The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, British History, Biography, Mystery, Feminism Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Length: 333 pages Published: April 9, 2019 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Official Book Summary: “Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving […]
by Barbara L. Packer Defying the traditional approach, Barbara L. Packer’s The Transcendentalists begins in medias res and constitutes a thorough analysis of transcendentalism. The author skillfully guides her readers through nine chapters that provide a comprehensive understanding of this American historical, social, religious, and literary movement. Packer’s text is an invaluable guide to any […]
by Agatha Christie “Women could be beautiful, but Hercule Poirot was not at all sure that he liked beauty in men. He would not have liked to be a beautiful young man himself, not that there had ever been the least chance of that. There was only one thing about his own appearance which really […]
by Anthony Doerr I first became a fan of author Anthony Doerr when I read his short story collection The Shell Collector some nine or ten years ago while working on my master’s degree. His prose was beautiful and each story seemed to carry great emotional significance. Last year I read his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel […]
by Nathaniel Philbrick “Prior to the Battle of Valcour Island, Arnold had complained to Horatio Gates about the injustice of the allegations concerning his conduct during the retreat from Canada. None of those charges had been proven, but now, during the spring of 1779, Arnold was on his way to turning one of the […]
by J.K. Rowling I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Until then, I’m finishing rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and trying my best to avoid encountering any spoilers of the play online. Out of all of the installments in the Harry Potter series, the […]
Happy Independence Day to readers and book lovers everywhere! I got one of these cute “Home of the Free because of the Brave” cards from my friend. Isn’t her handwriting amazing? I thought I’d share her talent and the motto with you. I hope you each get to spend the 4th of July with your […]
by Robert Galbraith Release Date: October 20, 2015 – today! J.K. Rowling delivers her third installment in the Cormoran Strike detective series. The Cuckoo’s Calling was a true page-turner and well-crafted (read my review here), The Silkworm was decidedly gruesome and stomach churning (read my review here), so readers have had fair warning for […]
Today I’ve been thinking about these lines from Roald Dahl’s Matilda: “So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” This […]
by The Oatmeal (aka Matthew Inman) “How you see your cat: pet here to feel better about life… How your cat sees you: Giant Hairless GorillaPig Slave.” Fans of Matthew Inman’s website, The Oatmeal, will enjoy this extended comic look at the relationship between humans and their housecats. Beyond the titular list of ways to […]
by Daniel James Brown Genres: U.S. History, Nonfiction, Biography Publisher: William Morrow Length: 352 pages Published: April 28, 2009 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Note: Daniel James Brown is the bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat, a 5-star read. “In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set […]
Today I’m featuring the final installment in a three-part interview with my friends Chadd VanZanten and Russ Beck. In June, the History Press published their humorous collection of essays On Fly-Fishing the Northern Rockies: Essays and Dubious Advice. You can read part one and part two of the interview and be sure to add your […]
by Aaron Blaylock Today I’m happy to participate in a book spotlight on Aaron Blaylock, author of the new YA novel The Land of Look Behind. Blaylock was born and raised in Arizona, but later moved to Sacramento, California. As a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Blaylock served a two-year […]
Jactionary: Book Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
by Karen McManus Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller Publisher: Delacorte Press Length: 361 pages Published: May 30, 2017 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble “Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. […]