L. J. Davis's 1971 novel “A Meaningful Life” was reissued this year. It's a funny story about a protagonist who gets a wake-up call to do something about his dull life.
Category: Good Books
2009 National Book Award Winners
Awards were announced late Wednesday night. Colum McCann won for fiction. Here are all the winners.
The surprise of “American Salvage”
Here's a collection of short stories that's risen to the literary forefront, thanks to its National Book Award nomination. The author of "American Salvage," Bonnie Jo Campbell, writes with unsettling grace.
Lost in the coliseum
You never know what you'll find at the Dayton Book Fair, and that's the fun of it. It's held this time every year in the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Coliseum. I went and had a blast.
The book that got me off the bad news train
The fate of books is discussed in several publications I picked up recently. I found relief from the dark clouds in a book on My Reading Table.
Finding “Kaputt”
"The New York Review of Books" Classics series publishes great novels of World War II. Here's one of them.
“The Humbling” is Roth at his best
"The Humbling" is Philip Roth's 30th book. Here's a review and links to Roth's own thoughts about the book.
A lingering wild in America’s Great Plains
A photography book by Michael Forsberg published this month celebrates America's middle region. Forsberg says he strives "to photograph and build appreciation for what is left of the wild Great Plains."
Milo & Tock’s creators team up again
Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer, who collaborated on "The Phantom Tollbooth" in 1961, are working together again on a new book.
More books for the reading table
77 books of fiction won the National Book Award between 1950 and today. It's a great list for finding your next good book to read.
Dark, gritty books too loud to ignore
Two Dollar Radio is an independent publisher in Granville, Ohio. Their literary novels are getting national attention. Here's what I learned, plus their books.
Michael Greenberg’s happy intensity
"Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life" is a compilation of Michael Greenberg's columns from the "Times Literary Supplement." They are funny, wise and a great joy to read.
TLC appears on Critical Mass
The National Book Critics Circle is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Guest commentary is being posted on their blog, including one from me.
Up next: the National Book Awards
The U.K. announced the winner of its prestigious Man Booker Prize. Now it's time in the U.S. for the National Book Award.
How much would you spend on a new book?
Abbeville Press releases this month "The History of Paris in Painting." A gorgeous, expensive book.
