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These Japanese cats make a happy distraction from tense times in the US. (Image courtesy of Countryman Press.)

‘Catland: The Soft Power of Cat Culture in Japan’ by Sarah Archer

Cultural identity through cats

Philadelphia author Sarah Archer’s new book, ‘Catland: The Soft Power of Cat Culture in Japan,’ is a perfect crossover for history buffs and cat lovers. Kyle V. Hiller reviews.

Kyle V. Hiller

Sep 22, 2020 Articles 3 minute read

A parade of musical characters: a practice session of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet at the conference in 1980. (Photo by Alice Berman.)

‘The Music of Friends’ by David W. Webber

American classical music grows up

Since 1946, Vermont’s Chamber Music Conference has been an important part of American musical life, attracting many Philadelphia luminaries. A new book, ‘The Music of Friends,’ tells the story. Peter Burwasser reviews.

Peter Burwasser

Sep 21, 2020 Articles 3 minute read

Is the future of American democracy written at the local level? (Image courtesy of Temple University Press.)

‘Philadelphia Battlefields’ by John Kromer

Not the usual suspects

Are Philly elections a foregone conclusion? No, says ‘Philadelphia Battlefields,’ a new book on political upstarts from Rendell to Rhynhart. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Sep 21, 2020 Articles 5 minute read

Not here to explain the meaning of disability. (Image courtesy of Vintage Books.)

‘Disability Visibility,’ edited by Alice Wong

Being in our own words

‘Disability Visibility,’ a first-person story collection that arrived along with the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, is a platform where diverse disabled voices live in their own words. Alaina Johns reviews.

Alaina Johns

Sep 08, 2020 Articles 4 minute read

What happens when wealth tumbles in for generations? (Image via Penguin Random House.)

'The Beneficiary' by Janny Scott

Bobby, we hardly knew ye

Robert Montgomery Scott, the late president of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, inherited a legacy that many of us might envy. But 'The Beneficiary,' his daughter’s unblinking post mortem, raises the old question: Is great wealth a blessing or a curse? Dan Rottenberg reviews.

Dan Rottenberg

Aug 31, 2020 Articles 6 minute read

A must-read for people interested in design, urban planning, and Philly politics. (Image courtesy of Rutgers University Press.)

‘Becoming Philadelphia’ by Inga Saffron

New city, new readers

‘Becoming Philadelphia’ gathers a new collection of columns by longtime Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron, but the book’s construction leaves something to be desired. Judy Weightman reviews.

Judy Weightman

Aug 25, 2020 Articles 5 minute read

We can’t mythologize pregnancy apart from embodied experience. (Image courtesy of Bold Type Books.)

‘Belabored’ by Lyz Lenz

An experience of pregnancy

Lyz Lenz’s ‘Belabored’ offers no solutions to the rampant anxieties of the present, but its bold centering of the realities of pregnancy offers something we may need even more. T.S. Mendola reviews.

T.S. Mendola

Aug 24, 2020 Articles 3 minute read

A book for all people who use their voice. (Image courtesy of Barcelona Publishing.)

‘The Use of Voice in Music Therapy’ by Kelly Meashey

Long live every voice

‘The Use of Voice in Music Therapy,’ the first book from Philadelphia jazz singer Kelly Meashey, teaches singers and clinicians alike how to connect with an audience. Suzanne Cloud reviews.

Suzanne Cloud

Aug 18, 2020 Articles 4 minute read

A love letter to Philly in 1985? (Image via allauthor.com.)

‘PUNKS’ by Richard Cucarese

Missing Philly’s punk ethos

‘PUNKS,’ the debut novel by Richard Cucarese, visits 1980s Philadelphia without sampling the social context that would’ve been so relevant today. Michelle Nugent reviews.

Michelle Nugent

Aug 17, 2020 Articles 3 minute read

What makes a perfect wife? Maybe the standard recipe hasn’t changed as much as we think. (Image courtesy of Dutton.)

‘Recipe for a Perfect Wife’ by Karma Brown

Dark domesticity

Karma Brown’s ‘Recipe for a Perfect Wife’ follows a woman who finds a cookbook in her new home that connects her to the life of a previous resident, a seemingly perfect housewife from another era. But dark secrets resonate in both women’s lives. Elisa Shoenberger reviews.

Elisa Shoenberger