Archive for July 2006

A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick

A Scanner Darkly is a thought-provoking piece of literature. You might already know that, of course. But if you’re like me and have, until now, (a) never read anything by Philip K. Dick and, despite this utter lack of exposure, (b) kind of pooh-poohed the mere notion of reading his books, you might want to […]

Three glimpses into the world of authors

Authors write. Their characters and scenes flit across pages in bold black text, in gripping tales of adventure and intrigue. There is more to the authors, however, than the tales they script. They have private selves, and the mosaic of their personal feelings and events breathe life into their writing. Listed below are three autobiographical […]

The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, and The Templar Legacy, by Steve Berry

I’m being stalked by ruthless vampires. I’m being shot at by maniacal monks. I’m frantically fighting for my life, but I can’t keep myself from yawning. Or laughing. Or wondering what’s for dinner.
Don’t worry, my life really is free of bloodsuckers and snipers (knock wood). But I have recently descended into fictional worlds where such […]

Braving Home: Dispatches from the Underwater Town, the Lava-Side Inn, and Other Extreme Locales, by Jake Halpern

What do a floodplain, an island, a volcano, an isolated fortress in Alaska, and a California canyon have in common? Each is home to at least one rugged individualist who, in the face of nature, refuses to yield to circumstances. In Braving Home: Dispatches from the Underwater Town, the Lava-Side Inn, and Other Extreme Locales, […]

Foodies rejoice: Books on food are selling like hotcakes

American readers will eat up culinary books just as fast as food writers can cook ‘em up. That’s no wonder, when you consider the quality of the following food-related titles from last week’s Book Sense list (see the most current list), which are selling strongly in independent bookstores and big chains alike:

Garlic and Sapphires, by […]

Magic or Madness, and Magic Lessons, by Justine Larbalestier

Several months ago, I went to a sci-fi bookstore and asked for a recommendation concerning what I should read next. The shopkeeper handed me a copy of Justine Larbalestier’s first novel, Magic or Madness, with the comment, “I don’t often suggest this to people.” I’m still not sure why he recommended it to me, but […]

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell

As I write this, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference is sitting in the seventh spot on The New York Times paperback nonfiction list of best-selling books. It’s been a top seller for 100 weeks. It’s number ten on Amazon.com, with a four-star rating (based on 659 reviews). And all […]

Roswell, Vegas, and Area 51, by Connie Willis

Connie Willis is best known for her award-winning science fiction, such as Bellwether and the Doomsday Book, in which her characters are immersed in improbable but incredibly complex situations. She has turned that same writing skill to nonfiction in Roswell, Vegas, and Area 51—a road trip viewing unidentified flying objects and outer-space alien sightings, museums, […]

New Orleans Public Library rebuilds, and you can help

Hurricane Katrina completely ruined eight out of the 12 public libraries in New Orleans. Wind, water, and mold caused damage estimated at $30 million, and entire buildings full of books had to be discarded as a result. Renovations to library facilities are underway (some have been completed), and book lovers from across the country have […]

The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past, by John Lewis Gaddis

In his opening paragraphs of The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past, the author, John Lewis Gaddis, begins with a description of a painting in which a young man views the rocks and distant mountains in landscape before him. The young man is a metaphor for the historian who, of necessity, must turn […]