"Existence is this, I thought, a start of joy, a stab of pain, an intense pleasure, veins that pulse under the skin, there is no other truth to tell." --Elena Ferrante
A book about what it means to live today, when much of our living is done online. The nameless narrator grapples with a place she calls "The Portal"--a virtual realm that infiltrates her thoughts, fears, language, and dreams, and that is at once awe-inspiring and maddening, compelling and repulsive. What meaning does such a place hold for us, though, when confronted with the inner earthquakes of love and death? Lockwood explores this collision with writing so tender, ferocious, and funny that it replenished within me a rare thing these days: hope. ~ Reviewed by Cathy Taylor
What a funny, tender, whip smart novel! Peters's book follows three main characters: a trans woman named Reese, Reese's ex Ames, who has detransitioned since they were married and now lives as a man, and Katrina, the woman whom Ames has impregnated. Desiring parenthood but uncomfortable with the expectations of being a father, Ames offers an alternative solution: involve Reese, who craves motherhood, and raise the child together. The wildly compelling story that follows explores gender, queerness, family, and desire, and has characters whose voices will stay in your head long after you finish! ~ Reviewed by Cathy Taylor
A gorgeous cookbook that will strengthen any home chef’s understanding of why their food cooks and tastes the way it does.
Sharma’s passionate curiosity in the scientific and emotional principles that flavor our food combines with stunning photography and creative, thoughtful recipes. The result is a knockout cookbook that will leave you with a joyful spirit and a full stomach! ~ Reviewed by Cathy Taylor
A perverse little fairytale about three governesses tending to a couple's young boys in the French countryside. To the country manor's inhabitants, the women are irresistible and unknowable. They frolic, gossip, cry a good deal, and devour men from time to time. Though the action is sparse, this slim book contains more feeling, wit, and ideas than a book three times its size. These governesses possess an irreverent magic. ~ Reviewed by Cathy Taylor
From the personal histories of a Midwestern family at the close of the twentieth century, Ben Lerner crafts an expansive vision of the moral and intellectual condition of contemporary America. Shifting narratives between haughty, brilliant high school student Adam and his two psychologist parents, this novel explores the creative and destructive power of language, both locally and culturally. The wisest, most imaginative novel you’ll read all year. ~ Reviewed by Cathy Taylor
