This post starts with a confession: Middlemarch, by George Eliot (pen name of Mary Anne Evans), is widely considered one of the greatest novels ever written––certainly the odds-on favorite for greatest English novel. It is my fiancée’s favorite novel and she has written about it extensively. She’s not alone––many of the greatest literary critics of … Read More
I have always enjoyed children’s and young adult (YA) books and continue to read them even as an adult. When I became a parent, I loved reading books to my kids, sharing my favorites with them and finding new ones we could appreciate together. Once they started reading on their own, I started screening many … Read More
If you’re appalled by violence and graphic details in a book or movie but––pun intended––you’d kill for a good mystery, cozy mysteries are for you. Rest assured, you are not alone. Cozy mysteries became one of the most popular escapist genres during the pandemic. What the heck is a cozy mystery anyway? Sounds like an … Read More
I selected Charles C. Mann‘s (Twitter linked because no website is available) 1493: Uncovering the World New World Columbus Created as an audiobook commuting read. A patron recommended the book to me at my last library job. We would often swap non-fiction recommendations because few others at the library read the genre. Even fewer read it … Read More
Content warning: this post mentions sex, sexual assault, and suicide. I read my first soft-core romance novel at nine years old. It was called The Undomestic Goddess and was written by one of my favorite authors, Sophie Kinsella. The book featured a high-strung attorney who ends up in the middle of nowhere working as a … Read More
I hardly remember birthdays. But come August 15, I can’t help asking “Who remembers Jellinek?” In an editorial for the Jellinek Special Anniversary issue of the CAS Information Services Newsletter, we (co-authors Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano) cited an article written in 1982 by Mark Keller, editor of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, with … Read More
Rutgers Today, published by Rutgers University Communications and Marketing, recently featured a Douglass Alumna in its Alumni News. Author of the popular Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich graduated from Douglass College in 1965, and was named to the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the highest honor given to Rutgers graduates of the University. This prestigious … Read More
Please note: This post discusses abusive relationships. If you or someone you know needs support regarding domestic or dating violence, please go to The National Domestic Violence Hotline or Rutgers Counseling Services. Carmen Marie Machado (the first author being examined in our Summer Tales program) doesn’t pull punches when exposing the grotesque realities of humanity. … Read More
Although published pre-COVID, Ling Ma’s brilliant debut novel Severance eerily mirrors the pandemic that has upended our world for the past year and a half. In Severance, Shen Fever is the devastating disease, a bizarre syndrome that induces a zombie-like feverish condition, which proves fatal for anyone infected. Main character Candace Chen, a twentysomething first-generation … Read More
With no kids in the house for a long time, I can only imagine how difficult it is for parents with small children in these days. The first day my friend’s kids were back in school last week, I got a text saying TIME TO CHAT. Did that mean it’s time, I have time, or … Read More