Book Reviews

Cover of the book You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

In the final few hours before the space station where she lives…

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

I Who Have Never Known Men was my last read of 2025 and one of…

Favorite Reads of 2025

As with previous years, I like to kick off the new year by reflecting…

The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats

At the turn of the twentieth century, as European immigration…

Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival by Stephen Greenblatt

The mind's eye tends to summon associated grandeur…

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

We are at the halfway point for the Joplin Public Library’s…
cover of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

Like her mother before her, Reyna dedicated her life to Queen…
Image of a book cover with a woman chasing a Great Dane on it.

Back After This by Linda Holmes

Cecily Foster loves podcasting and would love to have her own…

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

During the months of December and January Joplin Public Library…

STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE BY DREW BRECKMEYER; ALL ABOUT U.S. BY MATT LAMOTHE AND JENNY VOLVOVSKI

Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer credits children’s books…

After the North Pole: A Story of Survival, Mythmaking, and Melting Ice by Erling Kagge

The North Pole, according to Erling Kagge, exists as a reductio…

“I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer” Letters on Love & Marriage from the World’s First Personal Advice Column by Mary Beth Norton

My friend and co-worker Linda liked to review non-fiction books.…
cover of the book Sister Snake

Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe

Over the centuries, Su and Emerald have drifted in-and-out of…
Book cover features a pink rose in the center.

AWAKE: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker

I have been familiar with Jen Hatmaker for a long time, mostly…

Fall Reads

Ahh, fall. The weather is crisp, the leaves are falling, the…