Comments on: Readers Blog http://readthebestwriting.com Read the Best Writing Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:01:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lawrence Coates http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-255 Lawrence Coates Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:01:45 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-255 The last book I recommended was Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen. Great recommendations, all! Thanks! Lawrence The last book I recommended was Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen. Great recommendations, all! Thanks!

Lawrence

]]> By: Joseph Conlin http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-254 Joseph Conlin Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:41:19 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-254 Zoli by Colum McCann to my wife. Zoli by Colum McCann to my wife.

]]> By: Elizabeth Dodd http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-251 Elizabeth Dodd Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:49:35 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-251 Ann Pancake, _Strange As This Weather Has Been_. I'm a great fan of this novel, since I grew up in Appalachia and find mountaintop removal mining Orwellian in its concept and its proportions, but I am also soooo engaged by all the characters. Each point of view is captivating, even if it is disturbing. Ann Pancake, _Strange As This Weather Has Been_. I’m a great fan of this novel, since I grew up in Appalachia and find mountaintop removal mining Orwellian in its concept and its proportions, but I am also soooo engaged by all the characters. Each point of view is captivating, even if it is disturbing.

]]> By: Michael Martone http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-250 Michael Martone Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:30:10 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-250 Check out: THE POSTHUMAN DADA GUIDE by Andre Codrescu. It is just fun to type DADA. Check out: THE POSTHUMAN DADA GUIDE by Andre Codrescu. It is just fun to type DADA.

]]> By: Michael http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-249 Michael Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:47:28 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-249 I usually rave about one book every few months, and right now, it's The Privileges by Jonathan Dee. I'm also very high on A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr. Maybe it's something about authors with the first name Jonathan. Hmmm... I usually rave about one book every few months, and right now, it’s The Privileges by Jonathan Dee. I’m also very high on A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr.

Maybe it’s something about authors with the first name Jonathan. Hmmm…

]]> By: Karen http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-248 Karen Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:27:03 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-248 Usually, I'm immediately recommending Paul Gruchow and Tim Robinson (they're nonfiction) with a vehemence not usually associated with books. But I recently read Mark Tredinnick's book "The Blue Plateau," about Australia, and right now he's keeping company with Gruchow and Robinson for me. Usually, I’m immediately recommending Paul Gruchow and Tim Robinson (they’re nonfiction) with a vehemence not usually associated with books. But I recently read Mark Tredinnick’s book “The Blue Plateau,” about Australia, and right now he’s keeping company with Gruchow and Robinson for me.

]]> By: Colin Morton http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-247 Colin Morton Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:20:28 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-247 Sometimes I hand a poetry writing friend a book and say, you should probably read this: most recently, Susan Goyette's The True Names of Birds and Ruth Roach Pierson's Aide-Memoire. When I go on at length in recommending a book, it is usually non-fiction: this month, The Prehistory of the Mind by Stephen Mithen - an attempt to infer something about evolutionary psychology through the archeological evidence - and The Long Summer by Brian Fagan - looking at the climate data of the past 15,000 years and speculating on the effect of climate change on history. Sometimes I hand a poetry writing friend a book and say, you should probably read this: most recently, Susan Goyette’s The True Names of Birds and Ruth Roach Pierson’s Aide-Memoire. When I go on at length in recommending a book, it is usually non-fiction: this month, The Prehistory of the Mind by Stephen Mithen – an attempt to infer something about evolutionary psychology through the archeological evidence – and The Long Summer by Brian Fagan – looking at the climate data of the past 15,000 years and speculating on the effect of climate change on history.

]]> By: Peter Chilson http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-246 Peter Chilson Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:53:29 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-246 Right now, to anyone who will listen, I recommend MURDER CITY, by Charles Bowden. Of any nonfiction I have read on the US-Mexico border, this gives frightening perspective to the ongoing drug war in the northern Mexico borderlands, a conflict that has taken 25,000 lives in the last five years. Right now, to anyone who will listen, I recommend MURDER CITY, by Charles Bowden. Of any nonfiction I have read on the US-Mexico border, this gives frightening perspective to the ongoing drug war in the northern Mexico borderlands, a conflict that has taken 25,000 lives in the last five years.

]]> By: Faye Rapoport DesPres http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-245 Faye Rapoport DesPres Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:05:54 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-245 I recently recommended "The Elegence of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery (translated by Alison Anderson). It was the most moving book, emotionally and philosophically, that I had read in many years. I recently recommended “The Elegence of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery (translated by Alison Anderson). It was the most moving book, emotionally and philosophically, that I had read in many years.

]]> By: M Blue http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3&cpage=1#comment-244 M Blue Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:10:05 +0000 http://readthebestwriting.com/?page_id=3#comment-244 The last book(s) I recommended were older: A Fine and Private Place and The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle. This was a student who is into fantasy but who hasn't read anything older than 2000 (except, of course, for Tolkien. For pure pleasure, I keep urging Empire Falls on people, especially those who saw the movie -- the book is, as always with Richard Russo. The last book(s) I recommended were older: A Fine and Private Place and The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle. This was a student who is into fantasy but who hasn’t read anything older than 2000 (except, of course, for Tolkien.

For pure pleasure, I keep urging Empire Falls on people, especially those who saw the movie — the book is, as always with Richard Russo.

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