Music critics Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson have written an entertaining book that reveals the women who inspired legendary singer/songwriters to compose what have become classic rock songs. "The Girl in the Song: The True Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics" took me down a nostalgic lane of rock 'n' roll, and it was a blast.
This week’s surprise book announcements
First Britain's Man Booker Prize winner is announced, delivering comedy (for the first time), and then the finalists for the National Book Award, delivering omission (shock!). The NBA finalists are listed here, providing good selections for your Reading Table.
The heart that knows Latin America
Alma Guillermoprieto is an award-winning journalist highly respected for her reports on Latin American culture, politics and society. She's to receive a lifetime achievement award this month from the International Women's Foundation. The news recalled to mind her book "The Heart that Bleeds." If you don't know her work, here's why you should.
Why Ladbrokes suspended Booker bets
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.
The Longest Chapter 