Oh God. Have I really left it this long? I don't even think I still own half the books I read this summer. How the HELL am I going to reconstruct this?Oh well. I'll give it the old college try. You'll notice a lot of Holocaust-related novels this time. Research for a novel I may or may not write.
Girl Factory by Jim Krusoe. Interesting, weird, pretty great.
The Enthusiast by Charlie Haas Delightful. A veritable "romp."
Wanting by Richard Flanagan Great novel about Charles Dickens.
Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart I kind of loved this, although at the very end I started to worry. He pulled it out, though.
The Children's Day by Michael Heyns This is a terrific, terrific book.
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi If you haven't read this you should be ashamed of yourself.
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert Oh GOD I wish I'd written this book. The perfect next step. But no, it had to Liz! Well, she did it better than I ever could.
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke It's been a long long time since I read a mystery. Pretty well out of love with the genre, I'm afraid.
Hitler's Willing Executioners by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen Chilling, depressing, sad as fucking hell.
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore When I want to find out what real writing is, I read Lorrie Moore.
The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliott Sad, gripping, great.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman Reading this was just as much fun as reading all those terrific series I adored as a kid -- from Half Magic to Narnia and on and on.
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Lovely stories.
Love & Obstacles by Aleksandar Hemon Gave this a prize!
Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy She is just such a great writer! Marvelous collection.
Hell is Other Parents by Deborah Copaken Kogan. Awesomely funny essays by my dear dear friend Deb.
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely Depressing. Interesting, but depressoing.
Heroic Measures by Jill Cement Oh my god, this book is GREAT. I mean, really really great. And I hate little dogs.
Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams No one writes like Terry. No one.
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias One of the best novels I've read in years.
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo Definitely readable.
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon This book is killer. I mean, seriously. Go buy it. NOW.
Nurture Shock by Po Bronson Every educator should read this immediately. What the HELL are we doing starting high school before 9:00?
Anatomy of the Auschwitz Death Camp by Yisrael Gutman and Michael Berenbaum You know, honestly, there's just no way to make some glib comment about this.
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker Cute.
I Shudder by Paul Rudnick Hi-larious!