Podcast, Episode 8: Half-Year Faves

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 8 (19:58)

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In episode 8 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:

We usually break our podcasts up into three "segments." For this episode, we deviate from our usual format and forgo segment one (where we usually discuss a general topic relating to books or reading, without getting into specific titles) and segment three (where we look ahead at two books due out soon).

The end of every calendar year sees many newspapers, magazines, radio shows etc. choose their best books of the year. If we waited until December, our list would be way too long. Since we're halfway through the year, we thought we'd pick our faves for the year so far.

Many of Michael's favorites for the year aren't out just yet, so he cheats a bit and chooses some books that came out last year but were released in paperback this year. And Ann narrows down her huge list of favorites and tells you about four, including one that is impossible to describe but is definitely worth your time.

Many of our favorites have been talked about on previous episodes of Books on the Nightstand, so be sure to check the list of books below to see all of our favorites in one place.

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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

Finn by Jon Clinch, Random House Trade Paperback, $14.00, 9780812977141
Plenty by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon, Three Rivers Press trade paperback, $13.95, 9780307347336
City of the Sun by David Levien, Doubleday hardcover, $24.95, 9780385523660

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz, Doubleday hardcover, $24.95, 9780385515719
Gardens of Water by Alan Drew, Random House hardcover, $25.00, 9781400066872
Away by Amy Bloom, Random House trade paperback, $14.00, 9780812977790
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill, Knopf hardcover, $23.95, 9780307377043

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz, Spiegel & Grau hardcover, $24.95, 9780385521727

Our Favorites Featured on previous episodes:

Michael:

Tigerheart by Peter David, Del Rey hardcover, $22.00, 9780345501592
Mudbound by Hilary Jordan, Algonquin hardcover, $22.95, 9781565125698

Ann:

Our Story Begins by Tobias Wolff, Knopf hardcover, $26.95, 9781400044597
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, Knopf hardcover, $25.00, 9780307265739
Peace by Richard Bausch, Knopf hardcover, $19.95, 9780307268334
The Boat by Nam Le, Knopf hardcover, $22.95, 9780307268082
The End of Manners by Francesca Marciano, Knopf hardcover, $23.95, 9780375425103

(all information is for the U.S. editions).