Reading Between the World and Me was a revelation for me and many others. It brought Ta-Nehisi Coates into the mainstream conversation, and it added a component to the conversation about race and systemic racism in the United States. I was eager to read his new book, We Were Eight Years In Power, because it was a compilation of Atlantic articles during Barack Obama’s tenure as president of the United States. I had also read “The First White President” and was troubled and challenged by […]
An eerie and timely reminder about women’s reproductive rights in 2017
My current research is focusing on post-9/11 dystopian literature and women’s reproductive agency. So the fact that Louise Erdrich’s new book fits neatly within these categories is highly convenient for me. Thanks, Erdrich! I was delighted to see that her new book appeared to be relevant to my project, so delighted, in fact, that I promptly broke my no-buy rule and bought the hardcover on the day it was released. Because, you know, research. Cedar Songmaker is adopted by two liberal white hippies, and her […]
An entertaining, if uneven, young adult series starter
I make it a point to read books that my students recommend to me. Overall, I’m grateful. Because of my students, I have read (and enjoyed) Wild and Room, as well as a smattering of other books. I had a rocky start with an online class at the beginning of the semester, but there was a major reconciliation that helped it continue smoothly, and one thing that happened was that a student mentioned that she was a major fan of Sarah J. Maas. I saw […]
A satisfying conclusion to the Southern Reach Trilogy
Okay, so reviewing this book is going to be kind of tough. It picks up directly after the events of Authority, and it is full of spoilers, so I don’t want to do any of that. What I might do instead is make a list of why I liked this book, in as vague terminology as possible: The writing. I’ve mentioned Jeff VanderMeer’s craft before, but it bears repeating. The man can put an exciting and terrifying story together. He is patient in setting up […]
Continuing a strangely fascinating sci-fi series
I was thoroughly intrigued by Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation, which I read in preparation for the Natalie Portman adaptation to be released in 2018. Of course, since my library had the next two books in the trilogy, I thought, Why not? and borrowed the whole set. I am delighted to discover a strange and thoroughly interesting series of books from a talented and inventive writer. The events of Annihilation are written from the perspective of the biologist. VanderMeer switches gears here, and he writes from the […]
A raw and gripping memoir about body, desire, and longing
I read Bad Feminist for a previous CBR, and really liked it a lot. Roxane Gay’s voice is crucial in feminist discourse, and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to be a better intersectional feminist. That said, Bad Feminist was billed to me as a hilarious book, and it absolutely is not. That’s not a knock on it, but the marketing. I did feel, however, that the marketing for Hunger was much more appropriate and left me more prepared for what I was […]
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