Book Reviews

Books
Arts

'American Spy' Is A Unique Spin On The Cold War Thriller

7:00am February 13, 2019

by Michael Schaub

Lauren Wilkinson's debut novel follows the life and career of an African American FBI agent who's recruited by the CIA to aid in the overthrow of a charismatic African leader.

Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli

Books
Arts

Real Life Informs A Tense Trip In 'Lost Children Archive'

7:00am February 12, 2019

Valeria Luiselli's twist on the great American road trip novel follows a family with two children on a grim odyssey through the Southwest, a vision of a country blighted by industry and prejudice.

How To Disappear: Notes on Invisibility in a Time of Transparency by Akiko Busch

Books
Arts

'How To Disappear' Condemns Online Visibility Without Truly Exploring It

6:01am February 12, 2019

by Lily Meyer

Akiko Busch sets out to argue against visibility, "the common currency of our time." But she neglects to expose why she dislikes social media and networked culture.

Books
Arts

For Chilly February, 3 Romances To Warm Your Heart

7:00am February 11, 2019

by Maya Rodale

February is High Holiday season in Romancelandia — and what better time to recommend some great romances? From Victorian jewel thieves to modern-day road trips, we've got something for everyone.

Books
Arts

'Tonic And Balm' Builds A World In A Bottle

10:00am February 10, 2019

by Martha Anne Toll

Stephanie Allen's novel creates a microcosm of America in 1919 in the form of a travelling medicine show, packed with people from all walks of life, trying to get along in the show's close confines.

Books
Arts

Questioning Authenticity — And Reality — In 'The Made-Up Man'

7:00am February 10, 2019

by Gabino Iglesias

Joseph Scapellato's new novel mashes up noir and philosophy in a multi-layered story about an aimless young man who gets caught up in his uncle's strange and possibly dangerous performance art.

A People's Future of the United States, edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams.

Books
Arts

New Collection Asks: What Might The 'People's Future' Look Like?

10:00am February 09, 2019

by Arkady Martine

This new collection of speculative fiction stories imagines the lives of marginalized people in a variety of difficult future Americas. It's not an easy read, but it has depths of resilience and hope.

Books
Arts

'Enchantée' Casts A Delightful Spell

7:00am February 09, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Gita Trelease's new novel follows a young woman trying to support her family in Paris on the eve of the French Revolution, using trickery and a little real magic to disguise herself as an aristocrat.

The Spirit of Science Fiction, by Roberto Bolano

Books
Arts

In 'Spirit Of Science Fiction,' Seeds Of A Great Career

10:00am February 08, 2019

by Lily Meyer

Roberto Bolaño's early novel, about the adventures of two young Chilean writers fleeing the Pinochet dictatorship, reads like a dress rehearsal for his masterwork The Savage Detectives.

Pope Francis meets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI prior to the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 8, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican.

'The Pope' Tells The Tale Of A Roman Catholic Church With Coexisting Pontiffs

8:10am February 08, 2019

by Tom Gjelten

In his new book, soon to be a feature film, Andrew McCarten examines Popes Francis and Benedict XVI — and how having two living popes, for the first time in 600 years, has weakened the papacy.