A new book rescues from obscurity a largely forgotten figure in American history. It's an engaging read, surpringly so given the many names and facts involved, but that's a testament to the author, Alex Green. He's got a magic touch.
Category: Notable Books
“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 truths of a real place and time
“No More Giants,” first published in 1966, fell into obscurity but is now back in print. Set in the American West in the 1940s, the novel’s narrator searches for the key to her brother’s death when they were growing up on the family’s cattle ranch. All I wanted to do was read this book.
“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 sylvan delight: “The Forest” by Alexander Nemerov
This new book, set during Jacksonian America, seduced me with surprising ease. Its impressive, sometimes dramatic, sometimes reflective episodic tales fascinate with their combined historic and invented characters from the 1830s. Here's a brief review.
Six favorite books from my year of reading
This 2022 end-of-year list includes an equal number of fiction and nonfiction. The books earned their place for the unusual qualities that set them apart: storytellers that amazed me, atmospheres that erased time, facts that broadened my thinking. Four of the books have been mentioned here before; two are new.
The 2022 Booker Prize winner plus a surprise bestseller
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won this year's Booker Prize for his second novel about his country's decades-long civil war. Also, and totally unrelated, the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant announcements last week connected me to a wildly popular book that has "germinated" into a bestseller. Here's more.
The Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners 2021
Since 2006, this significant prize in literature has celebrated the power of the written word to promote peace. Here are the 2021 winners: one adult fiction and one adult nonfiction, both of World War II and lives revealed, both riveting reads.
What I’m reading now: fiction by Madeleine Bourdouxhe, Mollie Panter-Downes, Olivia Manning
I'm betting you don't recognize these 20th century female authors. Each has faded into obscurity for different reasons, but now have renewed and much deserved attention. One wrote a bestseller, one wrote for The New Yorker, and one just couldn't get the critics to love her work. I'm under their spell. Here's what's captivating me.
My reading life: a few good books
Here you'll find three novels that will capture your attention for their complex characters, intriguing settings, and heartrending stories. Also, I’ve included the title of an unusual book from Melbourne, Australia, and a new novel coming out next week that takes place during a bloody week in 1871 Paris.
Coming soon: five new novels by seasoned authors
I’m eagerly awaiting these new books from Maggie Shipstead, Francisco Goldman, Joan Silber, Jeff VanderMeer, and Rachel Cusk. They promise page-turning and thoughtful involvement, from a speculative eco thriller to heartfelt linked stories.
My reading life: just finished + coming soon
A 21st century poet writes about the life of an enslaved 18th century poet, and a psychoanalyst explores that fateful night in Gethsemane in two profound stories far from this century. Plus, March is promising to be a literary month to look forward to – here’s why.
My 10 favorite books of 2020
Literary novels, a biography, a humorous memoir, a fable, and more. "What I want to tell you about is something quite different," says one character in these unforgettable books on this year-end list.
2020 Christmas books: presents for myself
The permission of the holiday season is here. A classic novel, memoirs, confessions, and a search for Joseph Roth are now under my tree.
Book award winners announced this week
Some of the finest books published this year won the Booker Prize and the National Book Awards. Fiction includes stories about a ghost haunting a train station, an Asian actor aspiring to be Kung Fu Guy, and a boy in 1980's Glasgow. Here are the titles.
The Longest Chapter 