If you were excited about the long-delayed release of Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee’s first novel, chances are good you reread To Kill a Mockingbird in preparation. That’s a long time to be immersed in Lee’s lyrical midcentury South, awash in racial politics and moral quandaries. And now you can’t just go cold turkey on […]
When it comes to learning about ourselves, literature, some would argue, is the most masterful teacher of all. That said, it can be a bit weary-making to wade through The Brothers Karamazov in search of a deeper understanding of humanity. So instead of picking up a heavy tome, we reach for lighter fare in a […]
Alison Umminger’s dark debut is already one of my favorite books of the year. After a bullying incident goes too far, teenaged Anna uses her stepmom’s credit card to set out for seedy, sunny Los Angeles. There, she’s taken in by her B-list actress sister, whose life feels marginal in every way: her career is stalled, she barely keeps food in […]