The Best Books of September
We debate long and hard every month to decide what books to call best, but September (and October!) are always the heavyweights. It's all about the fiction this month, and a wide range of it too, with Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe in the spotlight. Have a look at our Best Books of the Month reviews below (including our favorite read for teens and two picks for kids) and let us know what else is on your reading list for September.
Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas: Scarlett Thomas is a nimble writer, joyfully unseating and upholding cozy fiction conventions as she builds a story around Meg Carpenter, a writer who--as a genre fiction ghostwriter, book reviewer, and writing coach--has immersed herself in every nook and cranny of her craft to keep herself afloat... and to stay at arm's length from the "real" novel she just can't get her head around.
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray: Seabrook College is an all-boys Catholic prep school in contemporary Dublin, where the founding Fathers flounder under a new administration obsessed with the school's "brand" and teachers vacillate between fear and apathy when faced with rooms full of texting, hyper-tense, hormone-fueled boys. It's the boys--and one boy in particular--that give this raucous, tender novel its emotional kick.
To the End of the Land by David Grossman: To the End of the Land is a book of mourning for those not dead, a mother's lament for life during a wartime that has no end in sight. At the same time, it's joyously and almost painfully alive, full to the point of rupture with the emotions and the endless quotidian details of a few deeply imagined lives.
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett: Welcome to the 20th century as you've never seen it. At over 1,000 pages, Fall of Giants delivers all the elements that fans of Ken Follett have come to treasure: historical accuracy, richly developed characters, and a sweeping yet intimate portrait of a past world that you'll fully inhabit before the first chapter is through.
The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon: In mathematics, the principle of the Golden Mean refers to a system of numbers in which each new number is the sum of the previous two, poetically illustrated by the chambers of a nautilus shell. And so Annabel Lyon’s debut novel refers to lives that grow bigger as they unfold--in this case, two of the most notable lives to ever be lived, those of Alexander the Great and his tutor, Aristotle.
Room by Emma Donoghue: In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son.
The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal: At the heart of Edmund de Waal's strange and graceful family memoir is a one-of-a-kind inherited collection of ornamental Japanese carvings known as netsuke. The netsuke are tiny and tactile--they sit in the palm of your hand--and de Waal is drawn to them as "small, tough explosions of exactitude." He's also drawn to the story behind them, and for years he put aside his own work as a world-renowned potter and curator to uncover the rich and tragic family history of which the carvings are one of the few remaining legacies.
Best Book for Teens: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin: A faerie world is about to die--and one ordinary girl can change its fate. When Phoebe meets Mallory Tolliver, she is irresistibly drawn to her, despite Mallory's odd ways. The two form a sister-like bond until Mallory's handsome brother, Ryland, appears during their junior year, and Phoebe finds herself intensely attracted to him.
Best Books for Kids: Bonny Becker's adorable new picture book, A Bedtime for Bear, and The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi, a highly imaginative new middle grade novel from the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles that richly illustrates a bold new fantasy world.
Curious about more Best of picks? Check out our August favorites, and see what made our Best Books of the Year... So Far lists. --Anne
View original story : reading+big+brother
Feed : Amazon.com Bookstore's Blog
Vanessa Feltz: I’ve had Botox
TV personality Vanessa Feltz has revealed that she treated herself to some Botox in order to look her best when she reentered the Big Brother House. The 48-year-old is currently taking part in Ultimate Big Brother to mark the end … Continue reading →
View original story : reading+big+brother
Feed : Cosmetic Dentistry News by Pearl Dental Clinic
Jeff and Jordan's visit to Big Brother offers a behind-the-scenes look at the house
Jeff Schroeder is currently in Laos and heading to Bangkok, where he "needs a ride from the airport and a place to stay in Bangkok," according to the web site for his web series Around the World for Free. But sometime after his appearance on Big Brother 12 with Jordan Lloyd, his series posted a behind the scenes video that gives a bit more insight into the soundstage location that houses the hamsters. It's nothing... keep reading »
» read the full story and comment, or find the latest news about Big Brother 12
» follow reality blurred on Twitter and on Facebook.
View original story : reading+big+brother
Feed : reality blurred
Big Brother 11's Michele is on Playboy's sex-on-TV reality show Foursome
Michele Noonan, the bisexual neuroscientist who came in fourth place on Big Brother 11 last summer, will be on Playboy TV's Foursome this fall, presumably having sex on camera with fellow cast members. She follows in the footsteps of her fellow season 11 houseguest Braden Bacha, who appeared on the show prior to his time in the house. Michele wrote on Twitter Sunday that she's "finally taping [a] dating show" this week, and Playboy often... keep reading »
» read the full story and comment, or find the latest news about Big Brother 11
» follow reality blurred on Twitter and on Facebook.
View original story : reading+big+brother
Feed : reality blurred
