Book Reviews

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Arts

'Ugly Girls' Is, Well ... Not A Pretty Read

7:03am November 05, 2014

by Annalisa Quinn

Lindsay Hunter's novel follows best friends Perry and Baby Girl as they shoplift, ditch school and steal cars. But critic Annalisa Quinn says Ugly Girls has more shock value than substance.

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Arts

'The Heart Does Not Grow Back' Could Use An Imagination Transfusion

7:03am November 04, 2014

by Jason Heller

Fred Venturini's debut has a fascinating concept: What happens when a small-town kid gets amazing healing powers? But critic Jason Heller says the book never manages to explore that question fully.

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Rebuilding A Broken Family 'In Plain Sight'

6:23pm November 03, 2014

by Alan Cheuse

Somali author Nuruddin Farah's new novel follows a glamorous photographer who takes in her brother's children after he dies in a terrorist bombing. Reviewer Alan Cheuse calls it complex yet uplifting.

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A 19th Century Novel Explains Quantitative Easing

6:36pm November 02, 2014

by John Lanchester

This week, the Federal Reserve ended the quantitative easing program. Author John Lanchester says Anthony Trollope's 19th century novel The Way We Live Now clarifies the current financial situation.

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William Gibson Skypes The Future In 'The Peripheral'

10:03am November 01, 2014

by Jason Sheehan

The master of cyberpunk returns to form with a new novel set in his old stomping grounds — the near future. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says it sings with controlled, dark energy and effortless grace.

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Arts

A Century Of Black Glamour In This Fine 'Vintage'

5:23am November 01, 2014

by Richard Torres

Nichelle Gainer's new Vintage Black Glamour, based on the popular Tumblr, collects a wealth of historical and biographical information — alongside gorgeous imagery — on great black entertainers.

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Arts

Halloween Makes Us Think Of ... Diversity In Romance!

2:33pm October 31, 2014

Romance guru Bobbi Dumas once worked at an international school — and she says the colorful world of the kids' Halloween costumes inspired her to think about diversity in her favorite literature.

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'The Book Of Strange New Things' Treads Familiar Territory

8:50pm October 30, 2014

by Jason Sheehan

Michel Faber's best-seller, The Crimson Petal and the White, captured the feel of Victorian London. His latest is a literary science-fiction tale that might disappoint hard core sci-fi fans.

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The Battle For Dreamland, Revisited In 'Nemo'

12:53pm October 29, 2014

by Etelka Lehoczky

A lavishly produced new tribute to Winsor McCay's Little Nemo comics gathers dozens of today's artists to revisit Slumberland. Critic Etelka Lehoczky says the book is beautiful but unchallenging.

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Arts

Book Review: 'Belzhar' By Meg Wolitzer

6:30pm October 28, 2014

Novelist Gabrielle Zelvin reviews Meg Wolitzer's new young adult book, Belzhar.

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