I chose to read these books because I've admired the work of their authors. William Boyd is one of them, whose "Any Human Heart" remains one of my all-time favorite novels. He's in top form with this new one. Also, Jonathan Littell, who wrote the controversial bestselling novel "The Kindly Ones;" his new book, nonfiction, is brilliant. You'll also find here an author whose novel published mid-20th century is about an old woman thumbing her nose at family expectations. An added bonus: poet Billy Collins.
Category: Book Review
Caroline Adderson’s “A Way to Be Happy”
These eight stories cleverly illustrate the many ways happiness enters our lives when least expected. It's through human encounters, Adderson tells us, doing so with seemingly unremarkable incidents. They occur in her characters’ daily routines, surprising them and us. It’s wonderful new fiction.
A genius, a horse, and the atom bomb
Here is a wonderful biography. I just finished it, as I continue to read books with large page counts (instead of adding them to the reading table and avoiding them). Also, two new books, fiction, and nonfiction. Should someone ask me what to read next, these two would be top of the list.
A review of “Us Fools” by Nora Lange
This new novel takes place primarily on a small farm in Illinois during the 1980's agricutural crisis. It also takes place in Chicago and Alaska, spanning a little more than two decades as the protagonist Bernadette looks back, wrestling with what the future holds for herself, the farm, and her older sister, Joanne.
What happened to Felice Bauer?
"Life After Kafka" imagines the life of Franz Kafka's first fiancée long after their broken engagement. Fact and fiction intertwine to bring Felice Bauer to life, so we finally see her beyond Kafka's published “Letters to Felice.” Also, it led me to another book, because I became so curious about the relationship and Kafka. Here’s what this is all about.
“His world had ended:” the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
“The Radetzky March” is Joseph Roth's masterpiece. Everyone's pretty much in agreement about that. They're also in agreement that it's one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. If you don't know about it, here's what you’re missing, and why I took so long to get to it.
The “hoss and horl” of the North Sea in Carys Davies’ new novel
Carys Davies is the author of two collections of short stories and three novels, most recently "Clear." It tells the story of two men who forge an unlikely bond on a remote Scottish island in 1843. You could read the story in one sitting, but you'll want instead to live inside the island's world over several days. It's a flawless work of fiction, not unexpected from this talented author.
The truths of a real place and time
“No More Giants,” first published in 1966, fell into obscurity but is now back in print. Set in the American West in the 1940s, the novel’s narrator searches for the key to her brother’s death when they were growing up on the family’s cattle ranch. All I wanted to do was read this book.
New books recommended and anticipated
Percival Everett, who wrote the unforgettable, hilarious, and wrenching novel “The Trees,” has a new novel coming in March. You can read about it here, along with other books that include a suspenseful revenge plot written by a talented Irish author, and nonfiction about chance encounters. Also, science fiction and short stories.
“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.
A thriller set in Guatemala
There's a hovering sense of danger in this novel about greed and corruption fueled by decades of political crime. Its cast of characters includes an antiques dealer involved with conniving government officials and businessmen, a human rights activist pursuing truth, and a hit man assigned to murder. Here's my review of "The Country of Toó" by Rodrigo Rey Rosa.
A novel about war and unshakable belonging
As Memorial Day approaches, it feels appropriate to post my review of Andrew Krivak's new novel, "Like the Appearance of Horses." I mentioned the book a month ago as a recommended read, so the title may sound familiar. The story is about a family in which a grandfather, father, and son participate in the World Wars and the U.S. Vietnam War. The focus is not on combat, but on the profound connection among those who experience war’s many dimensions. Here's why I recommend this novel.
Art theft, espionage, and murder in WWII London
"Dead in the Water" is the new installment in Mark Ellis's WWII series featuring Scotland Yard’s DCI Frank Merlin. Smart and unpredictable, it’s a superior stand-alone detective/thriller novel with layers of fascinating characters, intrigue over Leonardo da Vinci rare drawings, and, with the Americans newly arrived, complications.
A sylvan delight: “The Forest” by Alexander Nemerov
This new book, set during Jacksonian America, seduced me with surprising ease. Its impressive, sometimes dramatic, sometimes reflective episodic tales fascinate with their combined historic and invented characters from the 1830s. Here's a brief review.
“Two Thousand Million Man-Power” by Gertrude Trevelyan
Gertrude Trevelyan is a British author whose novels were among the best published in the 1930s; however, they disappeared after her death in 1941. Today her work is being rediscovered, including this memorable novel that was first published to critical acclaim in 1937. It was one of my top favorites for 2022. Once forgotten, it now deserves lots of attention, even if I'm repeating myself. Here's a review.
The Longest Chapter 