The novels of four Irish authors make up one third of this year's longlisted Booker nominees. It's a first for this prestigious prize, and not all that surprising given the literary talent surging from Ireland these days. Here are the four books, a glimpse at their wide-ranging plots and tones (humor to dystopian logic), and why I've made room for them on my reading table.
September 2023 new books
Sumptuous reading opportunities are arriving soon, including a novel set in the near future, a new translation of "The Iliad" that's getting much attention, intriguing fiction by the admired Ron Rash, and a British novelist's first publication in the U.S.
A thriller set in Guatemala
There's a hovering sense of danger in this novel about greed and corruption fueled by decades of political crime. Its cast of characters includes an antiques dealer involved with conniving government officials and businessmen, a human rights activist pursuing truth, and a hit man assigned to murder. Here's my review of "The Country of Toó" by Rodrigo Rey Rosa.
Staying cool these last hot days of the season
A late blooming poet, the Dutch Golden Age in art history, a Jewish family in peril, and a schoolgirl's mystery. It's a rich mix of fiction and nonfiction I’m currently reading.
New books coming August 2023
It's unusual for big name fiction authors to publish in the sleepy final days of summer. Typically, we see them in June for packing the beach bag. And yet, here they are, three popular literary novelists. Also, nonfiction about Marshall Pétain and a memoir by the beloved Diana Athill.
Reading Bette Howland’s Chicago stories and Robbie Arnott’s gem
Several new books by big name authors (Ann Patchett, Colson Whitehead, Richard Russo) are heading into bookstores these upcoming weeks, but I’m all into “Blue in Chicago” and “Limberlost,” two books that likely don’t pop up during your online book browsing, or that you’ll find on an indie bookstore shelf. Here’s what that’s all about.
This could be your summer reading list
Book awards and prizes are the best places to hunt for your next best read. They offer excellent opportunities to find thrilling and absorbing stories, and also to stretch beyond what you might typically select for yourself. Here's a look at a recent few.
What I’m reading this month, June 2023
There's a wide range of stories here, from a complex mystery in small town Australia to time-traveling historians, from a Central American hit man on the run to the biography of an American poet. These are the books I've chosen for myself this month, a beginning of summer reading. What do you plan to read these long hot days?
A novel about war and unshakable belonging
As Memorial Day approaches, it feels appropriate to post my review of Andrew Krivak's new novel, "Like the Appearance of Horses." I mentioned the book a month ago as a recommended read, so the title may sound familiar. The story is about a family in which a grandfather, father, and son participate in the World Wars and the U.S. Vietnam War. The focus is not on combat, but on the profound connection among those who experience war’s many dimensions. Here's why I recommend this novel.
Three books I’m eager to read
If only I could read faster, but I’ve always been a slow reader. So many good books I see on my reading table, like stacks of travel brochures, and I want to go everywhere. I remind myself “bird by bird,” as Anne Lamott teaches us in her classic by the same title, adding these books to my already full reading life, stories of family secrets, the Troubles, and Nazi heritage.
Art theft, espionage, and murder in WWII London
"Dead in the Water" is the new installment in Mark Ellis's WWII series featuring Scotland Yard’s DCI Frank Merlin. Smart and unpredictable, it’s a superior stand-alone detective/thriller novel with layers of fascinating characters, intrigue over Leonardo da Vinci rare drawings, and, with the Americans newly arrived, complications.
What to read next: new books and a classic
While this post is primarily about books set to release in May, it also includes two books I recommended during last Friday’s radio book show (a classic and an April thriller). They’re too good to be missed. Of the May books, you’ll find a memoir, novels, translated literature, and a collection of short stories.
A sylvan delight: “The Forest” by Alexander Nemerov
This new book, set during Jacksonian America, seduced me with surprising ease. Its impressive, sometimes dramatic, sometimes reflective episodic tales fascinate with their combined historic and invented characters from the 1830s. Here's a brief review.
Intriguing new books in fiction and nonfiction
A handful of reading opportunities to consider for different moods -- from mystery to epic drama, the Sistine Chapel to the Vietnam War. Two novels, two nonfiction, one crime mystery -- all recently published.
Recommended novels set in Rome, Norway, and England
Here you’ll find books I talked about on the most recent WOSU All Sides Weekend Books, a live radio show that’s all about finding your next best read. I’ve not yet mentioned them on the blog, three novels of varied plotlines. One is inspired by the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an official in the Vatican's Holy Office who saved the lives of escaped WWII Allied POWs.
The Longest Chapter 