Archive for June 2006

Rebecca Solnit exhorts “critical reading” at Berkeley commencement

What would summer be without at least one electronically reproduced, Internet-circulated graduation speech to inspire those of us who are staring at computer monitors indoors instead of basking in UV rays outdoors?
In her recent commencement address for the English department at U.C. Berkeley, author Rebecca Solnit extolled the virtues of reading—not just the act of […]

The Night Watch, by Sarah Waters

Set in 1940s wartime London, The Night Watch is the quietly engaging story of four survivors of the Blitz, whose paths cross at key junctures in their lives. “It’s a dark novel of blacked-out streets and bomb shelters,” author Sarah Waters says in an interview on Meet The Author. “It’s about people’s relatively quiet but […]

Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World, by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

The mix of theology, history, and biography is common within the world of books, but rarely has it been done so seamlessly as in Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World. In it, the husband-wife team of Lawrence Goldstone […]

Salon’s smart, suspenseful summer reads

“Where are the page-turners that don’t make you feel like you’re pouring Karo syrup directly over your brain?” That’s the question posed by Laura Miller as she rolls out Salon’s list of six summer reads that are intense but also intelligent. It’s a very intriguing list, which has me moving several of these titles to […]

Judge a bunch of books by their covers

Do you ever go to the bookstore just to drool over the artful covers? Well, now you can salivate from the comfort of your own study, living room, or (as in my case) work cubicle. Simply called Covers, this site presents you with page after page of compelling book covers. It’s an online gallery of […]

Lynne Truss would never say “Talk to the hand”

Lynne Truss is, if nothing else, highly entertaining. To prove it, I give you this offering: a charming author podcast, featuring Truss, who talks about and reads from Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door. The reading, which is […]

The Truth (with Jokes), by Al Franken

This review is big on buildup and small on review. That’s not because the 352 pages of The Truth (with Jokes) is stingy with research, facts, or Al Franken’s characteristic, well, frankness. It’s not because the book scrimps on light entertainment or weighty accusations. It’s because, as they say, The Truth is out there. By […]

Bookslut boasts a bursting blog

So many blogs, so little time.
I’ve finally gotten around to reading the June issue of Bookslut and, as usual, have discovered a bounty of author-focused content. We here at the still-young Cuppa Joad are gearing up for our own brushes with authorial greatness. But even when we’re hobnobbing with the likes of Annie Proulx and […]

Summer travels make “Field-Tested Books”

Go on vacation and you probably have at least one book in tow. But have you ever been reading such a book and realized that the place you were in at that moment was influencing how you were experiencing its pages? I remember sinking into Heart of Darkness while navigating the chaos and bustle of […]

Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone, by Martin Dugard

With Father’s Day right around the corner, Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone is an appropriate book for a couple reasons. First, it’s a real-life tale that most fathers would enjoy. Second, it reminds readers that while Dr. David Livingstone was a legendary explorer of Africa, he kind of fell short in […]