Every month, this column will be dedicated to books and only books: new ones, old ones, great ones and terrible ones. We will cover upcoming releases, give some recommendations and provide you with a random grouping. Happy reading.
Highly anticipated October releases:
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Oct. 2)
A Brief History of Seven Killings
“This novel should be required reading,” Publisher’s Weekly said of this multigenerational epic novel centered around the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley. Readers will be taken from the poverty of mid-century Jamaica to the streets of 1990s New York by more than a dozen different narrators. James’ novel certainly sounds ambitious, but if reviews are to be believed, it will be quite a literary accomplishment.
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar (Oct.7)
The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free
This nonfiction book about the Aug. 2010 mine collapse in Copiapó, Chile, is the first look the public has had at what went on during the miners’ more than two months underground, as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tobar received exclusive access to the them to write this story. With such access to information and details, Tobar’s story has the potential to be the best kind of nonfiction book: the kind that reads like great fiction.
The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell (Oct. 7)
The Girl Next Door
Don’t be fooled by its title — this book has nothing to do with Elisha Cuthbert or Playboy. Longtime mystery master Rendell’s novel focuses on a group of children in World War II-era London. Like any group of friends, they find a secret place to play and tell stories, their very own “secret garden.” But years later, long after the kids have become adults, a grim discovery is made in that secret garden, one that will bring the group back together and possibly unearth something evil.
Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Oct. 28)
Yes Please
Poehler hopes to follow in the footsteps of best friend Tina Fey, whose collection of stories and advice, Bossypants, was a best-seller in 2011 and remains on the charts today. If the book is anything like Poehler seems to be in and out of the spotlight, it should be a nice mix of funny, thoughtful and smart.
Monthly Recommendations:
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (2010)
This brilliant novel about an aging record executive and the people around him won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for a good reason. Egan’s ability to shift writing styles, and the fact that each chapter provides a different character’s point of view, makes this book feel like a breeze to get through — a perfect novel to use on study breaks.
The Green Mile by Stephen King (1996)
What better month to read the masterful work of Stephen King than October? The Green Mile is my favorite King book because it happens to also be one of my favorite movies. The fact that I read it after seeing the film and was still mesmerized by its depth speaks to the quality of the writing.
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy by Joe McGinniss (1999)
While many Americans are focused on football, soccer season is also underway. This book, by nonfiction genius McGinniss, who passed away this past spring, chronicles a year he spent with a soccer team in Italy. It is wildly entertaining, very informative and, at times, quite touching. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, this is a great fall read.
Random list: Great books set in real colleges
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Bennington College)
This might very well be Tartt’s best novel, which is surprising when you consider that she won the Pulitzer Prize for The Goldfinch this year.
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Princeton University)
Arguably Fitzgerald’s most famous work besides The Great Gatsby, this book explores the lives of high class youth in a post-World War I society.
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (Brown University)
A best-seller in 2011, this book from the author of Middlesex focuses on three students as they graduate from Brown and follows their post-graduation lives mixed with flashbacks of their time in college. USA Today called it “A grand romance in the Austen tradition.”
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon (University of Pittsburgh)
Chabon’s love for Pittsburgh — the city itself and the university — is fairly well known. This 1995 novel is about an English professor at the school, his mistress and his students. In 2000, it was later made into a movie starring Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire.
Staff picks:
From staff writer Leo Traub:
A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
