Books Distilled » Archive
Bringing Reading to Life: Setting
Okay, first things first: until tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST, you can tell me about the best book you’ve read recently and get entered to win a $5 giftcard to Powell’s Books. Jump on it! Second thing: unfortunately we had to cancel the first Books Distilled Book Club last night because there were some participant conflicts. We’ll be rescheduling, so if Turn of Mind has been on your to-read list, pick it up and maybe you … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
Book Review: The Magicians
The Magicians, by Lev Grossman, is described by George R.R. Martin as being “to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea.” This dark fantasy novel tells the story of Quentin, who has spent much of his childhood and adolescence rereading a series called Fillory and Further (the plotline of which sounds suspiciously like The Chronicles of Narnia). Quentin longs for the world of magic to be real. One … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
What are YOU reading? Enter to Win!
Update: you can talk with other readers about your impressions of Turn of Mind at the new Books Distilled book club, The Book Circle. Click the link or go to the righthand sidebar under “Forums.” First off, there’s still time to sign up for the online book club this coming Wednesday evening (9/28) at 8:00 PM! We’re reading Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind. It’s a page turner! I’ve got a pile of books on my shelf waiting … Read entire article »
Filed under: Announcements
5 Books I Can’t Live Without: Charlotte Merrick
Quick announcement! There’s still time to sign up for the online book club next Wednesday evening (9/28) at 8:00 PM! We’re reading Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind. It’s a page turner, so there’s still time! Now on to my friend Charlotte’s 5 favorite reads… Charlotte received her MA in English, against her better judgment. 1. White Noise, by Don DeLillo I read White Noise when I was dissatisfied with my graduate studies and contemplating whether what I was learning … Read entire article »
Filed under: Guest Posts: Books I Can't Live Without
Book Review: The Paris Wife
Join the conversation! We’re talking about The Paris Wife in the new Books Distilled book club, The Book Circle. Click the link or go to the righthand sidebar under “Forums.” The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain, is fantastic, brilliant, and devastating. The story of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley, the book is as brash and beautiful, painful and pleasurable, as I imagine Paris in the 1920′s must have been. The pair fall in love in Chicago … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
A Letter to Kathleen Norris
Happy Thursday, folks! I though I’d share something a little different with you today. I am a huge fan of Kathleen Norris, who wrote spiritual memoirs Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, The Cloister Walk, and Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life. Her work reminds me what it means to try to walk as a Christian, day after day, and what that means in the context of living in the modern … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
Book Review: Sunflowers
Sunflowers, by Sheramy Bundrick, is the story of Rachel, a prostitute in Arles in the late 19th century. Rachel wakes one afternoon after a nap in the garden to find a strange man painting her picture. It turns out to be Vincent van Gogh. If I could read this book for the first time again, I would, and I’d want to know what I discovered in the author’s afterword at the end: that Rachel is based on a true historic figure. The legend goes that the night van Gogh cut off his ear, he wrapped it in newspaper and carried it to a brothel, where he handed it to a prostitute named Rachel. Little else is known about her, but the fact that she really existed piqued by curiosity much … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
5 Books I Can’t Live Without: Linsey Jayne
Book Club First off, I have a book club announcement. The first ever Books Distilled book club will be held on Wednesday evening, September 28, at 8:00 PM Eastern time. We’ll be discussing Alice LaPlante’s novel Turn of Mind through Vyew, which allows both text and voice sharing. Sign up here if you haven’t already–there’s only 10 spaces for our inaugural meeting! Guest Post Linsey and I were roomies at the Fairfield MFA residency this summer. Our room … Read entire article »
Filed under: Guest Posts: Books I Can't Live Without
Book Review: Second Nature: A Love Story
Several weeks ago I reviewed Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, and was able to sit down with her for a few moments for an interview. She was kind enough to give me her publicist’s contact information, and I was able to snag a copy of her newest book, Second Nature: A Love Story, which releases tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 6). (This is practically the coolest thing that has ever happened to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
Books I Can’t Wait to Read: Fall 2011 Edition
These are the books crowding the top of my to-read list. Anticipate with me, friends! There’s a little chill in the air, and it’s time to snuggle up with a cup of tea and the latest read. Karl Marlantes’ new book, What It Is Like to Go to War, releases Tuesday, September 6. He recently shared the books that shaped him on the fantastic Book Lady’s Blog (she also raved about his first book, Matterhorn). Shelf Awareness also review has a stunning review of What It Is Like to Go to War. I can’t wait to read The Astral, by Kate Christensen, which was a summer blockbuster. I’ve pretty much been super jealous of anyone and everyone who’s managed to track down a copy. Check out Kit’s review and get ready to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature, Thoughts on Literature
About Me
Ever stand in the bookstore or library, gazing around blankly, overwhelmed by choices, jealous of the other purposeful browsers? This blog is for you.
I read. A lot.
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