Clea Simon

Book Review: Unreliable, Unapologetic, Unforgettable — “Murder Bimbo” Cuts Deep

May 29, 2026
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Rebecca Novack’s debut blends murder mystery and social satire in a sly, shape-shifting narrative driven by a sex worker who may be telling us exactly what we want to hear.

Book Review: Francis Spufford’s “Nonesuch” — Magic, Mathematics, and the Blitz

March 4, 2026
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This hybrid narrative laces romantic adventure with a bit of horror, the supernatural, and mathematical derring-do—all within an increasingly realistic depiction of the times and of the people who survived them.

Music Feature: “Which Side? A Protest Music Teach-out” — How Music Meets the Moment

February 22, 2026
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The eighth iteration of “Which Side?” was a wild success, mixing musical genres from reggae to old-school Boston punk and punctuated by two moving (and brief) speakers.

Book Review: “The Copywriter” — Of Proust, Pandas, and Poetic Inertia

February 18, 2026
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What stands out for this reader is the humor Daniel Poppick mines from the quotidian.

Book Review: “The Hadacol Boogie” –James Lee Burke’s Bayou Ballad of Blood and Redemption

February 10, 2026
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The point of a novel like this: Life is messy, but glorious. Kind of like “The Hadacol Boogie”.

Book Review: Olga Tokarczuk’s “House of Day, House of Night” — A Demanding But Rewarding Reverie

January 27, 2026
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House of Day, House of Night “is not an easy read, but for those with the stamina, it is a rewarding one, inviting us to savor its reclusive, succulent insides.”

Book Review: Medicine, Morality, and the Women of “The Double Standard Sporting House”

January 17, 2026
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For those ready to make the investment, “The Double Standard Sporting House” is a fascinating look inside a complex and compelling world.

Book Review: Canceling Equality — Julia Ioffe’s Personal and Political History of Russian Women

November 13, 2025
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This heartbreaking book documents the history of contemporary Russia through its women.

Book Review: “Lion Hearts” — Dan Jones Brings His Essex Dogs Saga to a Stirring Close

October 14, 2025
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Novelist Dan Jones excels in re-imagining the life of common people in wartime, in particular a small group of English fighters embroiled in the so-called Hundred Years War (1337–1453) between England and France.

Book Review: “Clown Town” — Not Quite as Amusing as Expected

September 9, 2025
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Mick Herron’s prose, it must be said, remains top-notch, chock full of puns and timely references, as well as colorful dialogue. But the premise of this successful series of espionage thrillers is beginning to show some wear.

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