Punk rock star and multi-talented artist Patti Smith’s National Book Award winner “Just Kids” covered the early days of her New York City life, highlighting her deep friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe before his death from AIDS. “M Train” (2015),…
Reader’s Choice
‘A Man Called Ove’ Written by Fredrik Backman
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
No one assigns the book I review each month; I’m happily on my own. I always hope to choose a book I can excitedly promote to other readers. (There’s no red pencil-wielding English teacher in me, eager to point out…
‘The Vacationers’
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
What characterizes a good summer read? I’m no expert on that since I’m generally indifferent to the season when I make my choice. But this year after a string of heavier topics, I decided on Emma Straub’s “The Vacationers” (2014).…
‘When Breath Becomes Air’ Written by Paul Kalanithi
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
You may have seen Kalanithi’s story featured on TV—a brilliant young neurosurgeon is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and shares his story with the world. Or you may have read his New York Times op-ed that went viral in…
‘The Japanese Lover’ Written by Isabel Allende
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
At first glance, Isabel Allende’s newest novel, “The Japanese Lover,” has three things going for it. First, its title suggests secret trysts, and if we’re lucky, exotic lovemaking. Then, its lush cover leads us to wonder what kind of adventure…
‘My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel’ Written by Elizabeth Strout
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
Intimate. Quiet. Deep. These are the words that spring to mind to describe Elizabeth Strout’s newest novel, “My Name Is Lucy Barton.” Her narrator, Lucy, a writer with a husband and two young daughters at home, speaks to us from…
‘Did You Ever Have a Family’ Written by Bill Clegg
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
As I headed toward the stacks at the library, “Did You Ever Have a Family” leapt off the New Books shelf right into my hand. Well, not exactly, but as soon as I saw it, I just had to take…
‘What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir’ Written by Abigail Thomas
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
Abigail Thomas’ books have called to me ever since I saw one in a bookstore and was struck by her style—short, powerful entries of a page or two, occasionally even just a sentence or two. Her highly acclaimed earlier memoir,…
‘A Spool of Blue Thread’ Written by Anne Tyler
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
It has always been an easy question for me to answer—“Who’s your favorite author?” Without a moment’s hesitation I say, “Anne Tyler.” Yet afterwards I sometimes ask myself if it’s only because I’ve been reading and savoring her books since…
“Mary Coin: A Novel” Written by Marisa Silver
by Betty Hafner • • Comments Off
The cover of Marisa Silver’s novel “Mary Coin” (2013) broadly hints at the story inside. It shows a distressed woman’s face, darkened by the sun, and a child’s head on her shoulder. You’ll most likely recognize it from Dorothea Lange’s…