Books

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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
The book cover. Title & editor appear in bold black text over a painted illustration of flowers in green purple orange & pink

Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire, edited by Alice Wong

Our right to be loved, show love, and to love ourselves

Disability Intimacy, the second essay collection from editor Alice Wong, dives into the ocean of human connection with a disability lens, from dating, sex, and kink to caregiving, parenting, and art-making. Alaina Johns reviews.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Reviews 5 minute read
Vertical stack of 10 books, including Long Bright River, Housemates, Come & Get It, Disability Intimacy, and more

The best books I’ve read so far in 2024: BSR Book Week editor’s picks

Top picks from the editor’s bookshelf

Sometimes I think books are the only thing keeping me sane(ish). Fiction, nonfiction, memoir, a new lens on Jane Austen, anti-marriage manifestos, and more: here are top recommendations from my own bookshelf as we celebrate BSR Book Week 2024.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Previews 5 minute read
Close-up on two black square bookshelf cubbies crammed with different books by local authors.

Discover books by BSR authors (2024 edition)!

In honor of BSR Book Week, find out if your favorite BSR writer is an author, too.

BSR writers are also memoirists, poets, novelists, scholars, and so much more! Discover their books and order a copy to add to your shelves.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Previews 9 minute read
Book cover. Title above on a pale background; an ancient circular music score appears below in black and red.

Music and the Idea of a World, by Peter Kalkavage

The meaning of music, from the Greeks to the 20th century

A background in music theory will serve readers well in this trenchant and insightful tour of music throughout history, its meaning and function, and how it helps us understand the many worlds we live in. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read

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Book cover. On a peach background, the word “being” arcs over the word “work”, with a painting of a single reaching arm below

Being Work, edited by Dorothy Dubrule

An intriguing look at performance artists in art galleries

More and more, artists worldwide are incorporating a performance-art element in their galleries. This slim, eminently readable collection brings us the voices of these unique performers. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover: title at top over an illustration of a vinyl record, and da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man playing a guitar below.

Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980, by James A. Cosby

The arc of rock

Civilization has always had its discontents, but few things reflect the spirit of resistance like
rock music. In this intriguing survey, local author James A. Cosby tackles a socio-political
history of rock and roll. Rob Laymon reviews.
Rob Laymon

Rob Laymon

Reviews 4 minute read