…originally ran in 2025.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. She is a contributing writer to the Independent and Horse Network. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Lost Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is also recipient of the 2024 Paul Somers…
You searched for "Gretchen Lida".
113 results were found.
…and Giroux). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “All of this may make it sound like Mare is a stone-cold bummer, but there are glimmers of light and joy shining through the gloom. Lots of things in the narrative made my horse-girl’s heart sing, including the author’s inclusion of equine-specific sensory details…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in June 2026
…and Giroux). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Mare, also like ‘Fleabag,’ is a meditation on grief, not only for what was but for what never will be. The death of a dog sets the plot in motion, and the narrator’s struggle to have a baby keeps the wheels turning. One of…
…it’s downright shocking, “Gee, Gretchen,” they say, “you can make friends anywhere, can’t you?” But the narrator, like a lot of folks, doesn’t share my sense of ease. There’s a ringing loneliness in the book’s short, staccato paragraphs that’s both easy to understand and hard to shake loose. Another difference…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in March 2026
…and Giroux). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “In the end, Scale Boy might feel to readers unfamiliar with Cameroon the same way Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’ feels to those unfamiliar with 18th-century England. In the latter case, it’s the reader’s job to find out whom ‘the Pretender of Spain’ refers…
…originally ran in 2025.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…and Giroux). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Although the memoir is about ‘an African childhood,’ it is far from child’s play. Rather, Scale Boy is a 400-plus-page tome published in this era of 30-second Instagram reels. In other words, it’s a challenging read — not The Fault in Our Stars kind…
Scale Boy: An African Childhood
…its weight in gold. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. She is a contributing writer to the Independent and Horse Network. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is also recipient of the 2024 Paul Somers…
“The Best Book I Read in 2025”
…as the trainer herself.” ~Gretchen Lida Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. “This slender little novel is a stark reminder that our focus on our own worlds and blessings, especially at Christmas, often blinds us to a world that’s not all tinsel and glowing, colored lights. Though the reader…
…originally ran in 2024.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…& Grau). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “In the end, even if her motives were a bit fuzzy and her actions impulsive, she proves herself to be the kind of person we very much need to prevent fascism: a troublemaker. She’s one of the brave souls willing to gum up the…
…paid dearly for it. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. She is a contributing writer to the Independent and Horse Network. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Lost Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is also recipient of the 2024 Paul Somers…
…originally ran in 2024.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in July 2025
…Jong-Fast (Viking). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “There’s something utterly delicious about a memoir that roars and crashes like a trainwreck. The kind of book where the author’s dirty laundry isn’t just airing out but smoldering atop the wreckage. Where not a single reputation escapes without a stain or two. Political…
…Jong-Fast (Viking). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Jong found celebrity following the publication of her scandalous-for-1973 novel, Fear of Flying, which is still considered an important text for second-wave feminism. She was, for several years, a household name (which didn’t keep her from always chasing after the next exciting man in…
How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter’s Memoir
…then very, very slowly. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. She is a contributing writer to the Independent and Horse Network. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Lost Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is also recipient of the 2024 Paul Somers…
…those who pursue it. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir
…them in the face. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me
…originally ran in 2024.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…originally ran in 2024.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in December 2024
…Rundell (Doubleday). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “In his 1995 piece, ‘The Trouble with Wilderness,’ environmental historian William Cronon argues that part of the reason we’re facing ecological destruction is that we’ve created a false binary between the natural world and the human one. Such a binary plays out in nature…
Our 5 Most Popular Posts: December 2024
…address, and agent-pitch sessions.” Gretchen Lida’s review of Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Doubleday). “The author, the youngest female fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, also leaves aside any overly heavy scholarship (in case this review’s opening paragraph left you worried the book would…
Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures
…it has earned both. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…of American Motherhood by Gretchen Sisson (St. Martin’s Press). Reviewed by Alice Stephens. “Infertile? Same-sex couple? Evangelical Christian? Zero-population-growth proponent? Too often, the “simple” solution if you fall into one of these categories but want a child is: You can always adopt. But where, exactly, do those babies come from?…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in September 2024
…(Algonquin Books). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The chapter titles — including ‘Fangs a Lot,’ ‘A Painless Guide to Tooth Basics,’ and ‘A Man of Few Words…and Fewer Teeth’ — are clever and colloquial, too. Even those of us who compulsively brush at the mere mention of a cavity will find…
Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans
…something to chew on. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…originally ran in 2023.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…like hers to come. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…originally ran in 2023.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
Our 5 Most Popular Posts: March 2024
…and a famous novelist.” Gretchen Lida’s review of It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir by Rex Chapman with Seth Davis (Simon & Schuster). “Chapman, though, ever the happy warrior, remains active on it, even if many of his tweets are understandably angry. His rage at the…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in March 2024
…& Schuster). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Basketball legend Rex Chapman was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a University of Kentucky freshman and played in the NBA against Michael Jordan. Now, with his career on the court 20 years behind him, he’s a podcaster and a significant voice in…
It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir
…to get us through. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent, and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
…go, there we are. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
“The Best Book I Read in 2023”
…it an utter delight.” ~Gretchen Lida The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy (Knopf). “My favorite of the year because of its unpredictability and total avoidance of cliché. Original is too ordinary a word to describe this by turns bleak, philosophical, and laugh-out-loud-funny novel. A missing plane-crash victim, a possible conspiracy, and…
…Nayeri (Catapult). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Perhaps it’s this razor-sharp understanding of the reality that plausibility often hinges on performance that makes Nayeri the perfect guide on her book’s exploration of truth and believability. Much like the documentarians in ‘4.1 Miles,’ she graphically depicts in Who Gets Believed? the duress…
Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy
…heck of a chorus. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer at Horse Network and the Independent and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future
…closer to finding one. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and host of “HN Reads,” a podcast…
Our 7 Most Favorable Reviews in April 2023
…Nayeri (Catapult). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “As the chapters progress, the very concept of what constitutes ‘well enough’ becomes murkier and murkier. However, this book isn’t just about refugees. It dissects the concept of believability on multiple levels and via multiple individuals, including Nayeri herself, who reflects on her own…
Who Gets Believed?: When the Truth Isn’t Enough
…section of the store. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
7 Most Favorable Reviews in January 2023
…Daniel (Ecco). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The entirety of Daniel’s debut memoir, A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing, is written with this playful yet formal mastery. The book interweaves her coming-of-age story with a brief history of her birth country, Nigeria. It is essential to avoid the phrase ‘home country’…
A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing: A Memoir Across Three Continents
…well worth the wait. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
5 Most Popular Posts: December 2022
Gretchen Lida’s review of Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America by Amy Butcher (Little A). “On the surface, Joy and Butcher don't have much in common. Butcher is an English professor and writer in Ohio; Joy is the only female truck driver on Alaska’s Dalton Highway, the…
“The Best Book I Read this Year”
…gritty beauty is unforgettable.” ~Gretchen Lida My Grandfather’s Son By Clarence Thomas. “Most would agree that there is too much animus, even hatred, in our polity — it’s unhealthy. So, here’s a good-news guarantee: Whatever your politics, whatever you think of the jurisprudence of Clarence Thomas, once you read his…
…originally ran in 2021.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
…(Milkweed Editions). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Ní Dochartaigh is from Derry, the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the scene of much of the Troubles’ bloodshed (and the setting for the Netflix hit ‘Derry Girls’). When the author was a child, a soldier was shot in front of her. When…
7 Most Favorable Reviews in October 2022
…(Milkweed Editions). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The rest of Sinkhole, like the passage above, is written with a stark, white-knuckle honesty that grits its teeth and tells you the story as straight as possible. When a book is brutal, I’m always suspicious that it’s pulling a George R.R. Martin: Employing…
…have to face alone. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is also the host of HN Reads on…
…originally ran in 2021.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
…will be worth reading. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is also the host of HN…
…originally ran in 2021.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
…originally ran in 2021.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
7 Most Favorable Reviews in April 2022
…(Milkweed Editions). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The memoir’s evocative style is riveting, layering images of the natural places where the author finds solace with the urban spaces where she lives most of her life. The style is similar to Terese Marie Mailhot’s memoir, Heart Berries. Both books are page-turners that…
Thin Places: A Natural History of Healing and Home
…if our voices shake. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is also the host of HN…
…originally ran in 2021.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is also the host of HN…
7 Most Favorable Reviews in December 2021
…(Little A). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “On the surface, Joy and Butcher don't have much in common. Butcher is an English professor and writer in Ohio; Joy is the only female truck driver on Alaska's Dalton Highway, the most dangerous road in the U.S. As I read, I braced myself…
Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America
…one of those someones. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
…(Astra House). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “A memoir about hauling snow, shoveling manure, and living in a mud hut in one of the harshest environments on earth may not sound like a pleasure read. Yet, miraculously, Li Juan’s Winter Pasture is somehow just that. Part travelogue and part cultural exchange,…
“The First Book that Truly Terrified Me Was…”
…want to write nonfiction.” ~Gretchen Lida It by Stephen King. “I remember being 10 years old when I first read this. I read it on the floor of the adult section of the Eugene Public Library in Eugene, Oregon, a small town not unlike Derry, Maine, where It takes place.…
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
…us will start listening. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
5 Most Popular Posts: August 2021
…the Ku Klux Klan.” Gretchen Lida’s review of The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren (Vintage). “We might combat climate crises by leaving copies of Hope Jahren’s The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and…
20+ Non-Beach Reads to Read at the Beach
…feminism and reshapes them.” ~Gretchen Lida The Wall by John Hersey. “Like the best historical fiction, this transportive, multilayered novel about the horrors (and occasional triumphs) of the real-life Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in WWII immerses you in another place and time. It also exposes as utterly absurd the recent cries…
The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans
…— to protect it. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Horse Network and the Independent and is working on her first book.…
…from person to person.” ~Gretchen Lida Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times by Sheila Fitzpatrick. “A book on everyday life in 1930s Russia was useful when I was researching my second novel (silk stockings were back in fashion in 1938!), but I don't need information on Siberian housing barracks…
The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion
…other along the way. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
7 Most-Favorable Reviews in March 2021
…(Astra House). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “A memoir about hauling snow, shoveling manure, and living in a mud hut in one of the harshest environments on earth may not sound like a pleasure read. Yet, miraculously, Li Juan’s Winter Pasture: One Woman’s Journey with China’s Kazakh Herders is somehow just…
…originally ran in 2020.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
Winter Pasture: One Woman’s Journey with China’s Kazakh Herders
…dreamed the same way. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is also the host of HN…
Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Fishing Village
…the author, as well. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is also the host of HN…
…originally ran in 2019.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on…
…& Company). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The healing power of horses is not a new concept. It’s been explored across art forms. But narratives featuring equine therapy programs for veterans, autistic children, and others can often feel too sweet or tidy. This isn’t the case with Half Broke. The healing…
25 Angst-Free Books to Take Your Mind Off the Election
…part of the book.” ~Gretchen Lida The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove and Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. “There are funnier Moore books out there — Fool and Lamb, in particular — but these silly ones belong on this list for their titles alone. Bonus points…
19 Apocalyptic Reads to Help You Embrace the Nightmare
…go, there you are.’” ~Gretchen Lida “The Birds” by Daphne Du Maurier. “Du Maurier’s classic short story — very different from Hitchcock’s film adaptation — has sudden disaster from nature escalating out of control, a government that’s partly reassuring, then wholly absent, and fear, dread, isolation, and more trouble looming.…
7 Most-Favorable Reviews in September 2020
…(Riverhead Books). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “For her new book, Having and Being Had, the searing image is the juxtaposition of Biss herself, a homeowner and successful writer, against her mother, who struggles to stay in the middle class: ‘She still has white privilege, but she often doesn't have hot…
…we need right now. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
7 Most-Favorable Reviews in June 2020
…(Bloomsbury Publishing). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “While it has a few blind spots, The Next Great Migration convincingly argues that the constant movement of plants, animals, and people from one place to another is natural and signals health. Chapter by chapter, the author debunks the centuries-old ethos that most living…
The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move
…at least for now.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
…originally ran in 2019.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot and the Washington Independent Review of Books and is…
7 Most-Favorable Reviews in April 2020
…Jahren (Vintage). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “We might combat climate crises by leaving copies of Hope Jahren’s The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here in strategic public places: on those display racks by the drink coolers in corner stores; near checkout…
Sobering Nonfiction to Put the Pandemic in Perspective
…of a black community.” ~Gretchen Lida Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey by Mikhal Dekel. “This is the story of the author’s father's family’s escape eastward after the Nazi occupation of Poland. This gripping tale makes me think of the saying, ‘Where there is life, there is hope,’ and so…
7 Most-Favorable Reviews in March 2020
…& Company). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Gaffney’s home is only a 45-minute drive from Taos, which is famous for its high-end boutiques and prevalence of Hollywood stars’ second homes. Yet the author notes that poverty and despair plague her state. There is more than one New Mexico, just as there…
Apocalyptic Reads to Help You Embrace the Nightmare
…go, there you are.’” ~Gretchen Lida “The Birds” by Daphne Du Maurier. “Du Maurier’s classic short story — very different from Hitchcock’s film adaptation — has sudden disaster from nature escalating out of control, a government that’s partly reassuring, then wholly absent, and fear, dread, isolation, and more trouble looming.…
The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here
…by Hope Jahren, too. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
Happy, Fun Books to Take Your Mind Off the News
…part of the book.” ~Gretchen Lida The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove and Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. “There are funnier Moore books out there — Fool and Lamb, in particular — but these silly ones belong on this list for their titles alone. Bonus points…
…all the more miraculous. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on her…
…change, humanity’s biggest challenge. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Independent, and is working on…
…& Company). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “To write Underland: A Deep Time Journey, Robert Macfarlane becomes a modern-day Indiana Jones. He squeezes himself into tunnels beneath Paris, speeds through potash mines with a dark-matter scientist in England, and narrowly avoids falling down a crevasse on a mountainside in Norway. Unlike…
…originally ran in 2018.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago,…
…originally ran in 2018.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributor to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago, sometimes…
7 Best-Reviewed Books in August 2019
…(Milkweed Editions). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Each chapter, written as a short vignette rich in imagery and the language of place, creates an immersive experience for the reader. The chapters span 1940 to 2018 and tell the stories of four generations of the author’s family. There are narratives about her…
5 Most Popular Posts: August 2019
…import of their actions.” Gretchen Lida’s review of Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl (Milkweed Editions). “Late Migrations is a book about grief, yet within that grief lies beauty, wonder, and love. It is also a book about nature and family, and it is…
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss
…of nature lovers everywhere. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot, Horse Network, and the Washington Independent Review of Books…
7 Best-Reviewed Books in June 2019
…& Company). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Macfarlane juxtaposes the underground scenery in front of him with the ecological, literary, and historical significances of the spaces. The way he chooses to contextualize his different ‘underlands’ is also so inclusive, it’s juicy. In one paragraph, he could be quoting ancient Arab lore,…
Underland: A Deep Time Journey
…us choose more wisely. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot and the Washington Independent Review of Books and is…
…country she represents. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many others. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot and the Washington Independent Review of Books and is working on…
7 Best-Reviewed Books in January 2019
…(Dzanc Books). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “The stories sometimes feel as if they’re working as a form of deconstruction, taking the notion of colonialism and smashing it. Other times, they read like protest art, training our eyes on both the perfect and the disturbing. Many are tales of Indian-American immigrants;…
…These white elephants dance. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot and the Washington Independent Review of Books. She…
…a triumph worth examining. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago,…
…(Mariner Books). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Despite its many subjects, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel is above all a book on writing. As I read, I underlined, highlighted, and snapped photos of quotes. While I sometimes do this with other books, it felt as though I couldn’t pick up…
…that reflect their lives. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributor to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago, sometimes…
Under the Lights and In the Dark
…originally ran in 2017.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
7 Best-Reviewed Books in July 2018
…Martin’s Press). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “It’s easy to see why it captures the imagination: Put a little drop of something-something in somebody’s champagne, and poof! They die horribly a few hours later, no need for brute strength or bloody cleanup. It may also grab our attention now because, as…
The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul
…pleasure, or bedside treat. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago,…
…originally ran in 2017.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
7 Best-Reviewed Books in June 2018
…(Mariner Books). Reviewed by Gretchen Lida. “Despite its many subjects, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel is above all a book on writing. As I read, I underlined, highlighted, and snapped photos of quotes. While I sometimes do this with other books, it felt as though I couldn’t pick up…
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays
…longer than 140 characters. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago,…
…originally ran in 2017.] Gretchen Lida is a Colorado native with an MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in New City, Horse Network, Brevity, and elsewhere. She resides in the Midwest, where she rides horses and thinks about Aldo Leopold. Like what we do?…
…that shape our lives. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago,…
The Atomic City Girls: A Novel
…Girls struggles to find. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Wisconsin, sometimes lives on Nantucket, and is a Colorado native.…
Lost Girls: The Invention of the Flapper
…How much has changed? Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
Under the Lights and In the Dark: Untold Stories of Women’s Soccer
…many to this sport. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
An Interview with Anne Hillerman
…[Photo by Jean Fogelberg.] Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey Through Human History
…for a good read. Gretchen Lida is an essayist and equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Earth Island Journal, Horse Network, and many other publications. She is currently seeking a publisher for her book, Beware the Horse Girl: Essays for the Awkward Equestrian. Follow her on Twitter…
Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River
…him to speak up. Gretchen Lida is a Colorado native with an MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in New City, Horse Network, Brevity, and elsewhere. She resides in the Midwest, where she rides horses and thinks about Aldo Leopold. Like what we do?…
