There's something about Asia and noir that I can't resist. Maybe it's gory front pages of tabloid papers in normally safe cities like Hong Kong or the dichotomy between sin and sainthood in Bangkok. But whatever it is, it works in Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan's Singapore Noir (Akashic, … [Read more...]
A Sunday Filled with Books and Authors
It sure seems like summer here in Chicago. But instead of spending the day outdoors, I attended two fabulous literary events.Up first was a lovely book party for Emily Rapp at Rachel DeWoskin's place. I've read Emily's two memoirs, so it was a joy to meet her and talk about … [Read more...]
An evening with Jennifer Cody Epstein
Four or five years ago I had just joined a new synagogue and had taken my oldest son Jake to a program one evening. Our rabbi was also new, and in a conversation that evening about books he mentioned that his sister-in-law is a writer. I figured I probably wouldn't know of her … [Read more...]
An afternoon with Mary Glickman
This afternoon I attended a fabulous talk by author Mary Glickman, whose novel, One More River (Open Road, 2011), I reviewed back in August. Glickman is in Chicago as part of the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies' one book program. And as luck would have it, she spoke just … [Read more...]
An evening with Mingmei Yip
Last night I attended a book reading with New York-based author Mingmei Yip. I first learned of Yip when I stumbled across her second novel, Petals from the Sky (Kensington, 2010). I enjoyed the Hong Kong, Paris, New York, and mainland China setting. In my blog review of this … [Read more...]