Books

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Joe Kavalier, a young Jewish artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdini-esque escape, has just smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague and landed in New York City. His Brooklyn cousin Sammy Clay is looking for a partner to create heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit America -- the comic book. Drawing on their own fears and dreams, Kavalier and Clay create the Escapist, the Monitor, and Luna Moth, inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men. With exhilarating style and grace, Michael Chabon tells and unforgettable story about American romance and possibility.

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Many readers maintain a constant surplus of books from which they may choose what to read next. The idea of a to-read-pile for some is literal; for others it is figurative. Different people have different approaches to their to-read-pile. My pile is figurative. I know that I have a home full of books, some I have read, many I have not. Of those I have not read, I do not even plan currently to read each and every one. I do not plan too far in advance, the order in which I will read my books. When I am nearly finished with the book I am reading I will pick what will be next. And for people who finish a book with no plans to even go to their local library to choose the next one, I do not know how you do it. You are stronger than I. I will actually not finish a book until I have picked what is next so at the moment I am ready I may pick up the next and get started. Finish one book, reflect, start the next.

Using a literal to-read-pile where you have an actual order for the books you will read subsequently is not for me. A lot of which book I choose depends on my current mood and how busy I will be for the upcoming week or two. If I know I will be swamped I will try to choose something that is lighter; an easier read. If I know I do not have many things scheduled I might try to tackle a book that requires a little more time and attention. It is very difficult to plan that more than a book or two in advance.

I have a difficult enough time when I travel. If I am going away for an extended period of time (3+ days) I try to pack in a "just in case" manner. It is funny when I am able to discuss this approach with other reader travellers. I take the book I am reading and one, two, maybe even three more books. The number of books then will depend upon number of pages, writing style, content and of course how much time I will have to devote to reading on my trip. The time I have available to read starts with a wait in the airport before each leg of my trip and then each leg of my round-trip flight. It is hard enough choosing a small handful of books to bring along when I fly, let alone planning say months in advance. Have I ever finished that many books on a trip? No. Why take so many? Because I can never not be reading a book, even though I am not always actually in the act of reading it. I guess it is a character flaw.

I am not sure I could ever, and I know I would never, try to place a stay on my book buying. Sure I have a lot of good books at home that I have not yet read, but there is so much excitement in buying new books. The idea of "I will not buy another book until I have read every book that I currently own" does not appeal to me. I have a company in New York that sends me books monthly and I generally treat myself to an order from Amazon.com every month or two.

When those packages arrive I am like a kid on Christmas. Even though from Amazon I know what is in the box, I cannot wait to get it open. Why place a hold on that feeling? I cannot find a reason to do so.

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction represents the very best in contemporary fiction. One of the world’s most prestigious awards, and one of incomparable influence, it continues to be the pinnacle of ambition for every fiction writer. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors, and even publishers. In 2004, not only did Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty reach the bestseller lists, but previous winners The Life of Pi (2002) and Vernon God Little (2003) were also amongst the bestselling books of the year.

	The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
	The Sea by John Banville
	Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
	A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
	Slow Man by J.M. Coetzee
	In the Fold by Rachel Cusk
	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
	All For Love by Dan Jacobson
	A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
	Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
	Saturday by Ian McEwan
	The People’s Act of Love by James Meek
	Shalimar The Clown by Salman Rushdie
	The Accidental by Ali Smith
	On Beauty by Zadie Smith
	This Thing Of Darkness by Harry Thompson
	This Is The Country by William Wall

Note: This is the longlist. The shortlist will be announced on September 8 and the winner will be announced on October 10.

One of the steps, though I guess I am not sure which one, in dealing with the two year wait for the next Harry Potter is to find another series to read and help pass the time. Yes, there are many books published, but I am looking for something a little more fun in line with the Potter series.

Wil actually took the initiative and began asking around for a series that would help curb his appetite before Book 7. The first series suggested was The Edge Chronicles. After hearing that I did what I do best and started playing around on this glorious internet and came across the Artemis Fowl series.

One thing that will help is that book two of The Inheritance Series (author of Eragon) comes out soon. And even though it is a lot different from Harry, I have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy so that probably does not help me. But for more Tolkien I have been meaning to read The Silmarillion.

Has anyone read any of the above books/series (primarily the Edge Chronicles and Artemis Fowl)? Are they any good? Do you have any other suggestions for me and others?

Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch series will be on tour in the Northeast in late 2005 for a quick promotion of his new (non-Bosch) novel.

A Word From Michael Connelly:
"The Lincoln Lawyer is a book that I had an idea for about five or six years ago," Connelly said, "but it was going to be one that needed a lot of research, so I didn't do it for a while. I met a lawyer in Los Angeles who basically used his car as an office. L.A. is so spread out, and the traffic is so bad, and there are 39 courthouses in L.A. County where proceedings take place. He found he was always in his car, moving from courthouse to courthouse, so he kind of outfitted his car with a fax machine, and computer and printers," Connelly continued. "He works in his Lincoln Town Car as he moves from courthouse to courthouse. He used clients who were having trouble paying him as his drivers and so forth. That was the thumbnail I got about five years ago, and it took me until now to spend some time with some lawyers and in court so I could write it."

Visit MichaelConnelly.com for tour dates and locations. The Lincoln Lawyer hits shelves October 3, 2005. Pre-order a copy.