It's easy for me to forget books I want to read if I don't keep them visible on my reading tables. That's why this temporary upheaval is turning out to be less burden and more treasure. These five books include a thriller, a first novel, short stories, and more. Also, I found a letter from the wife of a Vietnam soldier tucked inside a military classic.
A science fiction shortlist and August books
Here you'll find a link to the shortlist for The Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, plus comments about two of the nominated books that were already in my current reading stack. Also, a new nonfiction book The Guardian says is written with thrilling detail, and Yoko Ogawa's newest novel since "The Memory Police."
New books published this month, plus two irresistibles
Lev Grossman's new fantasy plus the eleventh book in Norman Lock's American Novels Series are among the new releases you'll find here. Plus, an unputdownable classic novel of escape.
Recent additions to my reading table
Here’s a list of some summer reading I’ve lined up for myself. It includes a novel coming out in July by one of today’s best Irish authors, a classic Japanese crime story, a new biography, and books by two favorite authors.
“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.
New books, old books, and the Pulitzer Prizes
Here’s a miscellany of fiction and nonfiction, including a long-awaited new novel by the author of “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.” David Wroblewski’s debut became a phenomenal bestseller, the story of a mute boy and a unique breed of dogs, with subtle similarities to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Now, Wroblewski revisits the Sawtelle family long before Edgar runs away with three of the dogs. Also featured, authors Paul Auster and Vivian Gornick.
The “hoss and horl” of the North Sea in Carys Davies’ new novel
Carys Davies is the author of two collections of short stories and three novels, most recently "Clear." It tells the story of two men who forge an unlikely bond on a remote Scottish island in 1843. You could read the story in one sitting, but you'll want instead to live inside the island's world over several days. It's a flawless work of fiction, not unexpected from this talented author.
Books I’m reading and plan to read
Memoirs, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and a surprising Great American Novels list from The Atlantic magazine are shared in this post. Some of the books are new this month and next. All are what intrigue me right now, and what I'm looking forward to.
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.
New books recommended and anticipated
Percival Everett, who wrote the unforgettable, hilarious, and wrenching novel “The Trees,” has a new novel coming in March. You can read about it here, along with other books that include a suspenseful revenge plot written by a talented Irish author, and nonfiction about chance encounters. Also, science fiction and short stories.
For Black History Month: poetry, basketball, and the Jim Crow years
A new biography offers the first full-scale life of Ohio poet Paul Laurence Dunbar in half a century. Also, Hanif Abdurraqib has a new book coming out that is highly anticipated. And a book of stories posthumously published by an author who died in a motorcycle accident in 1966.
The Dublin Literary Award 2024 Longlist and my three choices
You can't go wrong looking for good novels to read in this annual longlist. Nominations are made by librarians from around the world, so it's wide-ranging with surprises. I've listed here the ones I want to read, and those that already have been mentioned on the blog. Plus a link to the award list.
New books this month, plus more
I wanted to write about January's new releases, but the two novels here are the only ones that interested me. So I'm also including a classic novel and a tempting new biography that came out a couple months ago.
Closing 2023 with these four books
Here are the ones I didn't want to leave behind. The ones I could have put off for one reason or another because I do that, thinking they can wait. Books I couldn't bear to carry into another year, the feeling I'd get at seeing them still waiting, that feeling of never getting to what you promise yourself. These are the last-minute ones.
Supernatural escapes once a Christmas tradition, now revived
These ghost stories, each published in a small book, aren't Santa narratives, rather distinctive plots from the imagined worlds of classic authors Edith Wharton, Shirley Jackson, and others. Take a look, and treat yourself. They're an addictive delight.
The Longest Chapter 