Book Reviews

‘Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection’

Tuberculosis seems like one of those diseases from the Victorian era that was left in history like cholera or dysentery. Yet, it lingers large in vast portions of this world that we rarely see, and its insidious nature pervades human history in myriad ways right up to this very minute.

This is a book of questions, rather than answers. There is history and science and tragic personal stories aplenty, but, really, this book serves more as a light to show us all that there are real, solvable problems that exist and how we should use the march of forward progress that has brought us so much to make life better for all of us, not just the few. 

The eradication of smallpox, polio and many other endemic human diseases was such a monumental human achievement, done without the heaping mountain of technological resources we now have available. Tuberculosis, for all its insidiousness in the human condition, should be no different. We have proven that we can do this; now, it’s just a matter of making it happen. This book is the call to action I hope will take us there. ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich

‘The Staircase in the Woods’

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A group of kids go into the woods together, find something supernatural and mysterious when tragedy strikes, and their lives are shaped forever. Many years later, that same group goes back to solve the mystery after growing up with all the complex baggage of adulthood and childhood trauma being carried along with them. 

This familiar plot is shaken up in a lovely, compelling and very fun way with this newest offering from the always fantastic Chuck Wendig. This book takes a trope we all know and expands and enlivens the familiar beats into something sparkling, lyrical and terrifying. 

I loved every second of this thriller, even if I guessed some of the twists. Wendig’s writing never fails to enthrall me, and I found myself reading this when I should have been working on other things. It was compulsive in a way I haven’t felt in a while. Sometimes touching on the familiar can make a story even more intriguing and addictive, especially when done well. It is why certain series and genres become comfort reading. There are only so many stories to tell; it’s all about finding the ones worth telling. ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich