Book Reviews

Book Review: Prairie Fires

Book Review: Prairie Fires

Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser is a new biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, writer of the Little House on the Prairie novels. The book pieces together the Ingalls’ family history and walks readers through Laura’s childhood experiences as her family moved around the midwest. With the birth of Laura’s own child, Rose, the book broadens its biographical scope to include a complete picture of Rose and her own set of challenges. Quite a bit of the biography covers the inception…

Jaci July 24, 2020 Book Reviews No Comments
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Book Review: The Dark Interval

Book Review: The Dark Interval

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Random House via NetGalley. The heartfelt but philosophical nature of Rainer Maria Rilke’s writing always stands out to me, but it stands out more so in this collection focused on grief. The book’s editor did an impressive job of both organizing the letters with helpful introductions and contextualizing them in a Preface that I recommend readers not gloss over. I am not new to Rilke’s work, having read several of…

Jaci September 17, 2018 Book Reviews No Comments
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Book Review: The Lady in Gold

Book Review: The Lady in Gold

I did this the wrong way. I have been to Vienna and seen Klimt’s work in the Kunsthistoriches Museum. I have been to the Neue Galerie in New York City. I have always marveled at his masterpieces and admired the venues that displayed them. Never did I ever realize the deep and far reaching impact of his art and the people whose lives it touched until I read The Lady in Gold. I wish I had read this book before…

Jaci September 6, 2018 Book Reviews No Comments
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Book Review: Travelling in the Dark

Book Review: Travelling in the Dark

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Fairlight Books via NetGalley. On the surface, Travelling in the Dark by Emma Timpany is a story about a young woman named Sarah travelling back to her home in New Zealand for the first time with her son after years of estrangement from family and the end of her rocky marriage. The narrative is engaging, and the author’s choice to alternate the narrative between past and present with each chapter…

Jaci August 22, 2018 Book Reviews No Comments
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Book Review: You Do You

Book Review: You Do You

You Do You by Sarah Knight is an unabashed self help book of sorts in which the author illustrates how to have more self confidence and life a more fulfilling life. The book’s approach is a bit unorthodox, leveraging profanity and a unique candor that capture your attention and make you think twice about your perspectives. Knight drives readers to identify what truly makes them tick and to be proud of what makes them different or authentic. There’s room for…

Jaci August 14, 2018 Book Reviews No Comments
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