to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read." These particular titles are from some upcoming reviews in PW.

Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians
Candace Chellew-Hodge. Jossey-Bass/Wiley, $17.95 (208p) ISBN 978-0-470-27928-1

Chellew-Hodge, a former journalist, is a UCC pastor who runs the online magazine Whosoever. Her experiences as a gay Christian searching for how to live with integrity while contending with sometimes-hateful opposition inform this book. The "spiritual survival tips" that conclude each chapter serve not only as summaries but also as direct points of advice for GLBT persons coping with inevitable conflict. She also includes brief meditation exercises. Chellew-Hodge offers a realistic voice of experience filled nevertheless with compassion and love—not just for her intended audience, but also for their attackers. Although some may find her impulse to forgive premature, Chellew-Hodge does not naively excuse much less accept the abusive language and behavior of anti-gay Christians. This is not a book explaining relevant Bible passages and their interpretations, though Chellew-Hodge advocates biblical literacy beyond literalism. Instead, it is a confident, sensible approach to handling the opposition and self-doubt that can undermine a GLBT person's sense of worth and belonging as a Christian. (Oct.)

The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology
Thich Nhat Hanh. Parallax, $10.95 paper (110p) ISBN 978-1-8883-7588-6

Past the age of 80 now, the indefatigable Vietnamese Buddhist monk Nhat Hanh continues teaching. As peace flows from Buddhist teachings, so too does an environmental ethic rooted in awareness and interrelatedness. Nhat Hanh's engaged Buddhism, a Buddhist school that emphasizes social responsibility, takes on the task of preserving and protecting the earth. A special bodhisattva (enlightened being)—Dharanimdhara, the Earth Holder—will guide human efforts to guard and restore the natural world. No effort is too small; an "Earth Peace Treaty Commitment Sheet" in an appendix lists nearly 60 easy behaviors to minimize ecological impact. The Zen monk's often poetic voice redeems what might otherwise seem repetitive writing or simplistic views; seeing with "the eye of the elephant queen" provides deep insight. A foreword by bestselling, environmental journalist Alan Weisman (The World Without Us) adds a fresh framework for understanding Nhat Hanh's Buddhist insights about interrelationships with the natural world. This is an urgent call from a revered spiritual teacher about the moral imperative to treat the earth with respectful awareness. (Oct.)

The Grand Inquisitor's Handbook: A History of Terror in the Name of God
Jonathan Kirsch. HarperOne, $26.95 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-081699-5

Mention the Inquisition to any informed person and you're likely to garner a response somewhere between horror and disgust. Kirsch, a prolific writer and documenter of our past (A History of the End of the World; Gods Against the Gods), offers up an amazing recounting of the abuses of clergy and state in those terrible times. Clinical in its descriptions, the narrative's lively and crisp prose brings us right into the torture chamber, shining a much-needed light into the mindset of the church and its representatives. Alarmingly, the author insists that although the Inquisition is but a memory for us today, the inquisitional mindset is alive and well. Kirsch discovers many examples in more modern and familiar history: Hitler's Germany, Senator McCarthy's communist-hunting, the Salem witch trials and Roosevelt's placing Japanese-Americans in interment camps. All of these injustices, he says, find their root in the same sense of power and privilege. Kirsch's powerful and cautionary account is essential reading for historians and anyone who wants to understand the potential dark side of religion. (Oct.)

The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why
Phyllis Tickle. Baker Books, $17.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8010-1313-3

North American Christianity is presently undergoing a change every bit as radical as the Protestant Reformation, possibly even as monumental as its natal break with Judaism. And it's right on schedule. Tickle, author of God-Talk in America and PW's founding religion editor, observes that Christianity is holding its semi-millennial rummage sale of ideas. With an elegance of argument and economy of description, Tickle escorts readers through the centuries of church history leading to this moment and persuasively charts the character of and possibilities for the emerging church. Don't let this book's brevity fool you. It is packed with keen insights about what this "great emergence" is, how it came to be, and where it may be headed. Tickle issues a clear call to acknowledge the inevitability of change, discern the church's new shape and participate responsibly in the transformation. Although Tickle's particular focus excludes the dynamic forces of Asian, African, and Central/South American Christianity, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the face and future of Christianity. (Oct.)

Printz Award Challenge, revisited

Previously, I mentioned that I was participating in the Printz Award Challenge over at Dewey Monster. As you may or may not recall, the challenge is as follows:

To participate in the Printz Award Challenge, choose 6 books that have won the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature OR one of the Honor books. The challenge runs from January 2008 to December 2008. . . .

You may overlap with other challenges. You may change your list at any time.

I chose six titles to read, clutching to the "change your list at any time" clause in that four or five books would be added to the list in January.

Titles have been added, and so I'm changing my list. For starters, I am reading The White Darkness because it won the award this year. Unfortunately, it's a bit blah and I interrupt my reading of it with other titles, such as Repossessed, another book I can add to the list as it's an honor book this year and it has a much cooler cover than Darkness. (I also already finished reading it today, so it helps me come one book closer to completing the challenge.

Anyway, my new challenge list is as follows:

Edgy's Printz Award Challenge

• The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean
  
• Repossessed, by A. M. Jenkins (Completed today.)
  
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt (Another blah book, but since I already own it and have started reading it, it stays on the list.)
  
• Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, by Jan Greenberg Abrams
  
• A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly (I read the first chapter of this just after it was put on the award list, but it was another book I just couldn't get into. However, since I own it . . . )
  
• John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge

to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read."

Count Down: Six Kids Vie for Glory at the World's Toughest Math Competition by Steve Olson

What's life like for math whiz kids? Science writer Olson follows the six members of the high school team that went all the way to the 2001 International Mathematical Olympiad to answer that question. He considers what it takes to become a math wiz, notices why there are few girls, and debunks the nerd stereotype. Count Down is a great book for math buffs (there are even a few great puzzlers in the book), especially young adults who'll be glad to see that number know-how can be cool.

Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate—The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff

A slender, down-and-dirty guide to politics and the manipulation of language. Lakoff, a Berkeley professor, argues that Republicans won the 2004 presidential election because they were better able to "frame the debate." A lefty read, for sure, but political junkies of all stripes will get something from this fascinating look at one aspect of what may tip the balance in persuading voters.

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

Submit to Calvino, and you'll find that you are in the hands of a master. A favorite of book lovers throughout the world, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler is about two characters who meet in a bookstore, both there to exchange flawed books for different ones. But each subsequent book is flawed. No matter: The characters fall in love, and the reader does too—with the author's dazzling structural feats, the many layered stories within the one book, and his gorgeous, lyrical prose. Irresistible.

The Amber Gods and Other Stories by Harriet Prescott Spofford

The marvelous short stories of Harriet Prescott Spofford, written in the mid-1880s, are nearly forgotten today, and that's a shame. They are luxurious, often suspenseful flights of fantasy that still titillate and unsettle the reader. This collection includes two of her best, "In a Cellar," a detective story set in Paris about a diamond theft, and the title story, about two rivals for the love of the same man. Spofford was an American virtuoso. She's ripe for rediscovery.

Sarah by Marek Halter

Readers of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent will like this colorful tale of the life of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Her life, as Halter imagines it, is rich with drama and poignancy. The 12-year-old rich girl flees an arranged marriage, falls in love with a poor nomad, becomes a priestess of Ishtar, reunites with and marries the poor nomad, and with him becomes the matriarch of the Jewish people. Lavish backdrops, action, conflict, and forbidden love make Sarah irresistible. It's the first book in Halter's internationally bestselling Canaan Trilogy. Zipporah and Lilah follow it.

Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman

Herman looks at European history from a decidedly unexpected angle in her chronicle of royal mistresses. You might expect the book to be little more than a guilty pleasure, but Sex with Kings seduced the critics, who found it as smart as it is fun. A perfect book to take under the covers with you on a cold winter's night.

Patience and Fortitude by Nicholas A. Basbanes

You might worry that Basbanes is too clever for his own good when you read the Cervantes-inspired subtitle of his book: Wherein a Colorful Cast of Determined Book Collectors, Dealers, and Librarians Go About the Quixotic Task of Preserving a Legacy. Then you read the book, and realize it fits the bill. Basbanes takes readers on a tour of libraries from Alexandria to Oxford, from New York to the Vatican, and introduces us to the most obsessive, wacky, loveable cast of character you'll find outside of fiction. Required reading for all book lovers.

Printz Award Challenge

Abby (the) Librarian is participating in the Printz Award Challenge over at Dewey Monster. The challenge is as follows:

To participate in the Printz Award Challenge, choose 6 books that have won the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature OR one of the Honor books. The challenge runs from January 2008 to December 2008. . . .

You may overlap with other challenges. You may change your list at any time.

Following is a list of the Printz recipients and honors. Those I've already read are indicated in red.)

2007

• American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
  
• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; v. 1: The Pox Party, by M.T. Anderson
  
• An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
  
• Surrender, by Sonya Hartnett
  
• The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

2006

• Looking for Alaska, by John Green
  
• Black Juice, by Margo Lanagan
  
• I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
  
• John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge
  
• A Wreath for Emmett Till, by Marilyn Nelson

2005

• how i live now, by Meg Rosoff
  
• Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
  
• Chanda’s Secrets, by Allan Stratton
  
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt

2004

• The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson
  
• A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
  
• Keesha’s House, by Helen Frost
  
• Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
  
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler

2003

• Postcards from No Man’s Land, by Aidan Chambers
  
• The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
  
• My Heartbeat, by Garret Freymann-Weyr
  
• Hole in My Life, by Jack Gantos

2002

• A Step From Heaven, by An Na
  
• The Ropemaker, by Peter Dickinson
  
• Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, by Jan Greenberg Abrams
  
• Freewill, by Chris Lynch
  
• True Believer, by Virginia Euwer Wolff

2001

• Kit’s Wilderness, by David Almond
  
• Many Stones, by Carolyn Coman
  
• The Body of Christopher Creed, by Carol Plum-Ucci
  
• Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison
  
• Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman

2000

• Monster, by Walter Dean Myers
  
• Skellig, by David Almond
  
• Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
  
• Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger

Of the 37 award recipients, I've read 19. I know that this is just one over half the titles, but still . . . none too shabby. Unfortunately, the remaining titles have a tendency to be titles I've chosen not to read. Regardless, I'll choose six titles to read. (Of course, in doing so, I'm clutching to the "change your list at any time" clause in that four or five books will be added to the list in January.)

I'm also hoping that I will fare better at this challenge than I did with that miserable flop of an experiment known as Edgy's Book Club.

Edgy's Printz Award Challenge

• Kit’s Wilderness, by David Almond
  
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt
  
• Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, by Jan Greenberg Abrams
  
• A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
  
• John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge
  
• Surrender, by Sonya Hartnett

to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read."

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

Marsh, a New Republic editor making her children's book debut, reworks the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a supernatural tale about a 14-year-old boy's quest through an underworld in New York City, in search of his late mother's spirit. After introverted ninth-grade prodigy Jack Perdu is involved in a near-fatal accident, he is sent to see a specialist in Manhattan. There he meets Euri, a self-proclaimed "urban explorer" who reveals herself to be a ghost—part of a vast and complex community of people who have died in NYC. (Euri tells Jack that he might be able to find his mother if she has not completed her unfinished business in the world and "moved on" to Elysium, which is "somewhere in the Hamptons," by her best guess.) Euri becomes his personal tour guide as they explore the city by night, when ghosts can leave the underworld to roam unseen. The pair tries to avoid capture by underworld authorities as they seek Jack's mother, in the process unraveling mysteries surrounding his parents' relationship and Jack's ability to infiltrate the spirit world. Mixing numerous references to mythology and classical literature with deft touches of humor and extensive historical details (former mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Dylan Thomas and corrupt police captain "Clubber" Williams, among others, make cameo appearances), this intelligent and self-assured debut will compel readers from its outset, and leave them satisfied as it explores universal themes of love, loss and closure.

Death at the Priory: Love, Sex, and Murder in Victorian England by James Ruddick

A true-crime story with a plot that seems to have been ripped from the pages of an Agatha Christie novel. Who poisoned Londoner Charles Bravo? Was it the wife he cruelly dominated? Her loyal maid who couldn't get her story straight? Her jilted lover, a doctor? Or one of the servants he dismissed without cause? Journalist Ruddick reopens the never-solved mystery and emerges with a vivid portrait of Victorian marriage, solving the case once and for all.

Havoc, in Its Third Year: A Novel by Ronan Bennett

A woman may have committed a terrible crime. Will the governor of her small town follow the law or succumb to the general public who demands she be destroyed? Bennett's ambitious literary novel is set in 17-century England when religious extremism was rampant and destructive, but his themes are eternal. A thought-provoking book, an heir to The Scarlet Letter.

Fighting for Christendom: Holy War and the Crusades by Christopher Tyerman

The crusdaes are mentioned often in the press these days, but who really knows much about them? Christopher Tyerman does, and thanks to his book, you can too. Tyerman, a medieval scholar, introduces five hundred years of incredibly complex history in an appealing, highly readable, and accessible (only 250 pages here) book. He goes a step further too, explaining how current events are shaped by the foundations laid by the famous holy wars.

Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodeny Rothman

Rodney Rothman was burned out at 28 years old. Comedy writing for shows like Letterman had taken a toll, and he needed a break—a long one. Where do people go when they need long breaks after working? To retirement communities in Boca, of course. Rothman's account of his time living in a retirement community is charming, silly, funny, and sometimes even insightful look at the American way of old age.

The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien

The late Irish novelist Flann O'Brien had been nearly forgotten until the TV show Lost announced that The Third Policeman would appear in an episode of the series. Fans of the show went wild ordering copies, and in a matter of weeks, the book became the bestselling title in small press Dalkey Archive history. The surreal, comic novel is about an Irish murderer and the consequences of his crime. O'Brien wrote several novels, but The Third Policeman is his last and, by most accounts, best.

to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read."

The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

Titillating mysteries keep the pages of Alexander's stunning debut novel of the Romanov family turning until the last. He sets his tale in the Siberian house where the erstwhile royal family was held captive attended by a small household staff, including a kitchen boy. Mikhail, a Russian immigrant to America, narrates the story that eventually offers intriguing answers to the question of his own identity, the location of the family jewels, and the kitchen boy's fate. USA Today raves, "Ingenious . . . keeps readers guessing through the final pages."

Sudden Noises from Inanimate Objects by Christopher Miller

A brilliant conceit! A virtuoso performance! Author! Author! Christopher Miller has written a hilarious novel in the form of liner notes. This book is ostensibly the text that accompanies the four-CD set that represents the only recordings of Simon Silber. Silber was a nutter (though his hour-long minute waltz was something to hear), and his pretentious biographer can't stand him, which only makes the details of his life and art more fun. The musically inclined must not miss this devastatingly clever riff on writing about music and musicians.

The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch

Washington Post book critic Michael Dirda said it best when he wrote that MacCulloch's book is not "a history" as the subtitle suggests, but "the history." There is no other book that comes close to approaching the scope and elgance and relevance of this one. The rift that separated Protestant from Catholic in 16th-century Europ has haped modern Europe, and the challenges the people encountered then are familiar now—struggles with Islam, the rise of fanaticism, and clashes between church and state. A compelling, elegant read.

The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-up by Dan Zevin

A hilarious memoir of becoming an adult. Each chapter is a confession ("I played golf." "I am a figure of authority." "I take pride in my lawn.") in which Zevin reflects on how, almost without realizing it was happening, he went from a hip, free-wheeling slacker to a responsible suburban husband.

to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read."

Death of an Ordinary Man by Glen Duncan

Glen Duncan is an ambitious writer who sets up premises that are not easy to pull off. In I, Lucifer, he lets Satan defend himself, and in this novel, he has a dead man narrate as he hovers above his own casket. Luckily, Duncan's talent equals his ambition, making Death of an Ordinary Man the most insightful, witty, moving beyond-the-grave novel since Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. An enduring, powerful exploration of life, love, and family.

Oh the Glory of It All by Sean Wilsey

Wilsey grew up in 1980s San Francisco with a germaphobe millionaire father, an erratic socialite mother, and a wicked stepmother. His memoir of them and his wild ride of a childhood is not to be missed.

The Half Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen

A rich, ambitious saga that chronicles 50 years in the life of a Norwegian family. The title character is Fred, the feisty and loyal half-brother of Barnum, who is small and quiet. The brothers' complicated relationship is the center of universe around which other dazzling characters swirl. Christensen's elegant, insightful novel is a bestseller and critical darling in Europe and in America was a Village Voice Book of the Year.

to read

As a reminder, books listed on a post titled "to read" are not books I have read but books whose listings I have come across and that sound interesting. Thus, they are "to read." In some instances, such as Freakonomics and The Killer Angels, they are books that friends have long since recommended to me and that I'm just listing yet again in the vain hope I might actually read them this time.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt

The little idea that could. Dubner is a journalist who in 2003 wrote a New York Times Magazine profile of Levitt, a University of Chicago economist with unorthodox interests. That article became this bestseller, which then became a column in the magazine. What's so interesting about Freakonomics (besides the name)?Levitt creatively uses economicmethods to explain different outcomes in such varied areas as cheating, crime, and parenting. Revolutionary reading.

1066: The Hidden Histoy in the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford

The Bayeux Tapestry is a thin piece of linen, 70 meters long (nearly 230 feet) onto which is stitched a pictorial account of the Battle of Hastings, celebrating Norman invader William the Conqueror's defeat of British King Harold. Or is it? Bridgeford's intriguing hypothesis is that the tapestry was of English design and encoded with secret messages meant to undermine the Normans. It's history with a subversive, fascinating twist.

Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone

Michael Servetus was burned at the stake in 1553. His heretical book, Christianity Restored, was so offensive to teh Catholic Church that all copies had to be hunted down and destroyed. But were they? The Goldstones, rare-book dealers (and husband and wife), have traced the fates of three copies that escaped the pyre. Their fascinating account of a free thinker and the consequences of dissent in a time of obedience is a testament to the potency of books as well as an entertaining pop-history read.

Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson

Few books come with more provocative and seductive titles than Johnson's latest. A technology reporter, Johnson seeks to save pop culture's shoddy reputation. He reports, among other things, that certain video games have proven to raise IQ scores and reveals how television shows have had to become more sophisticated to meet viewers' expectations. It's a clever premise, artfully argued.

Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia by Mark Salzman

Were you once a boy? Are you raising one now? If you can answer yes to either of these questions, then please do not miss the opportunity to read Mark Salzman's memoir of his childhood. It's a wonderfully written, funny, and sharp look into the mind-set of a quirky and intelligent adolescent boy.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive of the American Civil War. Shaara took three days, July 1–3, 1863, and imagined how they might have unfolded for the key players in the battle. the result is his magnificent, Pulitzer Prize–winning novel that is better than any history text at conveying the drama, uncertainty, hope, and violence of war. It's an astonishing, inspiring tome.

The Friendly Jane Austen by Natalie Tyler

A jaunty, fun book, essential for all Janites. A scrapbook of trivia about Jane, her family, her times, and her work. Includes lists of people who were born during the same decade (Beethoven, Wordsworth, Constable), appreciations from other acclaimed novelists, a recipe for syllabub, quizzes, and more. Think of this as the Austen Miscellany and prepare to lose many hours to pleasurable browsing.

The Actor's Guide to Adultery by Rick Copp

"Wickedly amusing," raves Publishwers Weekly. Can former child star Jarrod Jarvis elude the stalker who has trailed him since his first oscar Mayer commercial and nab a murderer? Copp's second novel in The Actor's Guide series is as sunny and frothy as a day on the beach. Dive in.

to read

The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee by Stewart Lee Allen

Stewart lee Allen believes that the course of history has been shaped by cofee, and he'll convince you he's right in this nifty little history of the magic bean. Allen traveled rom Ethiopia and Yemen to Paris and the American South for his research, and his findings are wildly entertaining. Are caffeinated societies better able to dominate decaffeinated ones? The American Civil War pitted Southern decaf (chickory) drinkers against caffeinated Northern force. . . . Coincidence? Allen thinks not. This book is a must for history buffs with a quirky streak and perhaps a penhant fo a fresh brew.

A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot

France. World War I. Five soldiers are taken by Germans and shot. Or are they? The fiancée of one of the soldiers receives a mysterious letter that makes her realize that the truth may not have been so straightforward. She investigates, in a novel whose plot is utterly engrossing and whose writing, breathtaking. A movie starring Audrey Tautou was adapted from this book, but on't watch it before you experience Japrisot's original vision.

to watch for

• Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry's SCIENCE FAIR, a humorous thriller that makes fun of science fairs, obsessive parents, obnoxious kids, countries with no vowels, and middle school in general.
  
• Steven Goldman's TWO PARTIES, ONE PROM AND A FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY ABOUT THE LETTER 'Q', about a 17-year old boy who, upon learning his only friend is gay, tries to convince himself that nothing will change, only to discover that nothing about his Junior year—not his homework, his haircuts, his dream date for the prom and, least of all, his best friendship, turn out to be simple.

to read

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

"This Great Khan is the mightiest of men, whether in respects of subjects or of territory or of treasure." —Marco Polo

Genghis Khan and his Mongol army dominated the world in the 13th century. It took genghis only 25 years to conqure more land than the Romans had conquered in 400; he ended up ruling nearly all of Asia, from the Pacific Ocean to the Volga River. This fascinating account o his life "reads like The Iliad . . . part travelogue, part epic narrative" (The Washington Post) and debunks the myths about his notorious cruelty.

Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney

"History, legend, memory and myth come seamlessly together in Frank Delaney's wonderfully engaging new novel, Ireland." —The Washington Post

"Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic, slyly comic." —Philadelphia Inquirer

Frank Delaney's saga of the Emerald Isle will make you want to curl up in a snug with a glass of tea and settle in. The story of a boy's search for a storyteller who had once enthralled him with his creations leads the boy to discover for himself the stories of Ireland, from prehistory through modern times. A thick, intricate tapestry of heroes and legends.

Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life by Gretchen Rubin

More versatile than a blackbird, Winston Churchill inspires not 13 but 40 different perspectives in this unique take on biography by former law professor Gretchen Rubin. Presenting insightful, sometimes contradictory, takes on England's greatest leader, rubin builds easily digestible chapters on churchill as orator, leader, writer, son, husband—and 35 other things. Publishers Weekly calls it "an excellent introduction to one of the most written about men in history."

to read (in honor of Master Fob, though completely inappropriate, but if it'll stop his whining . . .)

Campus Sexpot by David Carkeet

David Carkeet was never a campus sexpot himself, despite the title of his award-winning memoir. Campus Sexpot was the name of a trashy dimestore novel that was based on his high school in Sonora, California. Turns out an English teacher at the school wrote a roman à clef about his own affair with a student. When word broke, the teacher fled, leaving the townspeople in an uproar while furiously turning the potboiler's pages to find thinly veiled portraits of their neighbors all over them. Carkeet ingeniously weaves the story of his own coming of age through the thread of thenovel that made his sophomore year so memorable.

to read (the first in honor of Miss Nemesis)

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende

Haines, Alaska, is so small it doesn't have a stoplight and so isolated that at times it's nearly inaccessible. Your neighbor might be a tattooed minister, a stay-at-home mom, a gold miner, or a moose. This short, sweet memoir reveals the pleasures of tiny-town living in warm, personable vignettes. It will definitely make you want to visit Alaska, and it might make you look at your own town with new eyes. "Colorful and captivating," says Publishers Weekly.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

A slender jewel of a novel for all readers who believe in the power of fiction to transform lives. It is the Cultural Revolution in China and two educated boys are sent to a peasant village as laborers where they come into possession of a cache of forbidden Western literature and use it to free their souls and those of the villagers they tell the stories to. The Los Angeles Times Book Review calls it "an unexpected miracle."

to read

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Step aside, Machiavelli, there's a new player on the field, and his name is Robert Greene. Greene, a former magazine editor, has culled timeless advice on dominating the office. Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, and Napoleon offer their thoughts alongside more surprising choices like Catherine the Great and Heny Kissinger. An appealing and quirky nerves-of-steel manual for success.

Life Along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield

This history of the trade route that connected the Far East to Europe might have been a dry, academic tome in les clever hands. Whitfield makes it brilliant and fascinating. She models the book on The Canterbury Tales, focusing each chapter on one of the people who traveled the road: the monk, the princess, the merchant, the soldier, and so on. All the details of daily life are here with the richness and color you expect from a Central Asian expedition of a millenium ago. A wonderufl armchair voyage.

Nothing Remains the Same: Rereading and Remembering by Wendy Lesser

Lesser, editor of the literary magazine The Threepenny Review returns to her bookshelves and rereads, after a break of twenty or thirty years, books that had once made an impression upon her. She finds to her astonishment that books change. As Lesser plunges deeper into her shelves, she delves deeper into her own soul, and ends up learning as much about herself as she doea about Anna Karenina, George Orwell, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, and others. A marvelous, moving journey of discovery.

Much Ado about Jessie Kaplan by Paula Marantz Cohen

If you love English literature but ar enot in the mood for a weighty, literary read, check out Paula Marantz cohen's work. Her first book, Jane Austen in Boca, was a twist on our favorite Regency writer; her sophomore efort take on the Bard. New Jersey housewife Carla Goodman is juggling a marriage, two kids, and bar mitzvah preparataions when her elderly mother begins remembering her past as Shakespeare's inspiration, the Dark Lady. Oy! Cohen is an English professor who had found the most fun in revisiting the classics.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

Children are more disconnected from nature than ever before. Many prefer to play inside with electronic games and TV, and many parents prefer it too, feelings it is safer for them to be in the house. Child advocate Louv offers a passionate plea to return children to the natural world in this eye-opening book. He reveals that wonderful things can happen when a child experiences the outdoors, including longer attention spans, compassion, and a deeper connection to family. A wonderful, deeply felt call to change that all parents should heed.

Vanilla Pop: Sweet Sounds from Frankie Avalon to Abba by Joseph Lanza

Vanilla pop is the fizzy and sugary music created by the likes of innocuous bands like The Carpenters and singers like Doris Day. Lanza explains in delightufl detail how the tunes are created and why this genre o musi really matters. (You would expect no less from the author of Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong.) A funky find for the music aficionado.

to read

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, made a huge splash with a little article called "Bowling Alone" in the Journal of Democracy. The controversial, landmark article, which noted that although more people are bowling, league membership has fallen by almost half in the last twenty years, explains how social involvement strengthens communities, government, and democracy. "A prodigious achievement," says The Economist.

Slam by Nick Hornby

Bestselling author Nick Hornby is writing his first young adult novel, for his longtime publisher Penguin. Slam, about a boy who survives a teenage crush by hashing out the pangs of love with his idol Tony Hawk (or at least a one-dimensional version of the star, via a poster), will be released by the Penguin Young Readers Group in October, through its G.P.Putnam's Sons imprint. Riverhead (which regularly publishes Hornby's adult fiction) and Penguin Young Readers will follow, in 2008, with simultaneous paperback editions.

to read

In the Province of Saints by Thomas O'Malley

A haunting first novel by a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Ireland. 1970s. Michael is used to the small-town gossip and backbiting of his village, but when a neighbor dies, long-buried secrets and lies are exposed, and Michael discovers the truth about his family. Atmospheric and lyrical, In the Province of Saints brings you back to the mysterious, mystical Ireland of yore.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Don't write Tarzan off as pulp fiction. Yes, the book has a premise that verges on science fiction, and yes, the plot and writing keep the pages turning quickly 'til the end. But Tarzan is a great, immortal story, one that makes you think seriously about what constitutes a man and what binds a family together. Forget the silly movies and TV shows--if you've never read the book you're missing something deep and spell binding.

Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Classical Athens by James Davidson

Ancient Greek society has been examined from many angles: architecture, art, politics. Now Davidson, a classics professor, adds sex and food to the list. It's a brilliant idea, and it enables him to get to the heart of the culture and to consider humanity in a broader sense, too. Details on the Athenian way of prostitution, seafood consumption, and wine drinking are colorful and unforgettable. A pleasure on pleasure.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People and The Sound of No Hands Clapping by Toby Young

Toby Young's failure has been his success. Here's how it works: He undertakes a project (jobs, dating, etc.), fails at it in a public and spectacular way, then writes a book chronicling his demise. To all appearances, he's an idiot, yet you can't help loving him and rooting for him. It must be the funny writing about funny situations and his charming British point of view.

to read

Ironfire: A Novel of the Knights of Malta and the Last Battle of the Crusades by David Ball

It's 1565. Turks lay siege to Mala, and the Kinghts of St. John defend their turf in this gruesome, glorious historical epi. all uses four main characters to illustrate the chaos and drama of war. The Plain Dealer calls the book a "richly detailed literarty canvas." For fans of military fiction and historical sagas alike.

The Squatter and the Don by Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton

California was Mexican territory until 1848, when the process of statehood began. The Squatter and the Don is a saga of two families in San Diego around the time of annexation. The Alamars are upper-crust Mexicans; the Darrells have just relocated from the East Coast. Their struggles in love and establishing themselves form the basis of a rich, important novel by one of the first celebrated Latina writers. Required reading for all Californians; a pleasure for all readers.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

What if Dracula were alive and a family of academics had the means to find him? You'd have a literary thriller that would soar to the top of The New York Times's bestseller list the moment it was released. Elizabeth Kostova's Gothic sensation is filled with ancient crumbling documents, Eastern European castles, and long-buried family secrets. It's vampire lit at its most tantalizing.

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

Is it true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?* Haidt, a professor of psychology at the Universtiy of Virginia, takes wisdom like this that has been handed down from philosophers and grandmothers, and subjects it to scientific scrutiny. His results? Grandma was right! Here's why.

*Yes: Happiness requires challenges. And Haidt offers examples as proof.

The Periodic Table: Elements with Style by Adrian Dingle

"I may be undersized, but don't underestimate me. I'm a petite package that packs a punch, and I have a fiery character to boot. . . ." Thus launches a chatty self-introduction by Hydrogen, one of the elements who helps narrate The Periodic Table: Elements with Style! which Kingfisher will publish in April. Created by artist and designer Simon Basher, who divides his time between London and Tokyo, this small-format paperback personifies each element with a whimsical image. Accompanying each of Basher's portraits is a description of the element, written in a personal-ad style by Adrian Dingle, a British native who now teaches high-school chemistry in Atlanta.

This lively introduction to the chart that has been the bane of many a chemistry student marks the book publishing debuts of both Basher and Dingle. Asked about the genesis of the project, Basher explains, "I work as a character artist and I'm always looking for new ideas to inspire me. I like to create new worlds and environments for my characters to inhabit and as I looked at the periodic table I could see an entire family/society/landscape all linked together. The periodic table is such a beautiful and incredible design icon and I really wanted to be able to help it flourish on a modern visual level, and also add some humor."

to read

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

The cliche is true: More is less. Turns out our happiness is at risk when we have too many options available to us. Social scientist Schwartz illuminates why having to choose between, say, relaxed-fit and easy-fit jeans creates stress and unhappiness where there should be control and liberation. "Wonderfully readable," says The Washington Post. "Simplify, simplify," says Thoreau.

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton

"On the last day of January 1915, under the sign of the Water Bearer, in a year of a great war, and down in the shadow of some French mountains on the borders of Spain, I came into the world."

Merton's autobiography is one of the most extraordinary accounts of faith ever written. Its quality and its influence places it in a class with Saint Augustine's Confessions. Merton, who in his twenties converted to Catholicism and became a Trappist monk, was a philospher, writer, and activist. He wrote many books, but this spiritual memoir may be his very best.

Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer

Before Christmas in 1776 the British had all but won the American Revolution. By New Year's Day, their confidence was so shattered that the price of government bonds in England fell. What happened in those two weeks that changed everything? Washington crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey. His actions upon arrival paved the way to American victory and helped define everything that the new country stood for.

Fischer's brilliant, complex investigation earned him the Pulitzer Prize for history.

Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro

An ugly duckling in the form of a Pittsburgh matron living in London becomes a swan with the aid of a self-help manual called Elegance that she finds in a secondhand bookshop. Tessaro's first novel is a breezy, bright, feel-good read that stands out on shelves sagging with mediocre chick lit offerings. The Boston Globe trumpets it as "hilarious," and Marian Keyes (Sushi for Beginners) calls it "fantastic."

Instances of the Number 3 by Salley Vickers

Is three a crowd or is it just right? Salley Vickers ponders this question in a smart, literate novel that offers fresh new thoughts on love, forgiveness, and getting on with life after a crisis. The novel starts conventionally enough, with a love triangle. But the rest is utterly original, brilliantly combining a ghost story with a gentle comedy of manners. Vickers's voice is irresistable, and her story would make for a lively reading group discussion.

to watch for . . .

Saundra Mitchell's debut LAST SUMMER'S IRIS, in which a 14 year old conjures the ghost of a boy who has been missing for decades and decides to solve his disappearance, not realizing that in a town as small as hers every secret is a family secret, to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (NA).

February 19

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe meets The Lord of the Rings as five university students get mixed up in a world of wizards when Loren Silvercloak lures the to Fionavar where they will meet their destinies. Vivid settings, quick plotting, and Arthurian lavor make Kay's book a fantasy favorite. "Immense scale, literary richness, and dazzling heroes," raves the Toronto Sun. The Summer Tree is the first book of The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy.

I'm torn as to whether or not I'm truly interested in this book. I love The Lord of the Rings for its story and writing. I hate The Lion et al for its writing but find the story interesting. So now I guess I just have to see if I can't read a bit of an excerpt from this one.

to read

I accumulate lists and scraps of papers with books that sound interesting and that I might want to read. But then they end up everywhere and I lose track of them. It is, admittedly, the one area of my life where I am a titch disorganized.

However, that's all about to change. I had this realization that my blog is supposed to be about books. So I may as well keep that list here. In case you're ever interested, you can easily search for these posts under the label Book-a-Day. Because most of them will come from the book-a-day desk calendar Sis gave me for Christmas.

Rameau's Niece by Cathleen Schine

Think of Rameau's Niece as the younger sister of Possession. Both are about academic women who encounter old books that make them rethink their notions of love. But while Possession is the sophisticated older sister, Rameau's Niece is the sparkly, funny youngster. All of Schine's novels are lively romps, and Rameau's Niece may be her very best.

The Last Duel by Eric Jager

True crime doesn't get more salacious--or more medieval--than this. In 1386 France, a knight returned home from battle to find that his wife had been raped and impregnated--or so she said--by his neighbor and friend. The neighbor denied it. The king ordered the dispute to be settled on the battlefield so that God could determine innocence or guilt. Would the knight avenge his bride? Were the neighbor's claims of innocence true? And if the knight lost, would his bride be killed, according to the law? History, true crime, and thriller combine in a ripping good read.

Life Is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

Few books you'll read this year will be so filled with hope and honesty and tenacity and joy as George Dawson's memoir. Dawson wrote the book at 101 years of age, and in it he recounts his life as the grandson of a slave, a man who worked hard all his life, and didn't learn to read until he turned 98. The book is a plain-spoken portrait of a century, a reminder of a segregated South, and a tribute to perseverence and a positive attitude.

Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages by Mark Abley

Most travelogues chronicle the people, the food, the architecture, the famous sites. Abley's focuses on the languages, with fascinating results. Of the six thousand languages spoken today, only six hunderd or so are expected to survive another hundred years. Abley crosses the globe, from tiny islands off Australia to Maine to explore why languages fade and how that affects culture.

Duveen: The Story of the Most Spectacular Art Dealer of All Time by S. N. Behrman

Remember those wonderfully long, juicy articles that appeared in The New Yorker years ago, often in several installments? Duveen's first life took such form and was acclaimed by critic Edmund Wilson as "the best profile [the magazine] has ever printed." Art dealer Joseph Duveen based hiw whole career on one simple observation: Europe had plenty of art and America had plenty of money. A fascinating story of how many of America's mansions and museums came into their holdings.

The City: A Global History by Joel Kotkin

Kotkin, a planning consultant and journalist, boils 7,000 years of history into some 200 pages in his neat survey of cities. What makes a city work? What makes it fail? How important are sacred spaces? And how do politics give them shape? A wonderful, brie pimer whose only failing might be that it leaves readers wanting more.

Black Monday by R. Scott Reiss

Planes grounded . . . cars grinding to a halt . . . and it's only Monday.

It's a plague that will cause the death of millions. . . . A plague that will destroy countries. . . . A plague that will plunge the world into a new dark age.

But not one person will get sick.

Black Monday is a riveting debut thriller, chillingly crafted from science fact and guaranteed to keep you in the edge of your seat.