When I was in grad school I had to take a few economics classes and the one thing that was drilled into our heads was that, practically speaking, there's no such thing as a free market. That's because the market we know exists within the confines of laws and regulations. It sparked some great discussions but the concept that a free market doesn't exist in real life … [Read more...]
Quick Review: Every Day Is For the Thief
Can you ever go home again? This is one of the many questions readers are left with upon finishing Every Day Is For the Thief by Teju Cole (a #30Authors recommendation), a short book about a Nigerian living in New York who returns home after fifteen years, only to find that nothing is as he remembers. As an adult, the narrator is acutely aware of the corruption … [Read more...]
Last Night In Twisted River by John Irving (Book Review)
If we look back on our lives, we can all pinpoint one single act that set into motion a chain of events that spiraled out of our control. If you have kids, then you also know that a parent will do absolutely anything to protect their child. These two statements aren't necessarily mutually exclusive and serve as the catalyst for Last Night In Twisted River by John Irving, which … [Read more...]
A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison
What happens when a person is unable to leave behind the youthful indiscretions of the past? Does it simmer underneath the veneer of a happy life forever, or does it bubble up and disrupt your harmony? This is the premise of A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison. It's a book about marriage and the pull that unfinished past loves can have on a person. In a way, it's a also … [Read more...]
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Book Review)
I finally read my first Tolstoy. I've always been afraid of picking him up because, well, the Russians are just so daunting but, since I'm trying to read some of the books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, I decided to bite the bullet. My first Tolstoy was Anna Karenina and I have a lot of thoughts, especially about the characters themselves. Because I figure … [Read more...]