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September 25, 2006

Reading is Fun(damental)

“Never apologize for your reading tastes” is a maxim coined by the late Betty Rosenberg, a well-known librarian who championed the joys of reading for pleasure. Now the English author Nick Hornby has taken up the cause, penning a delightful essay on leisure reading for an English newspaper. For more of Hornby's essays on reading, check out his collections Housekeeping vs. the Dirt and The Polysyllabic Spree.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 5:02 PM | Comments (58)

September 18, 2006

Talkin' Tolkien

Here's some great news for Lord of the Rings fans: According to various news outlets, JRR Tolkien's son has completed The Children of Hurin, one of his late father's unfinished stories. The finished book will be published next year. And speaking of LOTR, auditions for a London stage adaptation are being held today; it appears that no one taller than 5 foot 7 need apply.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 3:28 PM | Comments (455)

September 14, 2006

Booker Prize Shortlist Announced

This shortlist for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards, has been announced. Now in its thirty-eighth year, the Booker aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The nominees are:

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Mother's Milk by Edward St. Aubyn
In the Country of Men by Hisgam Matar
Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland
The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The winner will be announced October 10 in London.

10/10/06 UPDATE: Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss was named the winner!

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 2:34 PM | Comments (55)

September 12, 2006

Book Review: A Country Year: Living the Questions by Sue Hubbell

According to the book jacket, “a country year is something like a baker’s dozen: it contains an extra season.” In this case, A Country Year is the chronicle of one spring to the next on Hubbell’s Ozark farm, where she keeps bees and keenly observes her surroundings. Among the book's warm, plain-spoken vignettes are descriptions of animal life from the common (dogs, deer, rabbits) to the creepy (wood cockroaches, moth ear mites, brown recluse spiders), as well as fascinating details on the art of beekeeping and Hubbell’s reflections on humanity’s place in the wild. Hubbell’s contemplative prose is reminiscent of Annie Dillard; even the most dedicated city folk will want to head to the countryside after reading this lovely, peaceful narrative.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 2:30 PM | Comments (108)