I have never stayed up late into the night to finish a nonfiction book before, but Helen and her bees has me hooked! The minimal yet poetic attributes prescribed to the friends, locations and actions that intersect with her studies - utterly compelling. The controlled chaos, matriarchy, and environmental significance of a single colony - timely and impactful. Plus, she includes an awesome bibliography that would excite any nature reader!
I have experienced a lot of side-eyes glances and unwelcome critique for my love of the horror genre, the assumption being that my outlook and tastes must be base if not subterranean.Tell that to Carol J. Clover. Through thoughtful lenses she looks at the slasher/horror genre as one with the potential to build empathy. This book reminds me that guilt and pleasure should never occupy the same space.
Hands down, my new favorite historical romance of all time. What woman hasn't been disappointed, wronged, or hurt by men? Us cynics of love deserve a happily ever after, too!
Seraphina's memoirs are intended to enthrall her fellow ladies of society: her story is a call for equality of the sexes in late eighteenth-century England. She returns to her coastal home to focus on writing and instead discovers handsome Scottish architect Adam. THE RAKESS subverts all tropes to deliver a complex story of first heartbreaks, small-town gossip, and fiercely loyal friends.
Like if George Saunders re-wrote The Monkey Wrench Gang. Only, you know, better.
One of the greatest legacies in American architecture, the Case Study House Program was a series of thirty-six prototype homes designed to marry modern design and affordability. Illustrated heavily with Julius Shulman's iconic photos of these innovative structures, Taschen's insanely affordable edition of Case Study Houses is an indispensable resource.
"There is no delight the equal of dread"
Clive Barker's artistic range is on full display in this toothsome collection of shorts: from haunted shrouds bent on revenge to possessed pigs, each tale is an allegory wrapped in viscera. Along with Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber', 'Books of Blood' rests atop my list when it comes to short story collections. A truly bloody affair.
It's September, 1969, int he Brooklyn projects, The Cause, where poverty consumes the residents and rarely spits them out. Five Ends Baptist Church is a strong force within this community. One of its deacons, a kindhearted by drunken 71 year-old known as Sportcoat, shoots a young drug dealer in broad daylight before many witnesses. Stumbling off toward the rest of his day, Sportcoat eludes the law and claims not to remember a thing about shooting Deems. From this point on the spicy dialogues swirl before the reader, as people react to this unexpected act of violence. Sportcoat's reputation weighs in heavily, making clear the loyalty that poverty generates. McBride's brilliant portrait of these connected souls underline the power of words!
When Roiphe isn't unflinchingly examining her own flaws as what our society wants a woman to be, she is picking apart the very essence of femininity. Occasionally I felt skewered by the barbs she hurls heedlessly into the void, but ultimately I felt empowered to be my own flawed self and appreciate my power, be it soft, hard, or something altogether different.
Set in the town bookstore (!!!), this friends-to-lovers romance is an emotional, dramatic ride. If you are inclined to agree that the phrase "baby fox coffee" is a loving term of endearment, this is the contemporary series you should read next. Read in or out of series order - spoilers don't detract from the wit and heart of this series.
I admit it, I had to re-start this book because it is too fantastic. I kept thinking there's no way all of this happened to one person. By the end I was whelmed with her story, travels, entry into spy-craft, leaving the trade, and her central message. This book offers so much for both those obsessed with international politics and those more interested in individual action. It's a book about choice, perception, and reality.
