Andrew Miller’s new novel follows two married couples living next door to one another during a harsh winter in England. The book was nominated for the 2025 Booker Prize, won last week by David Szalay for his novel "Flesh." "The Land in Winter" has received many rave and positive reviews. These are my thoughts.
Category: Award Books
September 2025 novels and biographies
Joan Silber and Kiran Desai have new novels out this month, two authors loved by both readers and critics. Also here, the lives of an adventurer and an "apprentice mage discovering her powers."
What I’m reading, including the 2025 Booker Prize longlist
I've been diving into the UK's Booker Prize longlisted novels, which have included 'Misinterpretation' and 'One Boat.' Here's why, plus there's a new thriller I flew through and nonfiction I've started about ghosts.
A few book recommendations
January was a month when I swung widely among many types of books, not only in genre but also topic. To start, Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman, not a topic I’d typically be drawn to. That changed thanks to what I read about the memoir when it published in December. Callum Robinson writes about … Continue reading A few book recommendations
I had to move my books: what I found
It's easy for me to forget books I want to read if I don't keep them visible on my reading tables. That's why this temporary upheaval is turning out to be less burden and more treasure. These five books include a thriller, a first novel, short stories, and more. Also, I found a letter from the wife of a Vietnam soldier tucked inside a military classic.
A science fiction shortlist and August books
Here you'll find a link to the shortlist for The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, plus comments about two of the nominated books that were already in my current reading stack. Also, a new nonfiction book The Guardian says is written with thrilling detail, and Yoko Ogawa's newest novel since "The Memory Police."
New books, old books, and the Pulitzer Prizes
Here’s a miscellany of fiction and nonfiction, including a long-awaited new novel by the author of “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.” David Wroblewski’s debut became a phenomenal bestseller, the story of a mute boy and a unique breed of dogs, with subtle similarities to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Now, Wroblewski revisits the Sawtelle family long before Edgar runs away with three of the dogs. Also featured, authors Paul Auster and Vivian Gornick.
Books I’m reading and plan to read
Memoirs, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and a surprising Great American Novels list from The Atlantic magazine are shared in this post. Some of the books are new this month and next. All are what intrigue me right now, and what I'm looking forward to.
The Dublin Literary Award 2024 Longlist and my three choices
You can't go wrong looking for good novels to read in this annual longlist. Nominations are made by librarians from around the world, so it's wide-ranging with surprises. I've listed here the ones I want to read, and those that already have been mentioned on the blog. Plus a link to the award list.
“The House of Doors” by Tan Twan Eng
Tan Twan Eng is a successful Malaysian novelist writing today. His first two books received nominations for the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 2007 and 2012. His new novel "The House of Doors" also received a nomination this year. It’s a story of love and betrayal set in British Colonial Malaya. Here's a review.
Four novels and the 2023 Booker Prize
The novels of four Irish authors make up one third of this year's longlisted Booker nominees. It's a first for this prestigious prize, and not all that surprising given the literary talent surging from Ireland these days. Here are the four books, a glimpse at their wide-ranging plots and tones (humor to dystopian logic), and why I've made room for them on my reading table.
Reading Bette Howland’s Chicago stories and Robbie Arnott’s gem
Several new books by big name authors (Ann Patchett, Colson Whitehead, Richard Russo) are heading into bookstores these upcoming weeks, but I’m all into “Blue in Chicago” and “Limberlost,” two books that likely don’t pop up during your online book browsing, or that you’ll find on an indie bookstore shelf. Here’s what that’s all about.
This could be your summer reading list
Book awards and prizes are the best places to hunt for your next best read. They offer excellent opportunities to find thrilling and absorbing stories, and also to stretch beyond what you might typically select for yourself. Here's a look at a recent few.
Three books I’m eager to read
If only I could read faster, but I’ve always been a slow reader. So many good books I see on my reading table, like stacks of travel brochures, and I want to go everywhere. I remind myself “bird by bird,” as Anne Lamott teaches us in her classic by the same title, adding these books to my already full reading life, stories of family secrets, the Troubles, and Nazi heritage.
The 2022 Booker Prize winner plus a surprise bestseller
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won this year's Booker Prize for his second novel about his country's decades-long civil war. Also, and totally unrelated, the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant announcements last week connected me to a wildly popular book that has "germinated" into a bestseller. Here's more.
The Longest Chapter 