Recent content by Stevie B

It seems that any book deemed "densest and longest" would be right up your alley, Red. Why would consider anything else? ;)

I was aware that Seethaler had three books in English translation, but it appears there's a fourth - one in need of a publisher. Here's a sample of that book, The Cafe with No Name, read by Charlotte Collins, the translator of Cafe and Seethaler's three earlier novels. I used to think a...

The film looks promising, and it has motivated me to move the novel to the top of my to-be-read pile.

I had a very similar reaction to The Secret History as you did. I was never tempted to not finish it, but it always seemed something was missing, like depth. I'm still surprised the novel caught fire like it did with the reading public, but perhaps the book's airiness and simple narrative helps...

My favorite collection of hers is Dance of the Happy Shades, but perhaps that's because it was my first introduction to her writing.

Such sad news, but not surprising since there had been reports years ago of a dementia diagnosis. Alice Munro is someone I corresponded with a couple of times when I was teaching in Japan. I found her to be very down-to-earth and generous with her time. I once heard Alice Munro described as a...

Not to mention the northern lights. Tonight is supposedly the best viewing in years. Unfortunately, I don't have a fancy phone so the pictures aren't as impressive as what I'm seeing with the naked eye.

I've been to several cities in Texas, but never to Austin or Houston, the two I'd most like to visit. Both would be good winter destinations when I'm trying to escape the extreme cold of northern Minnesota. Overall, though, we're in a somewhat protective climate bubble here. No hurricane threat...

I just checked and Penguin recently released a new translation of this book that includes a forward by Alejandro Zambra.

Living in Houston is a brave thing, nowadays, with the constant threat of flooding. Hope you're located on higher ground (if such a thing even exists there).

Are you suggesting that George Bush didn't create a utopia when he sent U.S. armed forces to liberate Iraq? :p By the way, The Kingdom of this World is the only Carpentier book I've read. I spent two summers in Haiti during my grad school years, and this is one of the titles I read during that...

I'm a Laura Linney fan as well. As far as Olympia Dukakis is concerned, I'm old enough to remember when she came to national prominence for her role in "Moonstruck" as well as for being related to Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis. These two things coincided with one another one...

I’ve read and enjoyed the first three books in The Tales of the City series, but never got around to Babycakes. It’s interesting to hear how that one has a shift in tone and content. I’m curious if you intend to check out the TV miniseries that was produced about twenty years ago. I’m a little...

I never realized I could possibly find the citrus industry interesting until I read Oranges by John McPhee. I still recall reading that entire trees are harvested at the same time. The oranges you miss picking while in the tree, but later see clearly from the ground are called "shiners." I also...

I haven't read it, but a book that might be taught this summer in the Upward Bound program at my school is The Far Away Brothers. There is also a version that has been adapted for teens.