![]() Michael Magras, freelance book reviewer ![]() This isn't a hopeful story, but readers will come away thinking that, if one squints hard enough, one can sometimes see pinpoints of light in the darkest times. Lapvona may not be for all stomachs, but one of its pleasures is that, like many good novels, it takes narrative turns that will surprise and unmoor readers. These two worlds collide in beautifully rendered scenes that challenge Marek's devotion and-be warned-involve creative forms of violence and degradation. Even his privileged and silk-clad 14-year-old son, Jacob, hates the guy. The only person to show kindness to Marek is Ina, the village wet nurse with encyclopedic "knowledge of medicinal plants" and "whose breasts had fed half the population." The villagers' poverty exists in sharp contrast to the life of Villiam, Lapvona's "lord and governor," a ruler so pampered that when he chokes on his sumptuous feast, he summons a servant to slap him on the back. Marek, a religious 13-year-old shepherd boy who "had grown crookedly," lives in squalor with Jude, his brutal father, who hits him hard enough to knock out his teeth and laments the absence of his wife, Agata, who he says died in childbirth. ![]() ![]() The equally good news is that this is a well-constructed and thoughtful novel that makes timely comments about inequality and despair. Good news for fans of cannibalism and other grotesqueries: Ottessa Moshfegh ( Death on Her Hands My Year of Rest and Relaxation) serves up a smorgasbord of medieval ugliness in Lapvona. ![]()
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![]() Sexual Abuse and Molestation-Kids with Sexual Behavior Problems Sexual Abuse and Molestation-for Kids and Teens Sex and Sexuality-Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning Sex and sexuality-info for kids and teens Parenting-of Strong Willed, Defiant, Pain in the Butt Kids Learning Differences and Student Support Services Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning There is some overlap but I’ve also listed books on the teen page that haven’t been mentioned here.)ĭivorce and Separation Issues-for Kids and Teensĭivorce and Separation Issues-for Fathersĭivorce and Separation Issues-for Mothersįears, anxiety and phobias-for kids and teensįriendships, peers, popularity and cliques You may also want to take a look at the recommended books on teen page of this website. (Remember, this list is not comprehensive and the presence of books on this list does not constitute endorsement for or support of any of the information provided in these books. Yes, I’m OLD, ALRIGHT! Not everything old is irrelevant!) They are arranged by topic. ![]() Wellborn has spent working tirelessly to be of help to others. (Some are quite old, reflecting the many years that Dr. ![]() Wellborn has found to be helpful for parents as they deal with various teenage issues. These web pages contains an annotated bibliography of books Dr. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The book details the quintessential Indian parents, the way marriages generally work in India and the two varied cultures beautifully it also goes on to show that far beyond religion and creed, love keeps fighting for its place. This is more because, in India, it is easy to fall in love but tricky to convert that love into a love marriage. The journey that the couple takes from being romantically involved to getting married is full of twists and turns. Should read atleast 10 classics to exonerate myself from. But the persuasion takes a lot more than just a few words. Though I started reading this book, just to know how not to write, I hate myself for reading his books. ( b ) That her late dealing with us in her Marriage without our Knowledge and. They embark on a journey of convincing their parents for the marriage. But with the end of college and beginning of a career, the question of marriage does not stand far away. Miles apart in distance and custom, Krish and Ananya’s love blossoms within the confines of their college walls. This is a story of a love affair between two IIM students hailing from two different states, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. This fun-filled love story that gets complicated when the question of marriage comes up, is a loose adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s own marriage. 2 States: The Story of My Marriage is a semi-autobiographical novel by Indias bestselling author, Chetan Bhagat. Adapted as a hit film, this book is the fourth in Bhagat’s list of novels and also the fourth one to be adapted as a movie. ![]() ![]() ![]() I treasured the reasons for living that Yoli found in this heartfelt and candid story. At times the actors struggle with the heavy themes around depression and suicide, but the authenticity of the story shines through such faults. For all the dark moments, there are others full of light and laughter. ![]() All My Puny Sorrows is moody and emotional like its characters. There is hope for the sisters, and others in the same boat, in that life is always teaching lessons, and there is so much to learn, and so much that is beautiful. Society conspires against the sisters too in that its focus is on shame and profits rather than truth and healing. Yoli attempts to convince her sister to stay alive, but Yoli is not a model of healthy living herself and faces a nearly impossible task. Elf, a concert pianist, tried to kill herself and intends to try again. Suffering seems to be inherited for them. ![]() Sisters Yoli and Elf struggle to deal with the depression and doubt that plagues their family and lives. We must grapple with it and pull through. In other words, punting the ball down the field does not help in dealing with and defeating what ails the psyche. ![]() Sometimes letting go of grief is worse than the grief itself, for in letting go we risk losing this part of our true selves and our life experience. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “Everything Alice leaves behind carries weight. As Alice’s memory declines, her 40-something daughter grieves by making lists of her mother’s possessions: “Seemingly random personal items-including but not limited to family mementos, magazine subscriptions, purses, Post-it notes-become vehicles to memory, proof of the life Alice lived after all that was lost…” writes Elinam Agbo in her review of the novel. When a widening crack in a community swimming pool forces it to close, the swimmers who logged daily laps there are unmoored, especially Alice, who has dementia and is a survivor of Japanese American internment camps. These stories show us “the moment we were broken and the moment we broke others.” ![]() It’s a deeply personal story yet Harper also challenges readers to wrestle with their own family histories, “untold origin stories that root us in actual time and place and peoples,” she writes in an excerpt of Fortune published in Sojourners. With transfixing storytelling and careful research, Harper traces 10 generations of beauty and brokenness as her ancestors confronted racist laws and the system that enforced them. Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World-And How to Repair It All, by Lisa Sharon Harper “Find those who tell you, Do not be afraid, yet stay close enough to tremble with you,” writes Cole Arthur Riley in This Here Flesh, “This is a love.” Here are 12 books from 2022 - nonfiction, memoirs, novels, and short stories - that we think are worth keeping close.ġ. ![]() ![]() ![]() I can always count on Karen Hamilton to put together a fun and exciting thriller filled with drama and that’s exactly what THE EX-HUSBAND delivers! Told through the eyes of Charlotte, we’re able to travel between her present day situation and the life she led with her now ex-husband, Sam. With danger lurking around the corner, Charlotte must quickly decide who it is that has discovered her secret. It seems Charlotte’s stalker might also be onboard when mysterious messages start showing up. Looking to get away, Charlotte takes a job as a personal assistant for an engagement party aboard a private luxury cruise ship. Now Sam is missing, but before he disappeared, he left urgent, cryptic messages about someone threatening him, someone who has also been threatening Charlotte. She was so young then – she married the wrong man, falling for Sam’s sweet-talking charm and charisma, and got caught up in his con artist games. ![]() ![]() Charlotte has an unsavory past, but she’s on the straight and narrow these days. ![]() ![]() ![]() This program is part of the Museum's celebration of AAPI Heritage Month!īeautiful Country was released in 2021 and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Light reception and book signing to follow books available for purchase. Jeffe Distinguished Lecture in Urban HistoryĪuthor and litigator Qian Julie Wang reflects on her searing literary memoir, Beautiful Country, and considers her own childhood journey from China to Brooklyn in the wider context of New York City immigrant narratives, past and present. Following her talk, she will be joined for a conversation with poet and cultural critic Ken Chen. This program was recorded on May 9, 2022. ![]() ![]() ![]() 'Easily the best book ever written on the subject. ![]() one of the most impressive and stimulating studies of the period ever published' Max Hastings, Sunday Times ![]() Above all, it shows how the failure to understand the seriousness of the chaotic, near genocidal fighting in the Balkans would drag Europe into catastrophe. In The Sleepwalkers Christopher Clark retells the story of the outbreak of the First World War and its causes. What made a seemingly prosperous and complacent Europe so vulnerable to the impact of this assassination? An act of terrorism of staggering efficiency, it fulfilled its every aim: it would liberate Bosnia from Habsburg rule and it created a powerful new Serbia, but it also brought down four great empires, killed millions of men and destroyed a civilization. The moments that it took Gavrilo Princip to step forward to the stalled car and shoot dead Franz Ferdinand and his wife were perhaps the most fateful of the modern era. Winner of the Los Angeles Times History Book Prize 2014 SUNDAY TIMES and INDEPENDENT BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2012 The pacy, sensitive and formidably argued history of the causes of the First World War, from acclaimed historian and author Christopher Clark ![]() ![]() Now he's going to use the dark powers he gained from that sacrifice against everyone not under Evil Librarian control. ![]() Now Alcatraz is a blubbering mess, so it's up to me to lead the charge against his father's killer: Biblioden, founder of the Evil Librarians-I was sure he died centuries ago!-who's back to complete his goal of world domination. (And believe me, screwups like them constantly need protecting.) But when Alcatraz Smedry got strapped to an altar of outdated encyclopedias to be sacrificed to the dark gods, I arrived too late-and instead his father took his place. , Bastille, swore to protect the Smedry clan from the Evil Librarians. ![]() the Evil Librarians, the thrilling conclusion to the Alcatraz vs. Now a USA TODAY Bestseller! Now a New York Times Bestseller! From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes Bastille vs. ![]() ![]() ![]() One of my top 10 LitRPG Reads ever!" -Benjamin Kerei, author of Oh, Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer. " Domestication blends action, monsters, farming, and apocalyptic quests as it introduces the LitRPG genre to a new era of storytelling. ![]() About the Series: Mixing slice-of-life with epic fantasy action, mystery, magic, cultivation, and a broken game system that seems determined to make everything as hard as possible for the already overpowered protagonist, this LitRPG/GameLit series is perfect for readers who enjoy exploring rich worlds and complex characters. Grab your copy today and explore a world whose secrets have been buried under decades of war. Don't miss the start of the next great Fantasy LitRPG Series by Seth Ring, author of Nova Terra. It will take all of his considerable power to keep from burning everything to the ground. Explore the LitRPG saga of Battle Mage Farmer and more, and help. Bandits, suspicious townsfolk, a mysterious pair of siblings, and a secret that lurks in the mountains all threaten John’s peace. Follow humanitys desperate mission to survive a new Ice Age in The Long Winter trilogy. He’s been given a small farm on the outskirts of the empire as a thanks for his service, but no matter how far he travels, it's impossible to escape the war's devastating effects on the world. Retired from a decade of brutal war, he wants nothing more than a quiet pastoral life while he does his best to stem the steady increase of his Doom Points before they hit 100, signaling the start of the end. For John Sutton, only one of those three things matters. A world on the precipice of the apocalypse. ![]() |