Books
422 results
Page 3
Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White, by Andrew Sillen
Rescuing the story of a Black Civil War-era sailor
In Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White, author Andrew Sillen draws a vivid picture of maritime life the 1860s through the lens of a real-life Black teenager captured by a Confederate pirate ship during the Civil War.
Reviews
4 minute read
You Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip, by Kelsey McKinney
Toward a unified theory of gossip
Philly journalist and media entrepreneur Kelsey McKinney, founding host of the popular podcast Normal Gossip, has expanded her gossip empire with her first book. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments, by Wendy A. Horwitz
A skeptic chasing transcendence
Northwest Philly essayist Wendy A. Horwitz explores empiricism and transcendence, skepticism and ritual, moments and generations in her new collection, Milkweed and Honey Cake. Anndee Hochman reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
House of Jars: Poems, by Hester L. Furey
A flawed, ambitious collection of 20th- and 21st-century maladies
A new book of poetry from Philly’s Frayed Edge Press imagines characters like William Carlos Williams, Robert Oppenheimer, Rachel Carson, and Gertrude Stein in meditations on art, destruction, and unexpected connections. C.M. Crockford reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches: Steaks, Hoagies, Iconic Eateries & More, by Mike Madaio
A sandwich manifesto stacked with research and local flavor
In A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches, Mike Madaio slices deep into the true origins, as well as the legends, of one of the region’s most hallowed foods, from Cooper Sharp to chicken cutlets. Neil Bardhan reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Rebuilding Your Life After Trauma: A Coping Manual, by Aviva Perlo
Illustrating the different ways back
Aviva Perlo’s book brings real solutions, perspectives, research, and personal experiences to light for those forging new lives after real trauma. Anndee Hochman reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Book giveaways, reviews, and staff recs! BSR Book Week 2025 is coming June 1-7
Here's how to join in on this year's BSR Book Week
The BSR team is excited for our third annual Book Week, running June 1-7, 2025. We have reviews, giveaways, recommendations, and a virtual panel event with awesome Philly authors. Here’s everything you need to know.
Previews
3 minute read
Blind filmmaker David Y. Block is finally telling his own story
The life behind Born Blind
David Y. Block, a blind journalist and filmmaker, has been telling other people’s stories through his documentaries for years. But as he tells Anndee Hochman, now he’s learning to turn that lens on himself.
Features
5 minute read
The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom, by Nancy Reddy
The poetry behind parenting
Local poet Nancy Reddy’s new book promises refreshing perspectives around parenting and an opportunity to unlearn outdated practices and notions. Jill Brooke previews.
Previews
3 minute read
Building Ghosts: Past Lives and Lost Places in a Changing City, by Molly Lester and Michael Bixler
Revealing Philadelphia’s almost-invisible past
Building Ghosts, an absorbing new book from Temple University Press, grasps a history that we barely know with essays and photos capturing the remnants of Philly’s lost and demolished buildings. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read