What We’re Reading This Week

JULIA

A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava

“As a New Yorker who spent a year working for the Public Defender’s Office, I think that this book rings hilariously true. Sergio De La Pava so accurately captures the inexhaustible pathos of the most tireless cogs of the legal system. I’ve only just started, but I’m completely addicted.” You can find copies of A Naked Singularity on our shelves and via bookpeople.com.

URIEL

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

“This book is nothing short of powerful and glorious. Based on actual events, Greene’s novel examines the state of 1930s Mexico and the effects of the hostile anti-clerical attacks from the government towards the Catholic Church. We follow the unremarkable ‘whiskey priest,’ a man at odds with himself and his faith, as he attempts to escape the clutches of the ruthless lieutenant hell-bent on eradicating any trace of God or religion from the state of Mexico he presides over. Greene tackles the tough questions concerning religion, revealing the hypocrisies of the institution while also trying to understand what true Christian love and morality is. Hailed by John Updike as Greene’s masterpiece, The Power and the Glory is both a sobering and uplifting story of courage, love, and redemption.” You can find copies of The Power and the Glory on our shelves and via bookpeople.com.

MOLLY O

Dixie Be Damned: 300 Years of Insurrection in the American South by Neal Shirley and Saralee Stafford

“Reclaim the American South’s radical past in Neal Shirley and Saralee Stafford’s inspiring history of the intermittent yet powerful Southern fight against racism, bigotry, exploitation of laborers, and appropriation of native lands. I’m only halfway through, but so far this feels like the missing link to why the South is as locked down by conservatism as it currently is. The first few chapters detail resistance movements organized out of the swamplands of Virginia and North Carolina by Lumbee Indians (described in the book as the lost descendants of Roanoke) and maroons (escaped slaves who survived in autonomous communities, a thorn in the side of the plantation system, across the Caribbean and in some parts of the U.S.). Later chapters will explore prison escapes, outlaw gangs, labor organizing, the Civil Rights movement, and the struggle today. I can’t wait to finish this inspiring volume that reminds us that even in the darkest times, and when defeat is certain, the struggle continues….especially with enough available swampland.” You can find copies of Dixie Be Damned on our shelves and via bookpeople.com.

ABBY

The Loved Ones by Sonya Chung

“Chung offers readers an intelligent, compassionate story that crosses all kinds of divides. The pages turn quickly as the story of two families, their pasts, and the consequences of their current actions are presented. Each character is empathetic and compelling, and the prose is, at some points, heartbreaking in its simplicity. This novel brings a unique perspective to immigration history in the U.S., and the contrasting cultures, as well as the contrast in generations, makes for a fast read and a powerful narrative. Long for This World made Chung a writer to watch, but with this book she should jump right to the top of everyone’s must-read pile.” You can find copies of The Loved Ones on our shelves and via bookpeople.com.

MICHAEL S

Robert B. Parker’s Slow Burn by Ace Atkins

“I’m reading Slow Burn, a Spencer novel, which is part of a series Robert Parker started many moons ago when I was a young lad and is now taken over by Ace Atkins. I like Spencer. He’s a good detective. He uses his fists when he has to and his brains most of the time. He’s a lovely fellow, very literate. He’s a literate thug. I like that. I read them all.” You can find copies of Slow Burn on our shelves and via bookpeople.com.