All the Beauty in the World, by Patrick Bringley (Simon & Schuster, 226 pages)
When Patrick Bringley’s older brother died after a lingering illness, his life was upended at age 25 and so he did the only thing that made sense at the time: He applied to be a Continue reading “All the Beauty in the World, by Patrick Bringley”
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, by Claire Dederer (Knopf, 273 pages)
In 2017, the year that the world learned about the sexual predation of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Claire Dederer published an essay in The Paris Review in which she tried to work out her feelings about bad men and Continue reading “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, by Claire Dederer”
Saving Time, by Jenny Odell (Random House, 364 pages)
The quote that opens Jenny Odell’s Saving Time is from the late painter Agnes Martin: “I wish the idea of time would drain out of my cells and leave me quiet even on this shore.”
For anyone who feels that Continue reading “Saving Time, by Jenny Odell”
Built to Move, by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett (Knopf, 336 pages)
CrossFit devotees are no doubt familiar with Kelly and Juliet Starrett. Not being one, I was not, and there was nothing in their new book’s title that seems particularly inspiring. In fact, the only thing the book Continue reading “Built to Move, by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett”
The Society of Shame, by Jane Roper (Anchor, 360 pages)
The year is young, but it’s hard to imagine that there will be a smarter, sassier takedown of social media this year than The Society of Shame, Jane Roper’s merrily caustic novel about cancel culture.
Roper, who claims Continue reading “The Society of Shame, by Jane Roper”
Reading the Glass, by Elliott Rappaport (Dutton, 322 pages)
Have you ever felt the urge to throw everything away for the love of a good boat and a life at sea? Me neither. But there are people who not only feel the urge, but obey it, who consider “life Continue reading “Reading the Glass, by Elliott Rappaport”
The Promise of a Normal Life, by Rebecca Kaiser Gibson (Arcade, 266 pages)
The pantheon of bad mothers is crowded, from Medea to Mommy Dearest. The latest inductee is Polina, a Jewish physician and mother of two who dabbles in motherhood the way some people dabble in a hobby Continue reading “The Promise of a Normal Life, by Rebecca Kaiser Gibson”
The Half Known Life, by Pico Iyer (Riverhead, 225 pages)
Pico Iyer is primarily known as a travel writer, but it should not be surprising that he delves into the spiritual in his latest book, given that he spends a part of each year in silent retreat at a Continue reading “The Half Known Life, by Pico Iyer”
Wolfish, by Erica Berry (Flatiron, 380 pages)
After Erica Berry was awarded a fellowship to work on a book about wolves, she took a train from Minneapolis to Portland, where she would spend a few weeks alone researching and writing in the delightful paid-for isolation awarded to writers of Continue reading “Wolfish, by Erica Berry”
I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai (Viking, 435 pages)
When the protagonist of Rebecca Makkai’s gripping new novel is a teen, she arrives at a boarding school in New Hampshire knowing little about the school or the region.
“I remembered wondering if New Hampshire kids had Continue reading “I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai”
