The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
This book is completely stupendous. The author managed to magically create an entire North Korean universe out of the tiny shards of information we are allowed. It's a feat of true genius.
The Lives of Dwarfs by Betty M. Adelson
Yeah, now I know a lot about dwarfs. Like, for example, that I'm about 2 inches shy of BEING ONE.
Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner
Maybe a tiny bit slight, but very sweet nonetheless.
Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin
Here's what I don't understand. A lovely novel like this goes totally unremarked upon, but that over-rated, pretentious and ultimately pointless Tiger's Wife is treated like the second coming of the Lord. WTF?
Masquerade by Tivadar Soros
Well, he's not as gifted a writer as his son is at making money, but the history is interesting.
The Testing of Luther Albright by MacKenzie Bezos
Beautifully written.
The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
MAN, is she ever a good writer!
History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason
Enjoyable, but didn't stick much.
The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
SO INCREDIBLY GREAT. Hilarious and tragic. Plus, you learn something!
At Last by Edward St. Aubyn
Mother's Milk is still my favorite, but this is good.
Would it Kill You to Stop Doing That by Henry Alford
Hilariously delightful.
Lucy Jim by Kingsley Amis
Gah, British academia. What a snake pit!
The Vanishers by Heidi Julavits
Yes, she's my friend. But still. This book is GREAT.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
This is a lovely novel, and there are so many marvelous things about it. But...SPOILER COMING. SERIOUSLY. STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ENDING SPOILED...there was a deep logical flaw with the premise. There is no woman on earth who would voluntarily consume a substance that would keep her pumping out a baby every year from the time she was a teenager until she was an octogenarian. After kid 5, 10, or 15 she would just STOP eating the damn tree bark. I just don't accept an entire civilization of Michelle Duggars.
I Married for Happiness by Lily Tuck
I appreciate spare, but so much of this was so good I really wished for more.
Blackout by Connie Willis
I found the writing uninteresting by and large, and the book endless, but the research was amazing.
An Unsuitable Attachment by Barbara Pym
I love Barbara Pym so much. Almost as much as I love Jane Gardam, who reminds me a bit of her.
Bird In Hand by Christina Baker Kline
Great summer reading.
Maine by Courtney Sullivan
I was desperately afraid this book would be like Red Hook Road. But no...the only share the setting.
Children and Fire by Ursula Hegi
I loved Stones from the River. This one not so much.
Operation Shylock by Philip Roth
Still one of his best.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Awesome. Seriously. AWESOME.
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
Nah nah, nah nah nah, I got to read this incredibly wonderful book before you did!
The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
Jane Eyre! By one of my favorite novelists! I read this ALL NIGHT LONG. I was up until dawn. LOVE.
There are so many more! But I have no idea what they are. I'm such a complete ASS.
]]>Beaufort by Ron Leshem
I'm on an Israeli novel kick. This one, about the war in Lebanon, is great. The movie was pretty terrific, too.
The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
I liked this novel so much, even though I know nothing about Shakespeare and so missed all the best stuff.
Between Silk & Cyanide by Leo MarksCould NOT have been more fun.
The Free Worlds by David Bezmozgis
This is a fabulous novel. Bezmozgis is the best of the current crop of Fine Young Russians.
Half a Life by Darin Strauss
I cried and cried.
Shop Talk by Phillip Roth
I found these fascinating, but I can't help but feel that Roth is a total dick.
Homesick by Eshkol Nevo
Another decent Israeli novel.
Almost Dead by Assaf Gavron
Now this one I really liked.
The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer
MAN, she's a good writer.
Dr. Neruda's Cure for Evil by Rafael Yglesias
I love Rafael, and this novel!
The 188th Crybaby Brigade by Joel Chasnoff
Very useful for my novel. I'll just steal huge parts of it, I think.
A Place of My Own by Michael Pollan
I am building a studio, and this book is an inspiration and a guide.
Mr. Mani by A.B. YehoshuaThis novel is simply glorious.
Life With a Star by Jiri Weil
Ripped my heart out, stomped it to nothing.
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
This is a very good novel, but the movie was so out of this world that it almost paled by comparison.
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
Fantastic, grim grim grim novel about Germany during the war.
The Windup Girl by Palo BacigaliupiI liked this SF novel. Fun, weird, prescient.
The Best American Essays 2010 by Christopher Hitchens
A little heavily weighted toward the Conservative.
The Queen of the Tambourine by Jane Gardam
I adore Jane Gardam. Lovely novel.
Forbidden Bodies by Cynthia Ozickn
Great writer. Somewhat slight, though only when compared to her other work.
When Nietzsche Wept by Irvin D. Yalom
Surely a great therapist and writer of case studies, but as a novelist, somewhat limited.
The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene
Far far more than an "entertainment."
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
A little coincidenc-y.
Dr. Neruda's Cure for Evil by Rafael Yglesias
I love Rafael, and this novel!
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
He is a TERRIBLE writer.
The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle
I adore this novel.
Riven Rock by T.C. BoyleThis is not his best but still he's so good.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
I love this novel! I only read it because it was a historical, but ended up loving it.
By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham
My memory is so appalling that even though I read this book no more than a couple of months ago, I can remember nothing about it.
I know there must be more, but I can't figure out where I've put them! Damn it...
]]>Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson
I didn't expect to enjoy this memoir. I'm sort of over my dead baby phase. But the writing was really fine, unusually so for the genre.
Missionary Stew by Ross Thomas
Michael and I are doing a pilot for HBO, and I've been reading lots of spy stories.
Swamplandia by Karen RussellSuper fun, well-written. A little rough around the edges.
Esther's Inheritance by Sándor Márai
Hungarian fiction, man. Phew.
Embers by Sándor Márai
I am ashamed to admit this, and perhaps you'll think I'm unintellectual, but I just don't GET this writer.
Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian
A fun, quick read.
Operation Mincemeat by Ben MacIntyre
Really really fun book and fun writer.
An Exclusive Love by Johanna Adorján
Not particularly memorable memoir of the "my grandparents and the Holocaust" school.
Shadow Knights by Gary Kamiya
So. Much. FUN!!!
Skylark by Dezsåo Kosztolányi
Lovely and weird as hell. Lord, those Hungarians. Odd ducks.
Uncommon Sense for Parents With Teenagers by Michael Riera
Sigh.
Nemesis by Philip Roth
I haven't liked a Roth so much in quite a while.
The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickey
Meh.
To the End of the Land by David Grossman
I cannot sum up everything I feel about this wrenching novel in a line or two. Just read it.
Fatelessness by Imre Kertész
This is one of the most breath-taking and devastating Holocaust memoirs I've ever read. And trust me, I've read A LOT of them, lately.
The Great House by Nicole Krauss
I only read this novel out of panic, because it's so similar to my own. She even has the Hungarian Gold Train in her book, which honestly made me want to quit writing and just go back to criminal defense. But, you know what? It's very different from my book despite some glaring (and terrifying) similarities. It's a good novel, especially the section from the point of view of the elderly Israeli.
Take One Candle Light a Room by Susan Straight
This book is break-your-heart lovely. The images! The language!
Up High In The Trees by Kiara Brinkman
I don't generally like novels written from the POV of children, but this book is terrific.
School for Love by Olivia Manning
Completely unexpected. A part of history I had very little familiarity with.
Room by Emma Donoghue
Why why why didn't I write this book? It's incredibly compelling. Stayed up all night!
The False Friend by Myla Goldberg
Oh the horrors of preteen girls. Brought me right back.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
One of my very favorite writers. Fabulous book.
Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
Chilling. You'll never look at a tutu the same way again.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
It's about time Aimee Bender got the popular following she deserves!
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
Quick read.
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
Super fun.
Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst
I don't care if he keeps writing the same book over and over. I like them.
Night Soldiers by Alan Furst
One of his first. Good.
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
I have exactly zero interest in the music business, but I still loved this book.
The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
I'm too competitive with Allegra -- great writer, mother of 4 -- to write fairly about her. But I read all her books!
One Day by David Nicholls
Gobbled this up.
First Love Last Rites by Ian McEwan
Creepy! But great.
Private Life by Jane Smiley
Such a great writer!
Only Children by Rafael Yglesias
Love the writer, love the book.
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias
Loved the book so much I read it twice.
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
This book is marvelous.
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Every summer I reread Jane Austen. Because she's the best writer in the universe.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Hitch 22 by Christopher Hitchens
A mixed bag for me, but when it's good, it's really good.
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace
I could just keep rereading this again and again.
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.