Curlygeek04

LATEST ARTICLES ( 1001 )

• ARC Review: How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay by Jenny Lawson

  

  I’m a huge fan of Jenny Lawson, so her books are pretty much must-buys for me. This book comes with Lawson’s unique blend of humor, weirdness, and... Read more

  Posted on 09 May 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: Go Gentle by Maria Semple

  

  This book mashes together mystery-thriller, ancient philosophy, divorce and parenting, romance, and #metoo. It’s a lot. I enjoyed it, but it won’t be a... Read more

  Posted on 06 May 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My April Reading Wrap-Up

  

  April was busy, with family visits at the beginning and end of the month. We’re also in the last quarter of the school year, and the kids are preparing to take... Read more

  Posted on 02 May 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

  

  I loved this novel about the bonds of family and found family. It’s about a 19-year-old Vietnamese-American, Hai, who tries to jump off a bridge but is stopped... Read more

  Posted on 30 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

  

  Brooks is one of my favorite authors, and this will certainly be one of my top reads of the year. It’s a memoir about love and grief, written in Brooks’... Read more

  Posted on 23 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Books I’m Teaching: Recent YA Reads

  

  I get asked this question a lot: are your kids reading books in English class? This seems to be in response to recent articles about how kids are going to... Read more

  Posted on 20 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top Ten Book Titles That Describe Me

  

  This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is to identify ten books with titles that describe us (topic submitted by Susan at... Read more

  Posted on 14 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: The Wanderers by Daniela Gerson

  

  This was a fascinating memoir and history of the paths some Polish Jews traveled to escape the Nazis during the Holocaust. In this book, Gerson researches her... Read more

  Posted on 10 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: Heart of a Stranger by Angela Buchdahl

  

  I loved this memoir by Angela Buchdahl, who is a Korean-American rabbi of one of the largest synagogues in the country. She came to the U.S. as a young girl wit... Read more

  Posted on 03 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My March Reading Wrap-Up

  March was a busy month, which was nice after a long winter. I volunteered with my library’s used book sale, went to the home opener of our NWSL soccer team, wen... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

  

  This was my first book by Marie Benedict, and I think anyone who’s interested in the history of ancient Egypt will enjoy this book. Read more

  Posted on 28 March 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day (illustrated by Rowan...

  

  I love Greek mythology, and I’m a big fan of Felicia Day, so this was a no-brainer for me. Day has written a graphic novel telling the story of a little-known... Read more

  Posted on 18 March 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer

  

  I very rarely read biographies, preferring to learn about people through their own words. I wondered why Blume didn’t write her own story, but I learned that sh... Read more

  Posted on 10 March 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: Hula by Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes

  

  In a lot of ways, this is the novel about Hawaii I’ve been looking for. It’s steeped in the history and culture of Native Hawaiians, but also a compelling... Read more

  Posted on 05 March 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My February Reading Wrap-Up

  In February I had surgery on my nose to fix a deviated septum, which required quite a bit of time at home to recover. So between surgeries and lots of snow days... Read more

  Posted on 02 March 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• ARC Review: Kin by Tayari Jones

  

  I’m a big fan of Tayari Jones, so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of her newest book, Kin. This was a beautiful, moving story. It’s the story of a... Read more

  Posted on 28 February 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn

  

  This was a perfect book to build upon the issues discussed in As a Jew by Sarah Hurwitz. Horn explores antisemitism in various forms, most notably the idea... Read more

  Posted on 25 February 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: Playground by Richard Powers

  

  This was my first book by Richard Powers, though I’ve been wanting to read The Overstory for a while, which won a Pulitzer Prize and came recommended by a forme... Read more

  Posted on 21 February 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top Ten Books For Armchair Travelers

  

  This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is books for armchair travelers, or books that help you explore the world from home. Read more

  Posted on 17 February 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Review: Our Numbered Bones by Katya Balen

  

  If you’re looking for a short but powerful read about love, family and grief, I recommend this one. I also liked the way it combined history, science, and... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2026 BOOKS, CULTURE