Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, was published 171 years ago. The story of the “poor, obscure, plain, and little” Jane who survived a harsh, unloved, and lonely childhood has enthralled readers ever since, and her passionate nature, realized both in her rebellion against her oppressors and her love for Mr. Rochester, makes the novel a romantic […]
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Everyone needs a quiet place of their own when they can pout, lurk, or snivel quietly. I’m lucky to have a sewing room to hide in, and when I want to escape from the hurly-burly of everyday life, I turn to my trusted sewing machine. I can’t claim any great sewing expertise, but I like doing […]
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Crank up those swamp coolers and chug frosty pitchers of lemonade: it’s (still) extremely hot outside. If you’re feeling drained from the summer heat, it may appease you to sprawl out in front of a fan with a mentally cooling read! The following titles are about swimming in abnormally cold waters for competition, thrills, health […]
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Attica Locke’s new book, Bluebird, Bluebird, deals about race and justice, and the way they work in rural East Texas. When a black man from Chicago and a local white woman are found murdered in the tiny town of Lark, Texas, Darren Matthews wants to look into it. As a suspended Texas ranger, he has […]
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For most, this 1100 paged epic novel would intimidate people, but this book is all-around amazing. It is absolutely terrifying; it gave me nightmares for weeks. It took a while to finish, but even today, Pennywise the Dancing Clown still haunts my dreams. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because of […]
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What is noir? It’s fiction loaded with amoral, nihilistic creeps on the run from the consequences of their morally bankrupt actions. At its best and most noir-y, it’s pretty hard to take. Here are some examples: The thing about real noir fiction is, there are no happy endings, nobody […]
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What to do about stress? If you’re like me, you’ve tried junk food, negative thinking, staying up late to watch crap TV, excessive nap-taking, and criticizing strangers. None of it has worked. It got me thinking, “Could it be time for …gulp…self-help books?” After the screaming and hyperventilating subsided, it occurred to me that while I […]
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What is Juneteenth and why does it matter? It’s a little-known part of the history of emancipation from slavery, and part of the twisted, delayed, and elusive process of African-American freedom. There are other, more historically significant dates in emancipation history: Sept. 22: the day Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Order in 1862 Jan. […]
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If you read IQ, by Joe Ide, and are reminded of Sherlock Holmes, you’re not wrong. Ide grew up in South L.A. and devoured the Conan Doyle stories. His creation, Isaiah Quintabe, is a young black man almost destroyed by grief and rage when his older brother/surrogate parent Marcus is killed by a hit-and-run driver. […]
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This book was something beautiful. It’s hard to find a good LGBT+ book, but this one really, really is. Ivy is relatable, she’s someone with problems and needs, she’s someone who smiles when she thinks she should, even though she doesn’t want too. She’s figuring out who she is, just like all of us. When […]
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