Non-Non-Fiction

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly has an article called So You Want to Write a Memoir?, very cleverly designed as a ''choose-your-own-adventure" list of what's been written before. In other words, Under Loved Ones, you could choose Fell in Love with a Pig (The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery) or Double-dating with his Recently Widowed Father (Assisted Loving by Bob Morris). Under Struggles, you have your choice of everything from Being a Virgin (Superstud by Paul Feig) to Life Under the Khmer Rouge (When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him).

It's a great article/list that shows exactly what sorts of crazy things have been written about, and it also made me realize exactly how few memiors I've read. I tend to read mostly fiction, though I have read a few great works of narrative non-fiction over the years. And yes, even a memoir here and there!

What about you? Do the books on your nightstand tend to lean toward fiction or non? Or do you read omnivorously?

(By the way: The title of this post is not meant to cast any aspersions on the truthiness of memoir writers. It's (I hope) a clever play on words describing my reading tastes!)
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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:

The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery, Ballantine trade paperback, $13.95, 978-0-345-49609-6
Assisted Loving by Bob Morris, Harper hardcover, $24.95, 978-0-06-137412-8
Superstud by Paul Feig, Three Rivers Press trade paperback, $13.95, 978-1-4000-5175-5
When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him, W.W. Norton trade paperback, $14.95, 978-0-393-32210-1

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

Better than a Bottle

It was Sunday, about 7pm. I had just thrown a bridal shower for 40 guests, with little to no help from my "co-hostess." It was a lovely party, but I hadn't enjoyed it. I had witnessed some appalling behavior from one of the attendees. I had blown out my knee and scalded myself with boiling water. The "co-hostess" vacated the premises before clean-up. Now it was over. I needed a drink. And the wine stores were closed.

Instead, I turned to a book. It was the only book I had with me, and now I approached it with some weighty demands. It must not only entertain, it must also take me away from the stress of the weekend. It must enable me to forget my frustration, to stop dwelling on the bits and pieces of the day that had so angered me.

I'm happy to report that my book, Mister Pip, performed its duties admirably.

Michael talked about this book on our latest podcast episode, and that's what finally made me take it from the 'to-be-read' pile and throw it into my suitcase for the weekend. I'm so glad that I did. It's a novel about the power of literature to change lives, to inspire the imagination, and to change those who come in contact with the ideas put forth in books. It was exactly what I needed. I can't think of a more perfect companion with which to spend the evening.

I have about 50 pages to go. I will savor them tonight, with that long-awaited glass of wine.

Do you have a similar story -- a book that was just right, at just the moment you need it? Tell us about it in the comments.

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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:

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, Dial Press Trade Paperback, $12.00, 978-0-385-34107-3

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

Podcast, Episode 5: Go There. Read These. Do This. Pretty Please?

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 5 (19:46)

(You can listen by using the player above. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode.)

In Episode 5 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:
We discuss author events in general and specifically talk about a few of the big ones that we've attended recently. LibraryThing Local is a great place to see what's happening at bookstores and libraries in your area.

There are so many great books we wanted to talk about this time that we've moved our usual recommendations to the main segment of the show. We'll tell you about 5 new or recently released books we love.

And, finally, a plea for feedback. Let us know you're listening and let us know what you think:

• via the comments section here on the blog
• via email: comments@booksonthenightstand.com
• via phone on our listener comments line: 206-350-2932

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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:

Bobby Flay's Grill It! by Bobby Flay, Clarkson Potter hardcover, $35.00, 978-0-307-35142-5
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, Shaye Arehart Books hardcover, $25.00, 978-0-307-39495-8
Audition by Barbara Walters, Knopf hardcover, $29.95, 978-0-307-26646-0
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, Dial Press trade paperback, $12.00, 978-0-385-34107-3
The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown, Anchor trade paperback, $13.95, 978-0-307-27809-8
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan, Algonquin hardcover, $22.95, 978-1-56512-569-8
The End of Manners by Francesca Marciano, Pantheon hardcover, $23.95, 978-0-375-42510-3
The Last Fish Tale by Mark Kurlansky, Ballantine Books hardcover, $25.00, 978-0-345-48727-8

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

My New Book has an On Switch

I just received a Sony eBook Reader, supplied by my employer. Before anyone starts bemoaning the death of the printed book, know this: I still intend to do most of my reading with actual physical books. Nothing will ever replace settling in to my favorite chair with a good (paper) book.

My job requires me to do a lot of reading, most of it in photocopied manuscript form. The eBook will allow Random House to send me files instead of several pounds of paper, several times a year. Environmentally, it's a win-win scenario. And it will sure help to keep my office neater.

I've downloaded several novels, a non-fiction book and a cookbook (all not-yet-published) and have started browsing. I'm still getting the hang of it, but it seems that it will always be easier to flip through a real book. That being said, I absolutely love that I can carry around 8 books at once!

Dating wasn't this difficult...

I'm having a bit of a monogamy problem--reading monogamy, that is. I have several books on my nightstand that seem to be competing for my affection, and I'm scattered. I feel pulled in too many directions, and don't seem to be "in the moment" with my present book of choice. Each book is wonderful in its own way, and I'm feeling torn between multiple suitors.

The current recipient of my attention is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. We spend long, leisurely moments together. I absorb every word carefully. I take notes, mark passages with post-it notes. I am reading this book for my book group, so there is a commitment (and a deadline). It is an enjoyable relationship, and fills a gap in my literary experiences. But I do confess that after 5 or 6 pages, my mind starts to wander, and I glance over to my nightstand and think of "the others."

There's Kevin Brockmeier's The View from the Seventh Layer. It's a collection of gorgeous short stories that had me at the first paragraph. We've had coffee together, this book and I, but I haven't yet spent more than a few minutes at a time with it. I'd very much like to get to know it better. The first story is a fable, about a town where everyone sings--except for a man who is mute. He surrounds himself with parakeets, hundreds of them, and presents them as gifts to people of the town. The imagery of this first story has stayed with me for a long time. I need more.

Also on the stack: I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass, who won the National Book Award for Three Junes. It will be published this fall. I sampled a chunk of the manuscript, and loved what I read. It's the story of two sisters who have a complicated relationship, and we check in with them at various points in their lives. I want to pour a big glass of wine and curl up on the sofa with this book right now.

I also want to have a drink or two with Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road, though this book calls more for a gin-and-tonic or Harvey Wallbanger in deference to its portrayal of early 1960s suburban Connecticut . I read half of this book while on a business trip, and it got misplaced in my carry-on luggage upon my return. By the time I had retrieved it, I had already moved on to a different book. I put it down just as Frank and April had finished lamenting their pitiful middle-class existence and decided to move to France. The characters are compelling, if somewhat unlikeable so far, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about them.

What do you do when you have so many books calling your name? Do you divide your time, or are you a serial reader? Maybe you never get into this situation. Let us know in the comments.

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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:


Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Vintage trade paperback, ISBN 978-1-4000-3468-0
The View from the Seventh Layer by Kevin Brockmeier, Pantheon hardcover, $21.95, ISBN 978-0-375-42530-1
I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass, Pantheon hardcover, 978-0-375-42275-1 (forthcoming publication, fall 2008 - no Librarything link currently available)
Three Junes by Julia Glass, Anchor Books trade paperback, $14.95, ISBN 978-0-385-72142-4
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Vintage trade paperback, $14.95, ISBN 978-0-375-70844-2

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

Podcast, Episode 4: A Graphic Challenge

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 4 (22:10)

(You can listen by using the player above. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode.)

In Episode 4 of the Books on the Nightstand Podcast:

Ann discovers the world of Reading Challenges. Use some of these links to explore for yourself

• A Novel Challenge - A list of all reading challenges in the blogosphere. This a great place to start.
  
• A Novel Challenge Yahoo Group - Join this group to discuss reading challenges, track your own reading, and get updates on new challenges.
  
• Canadian Book Challenge - also contains fabulous lists of Canadian novels arranged by Province. And this one offers great prizes!
  
• Orbis Terrarum Challenge - for the internationally-minded; read 9 books, each by an author from a different nation
  
• What's in a Name Challenge - a clever challenge hosted by a very sophisticated 11 year old
  

In the last episode, Michael issued his own challenge to Ann: read an entire graphic novel. Ann did, and talks about the experience. If you think you don't like graphic novels, our podcast may be enlightening.

And we preview two new books that hit the shelves on May 13th: The Boat, by Nam Le and The Steel Wave, by Jeff Shaara.
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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:

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, Vertigo trade paperback, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-4012-0315-3
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, Pantheon trade paperback, $12.95, ISBN 978-0-375-71457-3
Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto, Knopf hardcover, $22.00, ISBN 9780307263575
Black Hole by Charles Burns, Pantheon trade paperback, $17.95, ISBN 978-0375-71472-6
Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns, DC Comics trade paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-401-20465-5
The Boat by Nam Le, Knopf hardcover, $22.95, ISBN 978-0-307-26808-2
The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara, Ballantine Books hardcover, $28.00, ISBN 978-0345461421

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

48 Years?!?

Our friends over at the Inkwell Bookstore Blog recently wrote about this article covering a book club that has been in existence for nearly half a century!

You can read the article for yourself, but here are a few bullet points

• The Book Club started in October, 1959
• Their first book was Animal Farm by George Orwell
• They just finished their 800th (!) book, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
• Three original members still attend
• The number of men is usually equal to that of women

This brings up some questions... How have they stayed together so long? How do they attract so many men?

Anyone out there in a book group that's been around awhile? Anyone in a group with a lot of men? Ann and I regularly do Reading Group presentations in bookstores around New England, so we've heard some answers to these questions, but we'd love to hear more. Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
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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:

Animal Farm by George Orwell, Signet Mass Market, $9.99, 9780451526342
Allthe Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Vintage Trade Paperback, $14.95, 9780679744399

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