Linda McCullough Moore's new collection of short stories is narrated by a woman whose voice is unforgettable. She narrates all of them, because these are linked stories about moments in her life that began in the 1950s. "This Road Will Take Us Closer to the Moon" approaches readers with confessional intimacy.
Category: New Books
“La vie en Paris,” a siren’s song
Penelope Rowlands feels the siren call of Paris. On her website she writes, "Why, of all the places I've lived, did Paris affect me the most? For, although I’ve lived in half a dozen cities, this one left the deepest mark." The question drove her to compile "Paris Was Ours," a collection of 32 essays by diverse writers who bring us close to Parisian life and culture through their experiences. It's a delightful book to read.
Our imperfect memory
Julian Barnes is the author of 11 novels and three books of stories. His fiction has been nominated three times for past Man Booker prizes, and this year he snagged the win. "The Sense of an Ending" is spare in size but large in emotional scope. The narrator, a retired London man in his 60s, is forced to reevaluate his memories after receiving an unusual inheritance. Easily read in one sitting and unforgettable for the messages Barnes imparts about how we remember our past.
Obsession of a modern-day Ahab
When Ohio artist Matt Kish got the idea to illustrate the Signet Classic paperback of Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," he decided to produce an illustration for every page. (The Signet Classic runs north of 500 pages.) He completed the project in 543 days. Here's the story of how that happened, and illustrations from the beautiful book that's published by Tin House Books.
The lucky life of Bruce Jay Friedman
Here's a memoir that's pure pleasure, written by a literary author and Hollywood screenwriter. The name-dropping is terrific fun, but the stories Bruce Jay Friedman shares in "Lucky Bruce" are the best.
Moscow’s neon lust and frenetic sin
A. D. Miller's "Snowdrops" is indeed a page-turner, as the judges of the Man Booker award have indicated. (Miller's debut is shortlisted for the award.) Much of its allure is the insider's view of modern Russia and the atmospheric, snow-charged, toe-numbing winters.
History is now and England, 2060-1940
Thank you Connie Willis for science fiction I've embraced and enjoyed in "Blackout/All Clear," award-winning time travel that goes backward in time, from 2060 to 1940.
An impulsive reaction turns fatal
Will Allison's "Long Drive Home" is a tense psychological and emotional drama so well executed it made me want to never put it down and nervously walk away from it at the same time.
A famous “fait divers” in Paris, 1933
Sarah Maza's book about Violette Nozière's patricide, her trial and its outcome offer a look into the culture of crime in 1930s Paris overshadowed in history books by Hitler's rise to power. This is a satisfying story, interesting and historically rich.
A timely story about a father’s abduction
"Anatomy of a Disappearance" by Hisham Matar is fiction, but it touches the real-life story of the author, whose Libyan father spoke out against the Gaddafi dictatorship and disappeared several decades ago. Here's a look at this memorable novel, Matar's second.
Swedish crime from Karin Alvtegen
Here's an author to keep your eye on. She has three novels published in the U.S. and a style in the crime novel genre that's smart and captivating. I paid a hefty exchange rate so I could read her newest book "Shadow," and it was worth every British pound sterling.
A sisterhood of lonely hearts
If you're looking for that one final good book to read on the patio or take on vacation these dog days of summer, "Break the Skin" by Lee Martin just might be the one. The gathering of lovelorn, irrational characters in a Midwest small-town setting create the perfect, relaxed page-turning draw.
Hype that doesn’t pan out stateside
Stephen Kelman's "Pigeon English" is getting lots of attention for its unique narrative voice. It's even long-listed for the 2011 Man Booker Prize. But the plot draws from a true British crime, and that affects the success of the story this side of the pond.
Pick a name, write a book
Here's a collection of entertaining short biographies about writers who assumed pseudonyms as protective covers, such as the Brontë sisters, who wrote under the pen names Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell; and Eric Blair, who took the pen name George Orwell. Carmela Ciuraru's "Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms" is delightfully engaging.
A man sees a shark in a swimming pool…
Ben Loory's new "Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day" is a paperback collection of magical, fable-like stories that explore our inner-most fears and desires. They're short, enthralling and addictive.
The Longest Chapter 