The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell Summary: Vowell’s series of essays relating to patriotism, history and colonialism is fascinating and makes me feel like I am not alone in the slight unease of being proud to be a United-Statesian. The prose is personal and contemporary. It feels like you’re speaking to a friend who…

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins Summary: Dawkins makes the textbook for atheists, covering the distinction between aitheist, pantheist, deist and theist. Dawkins gives the definition of a dualist. He describes evolution and religion’s marginal role in the history of life. He describes reigion as smoething reinforced by positive psychology, religion, a virus exploiting love.…

The Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami (1998) Summary: A man’s wife leaves him suddenly and he stays at their home waiting for her to come back, waiting for a sign, waiting for an absolution of any kind. More weird things happen to him, he meets strange characters. They come to him in dreams, near…

The Year of the Flood/Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Summary: Two books, two sides of the same world events. The Year of the Flood tells the tale of the post-pandemic world where a small nature cult survives by moving from safe house to safe house and sustaining themselves by growing everything they eat. The…

The Principles of Uncertainty by Moira Kalman Summary: A painted book, journaling a year’s worth of experiences, from pastries to hats, friends and strangers, random bus tickets and names from the Russian novels, this book explores the spontaneity and art in everyday life. Review: Beautiful book. Where words leave off, pictures take over, painted with…

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard Summary: This series of connected essays meander like a creek in a wood. Dillard poetically describes her observations from a fresh perspective, looking at things with a sharp wonder and sweet contemplation. How do we perceive the visual world? What is the connection between the sea and sacrifice?…

Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger Summary: Not to confuse, but Franny and Zooey goes in the very same vein as the short stories in Nine Stories and so, why not just put them in one book already? These are stories of love, family and phone calls. These stories detail the absence…

How the Mind Works by Stephen Pinker Summary: Pinker explains culture– music, art, fashion– and how they were born from our minds and our evolutionary need to interact with each other. Review: Amazing. I particularly adored the way he described music’s appeal with a strong basis in Western (European) music theory. He described the cycle…