Elizabeth Strout’s Luminous Short-Story Collection, ‘Anything Is Possible’
Interrelated stories by the most acute observer of human behavior writing fiction today.
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Articles onBooks
Book Review: “Diana Vreeland: The Modern Woman”
The pages take us on a chronological journey through Vreeland's career from 1936 to 1962. We see her brilliance, her comprehension of the culture of the pre- and post-war years and the radical societal changes culminating in the Pop 60s.
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Book Review: ‘Lotus,’ by Lijia Zhang
“Lotus” describes the underground sex trade, the conditions of migrant workers, and how various political policies negatively affect the lives of ordinary people in China.
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Book Review: ‘Water in Plain Sight,’ by Judith Schwartz
We MUST preserve water. Happily, we don’t need to conjure it up by magic. Ecologists around the world are employing ingeniously simple, low-tech methods to keep our warming planet hydrated.
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Book Review: Susan Faludi’s ‘In the Darkroom’
In a memoir that reads like a page-turning mystery, 'In the Darkroom' traces Susan Faludi’s repeated visits to Budapest, where her father has changed his nationality, his name and his gender.
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The Wednesday Five: On Books
In this week's Wednesday Five -- we share five stories making headlines in the world of books.
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‘The Silver Baron’s Wife’: From Rags to Riches to an Immensely Readable Novel
‘The Silver Baron’s Wife’ is a neat, quick read; I got through most of it in a single two-hour flight. Yet it delivers on multiple levels: as biography, as historical fiction, as a primer on nineteenth century industry and government.
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The Pleasure of Summer Reading: Jennifer Haigh
By Cecilia M. Ford, Ph.D.
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If you want to have a string of intensely enjoyable summer afternoons, I suggest you spend them in Bakerton, PA. A has-been coal town in western Pennsylvania, this place and its various residents is the subject of a series of novels by Jennifer Haigh. One of the most interesting things about Haigh’s writing is the way she shows how small twists and turns, minor mistakes, or missteps can make all the difference in what follows.
Book Review: ‘Because of Sex’
By Diane Vacca
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“Sadly, [Fox News commentator Gretchen] Carlson's suit follows a time-worn pattern: supervisor propositions subordinate, subordinate refuses, supervisor makes subordinate's life a misery.”
Hamilton on Stage vs. Hamilton on the Page: a Great American Debate
By Alexandra MacAaron
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How much of Alexander Hamilton’s current star status is the result of the genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the musical's book, music, and lyrics, and how much is owed to the genius of Hamilton himself?
Fashionable and Informative: The Best Coffee Table Books for Summer
Whether you're looking to revamp your coffee book collection, or add to your library, or decorate your living room, or embark on some self-guided learning on contemporary and vintage fashion trends, these lovely fashion books will do just the trick. Here are our must-reads to add to your summer reading list and beach totes!
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Movie Review: ‘Love & Friendship’ — Jane Austen Addresses Marriage and Mothers
By Alexandra MacAaron
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The average age of a Jane Austen heroine is 18.8. Enter Lady Susan, a widowed mother of 40 or so. She is refined, attractive, and boasts a far superior intellect than the friends and family she surrounds herself with.
Book Review: ‘The Little Red Chairs,’ by Edna O’Brien
Philip Roth has called this novel O’Brien’s “masterpiece.” I consider it a magisterial and gripping—though flawed—attempt to wrestle with profound moral issues, especially the twin horrors of religion and nationalism.
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Book Review: Clara Bingham Captures Complexity of ‘the Sixties’
'Witness to the Revolution' is an important book that will be a reference point for years to come in the effort to understand one of the most complex periods in our nation’s history. Clara Bingham has captured it like a photograph of lightning just as it strikes.
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Movie Review: ‘Alice Through the Looking-Glass’
By Alexandra MacAaron
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If 'Alice Through the Looking-Glass' has a saving grace, it’s the message that women are as capable as men.