This Week in Books Jane and Elizabeth Have a Cage Match

Because The Toast is the most excellent source of original content and writing on the Internet, they've naturally begun a new series of "Literary Ladies Cage Fights," with the first face-off between Elizabeth Benett and Jane Eyre. Round One is division into Harry Potter houses, because of course it is. FYI, the new Sleater-Kinney album makes a good soundtrack while you read it.

The National Book Critics Circle Awards finalists for 2014 were just announced, and the list is incredibly solid. Is is just me or was 2014 a fantastic year for writing? I'm especially happy to see Saeed Jones' Prelude to Bruise on the list, as well as a lot of books from independent publishers.

Everyone is apparently hosting gigantic book clubs now, and NPR's Morning Edition is the latest to jump on the bandwagon, although I can already say they are doing it better than so many others. The first selection was made by author and bookstore owner Ann Patchett, and she chose (National Book Critics Circle Awards finalist1) Deep Dark Down by Hector Tobar, a true account of the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners. David Green hosted Patchett and Tobar in a discussion that included audience questions from Twitter, and it was a really nice treat on my morning commute. I definitely want to read the book now, and to find out what they'll be reading next.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a short story available on the Medium. This requires no further explanation.

Finally, Rachel Kushner, author of the excellent novel The Flamethrowers, has an essay over at the London Review of Books on the Costa Concordia wreck. Not particularly "literary," or newsworthy, just a great essay from a great writer

 

#ReadWomen2014: Sarah Waters

For the second time, I'm recommending you read an author who I haven't had the time to read yet (but in my defense, several of her books are on my shelf, waiting for the Christmas vacation to be consumed).  As Wikipedia says, "She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists." So, there you go.

I became aware of Sarah Waters via NPR's Barrie Hardymon. At this point, our tastes have aligned so closely that I will read anything she recommends, and she has been one of Sarah Waters' most vocal supporters in 2014. The Paying Guests was her big novel of the year, and has been included on many year-end lists (including NPR's Book Concierge, where you can read a review by Barrie herself).

This Week in Books the Obamas Follow in my Footsteps...

It's that time of year, when publications start dropping their "Best of" lists. A lot of people seem to hate these for some reason, but I love them. The Millions has a unique spin on it, with each contributor (including a lot of great writers) doing a short essay "A Year in Reading 2014." This gives them the opportunity to write about the books they loved without the strict structure of a list and ranking.

The greatest year end book list is undoubtedly NPR's Book Concierge, which is one of my favorite things, ever. I go back and look at the previous year's Concierges on a regular basis. It is beautifully designed and has a really terrific interface. Try selecting one of the tags along the top of each review in order to filter by their very clever categories. A favorite feature is the fact that all the reviews are written by recognizable NPR contributors, including many who don't normally write/report for the Books or Arts sections.

Finally, the Obama family celebrated Small Business Saturday by visiting Politics and Prose in DC. They bought a ton of great books, including many notable 2014 titles, but my favorite part is the batch of Redwall books the girls took home. It makes me really happy to know kids are still reading those.

This Week in Books I Forgot Two Important Posts

Marilynne Robinson's new novel Lila was published this week, to almost ridiculous critical-acclaim. I haven't read any of her fiction yet, but Gilead and Housekeeping are in the pile next to my bed, so expect a post on her soon. In the meantime, enjoy this engrossing profile from the New York Times Magazine.

My personal favorite podcast, NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, did an episode on fall books last week, and it featured two of their all-star guest contributors, editor Barrie Hardymon and librarian/super-fan Margaret H. Willison, who recommended their favorite books and authors for the latter half of 2014. I strongly agreed with many of their picks, and I took their recommendations very seriously, hence my immediate purchase of a book by Sarah Waters. I can't imagine ever being the type of person who struggles with finding my next book to read, but if you are that type of person, NPR is the best place to look. Their book coverage is really fantastic, consistent, and thoughtful. Plus, they are never judgmental and cover genre fiction and literary fiction with equal fervor.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The History of White People' by Nell Irvin Painter

I've had to enjoy Nell Irvin Painter's The History of White People via the Audible app on my phone; I was way too embarrassed to buy the book because visitors frequently browse my bookshelves at home, and I wouldn't want anyone seeing this title and giving me side-eye. It is not actually a history of white people at all, but a history of "white people," i.e. a history of the notion of whiteness and race, starting with the Greeks and moving all the way to the United States in the twentieth century. I've found it to be a really good non-fiction follow-up to Uncle Tom's Cabin, which left me with a lot of frustrations and questions. I also found it a particularly appropriate read (unfortunately) as I watched the news coverage of recent events in Ferguson.

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