for lovers of literature and culture
A bestselling modern classic – both poignant and funny – about a boy with autism who sets out to solve the murder of a neighbor’s dog and discovers unexpected truths about himself and the world. A story that is, initially, far sadder than you’d expect (assuming you love puppies) and ends far happier than you […]
Pagans is an incredibly fascinating history of western religion. O’Donnell takes a deep dive into the Roman faith and the elements that evolved to be incorporated (and redefined) by the rise of Christianity. I grew up in the South – where what church you went to was a standard, introductory question for anyone you meet – […]
Alright, it’s an election year and I will start this post by saying that a diverse set of political perspectives are valuable and necessary in any democratic institution. (In fact, democracy is not democracy without competition. This is because if you don’t have people with different views and plans to choose from, then you’re not really choosing […]
Lee Goldberg has been writing crime novels for a while but I’ll be honest – I’ve never read one before now. With all the hype around this book coming out and the promise of a strong-and-real female lead, I was quick to get my hands on it. I was not disappointed. Lost Hills reads like […]
The Cannabis Craze offers the fundamentals of marijuana use with the hopes that adults and teenagers alike will be able to practice harm reduction and avoid addiction. While it doesn’t present any groundbreaking research or discoveries – nor is it inherently interesting (responsible drug use rarely is) – it does offer simply-stated conclusions about responsible marijuana […]
I’m not one for horror but Stephen King has a way of writing tragedy that is utterly different from other authors. While some pages made my stomach turn, the story was brilliant. Enough predictability to make me feel smart and detective-title-worthy but all the twists and turns necessary to keep me surprised and far from bored.
First, I strongly recommend you read the preface, even if you’re one of those people who usually skips past it assuming there is nothing worthwhile in its words. Before you can truly appreciate Sanghvi’s work, you have to understand the definition of their collective title. From the few lines in the opening, “Ninety Days,” I […]
Kaleidoscope of Colors is not a poetic masterpiece. Cozzi’s poems are not written with the deep introspection or eloquence of [insert favorite poet here] but the collection is heart-warming and moving in its own poeticism. In fact, the works I found most moving weren’t standard poems at all. They were the intermittent stories that he […]
I picked this book up at random and I’m not ashamed to admit that my motivation was solely driven by the word “drugs” and the cut-off picture of Adolf Hitler’s terrible hairstyle. What I found inside was an amazing read. Like many Americans born after 1945, I grew up with a rose-tinted idea of World […]
The novel follows a young boy of immigrants in southwest America. His character is hopelessly naive and simultaneously mature beyond his years. He finds himself partnered with a woman who can only be truly described by her name: Ultima. Her mysticism and wisdom are striking and moving and timelessly enjoyable; the world they live in only reinforces these qualities.
H O L L Y + O A T E S 