West isn’t, and cannot be, an all-encompassing history of a time and place, but it is a fascinating and weighty addition to a more comprehensive view of the region that millions of us call home.
Tag Archives: Would read again
‘Home’ More Heart than Haunted, In a Good Way
There’s just as much heart in Haunt as in any of Pinsker’s steady stream of excellent short fiction. I’d watch Haunt Sweet Home, but I liked reading about it even better.
‘Night Guest’ Preys on Fears of Self
The Night Guest is an unsettling story about who we are when our own backs are turned. In an era of butt-dialing, sleep-texting, Ambien Tweets, and the unofficial but far-reaching Mysterious Leg-Bruise Club, it’s a relatable fear.
‘Unraveling’ a Multi-Step Pandemic Project
Orenstein faces her project with a little good-natured self-deprecation. That attitude helps make each step, and misstep, feel more like a fascinating conversation than a staid travelogue or sermon.
‘Doors’ A Lovely, if Tangled, Tale
What initially seems like naivety or secondhand confessional turns out to be something far lovelier, and more than worth the time it takes to get there.
‘Fever’ a Little Known but Familiar History
In detailing this little-known series of events, Fever provides a reminder that our fraught political landscape is nothing new, nor is a swift wave that threatens to sweep society back a few decades.
‘Promises’ a Truly Golden Collection
Whether or not I was Olivarez’s target audience, I found myself profoundly moved by many poems in this collection.
‘Extinction’ a Multi-Layer Puzzle
The Extinction of Irena Rey is a layer cake of fascinating and thought-provoking elements, all of them strong enough to hold a story on their own but working together deliciously.
‘Liberty’s Daughter’ Balances Play with a Dark Underbelly
Liberty’s Daughter is a story about finding your way in the world—an easy message to relate to, even for those of us living on dry land.
Friendship at Heart of ‘Tree. Table. Book.’
The moment of the younger Sophie’s realization is a hard one, and the elder Sophie has her own hard moments at present, and in the near future. Yet what does remain simple is the beauty of their unconventional friendship, and how common ground can erase years and miles and practically an entire life between them.
Ring Reads 