Here are the ones I didn't want to leave behind. The ones I could have put off for one reason or another because I do that, thinking they can wait. Books I couldn't bear to carry into another year, the feeling I'd get at seeing them still waiting, that feeling of never getting to what you promise yourself. These are the last-minute ones.
Category: literary fiction
New books, including a true crime stunner
Look within to find a memoir from the author of the 1980 bestseller “Tracks," and a novel with an autistic protagonist that's being described as a mesmerizing debut. You’ll also find a murder trial that transfixed Australians, and an interesting book about Finland's savvy dealings with Stalin.
A 1927 bestseller, film criticism, and Alice McDermott
There’s a sea of blue in these dust jackets, which I noticed when placing the books together on my dining room table. All fiction, that too a commonality, but the plots and settings of these three novels vary widely. Two I’ve read and highly recommend. The third entices.
“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 Navy captain’s integrity and the Great Chicago Fire
Here are two new books I want to read. Perhaps you’ll also find them interesting. One is a novel that’s, according to the subtitle, “a sea story, a war story, a love story.” The other is what’s being described as a well-researched, fascinating look at Chicago's 1871 disaster.
September 2023 new books
Sumptuous reading opportunities are arriving soon, including a novel set in the near future, a new translation of "The Iliad" that's getting much attention, intriguing fiction by the admired Ron Rash, and a British novelist's first publication in the U.S.
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.
Staying cool these last hot days of the season
A late blooming poet, the Dutch Golden Age in art history, a Jewish family in peril, and a schoolgirl's mystery. It's a rich mix of fiction and nonfiction I’m currently reading.
New books coming August 2023
It's unusual for big name fiction authors to publish in the sleepy final days of summer. Typically, we see them in June for packing the beach bag. And yet, here they are, three popular literary novelists. Also, nonfiction about Marshall Pétain and a memoir by the beloved Diana Athill.
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.
What I’m reading this month, June 2023
There's a wide range of stories here, from a complex mystery in small town Australia to time-traveling historians, from a Central American hit man on the run to the biography of an American poet. These are the books I've chosen for myself this month, a beginning of summer reading. What do you plan to read these long hot days?
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.
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.
What to read next: new books and a classic
While this post is primarily about books set to release in May, it also includes two books I recommended during last Friday’s radio book show (a classic and an April thriller). They’re too good to be missed. Of the May books, you’ll find a memoir, novels, translated literature, and a collection of short stories.
The Longest Chapter 