Book Reviews
Literary Lab Explores Why We Feel Suspense: You're sitting on the edge of your seat. Your heart starts racing. You scream aloud, "Don't open that door!"
Although the project is ongoing, the group's central finding so far is that suspense is characterized by the presence of words that convey how things appear to be rather than how they really are, such as "seemed," "perceived," or "observed." In other words, even if you already know what is going to happen next, the text's description of how things "seem" still triggers a feeling of uncertainty and suspense. more »
Culture Watch Reviews by Joan L. Cannon: The Railway Man's Wife and The Yoga of Max's Discontent
Joan L. Cannon reviews: Hay describes loves lost, pasts savaged by shock and horror, hopes defeated in the wake of happenings not yet consigned to experience. She describes vividly a landscape that enriches each of the main characters, and that beguiles the reader as brilliantly as any travel brochure. Bajaj is a master at creating suspense; it's hard to put the story down. The journey with Max will leave memories and likely questions for a very long time. more »
Culture Watch Review By Joan L. Cannon: The Social Sex, A History of Female Friendship
This book reminds us how far we have come when there are more highly educated women everywhere than at any other time in history. Still unresolved is the question of friendships between women and men. The difficulty of engaging in this fashion is emphasized by the need repeatedly to declare to doubters that sex is not a component of such a relationship. more »
CultureWatch Reviews by Nanda and Gregg Provide Gift Ideas: Crime and Culture, Three Extraordinary Murder Mysteries
Serena Nanda and Joan Greg review: Culture plays an essential role in the crimes committed in these three extraordinary murder mysteries in the lives of the victims and perpetrators, and in the interactions of the investigations. Each narrative situates its action in historical realities that extend from the past into the present. These novels are all available through the public libraries and Amazon.com. more »