Books

389 results
Page 2
Book cover. On a peach background, the word “being” arcs over the word “work”, with a painting of a single reaching arm below

Being Work, edited by Dorothy Dubrule

An intriguing look at performance artists in art galleries

More and more, artists worldwide are incorporating a performance-art element in their galleries. This slim, eminently readable collection brings us the voices of these unique performers. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover: title at top over an illustration of a vinyl record, and da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man playing a guitar below.

Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980, by James A. Cosby

The arc of rock

Civilization has always had its discontents, but few things reflect the spirit of resistance like
rock music. In this intriguing survey, local author James A. Cosby tackles a socio-political
history of rock and roll. Rob Laymon reviews.
Rob Laymon

Rob Laymon

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up on 12 square black shelf cubbies crammed with all types of books, some new and some worn.

Welcome to BSR Book Week 2024, running June 2-8

Here's everything you need to know to celebrate Book Week with us.

Do you love books? We do, too! Philly's literary scene is an important part of our cultural scene, and we spotlight it in our annual BSR Book Week. Learn more here!
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Previews 2 minute read
Book cover. Title appears over a textured, impressionistic oil painting of a stark landscape where water reflects the sky.

The Homeless, by Stefan Żeromski; translated by Stephanie Kraft

A Polish classic appears in English for the first time

In this classic Polish novel, newly translated into English, a young working-class doctor argues that doctors should not just treat diseases but try to prevent them in poor factory workers’ cruel industrial landscape. Helen Walsh reviews.
Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh

Reviews 3 minute read
Book cover: title over drawing of a rowhouse decorated with a giant snake, frog, bird, and bugs, with an alligator out front

Sink: A Memoir, by Joseph Earl Thomas

A unique look at growing up in Frankford

Philly author Joseph Earl Thomas’s fierce and unusual memoir, Sink, follows his boyhood in 1990s Frankford, where fiction, fantasy, and reality collide. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read
Book cover: Title in red superimposed on a vintage black & white photo of a baseball team below industrial smokestacks.

Work, Fight, or Play Ball: How Bethlehem Steel Helped Baseball's Stars Avoid World War I, by William Ecenbarger

America’s pastime sheds new light on our 20th-century history

What did Major League Baseball have to do with World War I? In this surprising history of baseball, American industry, and the US military, William Ecenbarger sheds new light on a little-known but fascinating piece of history. Kimberly Haas reviews.

Kimberly Haas

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover. Rich, abstract swirls of white, blue, and green paint evoke a tree and a galaxy.

Mystic Orchards, By Jonathan Koven

Poems for the heart and mind, the way dreams can feel real

The second poetry collection from Philly-based poet Jonathan Koven mirrors the orchard of its title as we wander the grounds, admire the trees, and sink our teeth into the fruit. Jordan Cameron reviews.
Jordan Cameron

Jordan Cameron

Reviews 2 minute read

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Book cover. Black & white close-up on Swisher’s impassive face, wearing aviator sunglasses that reflect orange flames.

Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, by Kara Swisher

Still calling Silicon Valley as she sees it

Some writers have accused tech journalist, entrepreneur, and podcast star Kara Swisher of holding her fire until Burn Book, her own memoir, was published earlier this year. Is that criticism fair? Stephen Silver reviews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 4 minute read
The book cover. Title appears above as if stamped in red ink, on a pen & ink rendering of a historical Philly street.

Philadelphia Stories: People and Their Places in Early America, by C. Dallett Hemphill

A thriving metropolis that remains a small town

Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers, but historian C. Dallett Hemphill looks beyond, chasing the fascinating historical records of ordinary, little-known people who had a notable impact on Philly history. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 6 minute read
The book cover. Title & author below a colorful illustration of a Black woman with a red afro striding through giant flowers.

Girls with Bad Reputations, by Xio Axelrod

A juicy love story that does Philly justice

The Lillys are back in Girls with Bad Reputations, the second installment of Xio Axelrod’s popular romance series about an all-women rock band chasing love and stardom from their Philadelphia home. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 3 minute read