Books
'Solito' Review: Is Empathy Enough?
As Zamora narrates the hardships he survived, the reader is left to grapple with the enormity of his situation and its apparent hopelessness.
'Gran Cocina Latina' Review: An Homage to Food in Latin Life
Presilla presents over 500 recipes that encapsulate the flavors and techniques of Latin American cuisine.
‘A Book of Days’ Review: A Peek into the Mind of Patti Smith
Photos like these offer an interesting glimpse into the way Smith thinks and interacts with the world, finding simple moments to appreciate each day.
‘It Came From the Closet’ Review: A Lyrical Tribute to Queerness and the Macabre
Replete with beautiful, memoir-style narratives, this collection of essays is well worth the read regardless of the reader’s affinity for horror or movie analysis.
Harvard Authors Spotlight: Michael Bronski
The efforts of Bronski and others to revive lost AIDS literature like Borawski’s are a crucial step forward for the queer community.
‘The Shards’ Review: Bret Easton Ellis is a Master in Paranoia
Above all else, “The Shards” is a horror novel, and it is set to scare readers in the best way possible.
“The 12th Commandment” Review: A Disappointing Dönme Mystery
"The 12th Commandment" suffers from tired character archetypes, overambitious storytelling, and long-winded pacing that makes it impossible for the book to find a place among any genre’s contemporary greats.
‘What’s for Dessert’ Review: Claire Saffitz Delivers Exquisite Recipes and Sweet Stories
Saffitz’s latest release is a valuable resource for anyone who identifies as a dessert person. She acts as a helpful, instructive guide while leaving room for flexibility, adaptation, and exploration.
‘The Light We Carry’ Review: Michelle Obama’s Diplomacy For The Soul
“The Light We Carry” is a performance worthy of a First Lady — genuine, easy, intimate, but one which keeps the reader at arm’s length, just far enough to stay real.
From Our Bookshelves: The Forest of Wool and Steel
As a pianist and lover of words, I treasure the tender, poetic prose and imagery of "The Forest of Wool and Steel;" as a Harvard student, I value its remedial guidance for how to maneuver through some of Harvard’s greatest challenges.
‘Stay True’ Review: A Paean to Friendship’s Afterlives
At once a eulogy and a bildungsroman, a homage and a work of autotheory, "Stay True" is a layered form of searching.
‘Dot’ Review: An Ode to the Everyday
Though the work is comforting, it’s an ode, not a lullaby — this read is a page turner.
‘Liberation Day’ Review: An Exploration of Unconditional Humanity
Saunders crafts an emotional and enlightening journey through the nine short stories in “Liberation Day” with a restrained and imaginative writing style, peppered with humor and wit.
‘Ten Planets’ Review: A Philosophical Exercise of Cosmic Proportions
“Ten Planets” is neither warning nor prophecy — it is a compelling contemplation on the human capacity to find beauty in even the most dystopian settings, as well as its tendency to create instruments of oppression.
‘Getting Lost’ Review: New Translation Demonstrates Annie Ernaux’s Literary Prowess
Ernaux’s soul-bearing source text and Strayer’s expertise combine to produce a resounding, gripping work of art that proves to be more than worth its weight in salt.
Harvard Authors Spotlight: Mattie Kahn and the Greatness of Girls
Kahn’s interest in activism and political expression, the basis of her debut book, began before her time at the College, but has evolved to encompass the often underrepresented multitudes of womanhood.
Claire Saffitz Talks ‘What’s For Dessert’ at the Brattle Theatre
Saffitz’s appearance at the Brattle Theatre, which brought community members together to celebrate a Harvard alum, certainly answered the question “What’s For Dessert.”
Jericho Brown Inspires Attendees at Morris Gray Poetry Reading
The comments from attendees made it clear that Brown’s work can connect different generations of people and bridge the gap between older and more contemporary definitions of poetry.
Harvard Authors Spotlight: Nadia Colburn on Poetic Process and Inter-Being
Nadia Colburn ’95, a poet, teacher, and writing coach currently based in Cambridge, argues for a holistic approach to writing.
Books About Family You Should Read for Thanksgiving
In honor of the holiday season, here is the definitive list of recommendations to suit the holiday.
‘Babel’ Review: Critiquing the British Empire with a Fantastical Twist
“Babel” chooses to make a new version of history, and does so quite creatively and successfully.
From the Boston Book Festival: Dissecting the Secrets and Revelations of Horror Novels with YA Novelists
On Friday, Oct. 29, Boston Book Festival’s Secrets and Revelations Panel pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of a horror novel.
From the Boston Book Festival: The Shirley Jackson Awards Celebrate the Uncanny
Aptly held in the waning days of this spooky season, the awards recognize outstanding achievement in horror, the dark fantastic, and psychological suspense in six literary categories.
‘Best of Friends’ Review: An Underwhelming Tale of Childhood Friendship
All in all, this book is not Shamsie’s best work, but it’s more than worth reading. The characters are dynamic and well-developed, and the plot is anything but boring.
From the Boston Book Festival: Silence in Poetry
In the workshop “The Silence After a Bell: Crafting Poems Beyond Language” hosted at the Goethe-Institut, Allison Adair and Sandra Lim shared readings from their own collections and invited workshop participants to consider the role and sound of silence in spoken verse.