Audrey Magee's novel "The Undertaking" is about newlyweds caught up in Berlin society and the Eastern Front during World War II. Stark, moving and intelligent, this is Magee’s fictional debut.
Getting on with one’s life ambitions
"Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible" is about mastering Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor for the piano, as well as the ever-present overtaxed schedule that keeps us from doing the things we love. It reminded me of my own journey with the piano.
The book list on the napkin
This blog post could've been titled "the power of book cover illustrations" or "why carrying a print book (versus an e-reader) matters". That's because it shows what happens when people see the book you're reading.
Bootlegging in the Carolinas
Here's an involving story set during Prohibition in a working-class mill town, where the sheriff turns a blind eye to the underground liquor business going on right in front of him. "The Whiskey Baron" is atmospheric, suspenseful and well-written.
My picks from The Edgars® “Bests”
"Ordinary Grace" is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. Of note, it just won the the Edgar Award for best novel, announced last week. Two other winners appear here, as well as a link to the full list of nominees and winners in all the categories for the Mystery Writers of America 2014 Edgar Allan Poe Awards.
Three books coming in May
Many good books are on the horizon, not surprising for this time of year. Readers can start to organize their summer reading lists and anticipate filling those beach bags. Here's a World War II story, a graphic memoir and an apocalyptic tale you may want to consider for yours.
The miracle of Peter Lake
Mark Helprin’s “Winter’s Tale” hit the New York Times best-seller list 31 years ago in 1983. This past February, it hit movie theaters, and the bad reviews drove me to read the novel. Here’s more about that experience.
The morally bruising battlefield
"Redeployment" is a collection of 12 fictional stories written by a former U.S. Marine who served in the Iraq War. They are piercing in emotional honesty and unforgettable.
The hypnotic allure of Area X
Jeff VanderMeer's "Annihilation," his first book in the new Southern Reach Trilogy, became my obsession for a few days. I could've read it in one day -- it's just south of 200 pages -- but I didn't want this riveting, bizarre story to end.
A golden whistler, a burdened ornithologist
Alice Greenway's second novel focuses on a World War II veteran who's newly retired from his job at the Museum of Natural History in New York. As the title suggests, he's an ornithologist, and his story in "The Bird Skinner" is deeply affecting.
Have you seen me?
Three good novels that are "must reads." If they're not to your taste, they are at least worth noting because they are among the best.
The completely disguised Albanian kid
Derek B. Miller's "Norwegian by Night" is as intense as it is entertaining -- a crime story taking place in Oslo and the hinterlands of Norway, featuring an octogenarian Korean War vet who deserves a place in the Colorful Characters Hall of Fame,
Two novels to anticipate
New literary escapes for your New Year -- a powerful story from National Book Award winner Richard Powers, and what promises to be a fun read from "The Silver Linings Playbook" author Matthew Quick.
In search of the last original penguin
Jeremy Page's third novel is an engaging voyage to the Arctic Circle to learn the truth about the extinct Great Auk. The story takes place in 1845. Its atmospheric, poetic prose and unusual characters (the sea captain is a sociopath who embroiders) make the story a distinctive reading experience.
Run to Bethlehem
A Merry Christmas wish via poet W. H. Auden, whose "For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio" is available in a new edition from Princeton University Press. I so loved this discovery.
The Longest Chapter 