All articles tagged with #book review
Keza MacDonald’s Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped the World Have Fun is a praise-filled, interview-rich history of Nintendo, tracing its evolution from 1960s toy-making to Splatoon and highlighting how design, culture, and a persistent sense of play have kept the company central to gaming.
George Saunders’s Vigil is a slim, afterlife-set novel in which an angel counsels an oil-tycoon on his deathbed. Dwight Garner’s review praises Saunders’s wit and the concept but argues the book’s heavy-handed moralizing and explicit virtue-talk weigh it down, delivering more sermon than story and predicting it will be a bestseller despite its didactic tone.
Eric Lichtblau's 'American Reich' explores the culture of hate and the neo-Nazi movement behind a 2018 murder of a gay Jewish teenager in Orange County, highlighting the ongoing rise of hate crimes and extremist ideologies.
'Nobody’s Girl' is a powerful and harrowing memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre that exposes the extent of abuse, power, and corruption linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, highlighting her journey from victim to survivor and the ongoing fight for justice, while also reflecting on her tragic death shortly after its publication.
The article reviews Patricia Lockwood's autobiographical novel 'Will There Ever Be Another You,' which vividly captures the surreal and challenging experience of long Covid and pandemic-induced mental fog, highlighting its chaotic yet charming narrative style.
Jill Lepore's 'We the People' explores the history of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the ongoing struggles to expand its definition of 'the People' through amendments, and highlighting concerns about the Constitution's slow amendment process potentially leading to a crisis.
The article humorously reflects on how confessing to review books in 2003, especially 'The Da Vinci Code,' elicited sympathetic reactions from others, highlighting the book's cultural impact.
Dan Brown's latest novel, 'The Secret of Secrets,' features his iconic character Robert Langdon in a fast-paced conspiracy set mostly in Prague, blending historical intrigue with modern suspense, and includes Brown's characteristic factual and detailed writing style.
Peter Brannen's book argues that CO2, often vilified for its role in climate change, is actually fundamental to the development of life and human civilization, offering a comprehensive history from origins to modern issues.
The article reviews David Baron's book 'The Martians,' which explores the early 20th-century American obsession with life on Mars, fueled by figures like Percival Lowell and reflected in popular culture, contrasting with today's scientific pursuits of Mars colonization led by Elon Musk and NASA.
The book 'The Colonel and the King' by Peter Guralnick offers a detailed and nuanced look at Colonel Tom Parker's life and his complex relationship with Elvis Presley, challenging some common perceptions and providing new insights into his background and management style.
Alexis Soloski's 'Flashout' is a gripping thriller that alternates between 1972 New York and 1997 Los Angeles, exploring the tumultuous life of theater performer Allison Hayes as she navigates her past and present, revealing themes of power, performance, and identity. The novel is praised for its vivid period details, compelling characters, and tight pacing, making it a stylish and suspenseful exploration of the seductive and dangerous nature of performance.
Yvan Alagbé's graphic novel 'Misery of Love' explores complex family dynamics, legacy, and love through interwoven narratives of a wealthy French family dealing with death, racism, and personal secrets, using striking imagery and layered storytelling.
Christine Brennan's book on Caitlin Clark, 'On Her Game,' is criticized for being mundane and overly focused on controversy and grievances rather than providing a compelling or insightful portrait of the athlete, highlighting issues within sports media and the WNBA's handling of Clark's rising fame.
Maurizio Serra's biography of Curzio Malaparte explores the complex relationship between the writer and fascism, highlighting how fascism was as much an aesthetic and imaginative project as a political one, and examining Malaparte's life as a reflection of this blend of art and ideology.