In the latest in the Critical Lives series, Goodby and Wigginton, Thomas scholars at Sheffield Hallam University, offer a brisk but comprehensive look at the life of Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), eschewing the popular image of a “rumpled, Dionysiac…summoner of elemental powers” in favor of a more nuanced portrait of a driven, focused writer who had […]
Bobby, a tan-skinned youngster with round spectacles, is smitten with his best friend, Eddie, a brown-skinned boy with a gap-toothed smile. Bobby and Eddie are inseparable. They ride bikes, they bake cookies, and for Halloween they even dress up together as a knight and prince. For Valentine’s Day, Bobby wants to show Eddie how much […]
Historians Gabriele and Perry did so well with The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe that they have followed it with a narrower focus on the ninth century. Perhaps the best-known figure of that era is Charlemagne (reigned 768-814), who assembled much of Europe into the largest empire since Rome’s and had himself […]
Kolinjivadi and Vansintjan are deeply committed to the issue of climate change. They are co-editors of the website Uneven Earth, and much of the material in their book is drawn from it. They are particularly angry at the way that sustainability has been co-opted by an affluent elite, who believe that fighting climate change is […]
Even after she moves from New Jersey to Rhode Island, cozy mystery novelist Saoirse White is still tormented by the voice of her husband, attorney Jonathan White, who suffered a fatal heart attack nine months ago. She doesn’t want to talk about his last days; she doesn’t want his best friend, Aidan Vesper, to show […]
Even after a generation, the small Vancouver Island town of Tass is feeling the effects of the Big One, a sinkhole that swallowed an entire church full of people. No bodies were ever recovered. Sixteen-year-old Hudson has always delighted in exploring the area’s sprawling cave systems, but he’s recently become increasingly worried about the looming […]
At a point in ancient history “before time,” a nameless young girl travels to the ruins of a great sphinx. She arrives in this place somewhat magically, “as if the wind had carried her from a golden palace far away.” The girl does not behave like a child. She appears to have wisdom that is […]
When 17-year-old Devin is woken up in the middle of the night by two men in her room, she fights back and calls for her foster parents. She quickly learns they’re well aware of what’s going on. The men throw her into a van that’s holding another teen named Ollie and take them both into […]
Colt has a secret identity. By day, he’s a seemingly ordinary child, but when the neighborhood needs his help, he transforms into Neigh Kid—dressed in a horse mask, a red cape, and nothing else. He envisions himself as a majestic hero, galloping through streets on a mission to save a lost pet. However, the humorous […]
“The act of probing into the future need not be predictive to be useful,” writes historian Adamson. Instead, considering what the future might look like can focus attention on the good and bad of the present. Adamson opens with a fascinating, albeit brief, account of weather forecasting, which became more reliable with the advent of […]