Blog Category: all
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Sep 10
Why do we like particular kinds of music? Why is music so richly resonant for us? Dr. Glasser, a musicologist, pianist, and composer, explores these questions from many angles – our earliest attractions to rhythm, how music impacts our brains and our emotions. He helps us to discover our musical “genotype,” or responses to particular types of music. Analyzing samples of different musical genres and introducing some music theory, Glasser enhances our ability to understand and appreciate every...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jul 05
In 1953 Iran, Roya meets the love of her life in a small stationary shop run by kindly Mr. Fakhri, amidst delicate writing paper, jeweled inks and stamps, and volumes of Persian poetry and translated novels. Bahman is also taken with her, but his mother has already promised him to another, a woman whose family is highly placed. Against his mother’s wishes, he became engaged to Roya but the volatile mother is set against the match. Amidst the changing political situation with the ouster of Prime...
Posted by BHanley on Fri, Jun 28
Imagine finding out your father is not your biological father? At 54 years old, author Dani Shapiro, after submitting her DNA for analysis on a whim, discovers just that, and in an instant her world is forever altered. In her new memoir Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, Dani takes us on a whirlwind journey from the discovery and initial shock through to finding out who her biological father is. Along the way, Dani meditates on identity, genealogy, family, and...
Posted by JGranatino on Thu, Jun 27
Jessica Farris is a young woman living in NYC, living month to month as a makeup artist. When an opportunity to make money presents itself, she jumps at the chance to participate in a psychological study constructed by the mysterious Dr. Lydia Shields whose ad reads “Seeking women ages 18-32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.” Jess signs up as Subject 52 and is soon captivated by Dr. Shields’ sophistication and glamour. Soon she is...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Jun 24
Take a ride with Charlie Manx to Christmasland! A wonderland for children where every day is Christmas and unhappiness is against the law! Using his special Rolls Royce Wraith, Charlie Manx “rescues” children from their parents and drives them to Christmasland. Strange things happen to both Manx and the children as they travel through the snowy hidden highways. Meanwhile, young Victoria McQueen discovers that riding her bike through a special bridge allows her to find missing things. On a trip...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jun 21
Eden Malcolm lies in a hospital bed, unable to communicate or move after an IED killed all his fellow soldiers in the Humvee. His wife Mary stays by his side while their young daughter is cared for by her grandmother, three years after the explosion. She wrestles with her emotions – sorrow for her husband’s condition and anger for his decision to extend his military service. Eden drifts in and out of consciousness in constant pain. Also in attendance, his best friend (the narrator of this story...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Jun 17
Years after the incident at the Overlook hotel, grown up Danny Torance finds solace from his haunted past in the bottle. In an attempt to not become his abusive father, he begins attending AA meetings and trying to better himself. His life really begins to change when he starts to receive messages somehow written on the chalkboard in his bedroom. He soon understands that a young girl with an incredible shine is reaching out to him. She has been deeply troubled with visions of a malicious group...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jun 07
Miracle Submarine is a new company in Miracle Creek, Virginia, established by Pak Yoo who has designed a tube-like chamber delivering 100% oxygen therapy in hopes that this therapy will cure everything from autism to infertility. Pak learned about this technique in Korea, and now that he has joined his wife and daughter in America, they hope this will bring about the fulfillment of the American Dream. However, one night there is an explosion and a woman and a child are killed. An investigation...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, Jun 07
James Smale has been working as a temp in New York City with dreams of publishing his first novel. One day his agent calls to tell him the manuscript has been picked up by Doubleday and he has scheduled a meeting to meet his new editor. James is nervous enough, but when he is ushered into the conference room, he discovers his editor is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Star-struck and in awe, James fumbles through his first encounter but is charmed by her wit and poise. Jackie loves the book, a...
Posted by BHanley on Thu, May 30
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations is a superb treatise on the author’s life, purposefully meandering from childhood to cultural identity, marriage, having children, being an Indian-American, writing, in-laws, the 2016 election, and more. There's a lot of ground covered in this memoir. Its potency is further intensified and enriched by pictures and illustrations. Words can't always capture a look that a singular drawing does. If you were looking for a book or memoir to help process...
