Last year at this time Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" was among the Baker's Dozen of longlisted candidates for the Booker prize she eventually won. This year, who will take the prize? I'm not hearing a buzz yet for one among these 13. Except about "The Slap." Some say it's too offensive to even be listed.
“Telling It Like It Was,” August 1968
A paperback book I purchased about the Chicago Riots during the 1968 Democratic Convention. Nostalgia for the 1960s made me do it.
Graphic classics coming soon
Ginsberg's "Howl" and Dante's "Divine Comedy" and the life story of Anne Frank are being published as graphic books in the upcoming weeks. They look interesting, especially the movie "Howl," which is the purpose for the graphic book (as movie tie-in). Here's a look at what's on the horizon, plus links to the "Howl" movie trailer and a YouTube video of the Frank biography.
Carson McCullers’ eyes on me
In a Hitchcock movie, her eyes in this photo would move, and she'd reach out and touch me.
Alan Furst’s new day in the barrel
Alan Furst wasn't always a best-selling espionage novelist. He's traveled his way to the top, starting with three novels he'd rather not talk about and a cult following for his now acclaimed WWII series. Here's some insight on his literary journey, and also his newest novel, published this summer.
Books from the week: war, mud & more
Some books I came across this week during my usual perusal of all things about books.
Six short story books & a big prize
Cork, Ireland hosts an annual literary festival in honor of native son and acclaimed Irish short story writer Frank O'Connor. With the festival comes an award for the best short story collection published the year before the award is given. The short list has been announced, and it offers up great selections for good reads.
Where are the wrong books, please?
I stumbled upon some interesting lists and share them here on TLC, including "The Best Bad Books You've Never Read."
Ann Beattie’s “Walks With Men”
This 102-page novella is a quick read. A confusing one, too.
A comedy routine in print
Sloane Crosley's new collection of essays is her second, following the success of "I Was Told There'd Be Cake." The stories range on the humor meter from amusing to hilarious.
“The Twin” gets this year’s IMPAC
"The Twin" is Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker's first novel, and it won this international literary award over Marilynne Robinson's "Home," Muriel Barbery's "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" and Joseph O'Neill's "Netherland." Here's a summary of what the book and the award are all about.
Camilla Lackberg’s “The Ice Princess”
"The Independent" in Britain has described Camilla Lackberg as "the hottest female writer in Sweden." Indeed, she's hugely popular not only in her native country but all over Europe. We may not have heard about her on this side of the pond over her seven year, very popular career, but that's changing with the U.S. publication of her first book in a series of murder stories.
I discovered Wakoski’s “Greed”
Confessional poet Diane Wakoski wrote "The Collected Greed Parts 1-13" over several years. She writes in the introduction that she wanted to pontificate about life, to moralize, and yet somehow to write a poem which would have a nobility to it. And so she did.
No beach reads here
Seven books I'll be reading on my patio these first weeks of summer.
Letters from the Beat Generation
Never-before-published letters exchanged between Beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg will be published in July.
The Longest Chapter 