Books by Americans – Page 9 – Equal Opportunity Reader

[Review] Signs of Attraction, by Laura Brown

A brightly lit tablet displays a book cover photo of a bearded Latino, held up in front of a narrow dark urban street.

(Find it HERE.) There’s a lot of things I expect from romance novels, and intersectionality is not one of them. However, that’s exactly what this book offers and it’s an interesting surprise. Main girl Carli is a Hard Of Hearing undergrad from a troubled background. Main guy Reed, a handsome grad student, is not onlyContinue reading “[Review] Signs of Attraction, by Laura Brown”

[REVIEW] In The Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado

(Buy it HERE.) “The memoir is, at its core, an act of resurrection. Memoirists re-create the past, reconstruct dialogue. They summon meaning from events that have long been dormant.” A long time ago, for what seems like a very long time, Carmen Maria Machado was abused by her girlfriend. While the abuse was emotional ratherContinue reading “[REVIEW] In The Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado”

[REVIEW] Can’t We All Disagree More Constructively? by Jonathan Haidt

[Buy the full book HERE.] Okay, so first of all, no. No, we cannot. I have to admit I feel some type of way about these conciliatory centrist hot takes from white academics (and other public figures) who have relatively low existential stakes in the present US situation. This kind of jolly elitist water coolerContinue reading “[REVIEW] Can’t We All Disagree More Constructively? by Jonathan Haidt”

[REVIEW] The Powder Mage Trilogy, Brian McClellan

A maroon book cover displayed on a black and white hand-held tablet. The tablet rests on a wooden table with a variety of large Korean food dishes--soup, rice, side dishes-- laid out on it.

(Find it HERE.) I think all serious readers have their comfort reading habits, right? When I need words but my powers of concentration are low, I read poetry. When I feel the need to wrap up in creativity like a blanket, I find a long fantasy or sci-fi series and immerse myself in another worldContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Powder Mage Trilogy, Brian McClellan”

[REVIEW] The Gatekeeper’s Staff(TJ Young And The Orishas Book 1), by Antoine Bandele

A black and white ebook standing on a cement block, underneath a halo-shaped fluorescent light.

(Find it HERE.) I LOVED THIS. Before I get into the review, let me just say–if you know a pre-teen boy who loves magic and adventure, get him this book. If he’s Black, get him two copies. This is the first book I’ve read in 2021 that made me want to clap and cheer andContinue reading “[REVIEW] The Gatekeeper’s Staff(TJ Young And The Orishas Book 1), by Antoine Bandele”

[BOOKLIST] Earth Is Ghetto: A Booklist Where Aliens Land Everywhere

Yellow brick wall with red mosaic "Space Invaders"-style alien in top right corner.

“Earth is ghetto / I want to leave / Can you beam me up / I’m out on the street by the corner store / You know the one on 15th…“ I’m sure many of you have heard the viral song by Aliah Sheffield by now–it’s the toast of TikTok. If not, take a moment andContinue reading “[BOOKLIST] Earth Is Ghetto: A Booklist Where Aliens Land Everywhere”

[Review] A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

Black and white book with photo of man's tightened face on cover held up in front of apartments buildings on a snowy street

(Find it HERE.) Jude, Willem, JB and Malcolm meet during their freshman year of university, and luckily the friendship lasts a lifetime–through failures, successes, relationships, jobs, deaths and heartbreak. They’re a motley crew–all different races, classes and sexualities–but the main character is Jude, the shyest and most secretive of the group, tortured by an unspeakableContinue reading “[Review] A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara”

[REVIEW] Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Blue paperback book lying on shiny polished wood dining table in front of a white coffee cup and saucer. The cup is full of latte with a fleur-de-lis pattern in the foam.

(Find it HERE.) Some books show you the lives of other people. Some books show you yourself. Some books do both. Song of Solomon has always been the last for me, although it’s always been hard to put my finger on exactly why. ⠀ This is a deceptively dense novel, packed with story and detail,Continue reading “[REVIEW] Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison”

[REVIEW]Jews, Confucians and Protestants: Cultural Capital and the End of Multiculturalism, by Lawrence E Harrison

(I can’t imagine why you’d want to, but find this HERE) (This is a slightly-edited form of a review originally posted in 2014 on Goodreads. Were I to write this now, it would be better organized, but even more scathing.) It’s taken me a long time to write a review of this, because I’m tryingContinue reading “[REVIEW]Jews, Confucians and Protestants: Cultural Capital and the End of Multiculturalism, by Lawrence E Harrison”

[REVIEW] Vox, by Christina Dalcher

(Find it HERE.) Maybe today isn’t a good day to write about a dystopian novel in which hyper-conservative, racist, sexist ideals permeate the US, resulting in the election of a wannabe despot who encourages horribly oppressive policies necessitating an organized movement of diverse people working together to legitimately reclaim the country despite his last ditchContinue reading “[REVIEW] Vox, by Christina Dalcher”