Book Review

Some Were Paupers, Some Were Kings is a collection of columns written by Mark McCormick over the past 20 years. 

Former Wichitans, Lois and Jeffrey Ruby—mother and son—show us that writing is in their blood. Each has a new book targeted to middle grade readers.

This book review originally aired on December 12, 2016. The book is coming out soon in paperback.

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Prolific mystery writer Lawrence Block, creator of characters Matt Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr and Evan Tanner, has never been lacking in ideas. He writes books with colleagues, works under pseudonyms and writes guides for aspiring writers, such as Telling Lies for Fun and Profit. 

This review originally aired on October 17, 2016. You Must Change Your Life is now available in paperback.

Rachel Corbett’s You Must Change Your Life is resplendent with European art history of the early 20th century, and is also a detailed look at the deeply felt friendship of poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Two new novels about family destiny, Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing and Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic, distinctly explore how burdens of the past manifest for generations. Ward draws on elements of the Southern Gothic tradition while Hoffman’s novel harkens back to the Salem Witch Trials.

If you need to love a character to love the book, don't hesitate to dive headfirst into Manhattan Beach by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan.

The number seven can provide structure: the days of a week, the colors of the rainbow, a musical scale.  There are the seven chakras of Hinduism, and seven requests in the Lord’s Prayer. For ancient Egyptians it symbolizes eternal life, a complete cycle, a dynamic perfection. And of course, seven is a lucky number.

Set in the first decade of the 21st century, The Locals, by Jonathan Dee, takes place in the small fictional community of Howland, Mass. Mark Firth is a local contractor, and a bit of a dreamer who works hard for his blue collar life. Philip Hadi is a wealthy businessman who descends on the small town to quell his fear after 9/11. 

Lucky Boy is Shanthi Sekaran’s second novel. Set in Berkeley, the timely tale dives deep into the immigrant experience from two disparate perspectives: one of poverty and one of privilege. 

This book review originally aired on February 20, 2017. 

Not to be confused with Colson Whitehead’s inventive novel, Underground Railroad is Ben H. Winter’s Underground Airlines. Part thriller, part alternative history, and fully engaging, Underground Airlines is set in the present.