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The book cover. The title, in large white letters, is superimposed on a painting of a woman’s face.

Five-Part Invention, by Andrea J. Buchanan

Parents are people, too

Trauma and abuse, as well as the practice of healing, reverberate through five generations of women in Five-Part Invention, a new novel by Philadelphia writer Andrea J. Buchanan. Kirsten Bowen reviews.

Kirsten Bowen

Jul 05, 2022 Reviews 3 minute read

Four rows and four columns of a tree-like shape stenciled with various shades of black and gray, the title 'thrum' is in red

thrum, by Jon Chaiim McConnell

A timely take on contemporary crisis

The debut work from the Delaware-based author takes on climate change with interweaving dystopian but contemporary stories. Nick Joseph reviews.

Nick Joseph

Jun 28, 2022 Reviews 4 minute read

Book cover: 2 Black teen boys in a painted illustration, a train & crowded Ferris wheel behind them. The title appears above.

Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas

Baltimore, Bueller-style

R. Eric Thomas’s debut young-adult novel Kings of B’more is a witty, adventurous nod to Ferris Bueller that hits close to home, but may be hindered by its own genre tropes. Kyle V. Hiller reviews.

Kyle V. Hiller

Jun 14, 2022 Reviews 3 minute read

The book cover, with the English title in white, superimposed over red Chinese characters, & a black-and-white historic photo

Beethoven in Beijing, by Jennifer Lin

The Philadelphians in China

Lavishly illustrated and full of anecdotes and surprising tidbits about people and places, Beethoven in Beijing deserves a place in the home of every music-lover and every student of the ever-changing tide of East-West relations. Linda Holt reviews.

Linda Holt

May 24, 2022 Reviews 3 minute read

The book cover. The title on an orange background, with slender images of mosaic, grass, cement, and dirt winding beneath.

Ways of Walking, edited by Ann de Forest

Headed somewhere together

A new anthology by Philly writer Ann de Forest explores how we walk, and where, and
why that experience means such different things for different bodies. Anndee Hochman reviews.

Anndee Hochman

May 10, 2022 Reviews 5 minute read

The book cover. The upper half shows the classical façade of the school; the lower a crowded city protest for school funding.

The Roots of Educational Inequality: Philadelphia’s Germantown High School, 1907-2014, by Erika M. Kitzmiller

A century in Germantown

We know how the story of Germantown High School ended, but how did it begin? A new book explains, and highlights the fault lines that remain in our schools today. Anndee Hochman reviews.

Anndee Hochman

May 03, 2022 Reviews 5 minute read

Book cover. The title and author appear in white, over a black & white photo of a young Dan Rottenberg on a city street.

The Education of a Journalist, by Dan Rottenberg

The power of public discussion

As his readers already know, BSR founding editor Dan Rottenberg loves a good debate, a quest he affirms in his journalistic memoir. Longtime colleague Rob Laymon reviews.

Rob Laymon

Apr 18, 2022 Reviews 5 minute read

Monáe is dressed in white with black accents, singing into a mic, on stage, with lights and a banner behind her.

The Weekly Roundup, April 13-20

A contemporary speculative and sci-fi recommended reading list

Kyle V. Hiller rounds up sci-fi and speculative fiction novels for the sake of spring ahead of the release of Janelle Monáe's new book The Memory Librarian.

Kyle V. Hiller

Apr 13, 2022 Previews 4 minute read

The book cover. Each letter of the title appears in a different color, next to an illustration of a hand pointing 1 finger up

True Biz, by Sara Nović

Real talk from the Deaf community

Philadelphia writer Sara Nović’s new novel follows the students and teachers of a school for the deaf, making the case that we all need a shared language. Kirsten Bowen reviews.