Michael O’Brien is professor of American Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge, and he's also the author of an upcoming book about Louisa Catherine Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams. Library Journal gives it a starred review. Here's a glimpse of what to expect.
Category: New Books
Trial lawyer walking
"The Unnamed" is the recently released second novel of Joshua Ferris. It's absurd, unique and ultimately sad, commenting on the fragility of a good, secure life. Not for every reader. Here's why.
Grodstein’s “A Friend of the Family”
An absorbing novel of suburban tragedy. At the center is an over-protective father. Here's a glimpse of what the story is about.
The zombies are back on TLC
I'm once again trying to embrace the night of the living dead lurching it's way down literature's tree-lined classic lanes. I don't like it but hey, the zombies are doing phenomenally well for publishing sales.
Caldecott, Newbery and NBCC awards
It's one of those award weeks showcasing good books for kids and adults. The 2010 Newbery and Caldecott award winners were announced Monday, and we'll soon be hearing the line-up of contenders for the National Book Critics Circle 2010 awards. Here's the scoop.
What urban dwellers never see
"Burtynsky: Oil" is a photography book that questions human accountability regarding the cost of the resource we so depend on to run our cars. It's worth a look. Also, check out the video of the curator at The Corcoran Art Museum who says, "Burtynsky shows us a world that has incredible importance in our lives."
100 years ago, Paris went under water
This month Palgrave Macmillian publishes a book about the great Paris flood of January 1910. It's by an author recently honored as one of the top young historians in the U.S. The publisher's website and book's blog link to astonishing photos of this historical event.
New books to anticipate
Here's a dozen new books to browse for upcoming reading January through April. Author names on the list include the known and unknown, the "known" being Ian McEwan, Anne Lamott and Martin Amis, among others. A mix of fiction and non-fiction. Get your reading table ready!
No monkey business here
Steve Jenkins children's book "Never Smile at a Monkey" tells you what you should never do if you encounter one of the surprisingly dangerous animals illustrated in his book. I went looking for it because of the book's cover deemed a favorite of 2009, and then found the content informative.
Audubon’s camera: “Waterbirds”
Theodore Cross has spent half his life photographing waterbirds on four continents. This book showcases his passion.
The unforgettables: 2009
All Sides Weekend on WOSU 820 AM NPR News last Friday included a discussion about unforgettable books read in 2009. Here's my complete list.
Xiao’s “The Cave Man”
Xiaoda Xiao's debut novel is a work of history in fictional form. Its spare prose lures us into a powerful story of imprisonment and human rights violations in Mao's communist China. Here's a review.
While holiday shopping … 5 books
When it comes to buying books-as-gifts for readers, I'm challenged to find something they'll like but haven't already read. So I'm on the alert for unusual books. These five caught my eye.
You can’t begin again with “Beginners”
It's been widely known for a long time that editor Gordon Lish reworked Raymond Carver's short stories. A new biography about Carver as well as one of Carver's original manuscripts pulls back the curtain on what went on between the writer and Lish. But how does that influence the way we read Carver going foward?
The book I missed: “Tears in the Darkness”
Here's the book I knew last summer I should read. "Tears in the Darkness" is described as history written as story. The husband-and-wife authors created it from thousands of sources and hundreds of interviews. They have received nothing but praise.
The Longest Chapter 