Recent Books Reviews

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Friday, November 6 2009

The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus

Tanenhaus elegantly argues that the American conservatism might be at low ebb, but that should not be expected to last. Nor should liberals (as prone to premature gloating as their rivals) even want it to happen.

Thursday, November 5 2009

The Music Room by William Fiennes

Those who suffer from epilepsy, their families and friends, can only throw light at this neuro-spectre, as Fiennes does, showing us Richard in all his damaged Richardness, a man who truly haunted a castle.

The Boy Next Door: A Novel by Irene Sabatini

Sabatini’s book exudes an authenticity and warmth that can’t come from an author’s imagination alone, but from a lifetime of listening and observing.

Wednesday, November 4 2009

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

A brooding, melancholy variation on the theme of Mary Shelley's classic novel.

India Exposed: The Subcontinent A-Z by Clive Limpkin

British photojournalist Clive Limpkin has a unique view of modern India in 100 illustrated essays from "Army" to "Zebu".

Tuesday, November 3 2009

Going Away Shoes and Ferris Beach by Jill McCorkle

One can’t help but draw a parallel between McCorkle’s work and the stories of A. M. Homes – just without the controversy or big gross-out that Homes reaches for.

Monday, November 2 2009

Swords from the Desert and Swords from the West by Harold Lamb

Heavy on history but with enough action to give aerodynamic lift, Lamb’s prose exemplifies and occasionally transcends the pulp genre.

Sunday, November 1 2009

Only the Super Rich Can Save Us! by Ralph Nader

Neither fiction nor fact, Nader's sprawling novel is another venue for the same political ideas we've heard, not an opportunity for creativity.

Friday, October 30 2009

Ultraviolet: 69 Blacklight Posters From the Aquarian Age and Beyond by Dan Donahue

Ultraviolet is a unique, informative and thought-provoking experience. And if I stare at these pages long enough, maybe they'll start to move.

Thursday, October 29 2009

Invisible by Paul Auster

Paul Auster is a spellbinding storyteller, sometimes thanks to, and other times in spite of, his post-modern narrative trickery.

Wednesday, October 28 2009

Automats, Taxi Dances, and Vaudeville by David Freeland

Freeland dreams of a New York that once was and never can be again, a city of pleasures now buried under strata of concrete, commerce, and neglect.

Tuesday, October 27 2009

The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt

This demands a rare thing from today’s readers: an undivided, well-cultivated attention span. For those up to the task in this world of twittering, tweeting texts, the rewards are many.

Monday, October 26 2009

Grunge by Michael Lavine and Thurston Moore

Sub Pop's first lens on the grunge scene offers an early look at the signs of flannel to come, and the distinctive regional imprints on the sounds that followed punk.

Sunday, October 25 2009

Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music by Patrick Huber

Patrick Huber's counter-narrative of Piedmont country music's complicated origins and characteristics deserves to be the dominant one.

Friday, October 23 2009

Beijing Coma by Ma Jian

This book should be essential reading to students in Iran and across the world who need a manual on student activism.

Thursday, October 22 2009

Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow

In this book, E. L. Doctorow is like a great magician trying to make a monumental illusion out of a street corner shell game, just to prove that he can.

Wednesday, October 21 2009

Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater by Eric P. Nash

Nash offers a study of kamishibai's influence on modern manga, and how Japanese comics differ from American ones (as well as answering a common question: "What's with the wide eyes?").

Tuesday, October 20 2009

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

This follow-up to The Time Traveler's Wife netted the author a cool $5 million. Was the money worth it?

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