"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
The Vanishing Half by Miriam R. Kramer President Barack Obama put Brit Bennett’s thoughtful, complex novel about identity, The Vanishing Half, on his list of favorite books from 2020. Her book follows the lives of Stella and Desiree Vignes, identical light-skinned African-American twins growing up in a small, self-segregating Louisiana community, from the 1950s to […]
Stephen King: Things That Go Bump, Eek, and Ook in the Night by Miriam R. Kramer Since officially beginning his career with a short story sold in 1967, the extraordinarily prolific author Stephen King has written more than 60 novels, not to mention multiple screenplays, five non-fiction books, and approximately 200 short stories. His […]
Holiday Grab Bag By Miriam R. Kramer As Christmas and Hanukkah approach, we are looking at a different way of celebrating. We will probably have holiday Zoom parties this year to satisfy social distancing requirements, since we are heading into another wave of the pandemic. Reading is one of the best ways to escape and […]
Cormoran P.I. By Miriam R. Kramer J.K. Rowling, ranked in the top ten bestselling authors of all time, has moved far away from her Harry Potter days. Her renown from penning her beloved children’s fantasy series of seven books, plus other books related to the series, have made Harry Potter and his world of witches, […]
The Hope of Joe Biden Miriam R. Kramer This year’s poisonous political machinations as federal and state governments apply erratic approaches to managing the COVID-19 public health crisis have burdened and saddened us. We have been offered so many reasons to become jaded, furious, and fearful. Before this presidential election I recommend that you step […]
by Miriam R. Kramer Dame Agatha Christie’s books are often listed right after William Shakespeare’s works and the Bible on the list of the bestselling works of all time. How did a modest puzzle maker and writer who called herself “lowbrow” create a template for the twentieth-century mystery novel and achieve worldwide fame in her […]
Books for an Uncertain Summer by Miriam R. Kramer In looking ahead to this summer, no one was able to predict how their vacation plans might change when faced with furlough, joblessness, or simply cancellations. Our worldwide pandemic has altered most of our behaviors and postponed many of our goals. We protect ourselves as best […]
Carte Blanche in the Couture By Miriam R. Kramer On furlough because of the impact of COVID-19, I have been trying to strike a balance between paying attention to the news and maintaining balance. This spring has been a brutal time for our country and the world. The unpredictable pandemic has thrown other societal fault-lines […]
Last Word Binging in the Time of Coronavirus By Miriam R. Kramer As many of us happily imagine some of the old normal returning, we still need entertainment to ease us through the next weeks. This past month, what with endless depressing news, my furlough from work, and multiple restrictions on my activity, I have […]
Unorthodox By Miriam R. Kramer Not only is this the time of COVID-19, it is also the time of escape through TV binging and reading. I recently came across an unusual series on Netflix called Unorthodox. Based on the book written by a former Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn, it offers more than a peek at […]
