Books

393 results
Page 1
Book cover. Title above in large, aged-looking letters above an evocative photo of the trace of a demolished house’s stairway

Building Ghosts: Past Lives and Lost Places in a Changing City, by Molly Lester and Michael Bixler

Revealing Philadelphia’s almost-invisible past

Building Ghosts, an absorbing new book from Temple University Press, grasps a history that we barely know with essays and photos capturing the remnants of Philly’s lost and demolished buildings. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Book cover: Title in white letters on blue down the right side, next to a black & white photo of a newscaster with a mustache

The Big Story: The Oral History of Philadelphia TV News, by David Grzybowski

A new book takes you inside the TV coverage of Philly’s biggest stories

From Papal visits to sports championships to a blizzard that never was, a new book takes us inside 50 juicy, surprising years of Philly TV news in the words of Jim Garder, Larry Kane, and lots more. Stephen Silver reviews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover. Author in white & title in yellow appear above an illustration of a red-headed woman facing away from you.

Final Cut, by Charles Burns

A Philadelphia graphic novelist at the top of his game

Charles Burns, the cult-favorite Philly-based cartoonist behind Black Hole, is back with the graphic novel Final Cut, a new work the artist seems born to create. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 3 minute read
Book cover. Title in large letters on a white field. Letters appear as cutouts with Barnes collection paintings behind them.

The House of Barnes: The Man, the Collection, the Controversy, by Neil L. Rudenstine

Still braving Barnes bias

As a trustee emeritus of the Barnes Foundation, author Neil L. Rudenstine is clearly biased, but his book offers interesting details about the collection of Albert Barnes, and how his fraught legacy was slowly dismantled. Emily B. Schilling reviews.
Emily Schilling

Emily Schilling

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover with 'You Gotta Eat' in bold, black letters with illustrations of various foods

A new take on cooking with Margaret Eby's You Gotta Eat

Fluctuating energy culinary skills

Food writer and editor Margaret Eby's new cookbook lays out creative plans for when your energy may be running low. Anndee Hochman previews.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Previews 3 minute read
Book cover. A black and white image of Barrymore against a white background

Discussing Philadelphia’s Hollywood legend Lionel Barrymore with biographer Kathleen Spaltro

The man behind Mr. Potter, Dr. Gillespie, and Scrooge

Rachel Bellwoar holds an interview with Lionel Barrymore biographer Kathleen Spaltro following the release of her new book, Lionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Rachel Bellwoar

Rachel Bellwoar

Profiles 5 minute read
Book cover. Agnès Varda isolated against a textured purple background, the title and subtitle behind her in yellow and white

Capturing film legend Agnès Varda with Carrie Rickey's A Complicated Passion

From page to screen, to page again

Philadelphia film critic Carrie Rickey pens A Complicated Passion, a biography on the legendary filmmaker Agnès Varda. Rachel Bellwoar interviews.
Rachel Bellwoar

Rachel Bellwoar

Profiles 7 minute read
Four books are arranged on a blue shaggy carpet with a cat looking up towards camera

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, August 22-28, 2024

The Philly Book Crawl returns

A roundup of events at this year’s Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl, which enters its second year. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Book cover: Title & author in white & orange letters, over an illustration of a woman with a wind-up mechanism in her back.

A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy, by Tia Levings

Women don’t need patriarchy, but patriarchy needs us

A Well-Trained Wife, Tia Levings’s gripping new memoir about her path in and out of a high-control Christian religion, is also an urgent warning to US voters who care about women’s rights. Alaina Johns reviews.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Reviews 5 minute read
The book cover. Title and author appear in bold white text with an illustration of a hand holding a candle lit at both ends.

Breaking the Curse: A Memoir about Trauma, Healing, and Italian Witchcraft, by Alex DiFrancesco

A magical memoir of perseverance

Alex DiFrancesco’s memoir is a transformative exploration of identity, spirituality, and perseverance. By delving into the complex layers of trauma and emotion, they offer a haunting narrative of survival and the search for hope. Cass Lewis reviews.
Cass Lewis

Cass Lewis

Reviews 4 minute read