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Book Review: “Supertall,” by Stefan Al

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 11:03am

Stefan Al’s “Supertall” is a thoughtful inquiry into the new generation of skyscrapers, which are taller and more ubiquitous than their predecessors.

Everything We Wanted to Know About David Shields (and Already Asked)

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

His new book is composed entirely of questions posed in interviews over his long career.

The Appalling Treatment of a Prisoner at Guantánamo

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

“The Forever Prisoner,” by Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy, tells the story of a man who has been held captive by the C.I.A. for 20 years.

Two Strangers Meet in a Cafe in Cairo. What Happens Next Is Complicated.

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

In “If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English,” Noor Naga explores the forces of identity, belonging and globalism, as they bear down on two new lovers.

A Nurse Finds Herself on the Other Side of the Equation — as a Patient

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

In her memoir, “Healing,” Theresa Brown recalls what she learned from her own treatment for breast cancer.

She’s a 12-Year-Old Girl and Also a Spirit That Can See Into Her Family’s Past

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

In her debut novel, “Things They Lost,” Okwiri Oduor uses magical realism to explore toxic mother-daughter relationships.

Sadeq Hedayat, Iran’s Misunderstood Literary Modernist

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

“Blind Owl,” by Sadeq Hedayat, is a hallucinatory short novel that upends Persian artistic traditions.

Delia Ephron’s Memoir Could Be Called ‘Love, Loss and Love Again’

NY Times Book Reviews - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 5:00am

In “Left on Tenth,” the veteran author looks back on a series of life-altering events, including a whirlwind romance at the age of 72.

Preschool Storytime

testxml - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 12:13am

Open to ages 3 1/2-5. Registration required. Join us for fun stories & a simple craft, designed to develop early literacy skills. Guardians must remain present. Masks are optional. Social distancing policies remain in effect. All programs subject to change or cancellation.

Teen Candy Sushi

testxml - Tue, 04/12/2022 - 12:13am

Open to teens. Registration required. Be creative and make sweet candy sushi. All materials provided. Please advise staff of food allergies. Sponsored by the Atlantic County Library Foundation. Masks are optional. Social distancing policies remain in effect. All programs subject to change or cancellation.

Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder and the Trial that Changed America

UnCovered Reviews - Mon, 04/11/2022 - 9:53am

UnCovered review by Frank Tomasello, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

As an amateur Civil War historian of over two decades, I thought I knew all there was to know about a pre- Civil War scandal involving Major General Daniel E. Sickles. Conventional history records that Sickles’ beautiful young wife Theresa had an affair with U.S. Attorney General, Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key of National Anthem fame, which led to then New York Congressman, Sickles shooting Key in broad day light, on a public street, in Washington, D.C. He was then acquitted at trial in one of the earliest successful insanity defenses, represented by future Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln, Edward Stanton.

In Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder and The Trial That Changed America, author Chris DeRose has exhaustively reviewed newspaper accounts, personal diaries and letters, and trial testimony, to paint a truer picture of the events of the early spring of 1859. What emerges is a record that is so similar to today’s 24-hour news cycle that it begs belief. It had it all: a sex scandal involving high society elites/celebrities; homicide; press leaks; trial by media; anonymous letters; accusations of evidence tampering; show boating attorneys; political intrigue; and the list goes on.

The facts were never in dispute. The affair was admitted, as well as the shooting of Key by Sickles. The incident quickly evolved into a trial that would focus the attention of the world. In 1859, the telegraph was cutting edge technology. Newspapers at the time felt that its expense was not justified since there could never be any news that people would not be content in waiting a few days to learn. The Sickles trial shattered that notion, and the press became ravenous for news from the young Nation’s capital. Sordid details about the affair, the brazen way it was conducted, and the “roguish” character of Key filled columns of the newspapers of the day. Sickles was seen sympathetically as a victim and yet clearly culpable as a murderer. After a trial that lasted nearly two weeks, he was acquitted. His legal team, of which Edwin Stanton was but one member, had indeed argued “temporary insanity,” but the verdict would more accurately be labeled as “Justifiable Homicide” or what today is known as “Jury Nullification”.

DeRose is not wrong when he says that the Sickles trial changed America. It single-handedly created what we now call the aforementioned 24-hour news cycle, and also the “Unwritten Law” which would acquit homicidal jealous lovers for decades thereafter. It is an excellent work that sheds much light on a largely misunderstood event of much historical importance.

Review: “Let There Be Light,” by Liana Finck

NY Times Book Reviews - Mon, 04/11/2022 - 5:00am

The cartoonist’s new graphic novel, “Let There Be Light,” recasts the story of Genesis with God as a neurotic artist a lot like Liana Finck.

Thrillers and Suspense: April 2022

LibraryAware - Mon, 04/11/2022 - 4:00am

Footsteps behind you... Conspiracy theories... A race against time... Horrific consequences... If you're seeking white knuckles and a racing heart, you've come to the right place. Monthly.

Delivered: 4/11/2022 12:00:00 AM

Misty Copeland on ‘Serenade,’ Democracy and the Art of Movement

NY Times Book Reviews - Sun, 04/10/2022 - 5:00am

The ballet dancer reviews Toni Bentley’s sixth book: part memoir, part ode to George Balanchine and the art form he immortalized.