"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.
Category: literary fiction
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 published this month, plus two irresistibles
Lev Grossman's new fantasy plus the eleventh book in Norman Lock's American Novels Series are among the new releases you'll find here. Plus, an unputdownable classic novel of escape.
Recent additions to my reading table
Here’s a list of some summer reading I’ve lined up for myself. It includes a novel coming out in July by one of today’s best Irish authors, a classic Japanese crime story, a new biography, and books by two favorite authors.
“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.
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.
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 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.
New books this month, plus more
I wanted to write about January's new releases, but the two novels here are the only ones that interested me. So I'm also including a classic novel and a tempting new biography that came out a couple months ago.
Closing 2023 with these four books
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.
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.
The Longest Chapter 