Newbery winner “The Higher Power of Lucky” deserves readership, not censorship

All dogs must wear pants. And books like The Higher Power of Lucky should be banned. That seems to be the opinion of some regarding this Newbery Medal–winning book for young readers. The mention of a dog’s scrotum near the beginning of The Higher Power of Lucky has created a controversy and calls to remove […]

Jennifer Egan’s “The Keep” is a creepy keeper

I was eager to read The Keep, Jennifer Egan’s latest novel, which is largely set in an Eastern European castle. It seemed like quite a change from her prior novel, Look at Me, which came out just prior to 9/11 and became retroactively somewhat controversial due to its content. I really enjoyed that book, and […]

Track down classic, time-tested mystery stories

There are some mystery authors who withstand the test of time: Their works remain ageless despite the modern technical inventions of cell phones, boom boxes, and personal computers. The mysteries I feature below are short story collections, although at least two of the authors are known for their full-length tales. I prefer the short […]

Enjoy the best books we forgot to review

I was in a bookstore yesterday and noticed The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters sitting on a shelf—its bright-blue, evocative cover evoking a slap-the-forehead reaction in me. After all, I’d eagerly made my way through its unusual, intriguing pages last summer, and then promptly forgot it. (That’s more a reflection on my flagging memory […]

Bill Bryson’s “Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” is a rollicking read

David Sedaris cracks me up. Carl Hiaasen’s Floridian farces are each an entertaining hoot. And Bill Bryson is a surefire spirits-lifter, whether he’s summarizing the secrets of the universe in A Short History of Nearly Everything or expanding his own galaxy of personal anecdotes in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir. […]

Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” is 2006’s best book

No book in a long time has meant more to me than The Road. It’s been years since a book has grabbed hold of me and taken me on such a captivating, stunning journey. And I don’t remember any other contemporary literature that is more beautifully, starkly written. In other words, Cormac McCarthy has written […]

Best books of 2006: “The Year of Magical Thinking,” by Joan Didion

Editor’s note: Join us in celebrating the end of 2006 by revisiting some of our favorite books of the year—like The Year of Magical Thinking, which we originally reviewed in April.
Joan Didion is at her best in The Year of Magical Thinking, an unusual memoir in which she applies her uniquely acute observation skills to […]

Best books of 2006: Is “The Accidental” the next “Beloved”?

Editor’s note: Join us in celebrating the end of 2006 by revisiting some of our favorite books of the year—like The Accidental, which we originally reviewed in November.
I’ve had The Accidental sitting on my desk for the past couple months. I put it there after finishing it, with the intention of reviewing Ali Smith’s remarkable […]

Best books of 2006: “The Night Watch,” by Sarah Waters

Editor’s note: Join us in celebrating the end of 2006 by revisiting some of our favorite books of the year—like The Night Watch, which we originally reviewed in June.
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 […]

Best books of 2006: Sy Montgomery makes “The Good Good Pig” fly

Editor’s note: Join us in celebrating the end of 2006 by revisiting some of our favorite books of the year—like The Good Good Pig, which we originally reviewed in August.
Sy Montgomery is crazy about animals. She’s stalked man-eating tigers in India, cavorted with legendary pink dolphins in the Amazon, and been emotionally restored by the […]