Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This book is on sale now. Lady Ruby Ballimore has tried her very best to be the perfect debutante, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't be quiet and biddable and seemingly empty-headed. After yet another disastrous dinner party, … [Read more]
Taylor's Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift by Stephanie Burt
At the absolute peak of Eras Tour mania you might have seen a news story or two about Harvard offering an entire course just on Taylor Swift, Whether you reacted to that bit of information with derision or envy is probably pretty strongly correlated with your ability to sing along to the bridge of … [Read more]
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Heart the Lover is a new(ish) book from Lily King, published in October of last year. The narrator is a writer, nicknamed “Jordan,” after Gatsby’s Jordan, by two of her classmates. The book follows her relationship with the young men from college through their late-40s. It’s not a long book, only … [Read more]
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
It felt strange to read this, knowing how heavily autobiographical it was. I felt like I was learning a lot about someone who's a stranger but doesn't fully feel like a stranger because I've read up on Emezi. It's almost voyeuristic in a way, as I was left wondering what parts were fiction. I would … [Read more]
Private Life by Jane Smiley
Woman repressed, I’d call this. By her own self. Margaret Mayfield, oldest daughter of three, begins life in Missouri in the mid1880s, and is considered by herself and her family to not be a good wife prospect. Too bookish and awkward. And she is not at all put out by this judgement. But then … [Read more]
A Burst of Light and Other Essays by Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde had a tremendous impact on my thinking when I read Sister Outsider over 30 years ago. She blew my mind open on issues of race, sexuality, class, capitalism, power, and oppression. This collection of essays, A Burst of Light, was just as powerful. The book consists of five essays, the … [Read more]
