The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
by Leonard Mlodinow (Author)
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Release Date: May 13, 2008

Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
by Wizards RPG Team (Author)
Average Customer Review:
Release Date: June 6, 2008

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport
by Carl Hiaasen (Author)
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Release Date: May 6, 2008

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel
by David Wroblewski (Author)
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Release Date: June 10, 2008

The Monster of Florence
by Douglas Preston (Author), Mario Spezi (Contributor)
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Release Date: June 10, 2008

The Essential Laws of Fearless Living: Find the Power to Never Feel Powerless Again
by Guy Finley (Author), Ellen Dickstein (Foreword)
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Publication Date: June 1, 2008

I’ve been finding Julia Hartwig’s “In Praise of the Unfinished,” translated by John and Bogdana Carpenter (Knopf), a metabolism-altering volume. Austerely intelligent questioning, the acute and subtle notation of both outer landscape and the psyche’s interior inventions, and a bracingly clear-eyed compassion mark these poems by a writer long preeminent in Poland but until now virtually unknown in the US. This book joins the section of the bookcase where Milosz, Szymborska, Herbert, Swir, Rozewicz, and Zagajewski (author of another extraordinary new book this season, “Eternal Enemies“) already live–for me, one of the great, illuminating constellations of world literature.–Jane Hirshfield

Michael Krüger, The Executor, Harcourt.
This brief novel fits together as elegantly as a polished wooden puzzle with hidden dowels; the bleak news it conveys about literary friendship is undermined by Krüger’s comic outlook and, as always in his poetry and fiction, his tenderness toward what remains of the natural world] Harcourt

Frank Bidart, Watching the Spring Festival, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This is a beautifully made series of poems that reflect upon, and refract, one another with the clarity of early light. His voices are as immediate and pressing as ever, yet a quiet sense of refrain and a pattern of musical turns that come and go like the seasons make this one of his most moving books.–Susan Stewart

Awards finalist in criticism Lia Purpura’s pick for the NBCC Good Reads Spring 2008 list, recommendations by members, awards winners and finalists:

Can I send you a just-discovered great book title? “Strange as This Weather Has Been” by Ann Pancake. Just amazing. Kind of Steinbeck meets Agee, so moving and tight. Has this Most Recommended become monthly? Hope so! Thanks for the opportunity to pass along the good stuff.–Lia Purpura

The Enchantress of Florence: A Novel
by Salman Rushdie (Author)
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Release Date: May 27, 2008

Devil May Care (James Bond)
by Sebastian Faulks (Author)
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Release Date: May 28, 2008

The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire
by Matt Taibbi (Author)
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Release Date: May 6, 2008

The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life
by John Assaraf (Author), Murray Smith (Author)
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Publication Date: May 20, 2008

The Spies of Warsaw: A Novel
by Alan Furst (Author)
Release Date: June 3, 2008

What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
by Scott McClellan (Author)
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Release Date: May 28, 2008

I’m happy to point out the launch yesterday of Pod Castle, the fantasy short story podcast spin off from the science fiction podcast Escape Pod. Their first story is “Come Lady Death” by Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn. If you’re rolling your eyes at the thought of listening to stories of chainmail bikinis and dragons, let me point out that fantasy, broadly defined, is any story dealing with magic or the supernatural. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Conan the Barbarian stories are all fantasy, but so are One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Tempest, and Indiana Jones. Judging by the breadth of fantasy stories that Escape Pod has already published, I’m sure that Pod Castle will feature many types of fantasy.

In related news, Steve Eley, the host of Escape Pod, recently announced that after being let go from his day job he will be spending his primary efforts on Escape Pod and the other Escape Artists podcasts: Pod Castle and PsuedoPod, the horror story podcast. Steve gives away all three for free and only asks for donations in return. There is some advertising on the websites and podcasts, but they’re pretty minor and non-annoying. So, if you’re able, please give a donation to Escape Artists and show your support for one of the greatest sources for free audio. If you’re unfamiliar with Escape Pod, I’ll be reviewing one of my favorite stories of theirs later this week.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey
by Jill Bolte Taylor (Author)
Average Customer Review:
Release Date: May 14, 2008

‘[T]here is comfort in better grasping what has gone wrong, and enlightenment for those around you when they grasp it too. None of us needs sympathy; what we do need is a helping hand and understanding. Someone like Taylor provides that, helping a terrible blow become far less so.’
- Dick Clark, in Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People of 2008

‘Fascinating. . . . Bursts with hope for everyone who is brain-injured (not just stroke patients) and gives medical practitioners clear, no-nonsense information about the shortcomings of conventional treatment and attitudes toward the brain- injured. . . . But to my mind, what makes My Stroke of Insight not just valuable but invaluable-a gift to every spiritual seeker and peace activist-is what I would describe as Taylor’s fearless mapping of the physiology of compassion, the physiology of Nirvana. This book is about the wonder of being human.’

On the morning of December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain–the rational, grounded, detail- and time-oriented side–swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely.

In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain. It would take eight years for Taylor to heal completely. Because of her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and most of all an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insights gained from her right brain that morning of December 10th.

Today Taylor is convinced that the stroke was the best thing that could have happened to her. It has taught her that the feeling of nirvana is never more than a mere thought away. By stepping to the right of our left brains, we can all uncover the feelings of well-being and peace that are so often sidelined by our own brain chatter. A fascinating journey into the mechanics of the human mind, My Stroke of Insight is both a valuable recovery guide for anyone touched by a brain injury, and an emotionally stirring testimony that deep internal peace truly is accessible to anyone, at any time.

As I write, the most emailed article on The New York Times offers a few reflections on Peter Boxall’s book, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. The Times piece makes a couple of logical points: First, there’s no time to waste if you hope to read every book on the list. Reading a book per month, you’ll get through 1000 books in a mere 83 years. So you had better get started now. Second, this ‘best of’ list is bound to be controversial. (Do you really need to read Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ before it’s lights out?) The 1001 books on Boxall’s list can be previewed here. The book itself, which runs 960 pages, is obviously more than a raw list. Each entry is accompanied by an ‘authoritative yet opinionated critical essay describing the importance and influence of the work in question.’ And also there’s apparently some nice illustrations. If you’re a bibliophile, it’s worth a look.

As a writer, you, by both pleasure and necessity, have to read a lot.
The old adage that to write you must read is absolutely true and I am proud of the fact that I spend more time reading than watching TV. It’s close sometimes (especially when it comes to Star Trek) but eventually reading always wins.
When I was getting my degree, I read a lot there also. Some of it good and some of it bad. I think that’s the beauty of it - what you love, others may absolutely hate. What you hate, others may have a deep passion for. It’s like broccoli, only different.
So, after 40 years of reading, here are five novels that I absolutely cannot live without.

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving - This book changed my life. Period. It changed the way I think about religion. About faith. About fate. About the art and craft of writing that can elevate ink on paper to a whole new experience. When I was young, I wanted to be the next John Irving. How that I’m older, I’m happy to write my own stories and just enjoy Irving and his work like a fine glass of vintage wine. It’s a book that by turns is funny, sad, enlightening, infuriating, and then he ties it all together in the final chapters like a master craftsman putting that final coat of varnish on a beautiful handmade desk. It’s an exquisite novel.

A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - This book is a lightning rod. Either you love it or hate it. There is no inbetween to those who have entered the madcap, highly satirical world of John Kennedy Toole and his fictional modern day Don Quixote, Ignatius J. Reilly. I still have my original dog-eared paperback copy that I bought the year it won the Pulitzer. Only two books have made me laugh so much that I thought I was gonna rupture something. This is one of them. Toole does so many things right in this novel. He gets the people right - their quirks, their dialogue, their interactions with each other and their surroundings. He gets the place right - you can literally see old New Orleans of the 1960’s coming back to life before your very eyes. These days though, I must admit it makes me a bit sad, knowing that Nawlins will never be the same after Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent clusterfuck that was the attempt at restoration by FEMA and the Bush Administration. But if you want a comedic, episodic novel that you can really just devour and get a good laugh out of, please do pick up this story.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - John Steinbeck makes me want to be a better person and a better writer. I own all of his works and this one stands out (as well it should). There is a reason that every English teacher on the planet requires it to be read. The compassion, the true heart of this brilliant (yet I will admit, uneven) writer comes across on every page as we join the Joad family on their journey to California. If you’ve read ‘Everlasting Life’, my second Denton and Monty mystery, then you know just how much affection I have for this novel. I think that the above mentioned force-feeding really turns a lot of people off this novel, which is unfortunate. There are so many layers, so many things going on, besides the trip West, that as a novelist, it’s such a joy to peel back those layers and learn more about the art of writing.

The Stand by Stephen King - I love this book. It’s my guilty pleasure. Say what you will about King, he can tell a story. When he’s on his game (The Shining, The Green Mile, The Stand) he’s one of the best. Other times, he just rambles on and really needs a good, strong editor to cut those page counts. I’ve heard King describe this book (his most popular) as his version of The Lord Of The Rings. Good versus Evil. A Journey. The awakening of the hero in every man and woman. If you’re unsure of the book, look for the shorter, original printing as opposed to the newly reissued extended version of the book. Both had King’s blessings, of course, but the first version had a pretty strong editor and the second put back in everything the first editor took out. For me, I have both versions and it depends on what kind of mood I’m in. If I want my post-apocalyptic adventure on the hurry up, then I read the original version. If I want to take my time and really savor it, get to know the characters even better and deeper, I get the extended version.

Dune by Frank Herbert - Possibly the most fully realized science fiction novel of all time. Herbert has created a world and a universe so complete, so complex that it just blows my mind. There is a reason that it has never been out of print since it first blew away the sci-fi fandom community in the 1960’s. If you’re dead set against science fiction, this book may change your mind. As I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to Herbert and his Dune universe, it might surprise you to know that I actually really like the cinematic adaptations that have been made so far. The David Lynch movie, the two made-for-TV mini-series, I thought they all did justice to bringing Herbert’s vision to life. But because of this snobbery, I also hate, hate, hate the recent ‘continuation’ of the series by Herbert’s son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson, neither of which could write their way out of a brown paper bag. My opinion is that you should avoid them at all costs, but that’s just me. Being a snob.

Messages From Spirit: The Extraordinary Power of Oracles, Omens, and Signs
by Colette Baron-Reid (Author)
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Publication Date: May 1, 2008

The wisdom of crowds concept works for writing software. (Think open source.) But does it work for writing novels? That’s what Penguin and De Monfort University (in the UK) wanted to figure out when they launched an experiment in February 2007 called ‘A Million Little Penguins.’ Over the course of five weeks, roughly 1500 writers drafted a collaborative novel using wiki software (the same one used by Wikipedia), and you can now view the completed manuscript here. So far the reviews are not overwhelming. According to one observer, ‘it’s incoherent. You might get something similar if you took a stack of supermarket checkout line potboilers and some Mad Libs and threw them in a blender.’ And then there’s this pithy verdict by the snarky blog, Gawker: ‘The text itself is terrible.’ Ouch. But maybe someone who is less reflexively dismissive will have a different view, though I wouldn’t bet on it. Have a read here. Also see De Montfort’s post mortem of the project here.