Back in 2017, we ran a set of columns asking our reviewers what love scenes in romance novels made them swoon. Reading over them now–you can find Part One here and Part two here–was a lot of fun. The one I picked, from one of my favorite historical romance novels by the great and very…

I finally saw Barbie last week in a funky little theater in Asheville, North Carolina. My daughter and I took in an afternoon show and the theater was almost empty–it was the two of us and five other women. It was my daughter’s second time–she thinks it’s a very funny movie. I agree–its humor along…

Few things are a greater gift than an excellent best friend. To have a Charlotte, a Ron and/or a Hermione, or an Olivia, is to experience, in the words of Jane Eyre (and thus Charlotte Bronte), that “There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence…

Let’s be clear: Wars cause harm. Novels do not. Literature may raise uncomfortable questions or explore unpopular viewpoints or establish reasons to empathize with a character a reader might otherwise find repugnant. A novel’s story, characters, politics and theme may not appeal to a particular reader. That reader does not have to like those books…

I have followed with fascination the uproar around the revised versions of Roald Dahl’s books. NPR has a great summary of what has happened. They write: New editions of legendary works by British author Roald Dahl are being edited to remove words that could be deemed offensive to some readers, according to the late writer’s…