In today’s political landscape, individual politicians, rather than institutions and organizations, garner the lion’s share of public attention and trust. Sonnevend, author of Stories Without Borders, argues that this development has transformed politics into “a site of performance.” As a result, personal charm—“personal magnetism that rests on proximity to political ‘tribes’”—has become an increasingly important […]
“Triangles are everything,” Parker writes in the introduction, “and everything is triangles.” The following 10 chapters bear titles like “Going the Distance,” “Getting Triggy With It,” and “Making Waves.” Within his exploratory and everyday applications of triangles, the author describes rounding corners on a racetrack (“the bike did lean just over 45° from vertical. Which […]
Zay must now finish his junior year at Broadlawn Alternative School, which is located hours away. The day he finds out he has to move in with his aunt and uncle (who live near Broadlawn), his white father is released from prison. Zay isn’t happy about Keith’s release; he feels betrayed by Ma for not […]
In her fourth book set in a region unknown to many readers, Kassabova examines the threats facing one of the few remaining nomadic peoples in modernity: the Karakachans, “Greek speakers of mysterious origin” whose homeland is “impossible to know.” Moving their animals in search of fresh pasture, they have spent centuries breeding ancient races of […]
This clever mashup includes actual 18th-century women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, not to mention Blackbeard’s son, Tobias, legendary pirate Calico Jack, and a whole host of captains (Ahab! Crunch! Hook!). Woebegone mermaid Mary falls in love with a boy she rescues and becomes human to be with him. Alas, he turns out to […]
Navya’s aunt—whom she calls Athai—and cousin Shruti have come all the way from India to celebrate Navarathri. Athai suggests that Navya sing the song that Athai taught her last month. Navya demurs, saying that she’ll sing next time. On the nights that follow, Navya visits friends’ houses and listens to other girls and women sing […]
Panyushkin, the author of Twelve Who Don’t Agree, argues that by delineating the plights of ordinary Ukrainian citizens, the immensity and toll of the violence and suffering should become apparent. As a journalist who left Russia yet remains a keen observer of the conflict, the author maintains some distance—e.g., as he tries to point out […]
When Dolly Parton–loving, pink cowboy boots–wearing Lark Thompson arrives in Galway for an animation gig, the last thing she expects to find is a pile of black body bags mistakenly sent to her apartment. It’s not enough that the loss of her husband follows her everywhere—grief had to live right next door. The body bags […]