In these final days leading up to the announcement of the Man Booker Prize, Britain's well-known bookmaker stopped accepting wagers on which of the six shortlisted novels would take the award. It's because they experienced "something we have never seen" before.
Lavaca County & the fate of Karel Skala
Bruce Machart's debut novel, "The Wake of Forgiveness," takes place in Texas ranch land in the early 1900s. It's a richly told story about brothers divided by the outcome of a wager between their father and a Mexican patriarch. Machart received a lot of pre-publication starred reviews, and his book stands up to their promise.
A war not destined to be the last
Russell Freedman has won nearly every award given to writers of nonfiction for children, including the Newbery Medal. His new book presents an informative account of the Great War, 1914-1918, with many b&w photographs of the soldiers and the event. It's categorized as a history book for kids, but so well written and presented, this adult found it to be good reading.
Is this book offensive?
"The Slap," written by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, became a surprising word-of-mouth success this year and even landed on Britain's 2010 Man Booker Longlist. Many think the book is too offensive for such recognition. I wanted to find out why.
How to live and play the piano (etc.)
Michel de Montaigne provided answers in his famous essays to the universal question of how to live. Sarah Blackwell's biography of the 16th century philosopher weaves those answers into his life story. Also in this week's literary encounters, a memoir of piano lessons, some poetry and even an illuminated breviary.
A year of reading old books
How would you react if you were given a mandate of no new books for one year? That's what Susan Hill gave herself, when she discovered dozens of books in her personal library she hadn't read. Her new book, soon to be released, tells the journey.
This debut tells a remarkable story
I had a feeling "The Gendarme" would be a good book, and that instinct was on target. Author Mark T. Mustian's fictional story is unusual, set during the Turkish deportation of Armenians during World War I. Not only an engaging story, but an important one for the history it brings to light.
What’s in your backpack?
I've returned from a hiking trip in Utah's Zion and Bryce National Parks. On the journey, I met Kindle readers passionate about their beloved e-reader, yet print books held the majority when it came to what travelers were carrying.
Taking a short break. Back soon.
The Longest Chapter hits the pause button.
Ernest Hemingway meets Lassie
The fruits of some recent book collecting. From highbrow to TV kitsch.
Andrew Ervin’s “Extraordinary Renditions”
Here's a novel that's exquisitely created in a trim 192 pages, interrelating three lives in three stories. Not a book to pick up if you're looking for heart-thumping romance or stay-up-all-night drama. This is a book that tells a thoughtful, moving story.
Why “My Dog Tulip” raises the fur
J.R. Ackerley's 1956 memoir published by the New York Review of Books Classic Series charms some readers and disgusts others. It's now an animated film, coming to theaters this fall. Here are my thoughts about the book, with links to movie trailers.
For your September reading table
Promising new novels with diverse plotlines and protagonists, the latter ranging from an Irish Catholic schoolboy to a World War I veteran, a retired Boston farm owner to a five-year-old narrator. Brief synopses and links provide detail.
Missing the masterpiece
How do you know you've read a masterpiece? Over and over in Tom Grime's memoir "Mentor," the word from various sources planted itself on Frank Conroy's "Stop-Time." I read Conroy's classic, but too quickly and carelessly.
Braving my escape into Y.A. novels
A recent essay in The New York Times Book Review explains why more adults are reading Young Adult novels. It sheds light on my own desire to read books written for kids, a tenacious desire I've resisted, until now.
The Longest Chapter 