Coming to a Theater Near You: Books
Posted September 29, 2009
The Fall movie season is upon us, and this year's roster includes quite a number of adaptations, as usual. What would Hollywood do without books? (Then again, what would the publishing industry do without all that free publicity?) High profile films include adaptations of the work of authors Kurt Eichenwald, Nobel winner JM Coetzee, Dennis Lehane, the late David Foster Wallace, Sapphire, and Cormac McCarthy.
Currently in Theaters
The Informant: a True Story / Kurt Eichenwald
Disgrace / J M Coetzee
Taking Woodstock / Elliot Tiber
Scheduled for This Fall
Shutter Island / Dennis Lehane
The Boys are Back / Simon Carr
The Men who Stare at Goats / Jon Ronson
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men / David Foster Wallace
Youth in Revolt / C.D. Payne
The Road / Cormac McCarthy
Push / Sapphire [Movie title: Precious]
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation / John Carlin [Movie title: Invictus]
Oprah announced her new book club selection last Friday. Her choice of Say You're One of Them was a bit of a surprise to some, since it is the first time Oprah has selected a collection of short stories, but it is no surprise that she chose a work that has been called stunning, startling and extraordinary. She noted, "Each one of these stories really just left me gasping." The debut by Uwem Akpan, a Jesuit priest for Nigeria, is a collection of five stories told from the point of view of children contending with brutal circumstances. We know many of you will read the title for Oprah's Book Club, and we thought it would be an ideal time to recommend some more great fiction by African authors.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel about the Biafran War, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and she has recently published a new book of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck. Booklist noted, "A meticulous observer of tactile detail and emotional nuance, Adichie moves sure-footedly from the personal to the communal as she illuminates with striking immediacy the consequences of prejudice, corruption, tyranny, and violence in war-torn Nigeria and unaware America." And another recommended collection of short stories is Tropical Fish by Doreen Baingana. These linked stories about three sisters are set in Uganda after the fall of military dictator Idi Amin. An up-and-coming author to check out is Christopher Abani. His well-received debut, Graceland, is the coming- of-age story of a teenage Elvis impersonator from Nigeria. He is also the author of Becoming Abigail, The Virgin of Flames and Song for Night. Abani's writing is also featured in Gods and Soldiers, an anthology of contemporary fiction and nonfiction from Africa. This nuanced collection offers an array of writing of which Publisher Weekly notes, "sheds light on a multifarious continent too often thought of in one-size-fits-all terms."
Several commentators have pointed out that by any measure the Fall 2009 season will go down as one of the most spectacular publishing seasons in memory. By now you've probably heard about the long overdue return of Dan Brown, but even if he weren't on the calendar, the season would still dwarf most. We've also got the return of Audrey Niffenegger just as the movie adaptation of her Time Traveler's Wife has spiked more interest in her work than ever. And we've also got several other supernova-class writers returning this season, including Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Malcolm Gladwell, Jon Krakauer, David Baldacci, Stephen King, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.
Oh, that's not enough for you? How about Sara Paretsky, Nick Hornby, Margaret Atwood, Lorrie Moore, Anne Rice, Danielle Steel, Barbara Kingsolver, John Grisham and not one but two books from Charlaine Harris? Ridiculously, the list goes on an on. And as always, we're eager to learn what new names will rise to the occasion of this crowded field. It's hard not to feel sorry for the underdogs in a season of titans like this. Heck, even Oprah's Book Club may have a hard time getting attention in this environment. Let's put it this way: if you can't find something to read this fall, then something's seriously wrong with you. You might consider seeking medical attention. And now, a sure-to-be-futile attempt at highlights. Prepare to gape in wonder.
September
The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker
Backstage by Nikki Turner
Blood's a Rover by James Ellroy
Dark Slayer by ChristineFeehan
Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane Ackerman
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave
Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
God Ain't Blind by Mary Monroe
Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A. J. Jacobs
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Homer & Langley by E. L. Doctorow
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Love and Summer by William Trevor
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
Reheated Cabbage by Irvine Welsh
Vanishing Act by Fern Michaels
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
October
Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim by Anne Rice
Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose
Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller by Iris Johansen
Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus
Dirty Old Men (and Other Stories) by Omar Tyree
Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker (descendent of Bram Stoker)
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
Lover Man by Geneva Holliday
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Monster in the Box: An Inspector Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance by Garrison Keillor
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
Rough Country by John Sandford
Scarpetta Factor by Patricia D. Cornwell
Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
True Blue by David Baldacci
True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
The Wild Things by Dave Eggers
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs
November
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Ford County by John Grisham
Generation a by Douglas Coupland (sequel to Generation X)
Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
The Humbling by Philip Roth
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Makers by Cory Doctorow
Matchless: A Christmas Story by Gregory Maguire
Our Choice by Albert Gore, Jr.
Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline
Join us next Wednesday, September 23rd at 6 pm for Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman at the Harold Washington Library Center. Richard Russo joins Victoria Lautman to discuss his new novel, That Old Cape Magic, a story of a middle-aged man coming to terms with his past. Library Journal notes, "Those who savored Russo's long, languid novels may be surprised by this one's rapid pace, but Russo's familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through."
Russo is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls, which was adapted by HBO into a film starring the late, great Paul Newman. Other Russo books include Bridge of Sighs, Nobody’s Fool, Straight Man, The Risk Pool, Mohawk and The Whore’s Child and Other Stories. Don't miss this engaging discussion!
This week the Harold Washington Library Center is hosting an exciting event that celebrates our great city. Granta, the renowned literary magazine, will release its latest issue this month with Chicago as its focus. The issue is composed entirely of writing by Chicago authors and writing about Chicago.
In an interview with Victoria Lautman Granta editor John Freeman discusses why Chicago was chosen as the theme for their latest issue. When asked if any other cities were considered he replies, "It wasn't even close!" He goes on to say, "Chicago is having a real cultural moment. There are so many good writers coming out of the city, and the city itself is evolving out of its industrial past, accepting new immigrants from many different parts of the world, so the heady mix of the city's population is changing too, and obviously Barack Obama is also a powerful symbol of that."
We don't have to be reminded what a cosmopolitan city we live in, but it does make us proud to see our city and some of our favorite writers featured in such a prestigious publication. At Thursday's event Freeman will host an evening of discussion and readings by Stuart Dybek, Alex Kotlowitz and up-and-comer Maria Venegas. We encourage you to attend the event and pick up a copy of the newest issue of Granta (it's worth it for Chris Ware's beautiful cover alone). Also, be sure to check Granta's website for Chicago content available now. Until the new issue hits the racks you can check out titles by some of the contributors listed below.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek
The Lazarus project by Aleksandar Hemon
Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Echo Maker by Richard Powers
No matter what the weather is telling us, we know we're looking at the end of the Summer season when the Booker prize shortlist is announced. As is often the case, not all of the honored titles have been published in the United States yet. The prize honors works written by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland and therefore can be an ideal source of reading inspiration for American readers curious about English language literature beyond our shores. Only one of the nominees has been published Stateside so far, but others are scheduled to follow very soon.
Prizes are magnets for controversy, and this year most of the chatter so far has been over the exclusion of two books by Irish titans who had made the longlist: Love and Summer by William Trevor and Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Given the exceptional upcoming season of literary publishing, there have been plenty of other surprising omissions: new work by Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro, for example. Also, interestingly, two previous winners have made this cut: A S Byatt and J M Coetzee. So it's somewhat surprising to learn that in Britain, the buzz is strongest for the forthcoming Mantel novel as the frontrunner. Mantel's Wolf Hall is about Henry VIII's Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell, and many commentators have pointed out that the list is dominated by historical novels. So the Irish are out and English history is in this year, quite a change from recent years.
This year's Booker shortlist:
The Children's Book by A S Byatt (to be published in October)
Summertime by J M Coetzee (scheduled to be published in the U.S. in early Dec.)
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (to be published in October)
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
We know people adore their pets, and we also realize that they love to read books by and about fellow animal lovers. Many of you have already enjoyed the story of the very sweet and poorly behaved Labrador in Marley and Me, which was also adapted into a film, and you'll be pleased to discover a wealth of new titles for Marley fans and other pet lovers at the Chicago Public Library. There is the story of Dewey, a kitten abandoned in a library book drop, who added joy to the life of his rescuer, librarian Ms. Myron, who was dealing with her own hardship. The cat Homer, blind and also abandoned, found a special owner in Gwen Cooper. Publisher's Weekly notes that the recently published Homer's Odyssey "reveals Homer's lessons about love and acceptance — and how he transformed Cooper into the woman she had always wanted to be." Popular fiction authors are even getting in on the game: Rita Mae Brown's forthcoming Animal Magnetism recounts her life with a number of beloved pets, and Dean Koontz's A Big Little Life is an affectionate memoir of his late dog, Trixie.
It's not all cats and dogs, though: perhaps you are a bird lover, in which case we recommend Wesley, The Owl by Stacy O'Brien, a biologist who chronicles her 19-year relationship with a barnyard owl she rescued, or Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, a scientist in animal communication who spent 30 years working with Alex, an exceptional African gray parrot with a vocabulary of over 100 words. "In this highly readable, anecdotal book, Pepperberg describes the training techniques she and her assistants used with Alex, the breakthroughs he made, and his growing fame as word began to spread about the brainy parrot who could differentiate colors, count, and describe objects accurately and in human language," according to Booklist. And finally, adventurous types might check out A Lion Called Christian. Yes, that's right: a lion, one purchased in Harrods' pet department. Want to know more? You'll have to check out the book.
Fall is in the air. We know, summer never really seemed to arrive this year. Nevertheless, it's time to head back to school. We thought we'd help you ease back into the season with a list of books that explore academia and all of its trials and tribulations.
To kick off the list we'd like to direct you to one of our favorite novels to be set against the backdrop of academic life, The Secret History. This is a dark tale about an inner circle of students whose intense study of ancient Greek language and culture leads them to commit a heinous crime. The pace quickens as the group struggles to keep their secret under wraps and they begin to turn on each other. Donna Tartt's modern classic will have you up late cramming, but in a thoroughly enjoyable way.
Acceptance by Susan Coll
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Blue Angel by Francine Prose
Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont
The Headmaster's Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
Moo by Jane Smiley
Old School by Tobias Wolff
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
Straight Man by Richard Russo
Somewhat overshadowed, at least here in the land of Lincoln, by another bicentennial that inspired our annual Summer Reading theme, the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth has also been widely observed both here in Chicago and around the world. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, but the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of the Species, less than three months away on November 24th, has provided scientists, biographers and writers all the more reason to reconsider Darwin and evolution. At this point in the year, readers are looking at a bumper crop of excellent books (including two that pair Darwin with Honest Abe), and so it seems like a good time to take stock of the recent highlights. Additionally, we've rounded up a few notable novels that look at the life of Darwin. May these books set you on your own voyage of discovery.
Recent Books about Darwin and Evolution
Why evolution is true by Jerry A. Coyne
On the origin of species (Illustrated edition) by Charles Darwin
The 10,000 year explosion: how civilization accelerated human evolution by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending
Evolution: the first four billion years edited by Michael Ruse, Joseph Travis
Your inner fish: a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body by Neil Shubin
Life ascending: the ten great inventions of evolution by Nick Lane
Darwin's sacred cause: how a hatred of slavery shaped Darwin's views on human evolution by Adrian Desmond and James Moore
Darwin's armada: four voyages and the battle for the theory of evolution by Iain McCalman
Natural selections: selfish altruists, honest liars, and other realities of evolution by David P. Barash
The Beagle letters by edited by Frederick Burkhardt
Angels and ages: a short book about Lincoln, Darwin, and modern life by Adam Gopnik
Rebel giants: the revolutionary lives of Abraham Lincoln & Charles Darwin by David R. Contosta
Selected Novels about Charles Darwin and His Legacy
To the edge of the world by Harry Thompson
Born again by Kelly Kerney
The Darwin conspiracy by John Darnton
Mr. Darwin's shooter by Roger McDonald
The Fall movie season is upon us, and this year's roster includes quite a number of adaptations, as usual. What would Hollywood do without books? (Then again, what would the publishing industry do without all that free publicity?) High profile films include adaptations of the work of authors Kurt Eichenwald, Nobel winner JM Coetzee, Dennis Lehane, the late David Foster Wallace, Sapphire, and Cormac McCarthy.Currently in Theaters
The Informant: a True Story / Kurt Eichenwald
Disgrace / J M Coetzee
Taking Woodstock / Elliot Tiber
Scheduled for This Fall
Shutter Island / Dennis Lehane
The Boys are Back / Simon Carr
The Men who Stare at Goats / Jon Ronson
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men / David Foster Wallace
Youth in Revolt / C.D. Payne
The Road / Cormac McCarthy
Push / Sapphire [Movie title: Precious]
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation / John Carlin [Movie title: Invictus]
Oprah's Book Club
Posted September 24, 2009 Oprah announced her new book club selection last Friday. Her choice of Say You're One of Them was a bit of a surprise to some, since it is the first time Oprah has selected a collection of short stories, but it is no surprise that she chose a work that has been called stunning, startling and extraordinary. She noted, "Each one of these stories really just left me gasping." The debut by Uwem Akpan, a Jesuit priest for Nigeria, is a collection of five stories told from the point of view of children contending with brutal circumstances. We know many of you will read the title for Oprah's Book Club, and we thought it would be an ideal time to recommend some more great fiction by African authors.Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel about the Biafran War, Half of a Yellow Sun, won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and she has recently published a new book of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck. Booklist noted, "A meticulous observer of tactile detail and emotional nuance, Adichie moves sure-footedly from the personal to the communal as she illuminates with striking immediacy the consequences of prejudice, corruption, tyranny, and violence in war-torn Nigeria and unaware America." And another recommended collection of short stories is Tropical Fish by Doreen Baingana. These linked stories about three sisters are set in Uganda after the fall of military dictator Idi Amin. An up-and-coming author to check out is Christopher Abani. His well-received debut, Graceland, is the coming- of-age story of a teenage Elvis impersonator from Nigeria. He is also the author of Becoming Abigail, The Virgin of Flames and Song for Night. Abani's writing is also featured in Gods and Soldiers, an anthology of contemporary fiction and nonfiction from Africa. This nuanced collection offers an array of writing of which Publisher Weekly notes, "sheds light on a multifarious continent too often thought of in one-size-fits-all terms."
Fall Books Bonanza
September 22, 2009Several commentators have pointed out that by any measure the Fall 2009 season will go down as one of the most spectacular publishing seasons in memory. By now you've probably heard about the long overdue return of Dan Brown, but even if he weren't on the calendar, the season would still dwarf most. We've also got the return of Audrey Niffenegger just as the movie adaptation of her Time Traveler's Wife has spiked more interest in her work than ever. And we've also got several other supernova-class writers returning this season, including Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Malcolm Gladwell, Jon Krakauer, David Baldacci, Stephen King, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.Oh, that's not enough for you? How about Sara Paretsky, Nick Hornby, Margaret Atwood, Lorrie Moore, Anne Rice, Danielle Steel, Barbara Kingsolver, John Grisham and not one but two books from Charlaine Harris? Ridiculously, the list goes on an on. And as always, we're eager to learn what new names will rise to the occasion of this crowded field. It's hard not to feel sorry for the underdogs in a season of titans like this. Heck, even Oprah's Book Club may have a hard time getting attention in this environment. Let's put it this way: if you can't find something to read this fall, then something's seriously wrong with you. You might consider seeking medical attention. And now, a sure-to-be-futile attempt at highlights. Prepare to gape in wonder.
September
The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker
Backstage by Nikki Turner
Blood's a Rover by James Ellroy
Dark Slayer by ChristineFeehan
Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane Ackerman
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave
Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
God Ain't Blind by Mary Monroe
Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A. J. Jacobs
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Homer & Langley by E. L. Doctorow
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Love and Summer by William Trevor
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
Reheated Cabbage by Irvine Welsh
Vanishing Act by Fern Michaels
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
October
Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim by Anne Rice
Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife by Francine Prose
Blood Game: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller by Iris Johansen
Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus
Dirty Old Men (and Other Stories) by Omar Tyree
Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker (descendent of Bram Stoker)
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham
Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
Lover Man by Geneva Holliday
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Monster in the Box: An Inspector Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
Pilgrims: A Wobegon Romance by Garrison Keillor
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
Rough Country by John Sandford
Scarpetta Factor by Patricia D. Cornwell
Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
True Blue by David Baldacci
True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
The Wild Things by Dave Eggers
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs
November
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Ford County by John Grisham
Generation a by Douglas Coupland (sequel to Generation X)
Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
The Humbling by Philip Roth
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Makers by Cory Doctorow
Matchless: A Christmas Story by Gregory Maguire
Our Choice by Albert Gore, Jr.
Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline
Richard Russo
Posted September 17, 2009Join us next Wednesday, September 23rd at 6 pm for Writers on the Record With Victoria Lautman at the Harold Washington Library Center. Richard Russo joins Victoria Lautman to discuss his new novel, That Old Cape Magic, a story of a middle-aged man coming to terms with his past. Library Journal notes, "Those who savored Russo's long, languid novels may be surprised by this one's rapid pace, but Russo's familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through."Russo is also the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls, which was adapted by HBO into a film starring the late, great Paul Newman. Other Russo books include Bridge of Sighs, Nobody’s Fool, Straight Man, The Risk Pool, Mohawk and The Whore’s Child and Other Stories. Don't miss this engaging discussion!
Granta 108: Chicago
Posted September 15, 2009This week the Harold Washington Library Center is hosting an exciting event that celebrates our great city. Granta, the renowned literary magazine, will release its latest issue this month with Chicago as its focus. The issue is composed entirely of writing by Chicago authors and writing about Chicago.In an interview with Victoria Lautman Granta editor John Freeman discusses why Chicago was chosen as the theme for their latest issue. When asked if any other cities were considered he replies, "It wasn't even close!" He goes on to say, "Chicago is having a real cultural moment. There are so many good writers coming out of the city, and the city itself is evolving out of its industrial past, accepting new immigrants from many different parts of the world, so the heady mix of the city's population is changing too, and obviously Barack Obama is also a powerful symbol of that."
We don't have to be reminded what a cosmopolitan city we live in, but it does make us proud to see our city and some of our favorite writers featured in such a prestigious publication. At Thursday's event Freeman will host an evening of discussion and readings by Stuart Dybek, Alex Kotlowitz and up-and-comer Maria Venegas. We encourage you to attend the event and pick up a copy of the newest issue of Granta (it's worth it for Chris Ware's beautiful cover alone). Also, be sure to check Granta's website for Chicago content available now. Until the new issue hits the racks you can check out titles by some of the contributors listed below.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek
The Lazarus project by Aleksandar Hemon
Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Echo Maker by Richard Powers
Booker Prize Shortlist 2009
Posted September 10, 2009No matter what the weather is telling us, we know we're looking at the end of the Summer season when the Booker prize shortlist is announced. As is often the case, not all of the honored titles have been published in the United States yet. The prize honors works written by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland and therefore can be an ideal source of reading inspiration for American readers curious about English language literature beyond our shores. Only one of the nominees has been published Stateside so far, but others are scheduled to follow very soon.Prizes are magnets for controversy, and this year most of the chatter so far has been over the exclusion of two books by Irish titans who had made the longlist: Love and Summer by William Trevor and Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Given the exceptional upcoming season of literary publishing, there have been plenty of other surprising omissions: new work by Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro, for example. Also, interestingly, two previous winners have made this cut: A S Byatt and J M Coetzee. So it's somewhat surprising to learn that in Britain, the buzz is strongest for the forthcoming Mantel novel as the frontrunner. Mantel's Wolf Hall is about Henry VIII's Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell, and many commentators have pointed out that the list is dominated by historical novels. So the Irish are out and English history is in this year, quite a change from recent years.
This year's Booker shortlist:
The Children's Book by A S Byatt (to be published in October)
Summertime by J M Coetzee (scheduled to be published in the U.S. in early Dec.)
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (to be published in October)
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (not yet scheduled for U.S. release)
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Good Reads for Animal Lovers
Posted September 8, 2009We know people adore their pets, and we also realize that they love to read books by and about fellow animal lovers. Many of you have already enjoyed the story of the very sweet and poorly behaved Labrador in Marley and Me, which was also adapted into a film, and you'll be pleased to discover a wealth of new titles for Marley fans and other pet lovers at the Chicago Public Library. There is the story of Dewey, a kitten abandoned in a library book drop, who added joy to the life of his rescuer, librarian Ms. Myron, who was dealing with her own hardship. The cat Homer, blind and also abandoned, found a special owner in Gwen Cooper. Publisher's Weekly notes that the recently published Homer's Odyssey "reveals Homer's lessons about love and acceptance — and how he transformed Cooper into the woman she had always wanted to be." Popular fiction authors are even getting in on the game: Rita Mae Brown's forthcoming Animal Magnetism recounts her life with a number of beloved pets, and Dean Koontz's A Big Little Life is an affectionate memoir of his late dog, Trixie.It's not all cats and dogs, though: perhaps you are a bird lover, in which case we recommend Wesley, The Owl by Stacy O'Brien, a biologist who chronicles her 19-year relationship with a barnyard owl she rescued, or Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, a scientist in animal communication who spent 30 years working with Alex, an exceptional African gray parrot with a vocabulary of over 100 words. "In this highly readable, anecdotal book, Pepperberg describes the training techniques she and her assistants used with Alex, the breakthroughs he made, and his growing fame as word began to spread about the brainy parrot who could differentiate colors, count, and describe objects accurately and in human language," according to Booklist. And finally, adventurous types might check out A Lion Called Christian. Yes, that's right: a lion, one purchased in Harrods' pet department. Want to know more? You'll have to check out the book.
Hit the Books!
Posted September 3, 2009Fall is in the air. We know, summer never really seemed to arrive this year. Nevertheless, it's time to head back to school. We thought we'd help you ease back into the season with a list of books that explore academia and all of its trials and tribulations.To kick off the list we'd like to direct you to one of our favorite novels to be set against the backdrop of academic life, The Secret History. This is a dark tale about an inner circle of students whose intense study of ancient Greek language and culture leads them to commit a heinous crime. The pace quickens as the group struggles to keep their secret under wraps and they begin to turn on each other. Donna Tartt's modern classic will have you up late cramming, but in a thoroughly enjoyable way.
Acceptance by Susan Coll
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Blue Angel by Francine Prose
Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont
The Headmaster's Dilemma by Louis Auchincloss
I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
Moo by Jane Smiley
Old School by Tobias Wolff
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
Straight Man by Richard Russo
The Darwin Bicentennial
Posted September 1, 2009Somewhat overshadowed, at least here in the land of Lincoln, by another bicentennial that inspired our annual Summer Reading theme, the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth has also been widely observed both here in Chicago and around the world. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, but the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of the Species, less than three months away on November 24th, has provided scientists, biographers and writers all the more reason to reconsider Darwin and evolution. At this point in the year, readers are looking at a bumper crop of excellent books (including two that pair Darwin with Honest Abe), and so it seems like a good time to take stock of the recent highlights. Additionally, we've rounded up a few notable novels that look at the life of Darwin. May these books set you on your own voyage of discovery.Recent Books about Darwin and Evolution
Why evolution is true by Jerry A. Coyne
On the origin of species (Illustrated edition) by Charles Darwin
The 10,000 year explosion: how civilization accelerated human evolution by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending
Evolution: the first four billion years edited by Michael Ruse, Joseph Travis
Your inner fish: a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body by Neil Shubin
Life ascending: the ten great inventions of evolution by Nick Lane
Darwin's sacred cause: how a hatred of slavery shaped Darwin's views on human evolution by Adrian Desmond and James Moore
Darwin's armada: four voyages and the battle for the theory of evolution by Iain McCalman
Natural selections: selfish altruists, honest liars, and other realities of evolution by David P. Barash
The Beagle letters by edited by Frederick Burkhardt
Angels and ages: a short book about Lincoln, Darwin, and modern life by Adam Gopnik
Rebel giants: the revolutionary lives of Abraham Lincoln & Charles Darwin by David R. Contosta
Selected Novels about Charles Darwin and His Legacy
To the edge of the world by Harry Thompson
Born again by Kelly Kerney
The Darwin conspiracy by John Darnton
Mr. Darwin's shooter by Roger McDonald