Review: George W. Bush paints kitschy paintings of immigrants

By Elijah de Castro, Staff Writer • May 4, 2021

Former President George W. Bush’s new book of paintings, “Out of Many, One,” contains awful art made by an even more awful person.

Review: Billionaire advocates for the environment

By Elijah de Castro, Staff Writer • March 22, 2021

Gates’ book is rooted in science and is a great way to conceptualize climate change. However, at the end of the day, the greed of the business world got everyone into this mess.

Review: Gov. Cuomo publishes decent pandemic memoir

By Elijah de Castro, Staff Writer • November 11, 2020

New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” isn’t stellar, but Cuomo’s stories about leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic are compelling.

Review: Smart’s story unlocked with memoir

By Emily Fedor, Contributing Writer • November 4, 2013

Elizabeth Smart, who made national news when she was kidnapped from her home in 2002, opens up about her kidnapping ordeal in her memoir, "My Story."

Review: Self-deprecating humor shines in autobiography

By Taylor Rescignano, Staff Writer • May 2, 2013

Witty author Kelly Oxford delivers a snarky memoir about her quirky life experiences.

Review: George Saunders triumphs with smart short stories

By Shea O’Meara, Opinion Editor • January 24, 2013

Author George Saunders provides his sharp commentary on American values and social behavior in "Tenth of December."

‘The Wolf Gift’: Werewolf novel raises hairs

By Rose Vardell, Contributing Writer • April 18, 2012

In the novel “The Wolf Gift,” author Anne Rice takes a break from her usual theme of vampires, demons and witches to explore lycanthropy, the ability to transform into a wolf. Yes, it’s another book about werewolves, but even those who thought authors like Stephenie Meyer beat the final nail into the dark theme long…

‘The Flame Alphabet’: Fiery novel blazes with linguistic heat

February 15, 2012

Every once in a while a novel comes along that leaves readers gasping at the skill of an author’s use of language. Ben Marcus’ startling experimental fiction, “The Flame Alphabet,” fits this bill. In his world, the planet is tainted by words. Language has become a toxin, spewing forth first from the mouths of Jewish…

‘Perfect’: Novel finds flaws in perfection

By Megan Goldschmidt, Staff Writer • November 16, 2011

New York Times best-selling author Ellen Hopkins focuses on drugs, suicide, rape and other issues teens face to weave together a nontraditional book that shines as a testament to living outside societal norms.

Author blossoms with complex novel

By Marissa Smith, Chief Copy Editor • September 28, 2011

In burgeoning writer Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s “The Language of Flowers,” the Victorian idea of flowers having their own messages is used as a way to tell a story of betrayal, motherhood, love and ultimately redemption.

Author on track with heavenly novel

By Lauren Mateer, Staff Writer • August 31, 2011

Josh Ritter follows the journey of a World War I veteran in his debut novel and shows he can change artistic mediums without losing his way with words.

Local author sheds light on single life

By Kelsey Fowler, Accent Editor • March 2, 2011

Upstate New York is not widely considered a mecca for best-selling authors, but with historical and current ties to the book industry, Ithaca is worming its way onto the pages of different stories.