book introduction
-
Book of the Month: How to Do Nothing
Something strange happens between 11:59 PM and 12:00 AM on the night of Thanksgiving. Immediately, every brand and store in America becomes laser-focused on Christmas. Black Friday deals, Christmas trees in every window, holiday music blaring on loudspeakers. Any store… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: Braiding Sweetgrass
This Halloween, I gave out candy to more trick-or-treaters than ever. Princesses in pink tutus, mummies in toilet paper, anime characters with lopsided wigs, and movie villains with bright orange buckets lined up at my doorstep. I commented on my… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: The Sympathizer
TeaReads has been up for nine months. I’ve written for this blog in snowstorms, in torrential rain, on sunny spring days, and on warm summer nights. The leaves are changing now, and the nights are getting longer. My morning walks… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: Mexican Gothic
September’s book literally fell into my lap. I started planning this blog about a year ago. I created lists of topics, themes, pictures, and, most importantly, books. The book list ebbed and flowed. Some titles stood steadfast from their initial… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: Americanah
Last week I read an excerpt from Charles Baxter’s Wonderlands: Essays on the Life of Literature. In the excerpt, Baxter talks about building characters through lists of objective, detailed facts and material possessions. The lists he recommends do not allow… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: The Collected Schizophrenias
Nonfiction gets a bad rap. When we think of nonfiction, we think of textbooks, flowery essays, and dry biographies of famous dead people, all requiring knowledge of field-specific jargon or a dictionary to decipher. I’m guilty of perpetuating this stereotype;… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
All language is communication. That may sound stupidly obvious from someone who runs a blog, but it’s good to remind ourselves. Every time we chat about the weather with a colleague, get into arguments with someone who watches too much… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: In The Watchful City
Exercise, in any form, goes hand-in-hand with rest. No bodybuilder lifts billion-pound dumbbells seven days a week. No marathon runner runs twenty miles every day. Proper exercise involves planning days of lighter exercise between the days when your muscles get… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: Lighthead
Writing is, and always has been, entwined with visual arts. Art shown in galleries and museums display artist statements to give the piece context. Illustrations and photos dot their way through books or are displayed boldly on the cover. The… Continue reading
-
Book of the Month: Conversations With Friends
The adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is rarely followed. I mean, let’s be real- when you scroll through Libby or Kindle, do you pick an unknown book solely because of its blurb? I know I don’t. Covers… Continue reading
Tea Reads 