Author Archives: A. J. Kinnaman

                  “The Empire and the Five Kings”  by Bernard-Henri Lévy looks at five ambitious powers that are challenging America’s place in the world.  All are former empires eager to re-assert their primacy. … Continue reading →

“Inheritance” by Dani Shapiro is a ”gripping genetic detective story.”  In the spring of 2016, Shapiro whimsically submitted her DNA to a genealogy website for analysis. She received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. Her … Continue reading →

“An American Summer” by Alex Kotlowitz chronicles one summer’s worth of gun deaths  in Chicago.  Kotlowitz has collected a “spellbinding collection” of intimate profiles that include families who have lost members, killers who live with regret, and witnesses scarred by … Continue reading →

Visitors often comment on how charming the Nichols Library is.  What’s surprising, then, is that more people spend time enjoying its charms.   It’s the perfect place to do some personal business.   With our Wi-Fi network, plug-ins for electronics, and fax, … Continue reading →

“The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez is an award-winning story about a woman and her dog that is “allusive and charming”. “More than Words” by Jill Santopolo finds a woman seeing her relations with men in a new light. “Black Leopard, … Continue reading →

“At Eternity’s Gate” is a drama about Van Gogh’s last years.  On a self-imposed exile in Arles, he grapples with religion and mental illness while developing a unique style of painting.  William Dafoe in the title role got a best actor … Continue reading →

“Cemetery Road” by Greg Iles is another story about privilege and mayhem in Mississippi. “The Malta Exchange’ by Steve Berry features Templars, and clerics and treasures (oh my).  “Never Tell” by Lisa Gardner finds the same woman present at two … Continue reading →