"What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank" is Nathan Englander's new collection of short stories. Each of the eight stories engages us with challenging topics regarding human nature and the lives of orthodox and non-practicing Jews. Enter the elephants. Here's what I'm talking about (when I talk about Nathan Englander).
Category: Other Books
Meet the Lasts, Downton Abbey’s future
Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited" for years has been a favorite of mine, not just the book but also the PBS series that starred Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews. Yet so many say this well-known novel is not Waugh's most accomplished work, and now I agree.
Beware your assumptions
Percival Everett is the author of more than 20 books, including his new crime novel set in the fictional Plata County, New Mexico. The distinguishing feature of this entertaining, triple murder mystery is its savvy, mind-bending unpredictability.
19 Pictures, 22 Recipes: A Cookbook by Paola Ferrario
Paola Ferrario's slim book combines photographs with family recipes. In accompanying essays, the author shares personal stories and life commentary. You won't find this book on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble. Here's why.
Shopping Brooklyn bookstores
It's that time of year when New York City teems with holiday lights and traffic jams surrounding the department stores, Rockefeller Center and Times Square. On a recent visit, I avoided the crowds and headed to Brooklyn, where I found a small herd of that endangered species, the independent bookstore.
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.
Adventures in vintage drug paperbacks
I attended Pulpfest 2011 with a list in hand of 36 colorful book titles that included "I Am a Teen-Age Dope Addict," "The Marijuana Mob" and "Reefer Girl." Here's why, and what I learned about the books, plus photos of some that came home with me.
Last year’s beach read, this year’s movie
David Nicholls' "One Day" has captured readers worldwide since its initial 2009 publication in the U.K. With the movie coming out in August, I decided to hurry up and read the book. It's a guaranteed good read, but whether or not the movie can pull off the "one day" magical premise of the storyline remains in question.
The story of “Jasper Jones”
Craig Silvey's novel is part murder mystery part coming-of-age story. The book's been winning awards and even got short-listed for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. But is it for teens or adults?
A thirst for fame: John Wilkes Booth
This historical novel about President Lincoln's assassination was published 50 years ago and is newly reissued by the New York Review of Books Classics. It's a great rip of a read that, unlike more contemporary historical novels, sticks close to actual events and people.
Walking the road of ‘know thyself’
Andrew Krivak's memoir about his eight-year journey toward becoming a Jesuit priest is an illuminating story about one person's determination to understand his destiny. He learns that making a proper discernment in such matters happens not in moments of peaceful pondering, but by making decisions along the chaotic way.
Old paperbacks: irresistible vs. collectible
News about Pulpfest 2011 got me thinking about vintage paperbacks, which will be part of the July fun. Here are some in my library, although I'm not sure they're vintage and collectible versus just old and irresistible.
A whale of a story shortlisted by IMPAC
Michael Crummey's "Galore" set in Newfoundland made it to the shortlist of the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It's a terrific novel filled with offbeat, magical realities. Here's a few words about it, plus the other nine novels on that shortlist.
True crime in 1950 Mississippi
Whoa...self-published? That designation tends to announce the unwanted of New York publishers and agents. But some books end up self-published for reasons other than rejection by the Big Ones, such as Stokes McMillan's pre-civil rights story. Here's the scoop.
Smart, hilarious (better?) book titles
During a week that's been unkind to my reading time, a TLC interlude of humor.
The Longest Chapter 