How quintessentially inspired that Lonely Planet’s 500-stop global gastronomy tour begins not with flashiness and flair, but by lauding what’s simple: “battered white asparagus, a tuna and anchovy tart or maybe mushrooms braised in... Read More
Marjorie Agosín’s essays positively ache at moments: when she’s describing what it’s like to make home in a liminal space; as she calls out across time to memorialize family members who were brutally ripped away. And yet... Read More
Jacek Dehnel’s "Lala" is a wonderful mosaic of stories about a woman’s unbelievably adventurous youth; they were shared with family members so many times that her children and grandchildren could recite them practically verbatim.... Read More
Drawing on ancient tradition and modern experience, "The Circle of Nine" describes nine female archetypes and the ways women can utilize them to enrich their lives and strengthen their spirits. Cherry Gilchrist’s book is an intelligent... Read More
"The Con Artist" is a lively romp loaded with geek humor. A longtime comic book writer, author Fred Van Lente has a deep familiarity with the annual San Diego Comic-Con, which has become the central event of the comic book industry.... Read More
Marianne Monson is an excellent storyteller whose research fills in the gaps regarding women and the Civil War in "Women of the Blue and Gray", centering on those who rebelled against expectations. The book covers women who flouted norms... Read More
Bryan Hurt’s sensibility is unusual and hard to describe, but that’s what makes the eighteen stories that form his debut collection, "Everyone Wants to Be Ambassador to France", worthwhile. There’s a great deal of variety here, in... Read More
In "Kompromat", Jeff Pegues, who covers justice and homeland security for CBS News, offers a chilling, cautionary investigation of the cyberwar between the United States and Russia, one that serves as a wake-up call for citizens and... Read More