The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne I love reading or listening to stories about people who live very different lives from me, and Osborn is “not a liberal,” a working class, raised Catholic, non-intellectual Brooklyn cop for whom beating people up is as common and …
Tag: New York
Dec 03
Book Review: When You Reach Me
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead I got this book on my shelf, and I don’t even remember buying it, but I accidentally stumbled across one of the best middle-grade books I can remember reading in a long time. It starts out dark and mysterious, with notes that predict things about Miranda’s life that …
Jul 30
Book Review: The Flamethrowers
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner This book feels very literary to me in that it’s full of a lot of different things, but if you asked me what it was about, I’d have a hard time answering. About a girl who dated a rich man? About poseur artists? About speed? About motorcycles? The main character …
Apr 16
Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger I know I’m going to piss a lot of people off with this review, because for many people this is their favoritest book ever. I read this book as a teenager and I despised it. I couldn’t stand Holden, felt he was, to quote himself, a big …
Jan 08
Book Review: Absolutely Almost
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff This is a charming book about a kid named Albie who’s not very good at anything. I found him plausible and endearing, as well as the secondary characters. It’s a character-driven novel centering on a young boy and his relationship with his parents, with his babysitter, with his best friend, …