Posted January 29, 2009

John Updike is probably best known for his contributions to The New Yorker magazine (read their tributes online) and his series featuring Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, which began with Rabbit, Run and continued with Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest, the latter two of which both won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 and 1991, respectively. In 2008 Updike produced his latest work of fiction The Widows of Eastwick, a follow-up to his 1984 novel The Witches of Eastwick, which was adapted to film in 1987. In 2007 the inexhaustible writer released his latest work of nonfiction, Due Considerations: Essays and Criticisms. And, in 2006 the famed author offered up a 9/11 novel with Terrorist. These last three works are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many contributions John Updike made to the literary world throughout his long and exemplary career. He will be missed.

President Obama

Posted January 29, 2009

Back in November we noted several recently published and forthcoming books about then President-elect Barack Obama. Since Obama has since been sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, we thought it would be an ideal time to tell you about some more books the have been published or will soon be published about the president. There are several pictorial works in this new batch, along with What Obama Means by Jabari Asim. Mr. Asim will be discussing his book at an event at Harold Washington Library Center on February 19, 2009. The Washington Post notes, “Asim makes a plausible case that Obama’s inauguration will usher in a renewed commitment to social justice tempered by a cool-headed pragmatism — an end to the divisive and counterproductive racial politics that has come to dominate civil rights activism since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.” Check out the following new Obama books:

The Rise of Barack Obama by Peter Souza
President Obama: The Path to the White House by the editors of Time Magazine
Obama: The Historic Campaigns in Photographs by Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida
What Obama Means by Jabari Asim
Obama: The Historic Front Pages (on order) by David Elliot Cohen
Obama: The Historic Journey (on order) by The New York Times
Inauguration of Barack Obama: A Photographic Journal (on order) by The Washington Post

Sundance

Posted January 27, 2009

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival recently concluded, and the top award went to Push, a movie based on the popular novel of the same name by Sapphire and starring newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, Mo’Nique (who also took an acting award), the born-and-raised-in-Chicago Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey. (Somewhat confusingly, a sci-fi thriller also entitled Push will hit the multiplexes in the next few weeks.) Another adapation that played at the festival is Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, based on the story collection by David Foster Wallace and directed by John Krasinski (of NBC’s The Office). Sundance winners rarely arrive in theaters quickly (let alone on DVD), so while we wait for these and other exciting new films, we can occupy ourselves with several Sundance award winners from the last few years that are available on DVD:

Man On Wire [2008 Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary]
The Wackness [2008 Audience Award, Dramatic]
American Teen [2008 Directing Award, Documentary]
Grace is Gone [2007 Audience Award, Dramatic]
In the Shadow of the Moon [2007 World Cinema Audience Award, Documentary]
War/Dance [2007 Documentary Directing Award]
No End in Sight [2007 Special Jury Prize, Documentary]
Quinceanera [2006 Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, Dramatic]
Hustle & Flow [2005 Audience Award, Dramatic]
Me and You and Everyone We Know [2005 Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision]
Brick [2005 Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision]
The Squid and the Whale [2005 Dramatic Directing Award, Screenwriting Award]
Thumbsucker [2005 Special Jury Prize for Acting]

Gladwell-esque

Posted January 22, 2009

With Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers: The Story of Success, topping the bestseller lists, there’s been a resurgence of interest in the author who first set readers and critics abuzz in 2000 with The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and then again in 2005 with Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. We thought we’d put together a list of books in the same vein as Gladwell for those who can’t get enough of thought-provoking pop-sociology.

The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious by Gerd Gigerenzer
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Simplexity: Why Simple Things Become Complex (and how complex things can be made simple) by Jeffrey Kluger
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted January 20, 2009

The campaign to honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday began shortly after his assassination on April 4, 1968. Ronald Regan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986. King was one of the most widely admired and influential figures in America’s Civil Rights Movement, and there is no dearth of information about the man or the movement. The recently published April 4, 1968 by Michael Eric Dyson examines the impact that King’s death had on America and how it affected African American political leadership. King’s Dream by Eric J. Sundquist is an analysis of King’s “I have a dream” speech in the political and cultural contexts of the era. For those who are interested in viewing the inspirational and historic speech in its entirety, check out the DVD Martin Luther King: “I Have a Dream.” Arguably the most comprehensive examination of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and the history of the Civil Rights Movement is Taylor Branch’s three-volume work collectively called America in the King Years. The award-winning trilogy includes the titles Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire and At Canaan’s Edge. Also of note is the Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. edited by historian Clayborne Carson, who is also the director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute. Clayborne drew on previously published and unpublished writings by King for this posthumously published autobiography. For those looking for a far briefer chronicle of King’s life, check out the slim biography by Marshall Frady; at less than 300 pages, there’s just enough to whet your historical appetite. For more information, check out Chicago Public Library’s African American History page, which provides some excellent resources for researching the topic.

Poe Bicentennial

Posted January 15, 2009

Guess who’s 200 years old next week? That master of mayhem, that heavyweight of horror himself, Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. Best-known (and treasured by lovers of the macabre everywhere) for his tales and poems of gothic horror, Poe was also a pioneer of detective stories and science fiction, and though he was better known in his time as a literary critic, he now looms as one of the early giants of American literature. Without Poe, would we have gotten Stephen King? Tim Burton? Vincent Price? Edward Gorey? A search online turns up a wealth of events planned to celebrate Poe’s bicentennial, and apparently, since Poe called many places home in his lifetime, several cities are competing for the honors. Even the U.S. Post Office is getting in on the act with a commemorative stamp. Likewise, several new raven-decorated books have been published for the occasion, evidence of Poe’s far-reaching impact and popularity. From author Peter Ackroyd comes a new brief biography, Poe: A Life Cut Short. The forthcoming anthology In the Shadow of the Master collects classic Poe tales with appreciations from luminaries such as Jeffery Deaver, Nelson DeMille, Tess Gerritsen, Sue Grafton and Stephen King. And several recent and forthcoming books collect brand-new stories inspired by Poe:

Poe’s Children: The New Horror ed. by Peter Straub – includes Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Carroll, Kelly Link, Stephen King and others
Poe: 19 New Tales of Suspense, Dark Fantasy, and Horror [forthcoming, on order] ed. by Ellen Datlow – includes Kim Newman, Sharyn McCrumb, Suzy McKee Charnas and others
On a Raven’s Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe [forthcoming, on order] ed. by Stuart Kaminsky – includes Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, S. J. Rozan and others

Poe has been featured as a character in many novels over the years. Being one of the founding fathers of the detective genre, mystery writers naturally love to feature him as a sleuth. British author Andrew Taylor has written a Poe mystery, Randall Silvis has written two, and Harold Schechter began with Nevermore and continued in a series. And the untimely demise of Poe has inspired authors. George Egon Hatvary’s The murder of Edgar Allan Poe explored the circumstances of his death years before Matthew Pearl scored a bestseller with a related premise in The Poe Shadow. Intrigued by Poe’s life but more in the mood for romance? Writer John May’s Poe & Fanny may fit the bill.

And, of course, there are many classic editions of Poe’s best stories and poems:
The collected tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe
The complete tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe
18 best stories by Edgar Allan Poe ed. by Vincent Price and Chandler Brossard

To Your Health

Posted January 13, 2009

It’s the beginning of a new year, and most of us have made a resolution of some kind. If you’re like us, better health and fitness are right at the top of your list. There is no shortage of books and DVDs to help you get started. Everyone from Oprah’s diet guru, Bob Greene, to one of The Biggest Loser’s trainers, Bob Harper, has a new book out. If you’re not quite sure which Bob is right for you, why not check out a copy before you go out and buy it, only to find their style doesn’t work for you? It might help you work on another resolution – to be fiscally fit.

Books:
The Best Life Diet Cookbook by Bob Greene
Are You Ready!: Take Charge, Lose Weight, Get in Shape and Change Your Life Forever by Bob Harper
Joy’s Life Diet: Four Steps to Thin Forever by Joy Bauer
Flat Belly Diet: A Breakthrough Plan from the editors of Prevention by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthias Sass
The 4 Day Diet by Ian K. Smith
Eat This Not That, Supermarket Survival Guide: The No Diet Weight Loss Solution by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
Women’s Health Perfect Body Diet: The Ultimate Weight Loss and Workout Plan to Drop Stubborn Pounds and Get Fit for Life by Cassandra Forsythe
Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meal Your Whole Family Will Love by Devin Alexander

DVDs:
The Biggest Loser: The Workout 1 and 2
Women’s Health: Ultimate Fat Burn
Total Workout in Ten!
Dance Off the Inches, Hip Hop Party
Taebo Get Celebrity Fit Cardio; Sculpt
Boot Camp Total Body Blast
Pilates Weight Loss Workout for Dummies

Around the World with Mysteries: Paris

Posted January 8, 2009

Continuing with our series of mysteries set in enticing locales from around the world, we are traveling to the cosmopolitan city of Paris this month. One of the most popular series set in this famous city features Aimee Leduc, a hip private investigator with a quick wit and a penchant for vintage clothing. Written by Cara Black, the series started 10 years ago with Murder in the Marais and continues most recently with Murder in the rue de Paradis, in which Aimee tries to solve her ex-boyfriend’s mysterious murder. The most famous sleuth to solve crimes in and around Paris is the gruff, pipe-smoking police detective Maigret. Created by the prolific Georges Simenon, Maigret, who prefers his intuition to evidence, appeared in numerous novels and short stories between 1931 and 1972; try Maigret and the Yellow Dog or Maigret Bides His Time. Another lesser-known Paris Commissare is Jean Baptise-Adamsberg, featured in Fred Vargas’s books; the most recent installment is the humorous This Night’s Foul Work. And if you are a fan of the comedic mystery, you should also check out Chris Ewan’s second mystery with burglar and crime writer Charlie Howard, A Good Thief’s Guide to Paris. Also of note is Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner, the first of what looks to be a promising series set in the late 19th century Paris at the time of the World’s Fair. Amateur detective Victor Legris, a bookseller, is investigating a series of strange deaths thought to be caused by bee stings, but he suspects something more sinister. Publishers Weekly notes, “The taut pacing and vivid period detail will have readers eagerly turning the pages.” Also set at the World’s Fair of 1889 in Paris, where a society of the world’s best detectives meet, is Paris Enigma by Pablo de Santis. If the Jazz Age is more your thing, then check out the most recent installment in the Joe Sandilands series, Folly du Jour, by Barbara Clevery. Set in 1920s Paris with Josephine Baker as a character, the novel was praised by Library Journal for its “evocative narrative, sensitive characterizations, artful dialogue and masterly plottings.” It is no wonder that it attracts tourists from all across the world, there is something for every mystery fan to enjoy in Paris.

Winter Wonders: Book Preview

January 6, 2009

With winter well under way and the days finally starting to get longer, we look ahead to the big books of the season – specifically, at books published in December and forthcoming in January and February. It’s traditionally the publishing industry’s quietest time of the year, but as always, there’s more than one person can possibly read. Perennial fixtures of the bestseller lists like James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham and Danielle Steel have new novels, and the season also sees new work from several of the reigning titans of African American fiction, including E. Lynn Harris, Mary Monroe and Carl Weber. Beyond the expected bestsellers, we look forward to new works from T.C. Boyle, Louise Erdrich, Elie Wiesel and the mother-son mystery writing team known as Charles Todd. Further highlights include a thriller about Charles Dickens from rising author Dan Simmons, a memoir from the writer of the “Ask Amy” column, a history of Sesame Street and several new books to help cope in our challenging economy.

Anticipated Blockbusters
Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry
Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann
Scarpetta by Patricia D. Cornwell
Born to Run by James Grippando
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Associate by John Grisham
Basketball Jones by E. Lynn Harris
She Had It Coming by Mary Monroe
Fool by Christopher Moore
Night and Day by Robert B. Parker
Run for Your Life by James Patterson
Best of Everything by Kimberla Lawson Roby
One Day at a Time by Danielle Steel
Mounting Fears by Stuart Woods
Up to No Good by Carl Weber

More Hot Fiction
Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Women by T. C. Boyle
Red Convertible (Stories) by Louise Erdrich
Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos
Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
Drood by Dan Simmons
Mad Desire to Dance by Elie Wiesel

Hot Mysteries
Spade & Archer: The Prequel to Dashiell Hammett’s the Maltese Falcon by Joe Gores
Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
A Matter of Justice by Charles Todd
Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

Notable Nonfiction
Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Justin Davis
Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson (aka "Ask Amy")
Mrs. Astor Regrets by Meryl Gordon
Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
Invention of Air by Steven Johnson
Things I’ve Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi
Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It by Dave Kansas
Wall Street Journal Complete Home Owner’s Guidebook by David Crook
Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 by Paul Krugman
Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan by Suze Orman