John Adams by David McCullough

February 24, 2010

Summary: There was so much hype surround David McCullough’s 2001 biography John Adams that I couldn’t help but be curious about the book. Then once HBO turned the tome into a miniseries that won multiple Emmy awards, I knew I would end up reading it — or at least attempting to. So I tried [...]

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The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer

December 18, 2009

Plot summary: The Executioner’s Song is sometimes described as a “quasi-documentary” about the life and execution of Gary Gilmore, a “spree killer” who gained notoriety as the first person put to death after capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Norman Mailer cobbled the book together out of extensive interviews with Gilmore’s family and friends, [...]

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A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

November 11, 2009

Plot summary (with spoilers): Tassie Keltjin is a 20-year-old college student from a small, Midwestern farming community. During winter break, instead of wanting to travel new york or do anything exciting, Tassie applies for a nanny position and is hired by Sarah Brink, a forty-something woman who is getting ready to adopt a child [...]

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