Are you the type of reader who craves the food described in novels like our own Nick Moran? Then take The Guardian’s “Food in fiction” quiz. Sample question: “According to the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, what kind of food is eaten tomorrow, yesterday, but never today?”
Voracious Reading
A Tale of Two Daredevils
In The Guardian, our own Mark O'Connell reviews TransAtlantic, the new novel by Year in Reading alum Colum McCann. If you'll recall, we featured the book in our Great 2013 Book Preview.
The Problem with String Theory
Don't tell Paul Murray, but apparently "string theory," much beloved by artists and fringe physicists alike, has zero proof to back it up.
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Coming to a Bookstore Near You
Check out this clever book trailer for the debut novel House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni.
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The Literary Long Sentence
"In this age of 140-character Twitter posts — not to mention a persistent undercurrent of minimalism in our literature — there’s something profoundly rejuvenating about the very long sentence." From Hrabal to Joyce to Hugo, Ed Park explores the history of the literary long sentence.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up a Library
Summer Brennan attempts the Marie Kondo approach to organizing her library and learns about the heartbreaking difficulty of getting rid of books. Pair with this Millions essay on private libraries and what books reveal about their readers.
Tuesday New Release Day: Rebeck; Ryan; Maynard; Simpson
Out this week: I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck; Green Island by Shawna Young Ryan; Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard; and Cockfosters by Helen Simpson. For more on these and other new titles, go read our Great Second-Half 2015 Book Preview.
Tuesday New Release Day: Kunzru, Harrison, Krasznahorkai, Levin, de Botton, Haggadah
It's a bumper crop of new books this week: Hari Kunzru's Gods Without Men, Kathryn Harrison's Enchantements, László Krasznahorkai's Satantango (reviewed here), and Adam Levin's Hot Pink. Also out this week are Alain de Botton's Religion for Athiests and Jonathan Safran Foer and Nathan Englander's New American Haggadah.
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And the Award Goes to…
"Proulx’s deep reverence for the beauty and complexities of rural America has introduced millions of readers to the wide breadth of American life. Her commitment to crafting compassionate, honest stories has left an indelible mark on literature and created a powerful and enduring legacy." Annie Proulx nabs the National Book Foundation's lifetime achievement award. Check out her Year-in-Reading entry from this past year here.
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