Book Review: 'How To Be Drawn,' Terrance Hayes
Poet Tess Taylor reviews Terrance Hayes' collection of poetry, How to be Drawn.
Book Reviews
Each Wave Tells A Story In 'Barbarian Days'
A surfing memoir might not be what you'd expect from a seasoned New Yorker reporter, but William Finnegan's new book is a loving look back at his life on the water.
The Waters Of 'Lagoon' Are Choppy But Enthralling
Nnedi Okorafor's new book imagines an alien landing in the waters just off Lagos, Nigeria. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar calls it chaotic and beautiful, though occasionally dizzyingly difficult to read.
Savor The Quiet Sweetness Of 'The Blue Girl'
Laurie Foos' gently surreal new novel is set in a small lakeside town where the local mothers bake their secret confessions into moon pies, which they feed to a silent, mysterious blue-skinned girl.
A Striking Image Becomes A Gory Graphic Novel In 'Divine'
A famous photo of a child soldier brazenly smoking was the inspiration for this new graphic novel. But critic Etelka Lehoczky says the book lacks dimensional characters.
'Armada' Sinks In A Sea Of Pop-Culture References
Ernest Cline's new novel follows a teen boy who discovers his favorite video game is real. But critic Tasha Robinson says Armada is light on plot and character.
'ZeroZeroZero' Argues Cocaine Is Everywhere ... But Is It Really?
Roberto Saviano reports on the worldwide cocaine trade, from small-scale users to organized crime. Critic Tomas Hachard says that while the book is illuminating, it doesn't quite hit its mark.
Equal Parts Sarcasm, Silliness And Smarts In 'Let's Be Less Stupid'
Patricia Marx's comic memoir chronicles her four-month attempt to boost her brainpower. Critic Heller McAlpin says anyone clever enough to have written this book shouldn't worry about her brain.
'Cold Iron' Asks: What If Tolkien Had Been American?
Stina Leicht's novel melds Tolkienesque fantasy with muskets and gunpowder in a tale of elves at war with humans. Critic Amal El-Mohtar calls it "an impressively character-driven doorstop."
Harper Lee's 'Watchman' Is A Mess That Makes Us Reconsider A Masterpiece
Depending on whom you ask, Go Set a Watchman is either a recently discovered first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird — or a failed sequel. Either way, critic Maureen Corrigan calls it "kind of a mess."