Zadie Smith’s Intimations is the first book I have read about the pandemic. It is a short book of six essays, written during the first half of 2020. The essays explore Smith's thoughts and feelings at the beginning of what she calls “the global humbling”. Issues such...
If you are a writer seeking advice, or someone who is interested in how novels are written, I would recommend reading Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer. McCann is an award-winning author and writing instructor who has taught for more than 20 years at the...
Awake at the End: A Heights Arts Poet Laureate Anthology, features the work of three Cleveland Heights poets: Meredith Holmes, Loren Weiss, and Mary E. Weems. The anthology begins with an introduction citing the inspiration for the Laureate Project (a poem by Ben...
So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away is a captivating coming-of-age story about a twelve-year-old boy who lives in rural Oregon during the 1940s. It is told from the perspective of the boy when he has grown up, his mind traveling back to his youth, 32 years later. The...
Each month members of the Matchmakers team create unique book displays for patrons to browse on the 2nd floor of the Lee Road branch. Last month, I made a display that featured novels by local authors. One book I enjoyed reading was A Body at Rest, by Susan Petrone,...
In Whereabouts, Jhumpa Lahiri explores the terrain of her own mind amid a lush, formidable Italian city. The word “novel” appears below the title, but it feels more like a series of exquisitely crafted journal entries. Each chapter contains a meditation on her...
The cover resembles an old catalog card found in the back of a library book. You open it by pulling the lower half down and the top part up. I feel this is not simply a clever design, but alerts the reader they are entering a different world, the world of The Strange...
“In the strangeness of spring, finally without our hats, our jackets open, inhaling the warm air suspiciously, I’m sure we all looked like lunatics.” The Name of the World is recommended reading for fans of the campus novel and any reader who enjoys thought-provoking,...
The Red Notebook is a good starting point if you have never read anything by Paul Auster. At just over 100 pages, it is an enjoyable, quick read. I would also recommend reading a recent short story of his, available on Lit Hub, entitled The Wolves of Stanislav. In...