The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman
Many of these essays are truly delightful, funny and bright. A couple, however, were clearly sort of phoned in.
Border Crossing by Pat Barker
I could read nothing but Pat Barker to the end of my days. I mean, not really. But you know what I mean.
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
A wonderful memoir about women saving each other's sanity and helping each other survive.
The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker
The best. Ever.
Another World by Pat Barker
Not my favorite of her books, but still pretty awesome.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
This is a huge book and I read it in a single day. So that tells you how great I thought it was.
Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby
Delightful.
In the White Hotel by D.M. Thomas
The Babi Yar scene puts today's callow young Holocaust novelists to shame.
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
She's funny. But what works on stage works less well on the page.
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
I bought this for a plane ride and ended up crying like a freak.
Happy Now by Katherine Shonk
Quiet but moving.
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
OK, am I the only person in the universe who has noticed that the writing in this book is appalling? I mean, truly truly appalling. And it's all creepy S&M shit.
The Husbands and Wives by Laurie Abraham
Other people's bad marriages are like car accidents. You can't help but stare but it makes you feel bad.
Three Junes by Julia Glass This was a reread, because I'm trying to figure out what makes really good three-part novels tick. It's a terrific novel. You should read it if you hadn't.
The County of Birches by Judith Kalman This is a short story by a Canadian-Hungarian writer. If you're Canadian or Hungarian, or if you're writing a novel like mine, by all means read it.
The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam A perfect specimen of one of my favorite genres of English novels.
The Hours by Michael Cunningham Again, another three-part novel. Equally marvelous.
Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst I love a good spy novel, and this one is about a Hungarian.
In Other Rooms Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin This is a marvelous first story collection.
Too Much Happiness by Alice MunroI love Alice Munro. She's so quiet, and so incisive.
One Must Also Be Hungarian by Adam Biro
This book is sort of impossible to understand. I feel like I have to reread.
Morning, Noon & Night by Spalding Gray
There's something just a little bit depressing about how privileged he is and how unhappy.
The Innocent by Ian McEwan
Oh LORD this book is KILLER.
Nazi Women by Cate Haste
As bad as the men.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
This is really the most perfect novel ever.
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
Very silly but fun.
Of the Farm by John UpdikeA fine little novel. Maybe my favorite of his.
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
A pure delight.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Oh lord was this ever FUN.
Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow A very good novel, if not his best.
Big Machine by Victor La Valle Magnificently original.
The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam A perfect specimen of one of my favorite genres of English novels.
The Sky Below by Stacey D'Erasmo I was very grateful to discover this author.
Auschwitz and After by Charlotte Delbo Very difficult to read. Haunting.
The Informer by Juan Gabriel Vásquez Got off to a terrific start. Then petered out -- for me, that is.
The Confessions of Edward Day by Valerie MartinIf you're interested in the theater, you'll enjoy this book.
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith
She's so smart it's scary. She's also charming as well. This essays are magnificent.
Vanessa & Virginia by Susan Sellers
As I am Bloomsbury obsessed, I quite enjoyed this.
Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning
I'm not sure how 'ordinary' they were. Or, rather, I think there is something different, or was something different, about ordinary Germans. But then again, they don't have an exclusive on bigotry and murderousness, do they?
Nazi Women by Cate Haste
As bad as the men.
Blame by Michelle Hunevan
Great novel!
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
I love love loved this novel.
Into That Darkness by Gitta Sereny
I honestly think every single person in the world should be forced to read this.
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
If you believe this novel, the vast majority of Poles were busy saving Jews. Well, since 90% (YES! THAT MANY) of Polish Jews were exterminated, and since the very few who survived tell us that the vast majority of Poles not only did nothing but applauded the death of the Jews among them, it's hard not to feel like much of this novel is horse-shit. I understand the impulse to glorify the few righteous Gentiles, but the whole point is that there were VERY few of them. That's why they were so amazing. Brave beyond all measure. Anyway, I'm sure this book made a lot of people feel good.
An Elegy for Easterly by Petina Gappah
I seem to never get enough of African fiction nowadays.
This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski You want to know what it was really like to be a Pole during the Holocaust? Read this.
The Ask by Sam Lipsyte
Super super fun novel.
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
I always enjoy reading him.
Oh well. I'll give it the old college try. You'll notice a lot of Holocaust-related novels this time. Research for a novel I may or may not write.
Girl Factory by Jim Krusoe.
Interesting, weird, pretty great.
The Enthusiast by Charlie Haas
Delightful. A veritable "romp."
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
Great novel about Charles Dickens.
Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart
I kind of loved this, although at the very end I started to worry. He pulled it out, though.
The Children's Day by Michael Heyns
This is a terrific, terrific book.
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi
If you haven't read this you should be ashamed of yourself.
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
Oh GOD I wish I'd written this book. The perfect next step. But no, it had to Liz! Well, she did it better than I ever could.
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
It's been a long long time since I read a mystery. Pretty well out of love with the genre, I'm afraid.
Hitler's Willing Executioners by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen
Chilling, depressing, sad as fucking hell.
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
When I want to find out what real writing is, I read Lorrie Moore.
The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliott
Sad, gripping, great.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Reading this was just as much fun as reading all those terrific series I adored as a kid -- from Half Magic to Narnia and on and on.
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Lovely stories.
Love & Obstacles by Aleksandar Hemon
Gave this a prize!
Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy
She is just such a great writer! Marvelous collection.
Hell is Other Parents by Deborah Copaken Kogan.
Awesomely funny essays by my dear dear friend Deb.
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely
Depressing. Interesting, but depressoing.
Heroic Measures by Jill Cement
Oh my god, this book is GREAT. I mean, really really great. And I hate little dogs.
Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams
No one writes like Terry. No one.
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias
One of the best novels I've read in years.
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
Definitely readable.
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon
This book is killer. I mean, seriously. Go buy it. NOW.
Nurture Shock by Po Bronson
Every educator should read this immediately. What the HELL are we doing starting high school before 9:00?
Anatomy of the Auschwitz Death Camp by Yisrael Gutman and Michael Berenbaum
You know, honestly, there's just no way to make some glib comment about this.
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
Cute.
I Shudder by Paul Rudnick
Hi-larious!
The Believers by Zoe Heller.
LOVED it. Seriously.
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Also great, except for the fact that I now know my children will never get into college and will attend what we in New Jersey fondly refer to as Harvard on the Highway - Bergen Community College.
When Washington Was in Vogue by Edward Christopher Williams
Lovely old Harlen renaissance novel.
The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
Bit of a drama queen of a novel.
The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III
Great, although I admit to liking the stripper parts a lot more than the terrorist parts.
The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey
Only the best book I've read in years.
The Bestiary by Nicholas Christoper
Probably would have enjoyed more if I gave the slightest shit about animals. I know, I know, sue me.
Just Like Family by Tasha Blaine
Compulsively readable NF about nannies.
Wetlands by Charlotte Roche
The most juvenile piece of total crap I've ever read. Avoid. AVOID.
The Slippery Year by Melanie Gideon
Lovely memoir.
Not Becoming My Mother by Ruth Reichl
Read it in a single (short) afternoon! Fun.
Sunnyside by Glen David Gold
Does NOT disappoint. Great writer.
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris
God, I love this writer!
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Sad and sweet.
American Parent by Sam Apple
Delightful.
Dangerous or Safe by Cara Natterson.
Way to freak out completely! But also to calm down.
Legend of a Suicide by David Vann
The middle section is incredible.
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
This book fucking rocks!!! I love a good dystopia.
Mary Robison by One DOA One on the Way
I loved this book. LOVED IT. And I don't usually "get" her.
The Seven Principals for Making Marriage Workt by John M. Gottman.
This man is a genius. He can predict divorce with a 93% accuracy rate in FIVE MINUTES.
Bonk by Mary Roach
I wish I wrote this book. I need an idea JUST LIKE this one.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Did I log this already? It's terrific, I don't care what anyone says.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
I love a good Jewish novel.
Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn. Entertaining way to while away a hideous cold.
Try to Tell the Story by David Thomson
I've always had a weird quasi-erotic fascination with English boarding schools. I blame it on those S/M floggings from Tom Brown's Schooldays.
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
A marvelous old-fashioned novel.
Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert
Thank god I didn't read this book before I wrote my own Maine novel. I never would have bothered. She's so marvelous I would have thrown up my hands at the prospect of such clear failure by comparison. I love Ms. Gilbert.
Serena by Ron Rash
Next time someone bitches me out for having unlikeable characters I'm going to point to this marvelous novel and tell them to suck it.
Glover's Mistake by Nick Laird
I love Nick Laird. LOVE HIM.
Four Freedoms by John Crowley
Not as good as Little Big.
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Killer.
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Now I'm scared. Really really scared.
Sophie's Choice by William Styron
The first half is the best novel ever written. The second half kind of sucks.
Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies
Compulsively readable. And terrifying.
The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood
Because I'm crazy.
The Clothes on Their backs by Linda Grant
Terrific.
The Women by T.C. Boyle
This book is great, and a very interesting complement to the next one in the list.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Neither Horan nor Boyle can have been happy about the other, but the novels were both very good. Boyle is a better writer on a sentence level, certainly, but I like this one very much, too.
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
A fun, fast read.
My Revolutions by Hari Kunzru
Some writers are just a delight to read.
Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
I alternated between wishing I'd had this kind of care and thanking God I hadn't.
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
I'm on a bit of a doctor roll. Good book.
The Book of Dads by Ben George, ed.
Some of these essays were terrific.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Wild. Who knew that Ethiopia was an Italian paradise? And then, not.
The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon
I know this book is good, but it left me cold.
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Entertaining.
An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken
Heartbreaking, funny. Read it in one sitting.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Wow. India is just completely crazy.
Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
A good, strong story.
The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
I love these British novels.
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
I'm now completely obsessed with relative age disadvantage. My three younger kids are all completely screwed.
When Will There be Good News by Kate Atkinson
This is when I fell in love with my crappy, plastic, hideous interface Kindle. I just felt like reading Kate Atkinson, and there she was.
A Mercy by Toni Morrison
I wish I had another 400 pages of this book. It was the hint of an incredible story, and I was desperate for the whole story.
The Center of the Universe by Nancy Bachrach
This is the memoir my daughters will write.
Notes From an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
This book terrified me. It was too close. I had to keep reminding myself that this isn't me. I'm nowhere this ill.
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
One of my favorite books of the year.
Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins
I kind of faded halfway through.
Telex From Cuba by Rachel Kushner
Fascinating window into a world I had never even imagined.
Art & Ardor by Cynthia Ozick
I feel like I learned more about writing from this small essay collection than from anything I ever read before.
Fearless by Matthew Yglesias
Compelling read, but I think the movie was better.
Songs for the Butcher's Daughter by Peter Manseau
I love a good Yiddish tale.
Whatever it Takes by Paul Tough
Every American who considers herself a compassionate and politically astute person should read this book. Immediately.
Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell
Nobody makes me laugh so hard.
The School on Heart's Content Road by Carolyn Chute
Loved the Maine stuff. Had a pretty hard time with the icons.
The Risk Pool by Richard Russo
No one writes blue collar despair like him.
Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James
I'm a sucker for a good novel about the Indian experience.
The Vagrants by Yiyun Li
Terrific writer. Grim grim grim story.
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace
It's so trite to say so, but it's a goddamn tragedy that he's dead. These essays are magnificent.
This Must be the Place by Nora Ephron
Very lovely novel.
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich’s world is reliably lovely and strange.
The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer
It’s so incredibly delightful when a book just nails it, you know?
Olive Kitteridge by elizabeth Strout
This book transported me. Completely.
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
She writes such delightfully confident prose.
No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
This book will keep Michelle on the terrific trajectory her last book put her on.
Cost by Roxana Robinson
Oh God. I haven’t not been able to get this book out of my mind. What a terrifying object lesson.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Why the hell didn’t I read this earlier? This book. God, this book.
The Wild Palms by William Faulkner
How ridiculous is it that I forget every time how much I love Faulkner?
City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
This book taught me so much about Katrina. It’s amazing how fiction manages to teach you something new, no matter how much news you read.
A Curious Earth by Gerard Woodward
A lovely little novel.
Travels with Alice by Calvin Trillin
I cried pretty much the whole time I read this, when I wasn’t laughing.
Time Will Darken It by William Maxwell
Perfect prose.
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Every once in a while a writer just comes out of nowhere. I mean, she’s been writing a long time, but she came out of nowhere to me.
Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen
Terrific memoir.
I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
Funny little essays. Sweet.
Art & Ardor by Cynthia Ozick
These essays are so brilliant I can’t believe it. Bogglingly brilliant.
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
Reread this for my nonfiction book. Always funny.
Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace
This man is to footnotes what the raised glaze is to donuts. The best every.
Consequences by Penelope Lively
This book lost me in the end, although I liked it very much for a while.
An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
I reread this for the music for my novel. Far more detailed than I could ever be.
The Best American Essays by David Foster Wallace
His essays are better than any of these.
Changing Places by David Lodge
Lord, I do love David Lodge.
The Great Man by Kate Christensen
I liked this, but I wanted, I don’t know, something more.
Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell
I love Gaskell, but in the end what she lacks is humor.
Nice Work by David Lodge
Good lord this man is the most incredible writer.
Growing Up by Russell Banks
Awfully sweet memoir.
I tried to write this novel and failed. I’m glad Brown succeeded.
Persepolis: The Story of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
Amazing, blah blah blah, but the casual references to evil Zionists freaked me out.
The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
Oh give me a break! Misery misery misery, I get it. Get over it already.
Saturday by Ian McEwan
This book was even better the second time. Knowing what was coming made it much more fun to watch it unfold.
December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop
An interesting young writer.
Triangle by Katharine Weber
I wasn’t particularly enamored of the mystery at the heart of this novel (far too easy to figure out) but I loved reading about the seamstresses.
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
Another brilliant novel by this brilliant writer.
Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler
So here’s the question...do I watch the movie or not?
Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
Remember when a novel written by a woman about a woman could win the Pulitzer Prize? Yeah. No more.
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
Reading for tips on how to construct a novel.
If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler
It’s incredible to watch Tyler take essentially the same main female character and put her through various scenarios in book to book.
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I’m not really into the whole meditation thing, but this book provided great “how to write a memoir” guidance.
The Book of Getting Even by Benjamin Taylor
Taylor’s a terrific writer, but this book’s breakneck pace was a bit exhausting.
The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd
I could not stop reading this book. I absolutely gobbled it up.
Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg
This memoir was beautifully written and often riveting.
The Innocent by Ian McEwan
I’ll never tire of reading and rereading McEwan. I just wish he’d write as fast as I read.
The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley
What a discovery! I love this guy.
The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton
She is an amazingly talented writer, and this character broke my heart.
The Peoples Act of Love by James Meek
I guessed the big secret right away, but I liked the book very much despite that. I felt like I learned some seriously creepy stuff. Very cool.
The Family Markowitz by Allegra Goodman
Another reread. It’s just a pleasure to read this author’s prose.
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The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt
I love a good historical novel, and this one is awfully fun, even with the math.
Bridges of Sighs by Richard Russo
I liked this book until about halfway through. Then I started getting annoyed. I just didn't buy that Sarah would throw her entire life away. I didn't buy that an artist of her presumed talent would bury all that. And then the end of the book, when this whole host of new characters was introduced, I lost all semblance of interest.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
The first time I read this I left disappointed. I wanted more. But you now what, this time it felt exactly right to me. Perfectly constructed.
When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton
Terrific and terrifically creepy premise.
The Senator's Wifeby Sue Miller
Sue Miller always just nails you, right at the end. I love her.
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnado
I wonder how many people even know about all the Jews from Arab and other middle eastern countries who ended up displaced. It's just so heartbreaking.
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
This book was just downright delightful.
Run by Ann Patchett
I think I'm just too sour a person for this book. I'm too much of a bitch to like such nice people.
Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander
Honestly, if I had a David Rakoff and an Auslander with me at all times, I would never be bored.
Matrimonye by Joshua Henkin
Despite the fact that this guy so CLEARLY has a chip on his shoulder about my husband, I still enjoyed this novel.
Yellow Cake by Ann Cummins
Ann is a marvelous writer.
The Whole World Over by Julia Glass
You know what? As much as I love my own dog, I really REALLY don't want to read about yours.
A Long Way Gone by Ishamel Beah
I avoided this book for the longest time because I figured after the brilliant What is the What that there was no point. But there was something remarkable about the way he told his story. And of course his story was remarkable itself.
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Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
I did not expect to like this book. I thought it would be precious and too cool, in both senses of the word. But I loved it. It’s heartfelt, the writing is terrific, and the first person plural works beautifully.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz.
Wow! This book grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go.
Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller
Very ingenious, and great historical details.
Evening by Susan Minot
Loved the Maine details.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Oh right, THIS is why she won the Nobel Prize! Out of this world.
Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
I was reading this book while trapped on a plane with 100 of my bretheren. I wanted to melt into my seat. When I wasn’t laughing I was cringing with horror -- I know your pain, Philip Roth!!
The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute
Great novel, great Maine info.
Uncommon Arrangements by Katie Roiphe
Thank God I live and am married NOW rather than back then.
Away by Amy Bloom
I love her other books. Adore them, even. This one...I don’t know. I just never cared that much about the character and I felt like the people she met were types rather than real people.
Music & Silence by Rose Tremain
I learned from this book that you actually don’t need to know that much about music to write a book in which it’s a major plot and thematic device.
Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace
He’s the funniest man alive.
Songs Without Words by Ann Packer
Ann is a friend, and you must read this devastating book.
Life Class by Pat Barker
You all know how I feel about the Regeneration Trilogy, but I felt this book was something of a retreading of familiar territory.
]]>Family History by Dani Shapiro
I love the way Shapiro writes about families.
The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney, Jr.
A play. Which was supposed to be useful. And wasn't.
What I loved by Siri Hustvedt
I found this book so much more compelling and lovely the second time around.
I appreciated her prose much more this time around. She's very good.
Maynard and Jennicaby Rudolph Delson
Awfully fun.
In the Drivers Seat by Helen Simpson
Her stories are so marvelously bleak!
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Fabulous. These poor women.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
More terrible treatment of Muslim women! Khaled is the nicest man alive, and I seriously hope some cretinous mullah doesn't issue a fatwa against him.
Falling Man by Don DeLillo
The first chapter of this book is great. The rest isn't.
Black Dogs by Ian McEwan
I read him to remind myself that less is more.
The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth
This is my favorite of his novels, I think. Or at least it is this week.
Any Human Heart by William Boyd
Every bit as good as the first time I read it.
The Soloist by Marc Salzman
Very useful.
Behind the Scenes at the Museumby Kate Atkinson
Very very good.
The Years by Virginia Woolf
Ah. AH. What an amazing book.
Picturing the Wreck by Dani Shapiro
I recently met Dani Shapiro for the first time. She a delight. And gorgeous to boot.
The Mistress’s Daughter by A.M. Holmes
Some true stories are just so bizarre and incredible it’s hard to imagine how you could make them believable as fiction!
Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje
Everything out of this man’s pen is gorgeous.
The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine
Would have been an interesting article, but a bit of a stretch as a book.
Double Visionby Pat Barker
Is it just by comparison to the trilogy that this disappoints?
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Other than the whole Mr. Turd debacle, this novel is truly marvelous.
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill Very brutal and funny.
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
I picked this book apart with a magnifying glass trying to figure out how it was constructed.
On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates
I‘m reading up on boxing for my novel.
A Family Daughter by Maile Meloy
Again, picking apart.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I fucking hate when they put pictures of dingbats like Keira Knightley (what is WITH that underbite?) on my novels. But I needed a bigger print. Because I’m apparently getting incredibly OLD, too old to read my favorite books in pocket size.
Black and White by Dani Shapiro
This book made me use up an entire evening researching Sally Mann’s children.
Remainder by Tom McCarthy
I loved it, until it jumped the shark.
On Beautyby Zadie Smith
Does anybody still need to be told what an EXTRAORDINARY writer Zadie is?
Persuasion by Jane Austen
I just cry the whole time I read this book.
But I read a lot.
Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom
I'm still rereading. And Amy Bloom is still marvelous.
The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
If you haven't read the entire trilogy, then you are missing too too much. Get thee to a bookstore or library.
The Cement Garden by Ian McKuin
So delightfully creepy.
A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You by Amy Bloom
Loved it as much as the other!
Border Crossingby Pat Barker
Haven't you gotten the point yet? Read the trilogy. NOW!!
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
Now this novel was even better upon rereading, and that's saying a lot.
A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus
9/11 books are just so hard to get right.
The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle
This book is just so much goddamn fun!
Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta
I never expected to love this book as much as I did.
The Edge of Darkness by Mary Ellen Chase
A kind of dull Maine novel
All Aunt Hagar's Children by Edward P. Jones
Lovely, beautiful, albeit catastrophically depressing stories.
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
So are we surprised this book was so incredible? The guy won the Nobel after all. My grandmother, by the way, when she heard that my husband won the Pulitzer, immediately began telling people he won the Nobel. The Nobel Peace Prize, actually.
A Garden of Earthly Delights by Joyce Carol Oates
She's a beautiful writer. One of the best. My God this book is bleak.
The Evidence Against Herby Robb Forman Dew
The fact that this book isn't a best-seller tells you what's wrong with contemporary literary fiction. Used to be a book like Dew's or like Anne Tyler's, would win the National Book Award or the Pulitzer. A book about family. About, gasp, women. Now we're completely obsessed with a certain kind of prose and we dismiss all books like these -- all family dramas -- as worthless. We dismiss them as "women's fiction." As "Oprah books." As if Ursula Hegi's book Stones From the River , for example, an Oprah book, wasn't magnificent. It's just sexism, pure and simple.
The Truth of the Matter by Robb Foreman Dew
As strong as the first.