Books Distilled » Archive
Book Review: Blue Nights
The Blue Nights Joan Didion’s new memoir Blue Nights is stunning. The title comes from a phenomenon that occurs in northern latitudes in the spring, when the light at twilight is blue. Didion’s nephew shot a video of her reading from the prologue and second chapter of the book. Tell me this doesn’t make you want to read it: The Blue Darkens and Fades The book is serious, but not heavy; piercing, but not stricken. It picks up where … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature, Nonfiction
Steps Toward Gratitude: Lessons Learned from Two-Part Invention
Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings to you and your family tomorrow! I hope you’re enjoying your celebrations, wherever they may be. Safe travels. Announcements There’s still time to read our book of the month, The Art of Fielding, and join the discussion! I recently started writing for another blog, Ask Miss A. You can see a list of my articles here, some of which will be book reviews I haven’t posted on Books Distilled. Two-Part Invention My dear friend Caroline (of A Wish … Read entire article »
Filed under: Lessons Learned
Book Review: What It Is Like to Go to War
Why This Book Should Be Required Reading After reading Karl Marlantes’s new book, What It Is Like to Go to War, I firmly believe it should be required reading for every U.S. citizen. Extreme? Possibly. But, I believe, necessary. Here’s why. Marlantes was a lieutenant in the Marines during Vietnam. His book centers not on his experiences there, though they provide a vivid backdrop and touchstone for his philosophical ideas about war. The thesis of the book is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Nonfiction
5 Books I Can’t Live Without: Ilene Beckerman, Author of The Smartest Woman I Know
Ilene Beckerman’s writing career began at the age of sixty when she wrote the memoir Love, Loss, and What I Wore. The book has been adapted to an Off-Broadway play that has been a great success. She wrote three more books before recently publishing The Smartest Woman I Know (see my review). Beckerman says of her late-blooming writing success, “Oprah did a profile of me, my books have been translated into many languages I can’t speak, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Guest Posts: Books I Can't Live Without
Book Review: The Art of Fielding
Chad Harbach’s hefty novel The Art of Fielding has been hailed as a “complete and consuming” first novel. The novel weaves together the stories of four characters who interact at Westish College, a liberal arts campus in Wisconsin, around the main theme of baseball. The Field: Westish College The setting of Westish is marvelously crafted; it is so detailed that I feel like I could give a tour of it, complete with inside campus jokes. The history … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
Book Review: People Tell Me Things
The Book Circle: November This month in The Book Circle we’re reading The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach. The sports-book-that-was-so-much-more is being hailed as a triumph of a debut. Read it and join in the conversation, which will kick off with my review next week (Monday, November 14). Posting Schedule You may have noticed I took a tiny hiatus this week. From now on I’ll be going from three posts per week down to two, still shuffling … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary 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.
Recent Comments