Running With Books

Chasing Harry Winston

2008-07-25T10:31:00.002-05:00

I fell prey to bestseller-itis this week. I normally don't read books just because they are on the bestseller list and everybody else is reading them. But everyone has been asking for Lauren Weisberger's latest, Chasing Harry Winston, and the cover has sparkly diamonds on it, so I decided to indulge. It is summer, after all. It turns out that the story is pretty good.

Three best friends, single and almost thirty, decide to make some changes in their lives. Emmy has recently been dumped after a long-term relationship and decides that instead of looking for her next monogamous relationship, she is going to have a few flings. Adriana, who has had nothing but flings, decides to commit to a serious relationship. And Leigh, who is engaged to the perfect man (perfect for everyone else, just not for her), decides to break off her engagement. The changes they make in their love lives lead to new opportunities in their careers and new experiences.

This is a good read for fans of chick lit. I wouldn't say it's my favorite in this genre, or even in the top 10, but it makes for good summer reading. Each character has her own unique personality, and I especially enjoyed the verbally abusive pet parrot. The outcome for each character is somewhat predictable, but the story is entertaining, nonetheless.

Dear American Airlines...

2008-07-23T10:44:00.004-05:00

"...Enclosed please find my sciatic nerve. Due to the wear and tear on it from hours upon hours in this miserable f**king O'Hare seating- these patent-pending O'Chairs- I am sending it to you for speedy repair. A return envelope is also enclosed, which you may address to me care of the wheelchair bank across from Gate K8, Chicago, Ill." *

American Airlines has cancelled all flights, and Bennie Ford is stuck in O'Hare airport, awaiting a flight to California for his daughter's wedding. Faced with the prospect of missing the wedding, he begins to compose a letter to AA to demand, not request, his money back. His letter begins as a rant to the airline, but as he explains the reason for his trip, he reflects on his life, his addiction to alcohol, his mother's struggle with bipolar disorder, and his estrangement from his wife and daughter. The ranting over the state of air travel is humorous, but the rest of the book is filled with Bennie's rambling, disjointed thoughts. The story of his mother is quite interesting, and I would have enjoyed reading more about her character, but we only get little pieces of her story. Fortunately, this is a short novel (under 200 pages). I would not have stuck with it much longer.

*From Dear American Airlines: A Novel by Jonathan Miles

And the winner is...

2008-07-22T11:18:00.001-05:00

Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher won the £30,000 Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction."The judges were unanimous: this is one of those great non-fiction books that uses the techniques of fiction to magnificent effect," said judging panel chair Rosie Boycott. "On first reading, it is an absolute page-turner. Then, when you reread it, you realise how many levels it has, how much it tells you." I told you this was a great read!

The God of Animals

2008-07-21T12:22:00.004-05:00

How many times have you read a novel that you didn't think you would like, but ended up loving it? When Aryn Kyle's novel The God of Animals was released last year, it got wonderful reviews, but I didn't read it. A young girl coming of age on a horse ranch...eh. Not interested. But it was chosen for this month's book discussion, so I couldn't avoid it. I'm so glad, because I really enjoyed this novel. Twelve-year-old Alice Winston lives on her family's horse ranch in Colorado. Her 17-year-old sister has just run off to get married, her mother is shut up in her bedroom and her father is preoccupied with the struggling ranch. Alice's only friendship is an imagined relationship with a classmate who recently drowned. Although the plot is quite ordinary, the characters are not. Kyle has created very interesting and well-developed characters with a lot of depth to their relationships. I loved the main character, Alice. She is tough, smart, a bit of a smart mouth and felt very real to me. I won't give too much away, but there is no cliched happy ending to the story. Although I do like a nice happy ending, I appreciate that Kyle does not wrap everything up neatly with a pretty bow. It adds to the "realness" of the story. A great read, and a great book for discussion.

Best of the Booker

2008-07-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

For the 40th anniversary of the Man Booker Prize, the Best of the Booker was awarded last week to Salman Rushdie for his novel Midnight's Children. Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981 and was also chosen as the Booker of Bookers in 1993. Rushdie's novel was chosen by public vote, from a shortlist of six novels, which also included:

Pat Barker's The Ghost Road
Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda
JM Coetzee's Disgrace
JG Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur
Nadine Gordimer's The Conservationist

The Moneypenny Diaries

2008-07-18T10:21:00.001-05:00

I've never been a huge James Bond fan. Although I have seen a few of the movies, I have never read any of Ian Flemings novels. But Kate Westbrook's The Moneypenny Diaires appealed to me because I always felt Moneypenny was overlooked and thought she deserved more attention. The Diaries, recently released in the U.S., is the first in a trilogy previously published in the U.K.

Although forbidden to reveal anything about her work as personal secretary to M, Jane Moneypenny secretly kept diaries detailing her work for the Secret Service. The first in the trilogy chronicles the year 1962. While the Cubans have the American and British governments in a scramble, Bond is recovering from his bride's murder and Moneypenny is seeking answers surrounding her father's mysterious disappearance during WWII. Jane sees quite a bit of action herself, as she is involved in rescuing 007 from the Soviets in Cuba and gathering evidence of Cuba's missiles. Back in Britain, her inquest into her father's disappearance gets her involved with the wrong side, and reveals a leak in the Service.

Jane's diaries are edited by her niece, Kate Westbrook and each chapter reflects a month in 1962. At the beginning of each month, Kate interjects her own recollections of her aunt and she also includes copious footnotes with Jane's entries. Although I enjoyed Jane's entries, the footnotes and Kate's memories distract from the flow of the story and eventually just become annoying (I ended up skipping over these parts). But Jane's work for the Service and her relationship with 007 kept me hooked, and I look forward to the next installment.

Author's Note

2008-07-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

Do you ever read the author's notes at the beginning of memoirs? Most of them point out that names have been changed, events are based on their own memories, etc. It seems that with the number of embellished memoirs, all authors are including these blurbs. Martin Kihn at Publisher's Weekly has created a great author's note.

Just Eat It

2008-07-14T09:38:00.002-05:00

We all know that fast food is terrible for us. Processed foods are full of chemicals and additives and wreak havoc on our bodies. All the latest "whole food" diet-y books are telling us that in order to be healthy, we must eliminate these foods from our diet and stick to whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Well, I'm sure that's fine for people like Oprah, who can afford to have a personal chef create healthy and tasty meals for them. But people, I work full-time. And the last thing I want to do after a long day at work is come home and stand over the stove, attempting to create a healthy meal that usually ends up tasting like cardboard. Sometimes, fast food is just easier. I admit it. I eat fast food on occasion. I'm not proud of it, but that's reality. And I know I'm not alone. That's why I liked David Zinczenko's book Eat This, Not That! Zinczenko recognizes that people eat fast food. He's not telling you don't eat it, but he is making suggestions on how to make that fast food meal a bit healthier. The book provides calorie, fat, sodium and/or sugar counts for foods at many popular fast food chains, and lists the healthiest items on the menu (although still not very healthy). For instance, one might think that the grilled chicken club at McDonald's would be a healthy choice. Not so. The quarter pounder without cheese is actually a better choice. And the delicious broccoli cheddar soup at Panera-not a great choice. The book also provides a "menu decoder" which explains what various menu items really mean. For example, Lo mein means wok-fried noodles that uses a lot of oil and fatty pork or beef. And home fries on the breakfast menu is just another version of french fries. He also provides suggestions on making holiday meals healthier. Instead of pecan pie at Thanksgiving, go with the pumpkin pie. Sadly, Peeps made the Not That! list for Easter. Lots of great tips, and a real eye-opener, this book is worth a look.

P.S. Don't read this book when you are hungry.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

2008-07-10T15:50:00.003-05:00

Kate Summerscale's true account of a shocking murder in Victorian England is a great read for fans of true crime and/or Victorian mysteries. Early one morning in 1860, in a small village near Bath, the Kent family awoke to find their 3-year-old son missing from his crib. After a search of the house and grounds, the little boy was found at the bottom of the outhouse with his throat cut. Almost immediately it was determined that the murderer must have come from inside the house. The family members and their servants all became suspects. When the local police could not determine the identity of the killer, they requested help from Scotland Yard. The first detective force was formed in England in 1842, and consisted of eight officers. Jonathan Whicher, one of the original detectives, was sent to investigate the crime. Whicher immediately suspected Constance Kent, a daughter from Mr. Kent's first marriage. Constance was arrested, but the local magistrates decided not to try her, due to lack of evidence. Defeated, Whicher returned to London, where he was subjected to scrutiny and criticism. The crime went unsolved for several years, casting a shadow of suspicion on several people. The crime captivated England and even influenced detective fiction, including the writings of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins' detective novel The Moonstone. Summerscale uses police reports, court testimonies, letters and press releases to provide detail, re-create dialogue and court room scenes, and give insight into the "characters' " lives. The story is intriguing and as captivating as a great mystery novel.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T12:16:00.002-05:00

Looking for a patriotic book that celebrates America? Look no further than Stephen Colbert's I Am America (and so can you!). A true patriot, Stephen shares his thoughts on the American family, race, religion, sex and everything that's destroying our country. If you love Colbert's popular show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, this book is like the Report on steroids. The audiobook is narrated by Colbert, so it's like listening to a very long episode of the show. Great fun, lots of laughs. Extra points for patriotism if you buy the book instead of checking it out at the library (Stephen says he does not give freebies).

Personal Days

2008-07-03T13:28:00.001-05:00

I don't know if I have admitted this here before, but before I realized that librarianship was the perfect career for me, I spent several years working in Corporate America. Like many new college grads, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I needed to pay the bills. The job was misery like I had never experienced before, but looking back on it now, I can laugh at the absurdity of it. If you have ever worked in Corporate America, you'll get a kick out of Ed Park's first novel Personal Days. Set in an unnamed company, a group of employees are trying to predict who will be next in the Firings. While their numbers slowly dwindle, they contemplate the best e-mail sign off, spend time crafting the perfect voice mail message, and work on their "layoff narratives." The boss keeps copies of The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Machiavelli's The Prince in his office and loves to use phrases like "Think outside the box," "Step up to the plate" and "Help me help you." The novel is clever, funny and really captures the corporate culture. A definite must read for fans of the movie Office Space.

What can I get for $500?

2008-07-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

I love looking at the book section of the New York Times because on the back page a rare bookseller always has an advertisement for their books. I love to look at the books and the prices and think about what I could afford (nothing) and if I had the money, what I would buy. If I had the money to waste, I would love to own a first edition of one of Jane Austen's novels. Last week a rare, first edition of Jane Austen's Emma sold at auction for a little over $350,000. So clearly, I will never own a first edition Jane Austen. I can't even afford her hair.

Author Visits!

2008-07-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

Brad Thor will be promoting his latest novel, The Last Patriot, at the Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard in Skokie on July 2 at 7:30pm.

Salman Rushdie will read from his latest novel, The Enchantress of Florence, on July 10th at 6pm at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago.

Ann O'Farrell will sign her new book, Norah's Children, at the Book Stall in Winnetka on July 10th at 7pm. Norah’s Children is about a Irish family in the 1920s who must endure the death of the mother — with a surprising ending that segues into a sequel already in the making.

Stephen J. Cannell will read from his latest novel, At First Sight, at the Barnes & Noble at Old Orchard in Skokie on July 10th at 7:30 pm.

Billie Letts, bestselling author of Shoot the Moon and Where the Heart Is, signs her newest novel, Made in the U.S.A. at the Book Stall in Winnetka on July 12th at 2pm.

James Rollins will be visiting the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee on Wednesday, July 16th at 1pm to discuss his latest novel, The Last Oracle.

Chicago Tribune writer, Julia I. Keller will discuss & sign her book, Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel: The Gun That Changes Everything and the Misunderstood Genius Who Invented It at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park on July 16th at 7am. (The time seems strange, but this is the time posted on the website.)

The New Classics

2008-06-26T14:08:00.002-05:00

Entertainment Weekly just released their list of the new "classics" of TV, movies, books and music from the past 25 years. Take a look at their book list. There are some fantastic books here. Anything you think is missing?

Is Google Making Me Stupid?

2008-06-25T16:16:00.000-05:00

In the past year or so, I have had several instances of what I like to call a "reading funk." I have a hard time getting into a book, so I quit reading it. Now, I know there is no shame disliking a book and putting it down if it isn't doing anything for me. Life is too short to spend time reading a book I don't enjoy. But this seems to be happening more frequently and with books that were getting great reviews and sounded like they would be something I would enjoy. I started referring to this as a reading funk. I usually chalk it up to my mood at that particular time. Or maybe I was just tired of reading and needed a break. I even thought that maybe with all the reading I do, I am developing better taste and just don't have the patience anymore for all the junk out there. (Yea, I'm sure that's it.) But a new, and frankly frightening, possibility has come to my attention.

In this month's issue of Atlantic Magazine, Nicholas Carr has written an article called "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" which suggests another possibility. Maybe it's not a reading funk, but perhaps the way in which I read has changed. Carr writes that he has always been a voracious reader, spending hours reading lengthy articles or books. But lately he, too, has noticed his concentration starting to drift after a few pages. Reading lengthy works has become increasingly difficult for him. He has heard about similar troubles from other readers as well. He proposes that the Internet has changed the way we read. When we use the Internet, we are in a constant state of motion: reading and writing e-mails, scanning headlines and blogs, watching videos and surfing from site to site. Most people skim sites and typically read no more than one or two pages of an article. The style of reading promoted by the Internet focuses on immediate, fast results. This scatters our attention and may be weakening our capacity for concentration and deep reading. This makes a lot of sense to me. I do spend my days skimming quite a lot of information online-news, blogs, book reviews, etc. I find myself unable or unwilling to read through lengthier articles. I even noticed that when I do want to read a lengthier article, such as this one, I just don't have the ability to concentrate long enough to read it online, so I print it out. Is it possible that I have just become so accustomed to fast, quick bites of information that my brain now has more difficulty concentrating for longer periods of time? Could this be why I am having more difficulty getting into books? That is seriously scary.

Krakauer Book Delayed

2008-06-25T14:48:00.003-05:00

Jon Krakauer's latest book, The Hero, was scheduled to be released this October with a first printing of 500,000 copies. Krakauer is reportedly unhappy with the manuscript and has withdrawn the title from publication indefinitely. The Hero tells the story of Pat Tillman, the football star who enlisted in the Army and was killed in a "friendly fire" accident in Afghanistan. If the book does get re-scheduled for publication, it is likely it will not be released until 2009.

Such a Pretty Fat

2008-06-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

I had a great time reading Jen Lancaster's latest memoir, Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie is Not the Answer. I loved Lancaster's first two memoirs, so I was looking forward to this one. In this memoir, Lancaster covers a topic that has caused considerable frustration to many people: weight loss. After a stern lecture from her doctor, Lancaster decides that it's time to stop sweating while she eats, time to stop treating her body like a fraternity party, and time to stop promising to go to the gym instead of actually going. If you've read her previous books, you know that Lancaster does not suffer from low self-esteem. She knows she is a little overweight, but she also knows she looks good. When she actually steps on the scale and realizes how much weight she has gained, she wonders when it was that she turned into Jabba the Hut. She attempts several different diets-Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers. She also decides to invest in personal training sessions at her local gym. Hoping that her trainer will be a homely girl with a hump and a skin condition, she is dismayed to find that her trainer turns out to be gorgeous-long blond hair, tan, perfect teeth, enviable figure and her name is...Barbie. Since Jen hates exercise, she tries to come up with every excuse she can think of to avoid her workouts, but Barbie keeps pushing her. (Take a look at this hilarious video clip of Jen's attempts at avoiding exercise. Note the pearls she wears while at the gym.) Eventually Jen comes to almost look forward to her workouts and is able to shed some pounds. This is not a how-to diet book. Lancaster isn't pushing any particular method of weight loss or telling us that we can loose weight too, if we just did X, Y and Z, which is refreshing. This is just her experience trying to improve herself, an issue that many of us are familiar with, but Lancaster adds her brand of humor to the story.

I believe that Lancaster is working on another book and I'm hoping we will get to hear about her move to the suburbs. She has always been a city girl ("Give me Libertyville or give me death? I choose death."). But her husband has been trying to convince her that living in the suburbs will be much cheaper than the city. At the end of Such a Pretty Fat, she tells her husband that he wins-they will move to the suburbs. I have a feeling that will make for another hilarious adventure!

The Syringa Tree

2008-06-20T10:34:00.003-05:00

Pamela Gien's The Syringa Tree was the title I chose for the Library's book discussion this month. This is a heart-wrenching novel about life in South Africa under apartheid. Six-year old Lizzy Grace lives with her parents and the family's servants in Johannesburg. Lizzy's Black nanny, Salamina, is pregnant and secretly gives birth to her baby, Moliseng, in the Grace's house. Under apartheid laws, it was illegal for Black children to live outside of the ghetto, so Moliseng is kept hidden inside the Grace's home. A horrible tragedy causes Salamina to leave the Grace home and Lizzy is distraught at the loss of her nanny. Years later, another horrible tragedy occurs that causes Lizzy to leave South Africa. Salamina and Lizzy are eventually reunited and are able to come to terms with the events in their pasts.

Most of the people in the discussion group seemed to like this novel better than I did. The majority of the novel is told by the six-year-old Lizzy. Then we have brief glimpses of Lizzy's life when she is in college and again when she is married with her own child. But I felt their were huge gaps, and I thought it would have been more interesting to follow Salamina and Moliseng's lives. But the novel does have wonderful descriptions of South Africa, and the story made for a great discussion.

All the Latest...

2008-06-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

For a few months speculations have been made about the topic of an upcoming memoir to be published by Simon and Schuster this summer. It turns out that Christopher Ciccone, brother of Madonna, will be publishing his memoir of his sister. Due out in July.

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards were recently announced. The winner is DeNiro's Game by Rawi Hage. The award, which is managed by the Dublin City Public Library, is given to a work with high literary merit and nominations are made by libraries around the world.

Denis Johnson, winner of the 2007 National Book Award for his novel Tree of Smoke, will be publishing his next novel called Nobody Move in four installments in Playboy magazine. The installments will begin in the July issue and run through the October issue.

Oprah recently gave the commencement address to the graduates of Yale University. Because Oprah loves to give out free stuff, all the graduates were given copies of her latest pick, Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth and another of her favorites: A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. I bet those graduates were thinking "what about the free car?"

Debbie Macomber, best-selling fiction author, has signed a deal to write 2 nonfiction inspirational titles. The first will be called Fishes and Loaves: Living in a Spirit of Generosity.

Stephen King and his son Joe Hill will publish their first collaboration, a novella titled Throttle, due out in early 2009. Movie rights have been optioned.

A great vacation for the die-hard Austen fan.

Good Eats

2008-06-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Confession: I am a sucker for cookbooks. I love paging through recipes, looking at the pictures of perfectly created dishes (Cookbooks without pictures? Not interested.). I also love books about food and cooking (see posts about my love for Anthony Bourdain). Over the years, I have amassed a fairly large collection of recipes and cookbooks. In my fantasies I am able to create beautiful, elaborate meals (with very little mess) that amaze my family and cause them to proclaim me the best cook in the world. True, the likelihood of that happening is zero and most of the recipes in my collection have never been attempted, but that doesn't mean I'm not always on the lookout for the next cookbook to add to my collection. A girl can dream, can't she? The James Beard Foundation Awards (considered the Oscars of the food world) were recently announced and are a great resource for reading suggestions. The winners are:

Cookbook of the Year: The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Cookbook Hall of Fame: Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Asian Cooking: My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking by Niloufer Ichaporia King

Baking and Dessert: Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor by Peter Reinhart

Cooking from a Professional Point of View: The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine by The French Culinary Institute with Judith Choate

Entertaining: Dish Entertains by Trish Magwood

Americana: A Love Affair with Southern Cooking by Jean Anderson

General: Cooking by James Peterson

Healthy Focus: The EatingWell Diet by Jean Harvey-Berino with Joyce Hendley and the Editors of EatingWell

International: The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan

Reference: A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America by Rowan Jacobsen

Single Subject: The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Wine and Spirits: Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich

Writing on Food: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Photography: The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan; Photographer: France Ruffenach

Harry Potter Prequel

2008-06-16T16:23:00.000-05:00

I love the Internet. For a few weeks I have been hearing about this 800-word handwritten story by J.K. Rowling which sold at a charity auction for almost $50,000. The story is about James Potter and Sirius Black, and at the end, Rowling writes "From the prequel I am not working on-but that was fun!" I was disappointed that the rest of us wouldn't have the opportunity to read it, but in the age of the Internet, everything eventually ends up online. You can read the story at MuggleNet. A link is provided that shows an actual picture of the handwritten story, but I had trouble accessing it.

Paddington Gets a Passport

2008-06-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

The 50th anniversary of the beloved childrens' story of Paddington Bear is approaching. In honor of the upcoming anniversary, the author, Michael Bond, has written a new adventure for Paddington called Paddington, Here and Now. I had heard several months ago that Paddington would have a run-in with immigration in this adventure. If you recall, Paddington was a stowaway on a ship from Peru. Sure enough, Paddington will be interviewed by police about his lack of travel documents. Fortunately, the Peruvian embassy in London actually issued Paddington a passport, so he will not have to worry about future problems with the authorities.

Love Letters

2008-06-12T14:37:00.002-05:00

For those of you that have seen the movie Sex and the City, you'll recall that early in the movie, Carrie reads love letters to Big from a book she checked out from the New York Public Library. It turns out that the book, Love Letters From Great Men, does not exist. AbeBooks.com has reported hundreds of inquiries about the book, but the closest title would be Love Letters From Great Men and Women From the 18th Century to Present Day, edited by C.H. Charles, originally published in 1924 and reprinted in paperback last year. When I looked the title up on Amazon, it shows that people who bought this item bought it with the Sex and the City soundtrack. Unfortunately we don't have Love Letters From Great Men and Women, but we do have The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time. Not only does this book have that great old library book smell that Carrie professes to love, but it also contains the letter from Ludwig van Beethoven that Big quotes to Carrie:

"ever yours

ever mine

ever ours"

Pretty Birds

2008-06-11T09:19:00.003-05:00

Scott Simon's captivating novel, Pretty Birds, depicts a period in history I knew very little about: the Serbian siege of Sarajevo. In 1992, Bosnian Serbs began their campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against the Muslims. Irena, a 17-year-old half-Muslim, and her family are forced to flee their home on the Serb side of Sarajevo. They seek refuge at Irena's grandmother's apartment on the other side of the river. They survive with no electricity and very little food and water, while constantly crouching below the windows to avoid sniper fire. Irena eventually takes a job in a brewery with "duties as assigned," and ends up working as a sniper for a group of Muslim resistors. Although the story is quite grim, Simon has captured the bleak streets of Sarajevo and the feelings of uncertainty and fear as the characters venture out of their homes, hoping to avoid sniper fire. Although I didn't feel strongly about Irena, the story was strong enough to keep me involved. I have a feeling that I am not alone in my ignorance of this period in history, and while I wouldn't say that Pretty Birds is one of my favorite reads, I do feel like I have an idea of what life was like during this time.

And the Winners Are...

2008-06-07T14:23:00.003-05:00

The winner of the 2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is Rose Tremain, for her novel The Road Home. The Orange Broadband prize is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK in the preceding year. The winner of the prize receives £30,000.

Each year the Audio Publisher's Association presents the Audie Awards for best audiobooks of the year. The 2008 awards were recently announced. Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas won for best fiction. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson won for best literary fiction. Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke won for best mystery. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips won for best romance. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill won for best thriller. Garrison Keillor's Pontoon won for best narration by an author. Walter Isaacson's Einstein won best biography. Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) won the humor award.