Book Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

A black and white photograph of a bare arm hugging a clothed back

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is written in the form of a letter from the novel’s narrator, Little Dog, to his mother, Rose. Little Dog’s letter travels back through his memories and experiences growing up in Hartford, Connecticut as both queer and Vietnamese. His mother is grappling with the effects of a traumatic childhood in…Continue Reading Book Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

2024 Reading Challenge

To celebrate the new year, we’ve created a 24-book reading challenge that includes poetry collections, translated works, classics, memoirs, and more. If you’re looking to explore different forms and genres of writing in the new year, our list is the perfect start! All but two of these books are available through our library or the…Continue Reading 2024 Reading Challenge

Staff Top Reads of 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, we’ve gathered a list of 16 of our faculty’s most memorable reads this year! From fiction novels to memoirs, comics to essay collections, this list includes a diverse set of recommendations from our library staff. Each featured staff member was also kind enough to provide some background on the…Continue Reading Staff Top Reads of 2023

Hispanic Heritage Month Book Review: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

When it comes to Hispanic Heritage Month, you almost always see Mexican Gothic, written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, on a to-be-read list. Personally, I loved the dark, fantastical story that Moreno-Garcia spun, so I thought for this Hispanic Heritage Month I would read her newest release The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. This reimagining of The Island…Continue Reading Hispanic Heritage Month Book Review: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

A Conversation With Elliot Page: A Review of “Pageboy”

When transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney began rising to fame, transgender actress Laverne Cox shared one piece of advice with her: “Keep things for yourself.” This mantra proves to be at the heart of Elliot Page’s emotionally charged and strikingly honest memoir Pageboy, where the Oscar-nominated actor chronicles his journey from Hollywood to self-discovery. Page’s stream-of-conscious…Continue Reading A Conversation With Elliot Page: A Review of “Pageboy”

We Cast A Shadow

“There may be beauty in my blackness and dignity in the struggle of my people, but I won’t allow my son to live a life of diminished possibility. I see a constellation of opportunity that those of my ilk rarely travel to. I see my Nigel at the center of those stars.This reraises the question…Continue Reading We Cast A Shadow

The Turn of the Key

“It was only as we began to wind slowly down the drive, while I kept one eye out for a fleeting child among the trees, that I found myself replaying Maddie’s final remark, wondering if she had really said what I thought I’d heard.For the thing she had called over her shoulder seemed almost too…Continue Reading The Turn of the Key

The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season begins with two cataclysms, one global and one personal, and a quest. In the first, the Earth’s single, planet-spanning continent is shaken by a tectonic event which wipes out cities and fills the skies with ash. In the second, a young boy is murdered by his father, sending the boy’s mother, Essun,…Continue Reading The Fifth Season