Elevate Difference

Reviews by Gita Tewari

Gita Tewari

Gita Tewari is a freelance writer and editor based in the Chicago area. Her writing has appeared in Briarpatch magazine, Travelmag and Long Story Short, and her poetry has been featured in Sol magazine. It goes without saying that she is an avid reader; she also loves to travel and volunteer for causes she feels strongly about.

Clara Bellino

“I’ve got one foot in the grave one foot on a banana peel you can call me brave _but I know the deal” Those are the first four lines of the song “Game Up—Bigger Pickle” on Clare Bellino’s latest release Embarcadero Love.

Invisible Sisters

The loss of a loved one can wreak havoc on the closest of families. There doesn’t seem to be a formula that can predict which families will survive a tragedy and which families will break apart as a result.

My Heart’s Desire

I’m tossing my reviewer’s hat on the floor for this album because it’s hard to be objective about a record that I loved from the first time I played it.

Songs from the Heart

I’ve listened to Songs From The Heart a number of times now since first receiving it in the mail.

How To Cook a Tapir: A Memoir of Belize

There are certain experiences in one’s life that are defining in their impact. Although the actual duration may be short, these experiences help excavate the person you were meant to be and set you on the path to leading the life that you’re meant to live.  In 1962, when Joan Fry set off with her young anthropologist husband to a year-long “working honeymoon” in British Honduras (now Belize), she had no idea how this adventure would impact her life.

Why Just Her

I’ll admit to having mixed emotions about reviewing a book about the notorious DC Madame, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who committed suicide by hanging herself in early May 2008. I was vaguely familiar with the story, but hadn’t followed it closely as it was unfolding.

Tea and Other Ayama Na Tales

When it comes selecting books to read, as in life, I often find myself treading the same well-worn territory over and over again. If left to my own devices, I tend to gravitate toward memoirs written by the famous and not-so-famous. I have drawn imaginary lines in my mind around certain genres of books that I assume are just not my cup of tea: science fiction, fantasy, and fictional tales of people who live in countries that don’t exist are some of the categories that I eschew.

Willing Spirits

What do you do when you’ve followed all the rules that “they” told you would bring you happiness and security?

American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Preserving Your Assets

I admit that the title of this book had me at hello.

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

Lacking familiarity with Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series did not detract from my enjoyment of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, the fifth installment in the series.

A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor

I can’t remember the last time I cried after reading a book. After reading the last page of A Journal for Jordan I suddenly found myself bawling my eyes out. But enough about me—this is a book review after all. Based on the title of this book, I expected it to be a journal written by a loved one for a loved one.

Marie Claire (May 2008)

I’m a magazine junkie. There’s nothing better than coming home to find your favorite magazine in the mailbox. I love thumbing through the ads and fashion spreads knowing full well that I will never be able to afford most of the clothes, but trying to glean some sense of what the latest themes are and how they will trickle down into my utilitarian wardrobe.

Eat Out, Eat Right: The Guide to Healthier Restaurant Eating

Hope Warshaw is on a mission; she wants to help health conscious diners navigate their way through the minefield that is dining out in the United States. As Warshaw points out in her book, more Americans eat out than ever before—an average of five meals a week—for a variety of sociological and economic reasons. Because we’re spending less time eating at home, we also have less control over the food we eat.

Entitled to the Pedestal: Place, Race, and Progress in White Southern Women's Writing,1920-1945

I have to be honest. This was not the easiest book to read or absorb. It reminded me of a book that might appear on a required reading for a college literature course.

Absolute Convictions

If you’ve never heard of Roe v. Wade, you’ve either been living in Papua, New Guinea for the past four decades or Russian cosmonauts kidnapped you when you were two. The impact this decision continues to have on the cultural and political consciousness of our country could more accurately be described as a stranglehold. As we are seeing, once again, in this new political season, any politician who wants to run for national office has to pass the “litmus” test of _Roe v.

I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything

I didn’t know what I was in for when I agreed to review Agent’s I Wouldn’t Trade That for Anything. Self described as melodic hardcore, rooted firmly in the Long Island sound, but strongly influenced by '90s indie rock bands like Braid, my initial response was mixed. The music has a very punk feeling to it - hard driving guitar riffs with vocals that were barely audible unless you turn up the volume to ear-splitting decibels that could permanently alter your eardrums.
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