Book Reviews

We Have Always Been Bored — 'Yawn' Wonders Why

7:00am May 20, 2017

by Genevieve Valentine

Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? Yawn is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.

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An American Abroad Searches For Self In 'Florence In Ecstasy'

12:30pm May 18, 2017

by Carmen Maria Machado

Jessie Chaffee's novel about a troubled young American woman in Florence is beautiful and exhausting; stick with it, and you'll find a thoughtful reexamination of a classic trope, the American abroad.

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It's The Nuggets That Shine In 'The Golden Cockerel'

7:00am May 17, 2017

by Lily Meyer

The title piece in Mexican master Juan Rulfo's The Golden Cockerel is a good story with a simple point: Life is short and then you die. It's the sketches and fragments that come after that amaze.

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The Art Ensemble of Chicago's Free-Wheeling Style Shines In 'Message to Our Folks'

11:12am May 16, 2017

by Kevin Whitehead

Paul Steinbeck's new book chronicles the antics, both on and off stage, of the storied jazz ensemble. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Message to Our Folks celebrates the band's success on their own terms.

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Bad Dreams and Other Stories, by Tessa Hadley

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In 'Bad Dreams,' Tessa Hadley Serves Up Satisfying Short Stories

7:00am May 16, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

There are plenty of story collections out now to start your summer with, but Tessa Hadley tops the pile with Bad Dreams, ten richly complex tales of characters pushing the boundaries of their lives.

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4 Romances To Kick Off Your Summer

7:00am May 14, 2017

by Maya Rodale

The weather is warming, the flowers are blooming, and our fancies turn lightly to thoughts of ... well, some really good romance novels. Here are four delicious reads to make your Maytime merry.

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'A Face Like Glass' Is A Magical, Perfectly Ticking Machine Of A Tale

7:00am May 13, 2017

by Amal El-Mohtar

Frances Hardinge's new novel is set in a wondrous underground city where crafts can be magic and the people are born with faces like blank canvas; they must purchase each new expression at great cost.

Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan

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'Based On A True Story' May Not Be True — But It's Still Scary

10:00am May 11, 2017

by Bethanne Patrick

French novelist Delphine De Vigan follows up her tell-all 2012 memoir with a creepy tale of a blocked novelist — also named Delphine — who falls under the sway of an elegant, menacing ghostwriter.

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'Seeing People Off' Is A Short, Strange Trip

7:00am May 11, 2017

by Michael Schaub

Slovak author Jana Beňová's English language debut is a bizarre, oblique — but beautiful — series of vignettes about a couple who spend their time drinking and smoking in Bratislava coffee shops.

Cover art of No One Can Pronounce My Name, by Rakesh Satyal.

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'No One Can Pronounce My Name' Is A Charming Take On Loneliness And Connection

1:45pm May 10, 2017

by Maureen Corrigan

Set in an Indian-American community in suburban Cleveland, Rakesh Satyal's new novel uses intertwined plots to explore the comedy of everyday life. Critic Maureen Corrigan says readers will be amused.

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