book reviews

Reviews of books that explore the complexities of family throughout history and across cultures.

Three Pizzerias Worth Traveling For (and How to Order Without Looking Lost)
I’m not interested in declaring “the best pizza in the world.” Italy doesn’t really think that way. Italian’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
By Andrea Zanon28 days ago in Families
When you fall in love, you lose an average of two close friends. AI-Generated.
The Lonely Side of Love: Why Falling in Love Costs You an Average of Two Close Friends Picture this. You meet someone special. Your days fill with texts, dates, and endless talks. Then, poof—your phone goes quiet with old friends. That group chat? It fades. Why? New love grabs your full attention. You might not notice at first.
By Story silver book about a month ago in Families
From Poverty to Prosperity: Evan’s Unexpected Journey. AI-Generated.
Evan lived with his mother in a small village just outside a noisy, fast-growing city. Their home was a tiny room built from old bricks and a patched metal roof that rattled every time the wind blew. Money was never enough. Some nights, Evan went to sleep hungry, pretending he was full so his mother wouldn’t worry.
By StoryVerse2 months ago in Families
Review: Jillian Jiggs
I'm an INFP living with bipolar. I also have some ADHD tendencies. At any given hour, I boil down to a strange dichotomy of fantastical effervescence and organized chaos before alternating to melancholy so severe it would make Edgar Allen Poe resemble Mr. Rogers.
By Call Me Les2 months ago in Families
The Sacred Bond: A Journey Through Marriage in Islam
The Beginning: The Foundation of Love and Purpose Marriage — a word that holds the essence of life, love, responsibility, and completion. In the world’s eyes, marriage is merely a contract between two people. But in Islam, it is far more than that — it is an act of worship, a Sunnah of the beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and a sacred bond designed by Allah Himself.
By Anees Khan2 months ago in Families
The Blood-Dimmed Tide. AI-Generated.
The Hannigan family didn't have a history. They had a bloodline. It was a thing discussed in hushed tones at funerals, a dark, coiling root system buried deep beneath the respectable surface of their lives. They were doctors, lawyers, and architects now, but the family crest—unofficial and unspoken—was a closed fist.
By HAADI2 months ago in Families
Where the River Meets the Stars
The river had always served as their place. When they were kids Mira and Rowan spent every summer evening sitting at the old wooden dock of her grandparents countryside home. They'd put their feet in the cool water and toss pebbles and pretend the fireflies dancing above them were tiny fallen stars.
By Nusuki2 months ago in Families
Your nipples are as unique as your fingerprints. AI-Generated.
Your Nipples Are as Unique as Your Fingerprints Did you ever stop to think that something as small as your nipples could tell a story all their own? Most folks see them as just another body part, all the same. But here's the truth: your nipples stand out like no one else's. They vary in shape, size, color, and feel, much like the ridges on your fingertips that no two people share.
By Story silver book 2 months ago in Families
Forgotten Voices: The Parents We Left Behind. AI-Generated.
The old-age home was quiet that morning. A slow wind carried the scent of jasmine from the garden, mixing with the faint smell of antiseptic and tea.
By HAADI2 months ago in Families
The Recipe Box. AI-Generated.
My grandmother’s kitchen was the heart of the world. It was a place of alchemy, where flour, water, and yeast transformed into golden-crusted miracles. The air was always thick with the scent of baking bread—a smell I now know is the very aroma of love and security.
By The 9x Fawdi2 months ago in Families
The Language of Seeds. AI-Generated.
My grandmother spoke a language without words. It was a dialect of soil and seasons, taught to her by her mother, who learned it from her own. It was a language I only started to understand the summer I turned twelve, the summer my world went quiet.
By The 9x Fawdi2 months ago in Families
WOMAN BREAKS HER OWN GUINNESS WORLD RECORD BY DONATING BREAST MILK,
The Texas Mom Who Saved Thousands: Woman Donates 2,645 Liters of Breast Milk and Breaks Her Own World Record A 36-year-old mother from Texas, Alyse Ogletree, has done something truly extraordinary — something that has touched the lives of thousands of babies and inspired people around the world. She has officially broken her own Guinness World Record by donating an unbelievable 2,645.58 liters (about 700 gallons) of breast milk.
By Mustafa2 months ago in Families