David Foenkinos has written a novel that's as compelling for its style as it is for the story. The new novel is a multiple award-winner and massive bestseller in France, recounting the life and work of German artist Charlotte Salomon during World War II. Foenkinos' obsession with the subject and the way he writes the story make it a stand-out.
Category: Literature
For the woman in the back row
She asked me for a book recommendation, and I didn't give the best answer. Here's why that happened, and the book recommendations I wish I'd given.
The best in mystery fiction
It never fails. The annual Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Awards bring to the forefront not-to-miss, stay-up-all-night mystery novels. Here are the three that won in the categories of Best Novel, Best First Novel by an American Author and Best Paperback Original for 2016.
Is this author a somebody?
Rob Spillman's memoir "All Tomorrow's Parties" about his rebellious pursuit of artistic authenticity yields an inviting although shallow story.
An unlikely sleuth working 1843 NYC
Mention the name Walt Whitman in literary circles and his poetry immediately comes to mind, such as "Song of Myself" and "I Sing the Body Electric" and "O Captain! My Captain!," let alone "Leaves of Grass." He's one of the greatest 19th century American poets. But a protagonist in a murder mystery? You got it.
My uneasy relationship with science fiction
Why did I pick up Charlie Jane Anders' new sci-fi fantasy "All the Birds in the Sky"? I'm as much into science fiction, let alone fantasy, as I am into jumping off a cliff into a shark pool. Here's what I think is going on.
Existentialists, crushes and a queen
Here are three books with vastly different topics and characters. Philosophy, romance and 16th century British monarchy. A great mix for the reading table.
Images of the sea and life itself
John Craske was a Norfolk fisherman who became incapacitated by a strange illness no one could diagnose. He spent his invalid days painting and then embroidering, creating scenes of the sea and boats on the sea up to when he died in 1943. Julia Blackburn has written an enchanting and beautifully illustrated biography.
My love for old, tattered books
Here's a recommendation to read (if you haven't already) John le Carré's classic espionage novel "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" -- and why I read an old, beat-up 1964 copy.
Yes, Thomas Hardy was my friend
Christopher Nicholson's new novel explores a winter season in the life of British author Thomas Hardy, who penned the classics "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure." The story focuses on desires of the heart that come too late in life. A quietly powerful, beautifully written book.
What would you say?
French author Jean-Philippe Blondel creates an engaging fictional story out of an ordinary incident that takes place on a train from Troyes, in northeastern France, to Paris. A best-seller in France and Germany, here's what it's all about.
The books I gave on Christmas Eve
Five books for five friends, specially selected, this holiday season.
Best fiction 2015: where the critics agree
Everyone's making their lists of 2015 best books from a year of reading. I wanted to see if there's agreement on one book of fiction, so I cross-referenced the fiction lists from five publications. Turns out, there are two.
“The Mysteries of Paris”
Ernest Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" is flying out of Paris bookstores. A bit here about that, and also about a new-old book set in the City of Light that first appeared in serial installments in a 19th century Paris newspaper. It captivated readers and saved the failing newspaper from bankruptcy. Here's the scoop.
Bookfair loot
One day every year in November, I fill a shopping cart with used books at a book fair in Dayton, Ohio. Here are a few of this year's treasures.
The Longest Chapter 