Book Review: Earth Keeper, N. Scott Momaday Nonfiction: Earth Keeper, N. Scott Momaday Almost 40 years ago now I sat in an Introduction to American Literature class in my high school. I don’t remember a lot about the class. I remember reading Poe and Hawthorne, Longfellow and Thoreau. Back then it was mostly […]
Book Review: Semicolon, Cecelia Watson Nonfiction: Semicolon, Cecelia Watson At Scintilla we get book recommendations from a variety of sources: book blog tours often invite our participation; “best of” lists and award winners grab our attention; our local library, Schlow, makes some outstanding suggestions; friends and family point us toward books they’ve enjoyed. […]
Book Review: The Great Mortality, John Kelly Nonfiction: The Great Mortality, John Kelly I have to admit, reading books about pandemics seems very odd in the present moment (the end of 2020). On the one hand, trying to understand the transformations society faces in the aftermath of COVID-19 is hard. Perhaps seeing how […]
Book Review: Shakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough, John J. Ross, M.D. Nonfiction: Shakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough, John J. Ross, M.D. Certain writers’ works are, dare I say, infected with certain maladies. Shakespeare frequently refers obliquely to syphilis. James Joyce has multiple descriptive names for gonorrhea. Tuberculosis affects characters in Jane Eyre and […]
Book Review: 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics,, Bruce Goldfarb Nonfiction: 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics,, Bruce Goldfarb Although it would make a great title for a crime novel, 18 Tiny Deaths […]
Book Review: Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World, Richard C. Francis Nonfiction: Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World, Richard C. Francis Domesticated is a scientific examination of the evolution of domesticated mammals. Tracing their origins back to their wild ancestors, Richard C. Francis explores the changes and modifications that domestication has made on […]
Book Review: Rin Tin Tin, Susan Orlean Nonfiction: Rin Tin Tin, Susan Orlean Susan Orlean is a genius at making you think you are reading one book when in reality you are reading several books she has incredibly forged together in an unbreakable alloy. Rin Tin Tin masquerades as a book about the […]
Book Review: Mobituaries, Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg Nonfiction: Mobituaries, Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg Did you know that Thomas Paine, famed author of the Revolutionary War era pamphlet Common Sense, writer of the sentence “These are the times that try men’s souls,” the single best selling American author in history (by percentage […]
Book Review: Fathoms, Rebecca Giggs Nonfiction: Fathoms, Rebecca Giggs Fathoms is a difficult book to read for many reasons. All of those reasons also make it a book that you should read. The book begins and ends with beached whales. Author Rebecca Giggs visits the sites of both beachings in Australia, her […]
Book Review: In Black and White, Alexandra Wilson NonFiction: In Black and White, Alexandra Wilson Blog Tour: October 2, 2020 I often reflect upon my good fortune despite, which is true despite various challenges I may face. I grew up in a stable home with parents who loved me. We were comfortably middle-class and […]
