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March 28, 2007

Oprah's Latest Pick: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Oprah Winfrey has once again spoken: Her latest book club pick is Cormac McCarthy's The Road, a tale of a father and son journeying across a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape. The notoriously private McCarthy, best-known for dark stories of the West such as All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing, will be interviewed by Winfrey in an upcoming episode of her talk show.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 11:22 AM

Book Review: Jim the Boy by Tony Early

In these complicated, stressful times, sometimes there is nothing better than curling up with a comforting, old-fashioned read. Tony Early's debut novel, Jim the Boy, fits the bill perfectly. This understated, graceful book traces an ordinary year in the life of Jim Glass, a 10-year-old living in Depression-era rural North Carolina. Although his father died unexpectedly a week before Jim’s birth, the boy has been happily brought up by his quiet mother and three devoted bachelor uncles. During the course of the story, Jim begins to see his place in the wider, sometimes discomfiting world: visiting the seashore, enrolling in a new school, consoling a polio-stricken friend, and meeting his estranged grandfather. Jim the Boy’s clear prose, endearing characters and bittersweet nostalgia gently evoke a time when less was more.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 10:45 AM | Comments (9)

March 19, 2007

Read Any Good "Blooks" Lately?

In case you’re not yet in the know, a “blook” is the newest publishing phenomenon: a book based on original content previously published in a blog, website or web comic. The self-publishing website Lulu.com has even launched the Lulu Blooker Prize, “the world’s first literary prize devoted to blooks.” This year’s Blooker Prize shortlist has been announced; the diverse nominees include Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots and the Rise of People-Powered Politics by Jerome Armstrong, My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell, Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France by Kristin Espinasse, Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fies, and My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren. Last year's Blooker Prize winner was Julie Powell’s popular “food memoir,” Julie and Julia.

Posted by hplreadingcorner at 4:13 PM