Sixth Chamber Used Books

By Amanda Cross Amanda Cross is the pen name for Carolyn Gold Heilbun, who, according to wikipedia, was the first woman to receive tenure as an English professor at Columbia University. Heilbrun, known as a outspoken feminist author, accused the English department at Columbia for descriminating against women. Considering this history, I was surprised to feel that, although the women in the novel get all the best and most witty lines, the action and resolution was completely propelled by the male characters....

https://jamesbooks.net/the-james-joyce-murder/

The James Joyce Murder By Amanda Cross Amanda Cross is the pen name for Carolyn Gold Heilbun, who, according to wikipedia, was the first woman to receive tenure as an English professor at Columbia University.  Heilb…

by Ann Braden Really a very interesting book that deals with several subjects that I think are underrepresented in children’s literature - Class, Male Manipulation, and Guns. Zoey’s family is right on the edge financially, recently homeless having lived in a car and now in the mother’s boyfriend’s neat and tidy trailer. The atmosphere in the trailer is tense, the kids have to walk on eggshells so as not to antagonize Lenny (the boyfriend) who might kick them back onto the streets. ...

https://jamesbooks.net/benefits-of-being-an-octopus/

Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden Really a very interesting book that deals with several subjects that I think are underrepresented in children’s literature – Class, Male Manipulation, and Guns. Zoey’s family i…

A deeply meaningful book. Sometimes the most powerful experiences in books happen when you get to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. In this case, you get a first person narrative of an African American woman born into slavery, set “free” at the age of twelve, and the rest of her experiences for the next 98 years or so. Gaines’ ability to create such a textured and rich story is breathtaking, not only do we get a very realistic portrayal of the vast changes to the lives of Americans (both black and white) after the civil war, but the book is filled with small asides and details to give the story a very strong sense of realism (a fan left on a chair by a character that never actually appears in the book.) And, what could have been a book crowded with scenes of brutality, which, despite the historic proof of countless atrocities, might have appeared heavy handed, Miss Jane describes a life that is filled with horror, beauty, love, laughter, and triumph. This book should be required reading for everybody in the United States.

http://jamesbooks.net/the-autobiography-of-miss-jane-pittman-by-ernest-j-gaines/

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines A deeply meaningful book. Sometimes the most powerful experiences in books happen when you get to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. In this case, you get a first person narrative of an African…