sound familiar? But these are the reads that… Read More Book Review Round-Up: April 2020
About the Author, Michelle Cox: Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying… Read More Book Review: ‘A Child Lost’, by Michelle Cox