Books on the Nightstand Blog and Books Podcast

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December 30, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #58: Our Favorites (and Yours) of 2009

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 58 (31:48)

It’s the end of the year, which of course means a “Best of 2009” list. But you’re not only going to get our list, but also the top vote getters in our readers’ poll. Thanks to all 144 of you who voted! Here are the top vote-getters:

   1. The Help
   2. The Girl Who Played With Fire
   3. Catching Fire
   4. Cutting for Stone
   5. Await Your Reply
   6. When You Reach Me
   7. Waiting for Columbus
   8. Let the Great World Spin
tie:
   9. Little Bee
   10. A Gate at the Stairs
   11. Her Fearful Symmetry

And then, there were two books near the top 11 that were completely not on our radar, but sound fascinating to us: An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley and Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie.

Now we come to our favorites of the year. They are in no particular order, and the links will take you back to the original discussion of the book.

Michael’s Five Favorite Books of 2009 (plus one!)

When You Reach Me
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Stitches
Beowulf on the Beach
Await Your Reply
The Book Thief (the best book Michael read this year, but it was not a 2009 publication)

Ann's Five Favorite Books of 2009

Finally, Ann and Michael each discuss a book that got votes on the Best of 2009 poll, that they wish they had gotten a chance to read this year. Michael tells us about A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias and Ann discusses A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick.

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)
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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Putnam hardcover
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson, Knopf hardcover
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press hardcover
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, Knopf hardcover
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon, Ballantine hardcover
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Lamb Books hardcover
Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk, Doubleday hardcover
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, Random House trade paperback
Little Bee by Chris Cleave, Simon & Schuster hardcover
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore, Knopf hardcover
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger, Scribner hardcover
An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley, Gotham hardcover
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie, Picador trade paperback
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, Delacorte hardcover
Stitches by David Small, Norton hardcover
Beowulf on the Beach by Jack Murnighan, Three Rivers Press trade paperback
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Knopf Books for Young Readers trade paperback
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, Other Press trade paperback
A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias, Publisher format
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, Algonquin hardcover
(all information is for the U.S. editions).

December 16, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #57: Wrap up some good fiction!

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 57 (21:32)

We love this time of year because so many year-end anthologies show up in bookstores. The oldest seems to be Best American Short Stories, which has been published since 1915. Ann's favorite is Best American Non-Required Reading, edited by Dave Eggers and a cast of high school students. Proceeds from the collection support the work of Eggers' 826 Valencia project, a student writing lab. Eggers and his student collaborators also blog their meetings that determine which pieces are included. It's a fascinating project to watch, and is always one of the most interesting anthologies of the year.

Michael's favorite anthology is, of course, Best American Comics. This year Ann discovered Best Food Writing 2009, which Michael put on his Christmas wishlist. Ann is hoping for Best Music Writing 2009 under her Christmas tree.

Do you have any favorite year-end anthologies? Let us know in the comments.

In segment 2, we take a closer look at some of the fiction selections in our holiday gift guide. Often we think of pretty, coffee-table type books as great gifts, but novels are also eagerly received. Michael recommends Jacquelyn Mitchard's No Time to Wave Goodbye, if your gift recipient is a woman. This is the follow-up to Mitchard's first book, The Deep End of the Ocean, which also happened to be the first Oprah book club pick. For the man on your list, Michael recommends No Less Than Victory: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara. This is the third book in a trilogy, picking up just after the Normandy Invasion, takes us through the Battle of the Bulge, the fall of Hitler, to the end of the war in Europe. Wrap this book up with the first two books in the series, The Rising Tide and The Steel Wave, and you have a great gift for the reader of war novels or military history.

Ann also recommends a book of historical fiction, New York by Edward Rutherfurd, a sprawling saga that covers the history of New York from the early 17th century through 2009. For those people on your gift list who are not big readers or who don't buy books for themselves during the year, two good choices are The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Ford County by John Grisham; both can be enjoyed by either men or women. Michael's pick for someone who doesn't read much: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

And finally, a note about our schedule for the next few weeks: we will be taking next week off, and then will return with our year-end episode on Wednesday, December 30th. We'll probably have a few blog posts between now and then, but if you are a diehard podcast listener, we hope you can forgive us for not posting a new episode on 12/23. In January, all will return to normal, including the much-missed segment, "Two books we can't wait for you to read."

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

Best American Short Stories 2009, edited by Alice Sebold, Mariner Books paperback
Best American Nonrequired Reading 2009, edited by Dave Eggers, Mariner Books paperback
Best American Comics 2009, edited by Charles Burns, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover
Best Food Writing 2009, edited by Holly Huges, Da Capo Press paperback
Best Music Writing 2009, edited by Griel Marcus, Da Capo Press paperback
No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard, Random House hardcover
No Less Than Victory by Jeff Shaara, Ballantine hardcover
The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara, Ballantine paperback
The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara, Ballantine paperback
New York by Edward Rutherfurd, Doubleday hardcover
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, Doubleday hardcover
Ford County by John Grisham, Doubleday hardcover
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Maryann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Dial Press paperback

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

December 9, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #56: Fluffy, Feathery & Fanged

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 56 (14:17)

Don’t forget to download both of the Books on the Nightstand Gift Guides: Our general guide, which features mostly books for adults, and our first-ever Kid’s Books Gift Guide!

Is it possible to buy a book for someone you don’t know well? We think it is. Faced with holiday gift giving events like Secret Santas or Yankee Swaps, or even just that cousin you don’t see that often, how do you pick the perfect book? Of course, books of trivia or fun facts, like You are One-Third Daffodil, which Michael has written about before, would appeal to just about anyone. Ann mentions books that are displayed at the cash register area of the bookstore are often the perfect “one-size-fits-all” gifts. She also mentions Detective Stories, which is part of the Everyman’s Pocket Classics, and features stories from contemporary writers all the way back to Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Ann then discusses The Black-Out Book, a compilation of 500 games, puzzle, jokes and pastimes used by British families to pass the time during the dark nights of the Blitz.

We continue our gift guide category spotlight this week by cover books about Nature and Animals. Michael tells us about Homer’s Odyssey, the tale of a blind cat and the woman who loves him, perfect for fans of Dewey or Marley and Me. Slightly more science-based, but still eminently readable is The Bird, a history of all things avian. Ann discusses the beautifully-illustrated Bedside Book of Beasts, which chronicles creatures both real and imagined. Visit the book’s website to see samples of several interior pages.

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)
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(all information is for the U.S. editions).

December 2, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #55: Tasty Gifts

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 55 (27:44)

December has completely snuck up on us, but we were ready. On Monday we uploaded our second annual Books on the Nightstand Holiday Gift Guide, and this coming Friday we will have our first ever Holiday Gift Guide for Children's Books. We hope that between the two (free) downloadable guides, you will be able to find a gift for everyone on your shopping list.

We want to know about your favorite book(s) of 2009, so we've created a poll. Please nominate up to 3 of your favorite books that were published in 2009. The poll will close on December 16th at 11:59pm EST. We'll announce the results on our podcast that airs on December 30th. Click here to nominate your favorite books.

For the rest of the year, our podcasts will focus on highlighting some books that we think make great gifts, and include some books we'd like to find under our Christmas trees. So we are putting our much loved "two books we can't wait for you to read" segment on hiaitus until the New Year.

Ann has fallen completely in love with what she believes is the gift for the music or photography lover: The Jazz Loft Project by Sam Stephenson. A documentary portrait of a New York City loft building, the book is a collection of W. Eugene Smith's photographs, and transcriptions of his sound recordings that date from 1957 through 1965, including photos and conversations of some of the greatest jazz musicians of the time, and many who remain unkown. The book is part of a larger experience that includes a traveling exhibition and an 10-part radio series that aired recently on WNYC radio. You can listen to all 10 episodes online, or listen to a 4-part series that will air on NPR's Weekend Edition from December 6th through 27th.

Michael was delighted to see the finished copy of The Man Who Lost His Head, a children's book by Claire Huchet Bishop, illustrated by Robert McCloskey (famed illustrator of Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings). This quirky tale of a man who, yes, lost his head, is beautifully packaged and is great fun as a read-aloud.

In our "Holiday Gift Spotlight" segment, we look at gifts for the person who loves to cook. Michael makes us hungry be talking about Bubby's Brunch Cookbook, by Ron Silver, chef/owner of Bubby's Pie Co., a famed restaurant in New York City. Baking, by James Peterson, is the perfect gift for the baker, aspiring or accomplished, with it's wonderful step-by-step photographs of techniques. It's truly a baking class in a book.

Ann is in love with La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy, brought to us by Accademia Italiana Della Cucina (The Italian Academy of Cuisine). This compendium of more than 2000 authentic Italian home recipes is the only Italian cookbook that anyone would ever need, and includes dishes that are very familiar (Spaghetti with garlic and oil) and also those that are less known here in the United States (18 recipes for rabbit, and almost as many for goat).

Ann also highly recommends The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones, which is the perfect gift for the person who lives alone, or even for a family of two. Judith provides an elegant way to cook for one person without feeling that you are eating the same food over and over.

We hope you enjoy the gift guide, and don't forget to vote in our poll for your Favorite Book of 2009!

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)
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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Where possible, titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

The Jazz Loft Project by Sam Stephenson, Knopf hardcover
The Man Who Lost His Head by Claire Huchet Bishop, New York Review Books hardcover
Bubby's Brunch Cookbook by Ron Silver, Ballantine hardcover
Baking by James Peterson, Ten Speed Press hardcover
La Cucina by Accademia Itlaiana Della Cucina, Rizzoli hardcover
The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones, Knopf hardcover

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

November 25, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #54: Meet Stan Hynds

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 54 (29:12)

We've got a special guest for this episode!

Stan Hynds is the Senior Book Buyer at The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont. Michael and I work closely with Stan, and we thought you'd like to hear how all of those books get onto the shelves of your local independent bookstore. Stan is the perfect person to tell us.

In Segment 2, Stan tells us about three of his favorite novels from this past year. Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon, which Michael also loved, is a novel of identity, and is made up of three connected stories that turn out to be intertwined. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby is the story of a music, fandom, and relationships that fans of Hornby's previous novels, especially High Fidelity, will surely love. But really, Stan's favorite novel of the year is The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker. You can see Stan's review of this book on The Northshire Bookstore blog. (Since this episode was recorded, I have indeed purchased both Juliet, Naked and The Anthologist. You may want to budget for a few additional book purchases after hearing Stan talk about his favorite novels).

Stan was also great enough to handle both books in our "Two Books We Can't Wait for you to Read" segment. First up is a collection of essays from Chuck Klosterman called Eating the Dinosaur, which Stan blogged about at The Northshire blog. Sam Lipsyte's forthcoming The Ask, will be published in March 2010, and may lead to a future Books on the Nightstand episode about novels set in academia. Got any candidates? Call our voicemail and let us know!

Many thanks to Stan for helping us out with this week's podcast. It was great fun for me, and I hope that our listeners will enjoy it as much as I did. You can read more of Stan's book recommendations at the "Staff Picks" section of The Northshire Bookstore's website, and on The Northshire Bookstore blog, where Stan usually posts on Mondays.

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

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November 18, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #53: Piles and Piles of Books

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 53 (25:24)

Reading over Publishers Weekly’s list of the 100 Best Books of 2009 made me realize that there are many, many books that sound wonderful, and sound right up my alley. And yet, I will never, ever get around to them and that really upset me. I also recently came to terms with the fact that I have way too many books in my house and that I need to find new homes for many of them. Ann doesn’t keep many of the books that she finishes, but I always have. What about you? How do you “deal with” books? The ones you’ll never get to, the ones you’ve already finished. Let us know here in the comments or on our voicemail!

In segment two, we confess the books that we’ve been meaning to get to; in some cases, for years! Ann still hasn’t read The Poisonwood Bible or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (both of which I loved). I have never read A Fraction of the Whole (one of Ann’s favorites from last year), The Little Prince or Out Stealing Horses. We’re opening this up to you our loyal readers. Convince us that we need to read these, and share with us the shameful gaps in your reading.

Finally, two books we came to later than we would have liked… for me, it was To Kill a Mockingbird, the classic that deserves all of the accolades it has won over the years. Also, a reminder that the audio version, read by Sissy Spacek is much beloved by all who have heard it. Ann admits to buying a book called Thanksgiving Night at the beginning of November last year, but she’s finally picked it up this year and will finish it before the holiday.

top photo courtesy of arjecahn on Flickr

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

November 11, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #52: In praise of women writers

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 52 (22:04)

Publishers Weekly, the trade journal that covers the book industry, just released their list of Best Books of 2009, with a new "top ten" list to go along with the announcement. We're happy to pat ourselves on the back, since we've talked about 6 of the top 10 here on Books on the Nightstand, but like many others, we question the lack of women authors in the top ten.

You can follow the controversy about the lack of women by reading twitter messages that are tagged with #fembook. Out of the brouhaha comes The Willa List Wiki, started by Women in Letters and Literary Arts (link goes to Facebook group) as a way for people to list their favorite books by women that were published in 2009.

Other takes on the topic:
Laura Miller in Salon, Lizzie Skurnick, author and critic, in Politics Daily, and Bunch of Grapes Bookstore presents 10 Great Books by Female Authors.

What books written by women in 2009 do you think should top the Publishers Weekly list? Let us know in the comments, or call our voicemail line at (209) 867-7323 so that we can play your message on a future show.

In segment 2, Michael and I look at our own bookshelves to see how many women writers are represented. We also ask, are women marginalized for writing in a specific genre, or even for writing at all? One book that examines the history of women writers and looks at some of these issues is A Jury of Her Peers: American Women Writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx by Elaine Showalter.

For those of you interested, Women Unbound is a reading challenge where participants are encouraged to read nonfiction and fiction books related to the rather broad idea of ‘women’s studies.’ It runs for an entire year, so do check it out if you want to examine the topic a bit more closely.

In our "Two Books We Can't Wait for You to Read" segment, we recommend two books we love that are written by women. Michael talks about The Secret History by Donna Tartt, one of his favorite books of all time that still deserves attention today. Ann discusses Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro, her newest collection of short stories.

(You can listen by using the player above. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

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(all information is for the U.S. editions).

November 4, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #51: It's All the Rage

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 51 (22:49)

In this episode, we take a look at "literary fads" -- you know, like when every new book in the bookstore seems to be about the same thing, or uses the same type of jacket image. The current "fad" seems to be books inspired by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Not all "fads" are deliberate, however, and coincidence plays a large part.

In segment two, we bring one of these literary fads back to life by discussing it to death. (Sorry, but how else do you introduce a segment about zombies?). Yes, Zombies. As evidenced by books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, these undead creatures are taking the bookstores by storm. Michael talks about several zombie books including Star Wars Death Trooper by Joe Schrieber and three books by Max Brooks: World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide, and Zombie Survival Guide Recorded Attacks, a graphic novel that looks at zombie attacks throughout history. And Michael wants to read The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, a comic series that has been collected in book form and is being turned into a TV series.

Ann has, somewhat accidentally, read and enjoyed a young adult novel called The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, which also features zombies, but this time the zombies are in a dystopic landscape.

In segment 3, Ann discusses Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon. Based on the Twilight series, this is a satire in the very best way, and will appeal to anyone who has read Twilight but doesn't really believe themselves to be in love with a sparkly vampire. It's funny and right on target, further enhancing Ann's reading of Twilight for her mother-daughter book club.

Michael prepares for his reading of The Art Student's War by telling us about one of author Brad Leithauser's older books. The Art Student's War iis a novel is set in 1943 Detroit, and is about one art student's experience with World War II when she is asked to sketch wounded soldiers who have returned from the war. Michael loved Leithauser's earlier book, A Few Corrections. That book leads off with one man's obituary, which you soon learn is riddled with errors. In each chapter, the obituary is slightly corrected, a unique way to tell the story of one man's life.

(You can listen by using the player above. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

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(all information is for the U.S. editions).

October 28, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #50: FIFTY!

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 50 (18:13)

Here we are, our 50th episode! It's been amazing and we're looking forward to what the future brings for Books on the Nightstand. We couldn't have come this far (or had such a great time!) if it weren't for all of you, our loyal readers and listeners.

Thank you so much to Denise, Ashley and Shona who wrote in, and to Heather, Melissa, Suzanne and Tanya who called our voice mail line. They all shared books they loved, that they heard about here. All of the books mentioned are listed below and the titles link back to the original post or podcast where we first talked about the book. If you've been thinking about reading any of these, they now have even more enthusiasm behind them!

As Ann mentioned, Tanya's story about Waiting for Columbus originally appeared in a guest post she wrote for us. If you haven't read her post yet, you must. Once you do, you'll want to listen to the audio or read the book for yourself!

Once again, thank you all for your continued support of Books on the Nightstand!

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

photo (page 50 of Any Human Heart) taken by Marny Kindness
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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles from this episode link to the orginal post or podcast where the book was first discussed. Here are the books from this post:
anything by Chris Bohjalian
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, Vintage trade paperback

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, Random House trade paperback
The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Vintage trade paperback
Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein, Random House trade paperback
The Giver by Lois Lowry, Laurel-Leaf paperback
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins hardcover and audio
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, Delacorte hardcover
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, Knopf hardcover
The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman, Ballantine hardcover
Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd, HarperPerennial trade paperback
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan, Algonquin trade paperback
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Penguin trade paperback
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Dial Press trade paperback
The Alienist by Caleb Carr, Random House trade paperback
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Knopf Books for Young Readers
The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper, Delta trade paperback
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz, Spiegel and Grau trade paperback
Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker, Three Rivers Press trade paperback
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, Knopf hardcover
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, Other Press trade paperback
Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk, Doubleday hardcover
Something Missing by Matthew Dicks, Broadway trade paperback
Beowulf on the Beach by Jack Murnighan, Three Rivers Press trade paperback

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

October 21, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #49: Food, Glorious Food!

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 49 (22:48)

It's awards season! The National Book Awards finalists were announced this past week, and we are thrilled that two books we've spoken about previously, Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann, and Stitches by David Small, were both on the shortlist.

The Man Booker Prize was also recently awarded to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Ann was rooting for one of the shortlisted titles, The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, which she spoke about in podcast #46.

The full list of the National Books Awards finalists can be found here, and the list of the Man Booker Prize shortlisted titles are here.

In segment 2, Ann marks the end of Farmer's Market season by reading a few books about the importance of eating locally and sustainably. Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food looks at the current obsession with "nutritionism" in the United States. Pollan's manifesto can be boiled down to a simple statement: "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." Next on Ann's reading list is Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Michael recently blogged about Food Matters by Mark Bittman, which is similar in focus to In Defense of Food, but also contains recipes. Kitchen Express is Bittman's newest cookbook, which is organized seasonally and is written in a manner that allows the home cook to experiment and put their own twist on the recipes.

Judith Jones' The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a book that Ann has been savoring for the last few weeks. Judith believes that everyone should treat yourself to a pleasurable meal, even if you eat alone. In her book, she tells you how to shop and plan your meals so that you can take advantage of market offerings but not eat the same dish for an entire week. This book reminds Michael of Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food, which is also one of Ann's favorites.

In segment 3, Michael talks about John Irving's Last Night in Twisted River. This is a novel spanning 50 years, and begins with the accidental shooting of a local constable's girlfriend, who a young boy mistakes for a bear. Danny, the boy, and his father Dominic, go on the run, traveling through America and Canada in vintage John Irving fashion. John Irving has written a short piece about the writing of the novel, and has created a video talking about it, on the official John Irving website.

Ann talks about The Glass Room by Simon Mawer, which is published by Other Press and was shortlisted for The Man Booker prize. Set in 1930s Czechoslovokia, it's the story of a well-to-do couple who hire an architect to build their home. The home becomes the center of the novel, with its massive windows and wall of onyx acting as the mechanism for telling the story of the family and the history of the time. It should be in stores by the time you read this.

(You can listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, Random House hardcover

Stitches by David Small, W.W. Norton hardcover
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Henry Holt hardcover

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, Knopf hardcover

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Philips, Knopf hardcover

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Penguin trade paperback

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, Pengin trade paperback

Food Matters by Mark Bittman, Simon & Schuster hardcover

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman, Simon & Schuster hardcover

The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones, Knopf hardcover
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, Random House hardcover
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving, Random House hardcover

The Glass Room by Simon Mower, Other Press trade paperback

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

image credit: NatalieMaynor via Flickr

October 14, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #48: October is Spooky Books Month

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 48 (24:31)

I'm back from my short BOTNS family leave (though, since we prerecorded a few episodes, it's like I was never away!). Finn is two weeks old and very cute, but he's seriously cutting into my reading time... these days, I'd rather just stare at him!

A quick reminder to please call our voice mail line with your story of a book you loved that you heard about here on Books on the Nightstand. We'd love to include several of these in our 50th podcast episode. Please call in by Wednesday, October 21st, so we'll have time to put the episode together for 10/28.

Over at our Goodreads group, Stephanie started a discussion thread asking for suggestion for spooky reads for the Fall. We here at Books on the Nightstand have decided to name October Spooky Books Month, since so many of us set our sights on those kinds of books this month anyway! On that discussion, some of the suggestions included Fragment, The Amityville Horror, The Graveyard Book, 'Salem's Lot, The Strain and The Terror. Ann and I reminisce about reading John Saul as teenagers and Ann talks about reading his current book, House of Reckoning, and his storytelling is just as good as she remembers! Ann also talks about Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe, which is part of the NEA's Big Read, and is the book that Ann's town is currently reading.

Ending this segment on spooky books, I need your help remembering a supremely creepy short story. In the podcast, I mention thinking that it was written Arthur C. Clarke or Ray Bradbury, but now I'm pretty convinced it was an Isaac Asimov story. I still can't remember the title though! It is a very short story (just under 2 pages or so, I think), that involves a bunch of scientists who see the face of the devil in the footage of a mushroom cloud that they are analyzing. It gives me shivers just thinking about it! [UPDATE: Thanks to Sibylle who solved the mystery! The story is by Asimov and is called Hell-Fire. Sibylle even posted a link to the story online! Go read it and tell me if it freaks you out as it did me!]

This week's book I can't wait for you to read is The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, a non-fiction look at John Charles Gilkey, a man who stole rare books, just so he could add them to his personal library. Also included is the story of Ken Saunders, self-proclaimed "bibliodick," who makes it his mission to catch Gilkey. Ann's choice for this week is Orhan Pamuk's new novel The Museum of Innocence, which is about Kemal, a young man in 1970s Istanbul, who is in love with Füsun, a woman society forbids him from being with. He responds to this denial by creating a museum of everything Füsun touches. Interestingly, Orhan Pamuk has opened a museum to preserve items of everyday Turkish culture. You can read more about the museum here.

(You can listen by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)
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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins hardcover
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, Pocket mass market
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, William Morrow hardcover
The Terror by Dan Simmons, Little, Brown and Company mass market
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, HarperTorch mass market
The Omen by David Seltzer, Signet mass market
anything by John Saul, including House of Reckoning, Ballantine hardcover
Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe, Vintage trade paperback
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett, Riverhead hardcover
The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk, Knopf hardcover

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

October 7, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #47: DystopYA

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 47 (27:31)

In segment one of this week's episode, we revisit the idea of "reading challenges," which we originally talked about in BOTNS podcast #4. Challenges are typically posted by a book blogger, who sets some rules and then "challenges" you to read a certain number of books, or books in a particular category, etc.

Some recent challenges that we like:
Japanese Literature Challenge at Dolce Bellezza
Sci-Fi Reading Challenge at the Stage and Canvas blog

A few places to find reading challenges on the web:
A Novel Challenge
Reading Challenges Blog
Reading Challenge Clearinghouse

In Segment 2, we talk about dystopic young adult fiction. One of the most memorable books that Ann read as a kid was House of Stairs by William Sleator, which was dystopic, though Ann didn't know that term at the time. There are many books in this category that have been published recently, including The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and its sequel, Catching Fire. The Giver by Lois Lowry is a classic dystopic novel that won the Newbery Prize in 1994, and it's an incredibly powerful novel that adults will enjoy. Candor by Pam Bachorz has just been published, and was inspired by Celebration, Florida, the town that Disney built.

Ann also announces the DystopYA Reading Challenge. We'd love for you to participate. You can find full details here.

In segment 3, Michael talks about Peter and Max, a novel based on the bestselling Fables comic book series. It's the story of Peter Piper and his older brother Max, who live in the Black Forest and stumble upon some magic. Ann talks about The Maze Runner by James Dashner, a fantastic dystopic novel that had her wishing for a sequel as soon as she finished the book.

(You can listen by using the player at the top of this post. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)
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(all information is for the U.S. editions).

September 30, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #46: Books About Extraordinary Parents

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 46 (22:16)

(You can listen by using the player above. If you're using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen. If your browser does not support javascript, you won't see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode. If you are receiving this post by email and cannot see the player at the bottom of the message, please visit http://www.booksonthenightstand.com to listen)

We recently spoke about accosting strangers in bookstores and sharing book recommendations. We got two wonderful responses. Connie emailed us to say that she gives herself a "talk" before she goes into a bookstore, reminding herself that this is not a friend's party where she can mingle. Sometimes she doesn't heed her own advice and can't help but engage strangers in book talk. Ashley from Denver called in and described herself as occasionally "obnoxious" in her recommendations to strangers, then shared with us her favorite books to recommend, including books by Kate Atkinson, Jane Austen, Raymond Carver and others.

Once again, we're asking you, our loyal fans, to call our voice mail line and tell us: What book, that you heard about on Books on the Nightstand, has become a favorite of yours? We'd love to collect the responses and play them for our 50th episode coming up at the end of October. So please call us by October 21st with your pick for favorite Books on the Nightstand recommendation!

Michael talks about two books written by mothers who stop at nothing to help their children. In The Possibility of Everything, Hope Edleman and her husband, after exhausting "traditional" therapies, bring their daughter to Mayan healers in Belize to help rid her of her imaginary friend. In Saving Sammy, Beth Maloney writes about the difficulty she had accepting her son's sudden onset of OCD. She persisted in her belief that there must be another cause and she saved her son from a life spent institutionalized. Beth and Sammy were on the Today Show recently, and you can find the video here. Ann reminds us about Michael Greenberg's Hurry Down Sunshine, which she originally spoke about in Episode 13.

Michael raves about a book he's currently reading: New World Monkeys, which is the story of Manhattanites Duncan and Lily and the quirky and odd events that befall them after they inherit a house in a small Upstate New York town. Ann tells us about The Children's Book, the new, Booker-nominated novel by A.S. Byatt. The book concerns Olive Wellwood, a children's book author whose son finds a homeless boy living in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, Little Brown trade paperback
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson, Little Brown trade paperback
When Will There be Good News? by Kate Atkinson, Little Brown trade paperback
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, St Martin's Griffin trade paperback
Emma by Jane Austen, Modern Library trade paperback
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, Farrar Straus & Giroux trade paperback
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Scribner trade paperback
Anything by Raymond Carver, Vintage trade paperbacks
The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman, Ballantine hardcover
Saving Sammy by Beth Alison Maloney, Crown hardcover
Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg, Vintage trade paperback
New World Monkeys by Nancy Mauro, Shaye Areheart Books hardcover
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, Knopf hardcover

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

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December 30, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #58: Our Favorites (and Yours) of 2009

December 16, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #57: Wrap up some good fiction!

December 9, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #56: Fluffy, Feathery & Fanged

December 2, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #55: Tasty Gifts

November 25, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #54: Meet Stan Hynds

November 18, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #53: Piles and Piles of Books

November 11, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #52: In praise of women writers

November 4, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #51: It's All the Rage

October 28, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #50: FIFTY!

October 21, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #49: Food, Glorious Food!

October 14, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #48: October is Spooky Books Month

October 7, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #47: DystopYA

September 30, 2009

BOTNS Books Podcast #46: Books About Extraordinary Parents

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