Books

393 results
Page 3
Book cover. Rich, abstract swirls of white, blue, and green paint evoke a tree and a galaxy.

Mystic Orchards, By Jonathan Koven

Poems for the heart and mind, the way dreams can feel real

The second poetry collection from Philly-based poet Jonathan Koven mirrors the orchard of its title as we wander the grounds, admire the trees, and sink our teeth into the fruit. Jordan Cameron reviews.
Jordan Cameron

Jordan Cameron

Reviews 2 minute read
Book cover. Black & white close-up on Swisher’s impassive face, wearing aviator sunglasses that reflect orange flames.

Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, by Kara Swisher

Still calling Silicon Valley as she sees it

Some writers have accused tech journalist, entrepreneur, and podcast star Kara Swisher of holding her fire until Burn Book, her own memoir, was published earlier this year. Is that criticism fair? Stephen Silver reviews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 4 minute read
The book cover. Title appears above as if stamped in red ink, on a pen & ink rendering of a historical Philly street.

Philadelphia Stories: People and Their Places in Early America, by C. Dallett Hemphill

A thriving metropolis that remains a small town

Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers, but historian C. Dallett Hemphill looks beyond, chasing the fascinating historical records of ordinary, little-known people who had a notable impact on Philly history. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 6 minute read
The book cover. Title & author below a colorful illustration of a Black woman with a red afro striding through giant flowers.

Girls with Bad Reputations, by Xio Axelrod

A juicy love story that does Philly justice

The Lillys are back in Girls with Bad Reputations, the second installment of Xio Axelrod’s popular romance series about an all-women rock band chasing love and stardom from their Philadelphia home. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 3 minute read
The book cover. In hazy purple distance, the Philly skyline; in the foreground, a desert with a car & parking meter at right.

Early Sobrieties, by Michael Deagler

Explore the process

This debut novel from award-winning writer Michael Deagler follows a young man fighting for sobriety in South Philly, learning that it’s not transformation, but a daily process. Eileen L. Fay reviews.
Eileen Fay

Eileen Fay

Reviews 3 minute read
Book cover. Title above in blue, over a graphic of West Philly rowhouses & a green shape like a path leading to a rising sun

Housemates, by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Queering the classic American road trip

Philly writer Emma Copley Eisenberg’s debut novel, Housemates, begins in a West Philly group house and spreads across Pennsylvania as two young queer characters find art, love, and life on their own terms. Grace Kennedy reviews.
Grace Kennedy

Grace Kennedy

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover: with red bars above & below, the focal image is a collage-like illustration of an owl in flight.

The History of Temple University Japan: An Experiment in International Education, by Richard Joslyn and Bruce Stronach

An American first in Japan

A new book about the surprising history of Temple University’s expansion to a Japanese campus is full of diplomatic intrigue, political ambition, last-ditch rescues, frenemies, and heroes. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
The book cover: title above in black & white text, over a slow-shutter image of a Barnes gallery with a blurry walking figure

The Barnes Then and Now: Dialogues on Education, Installation, and Social Justice, edited by Martha Lucy

Putting the collection in context

A new book edited by the Barnes Foundation’s deputy director for research, interpretation, and education gathers perspectives on the famous (and famously polarizing) collection of Albert Barnes in its 21st-century home. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 6 minute read

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Book cover: title above a sepia photo of a worn sculpture of a hand holding another pair of clasped hands.

Frume Halpern’s Blessed Hands, translated by Yermiyahu Ahron Taub

An American writer, in English for the first time

Blessed Hands: Stories, a collection of 20th-century writer Frume Halpern translated into English for the first time, is a treat for Yiddish literary scholars, but leaves a general reader still hungry. Helen Walsh reviews.
Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover: gold and orange split on a rough halfway diagonal, over an ancient fresco of a winged man holding a gold helmet

Homer’s The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson

The Odyssey’s bloodier cousin

Philadelphia-based translator and UmPenn professor Emily Wilson follows her acclaimed English translation of The Odyssey with a similarly lucid and lean new Iliad. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 5 minute read