Reading List

Some of the books I've read over the past decade or so.

The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of ONe Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
by Wladyslaw Szpilman
I've just finished reading this for the second time. Szpilman was one of the few Jews who survived the occupation of Warsaw. This book is deceptive -- the lanuguage so straight forward, and yet the story he is telling is horrific. There's nothing melodramatic or histronic in his telling; you have to keep reminding yourself that all of this really happened. This book is worth reading on it's own, or as a companion to the film. It reveals a side of the Holocaust story that you may not be familiar with. This book will also interest musicians as it also deals with what part music played in his finding the will to survive.

Cold Mountain
by Charles Frazier.
I loved this book. The language was so intense and beautiful. The structure of the book (moving back and forth between the two main characters) could have felt forced, but didn't. Frazier's ability to evoke a whole scene -- the physical setting and the emotions of the characters -- is superb. The secondary charactes are so vividly drawn, they threaten to steal the show.

MYSTIC RIVER
by Dennis Lehane (1983)
Fiction
I wish I had read this before I saw the movie. The movie was so powerful, and so close a rendition of the book, that it was hard to get it out of my head. A sparse, direct narrative. I'm planning on reading more by Lehane.

THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
by Andre Dubus III (1991)
Fiction
A beautiful, surprising tale. Completely original. The kind of book you think about during the day and look forward to getting back to eah night.

THE FEAST OF LOVE
by Charles Baxter (2000)
Fiction
This is the first book I've read by Baxter. It's one of those books that I really liked a lot when I read it, but after some time has passed, I can't recall any details. Perhaps I should reread it.

THE CORRECTIONS
by Jonathan Franzen (2001)
Fiction
The author caused a stir when he complained about being nominated for Oprah's bookclub. Regardless of that fuss, it's a great book. Will make your own dysfunctional family seem a little less crazy. A long book that I didn't want to finish

AFTER SILENCE
by Nancy Venable Raine
Non-fiction
Raine recount a brutal rape that she survived and her stuggle to heal, mentally and physically. This should be required reading. Grpahic and honest. Painful to read at times.

BACK ROADS
by Tawni O'Dell (published in 2000)
Fiction
The write-up on the back of this book refers to it as "comic and suspenseful." Well, there's nothing "comic" or "funny" about this book, unless you define that as "comic/tragic." This novel is a tragedy of the first degree. A first person narrative that follows a few months in the life of Harley Altmyer, a 19 year old left to raise his three younger sisters after his mother is convicted o murdering her husband (Harley's father). It's a story of good people thrown into a horrible circumstance. The novel opens with Harley being interrogated in a police station. It's a novel about desire to now the truth and our inability to sometimes handle that truth. There are few redeeming moments for the narrator; he starts on a low point and falls, inevitably, lower. It's also a novel about survival. There are moments of keen perception and poetry. It is very easy to forget, as you are reading, that the novel is written by a woman -- the 19 year old male narrator is convincing. A disturbing book. Someone could do a great job turning this into a movie.

AS NATURE MADE HIM: THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED AS A GIRL
by John Colapinto (published in 2000)
Nonfiction
Rolling Stone journalist John Colapinto has written a book based on the true story of David Reimer, a man who was raised as a girl until the age of 14. A botched circumcision led his desperate parents into the arms of Dr. John Money, a leader in the he field of gender identity. He convinced them to raised the child as a girl. This book explores a host of complicated issues. It is fascinating and horrible. Well-written and thorough. It's a brave and challenging book. I had to keep reminding myself, as I read, that this really happened.

THE ANATOMY OF MOTIVE
by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker (published in 1999)
Nonfiction
John Douglas is a form FBI agent and the man who developed the system known now as "criminal profiling." He details his involvement in helping to solve some notorious criminal cases. Fascinating material in terms of human behavior and motivation. The subject matter is more compelling that the actual writing style. It grows repetitive at times, but this might be because I've read several other books by Douglas. His theme is the same in all his books. (The FBI agent in Silence of the Lambs , Clarise Darling's boss, is based on John Douglas.)

MUSIC FOR TORCHING
by A.M. Homes (published in 1999)
Fiction
This is the second book I've read by Homes. ( The End of Alice was my first, although not Homes' first book) She is not for the faint-of-heart. Her subject matter and narrative style is bold and blunt. The story follows Paul and Elaine, a married couple with two young sons. The are suburban professionals whose trouble begins when they purposely knock over the backyard grill in a misguided attempt to shake up their lives (for the better) by burning down their house and starting over. The house catches on fire but doesn't burn down. They only damage it. The novel follows their psychological and marital struggles as they try to come to terms with their own actions. A bizarre and interesting book. I liked it. Not the kind of book I'd go around recommending to the average person. If you like edgey contemporary fiction, then go for it.

GONEBOY: A WALKABOUT
by Gregory Gibson (published in 1999)
Nonfiction
There's a subtitle on the cover of this book that reads: "A father's search for the truth in his son's murder." This sums up the purpose of this book perfectly. It's a sad, brave, honest book. In December of 1992, a college student at Simon's Rock College in Massachusetts went on a shooting spree and murdered two people. One of them was Gibson's son, Galen. Gibson, an antique book dealer, and his wife, are devastated, angry, in shock, grief, and all the other unimaginable emotions parents in this sort of situation experience. The book traces Gibson's reaction in the years after his son's death, from trying to find out what happened and why, to the trial, to his visit with his son's murderer's parents, and finally, to his communication with the imprisoned murdered himself. It's a beautifully written, sad, and amazing book. Gibson clearly still is grieving as he writers this but he writes with clarity and honest. The spirit of Galen is what permeates this book. That's who I'm left thinking about the remembering.

WHO DO YOU LOVE
by Jean Thompson (published in 1999)
Fiction. Short stories.
Well, it's been awhile since I read this -- but I remember that I loved it. It made me want to read more and more by this author. The book rings with truths.

THIS SIDE OF BRIGHTNESS
by Colum McCann (published in 1998)
Fiction
This was an ambitious novel. It works. At times it's a little forced, as the narrative switches from section to section to two different narrators from two different generations, switching from 1991 to 1916. The story, set in New York, traces the men who built the subway tunnels in the early 1900s to a homeless man named Treefrog who now lives in those same underground tunnels. There are moments of sheer poetry in this novel. It took me awhile to get into the spirit of the book, but it was worth sticking with. Unusual themes and unusual characters.

THE CHURCH OF DEAD GIRLS
by Stephen Dobyns (published in 1997)
Fiction
Okay, so Dobyns has written like eight books of poetry and over a dozen novels, but for some reason, I've just recently discovered him. Well, better late than never. This book is great. It's downright scary, suspenseful, and insightful. The pacing is excellent, the detail and dialog and character development are great. The ending is surprising. This book hooked me immediately and I was sorry when it was over. That's the sign of a really good book (or one of them, anyhow). I'm definitely going to read more by Dobyns.

BOY IN THE WATER
by Stephen Dobyns (published in 1999)
Fiction.
I told you would read more by Dobyns. And I wasn't disappointed. Another mystery. Another complex cast of characters. Another finely crafted, suspenseful novel This one is set in the isolation of a private highschool, in winter. A series of murders is occurring and the new headmaster of the school, a transplant from California with some serious skeletons in his closet, is thrown into this violent and dangerous environment. Why haven't any of his books been made into movies??

THE HOURS
by Michael Cunningham (published in 1998)
Fiction.
I love everything this guy writes ( A Home at the End of the World; Flesh and Blood). If you are not a Virginia Woolf fan, I don't think this book will do much for you, but if you are, and if you've ever read Mrs. Dalloway , then this book is incredible. He's developed a handful of characters who have all read Mrs. Dalloway and shows how this book, its themes and characters, have entered into their lives. This mimics the way Woolf entered into the lives of the readers of Cunningham's book. I read all of Woolf when I was in college. Now, 20 years later, Mrs. Dalloway comes to life again in this ambitious, poetic, dramatic novel. I loved this book. (follow up: film version with Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore was very well received)

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
by Patricia Highsmith (published in 1955)
Fiction.
After seeing the movie (which I liked), I decided to read the book. This was my first book by Highsmith. Since I saw the movie first, and had that as a point of comparison, it's hard to say what this book would be like on its own. I had images in my head of the characters. I knew the plot. I was curious to see what they had changed for the movie from the original text. But I don't really care in this case. I like the movie and I loved the book. Great character development. An unusual story. I would definitely read more by Highsmith. For those of you who don't know, this novel follows the exploits of Tom Ripley who is hired by the wealthy Mr. Greenleaf to go to Italy and try to persuade his son Dickie to come home and make something of himself. Tom leaps at the chance. He quickly becomes obsessed with Dickie's lifestyle. After an argument, Tom kills DIckie and starts living his life, assuming his name, his clothes, his mannerisms. This book explores the ramifications of Tom's unwise decision to take over Dickie's life.

CRUDDY: AN ILLUSTRATED NOVEL
by Lynda Barry (published in 1999)
Fiction.
So I admit I selected this book because I read a review of it that named the narrator as Roberta Rohbeson. That's my name, Roberta, a name you rarely hear in novies, books, or songs, so it caught my attention. A silly reason to buy a book, I know, but I took a chance. And what a book! Wow. One of the most unusual books I've ever read. It follows the doomed and tragic life of Roberta, who lives in a cruddy house in a cruddy town with a cruddy family. The story recounts the incredibly messed up childhood and early adolescence of Roberta, whose alcoholic father insists on pretending she's his son, dragging her through a series of misadventures and brutal encounters. There is no shining light of hope in this book, no uplifting, hopeful message. It's powerful and disturbing. My kind of book.

THE PERFECT STORM
Sebastian Junger
Nonfiction.
I read this before they made the movies (which I haven't seen yet). This is a powerful book about a doomed fishing boat crew. The author, a journalist, has the challenging task of trying to recreate the last days and hours of a crew that perished during an enormous storm. It's an impossible writing assignment, but one that he handles with amazing tenderness and vividness.

THE BONDMAID
by Catherine Lim
fiction

MAN CRAZY
by Joyce Carol Oates
Fiction.
A challenging novel based on news accounts of young women joining cults. Seems to be based on the followers of Charles Manson. Unforgettable. Oates is almost always good.

MIAMI PURITY
Vicki Hendricks .
Fiction.
Raw, exotic, blunt.

DREAMTIME ALICE
by Mandy Sayer
Fiction
A dreadful memoir by a confused woman. Couldn't finish it. I rarely don't finish a book that I've started but this one just did not work, at all.

CROOKED LITTLE HEART
by Anne Lamott
Fiction.
This was okay, but it was overly crafted. Her book about writing -- Bird by Bird -- is much more powerful.

A PATCHWORK PLANET
by Anne Tyler
Fiction.
One of her better efforts. Tyler is a good craftsman. Her characters are easy to recognize and her books easy to read. This doesn't mean they are simple.

BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO
by Mary Gaitskill
Short stories
An uneven collection. (Her first book, Bad Behavior, was more successful.)

PLANET OF THE BLIND
by Stephen Kuusisto
Nonfiction.
This book was truly amazing and life altering. The author chronicles his journey to accept his blindness and live with it. A powerful, beautiful book which I read in one sitting while stranding in an airport in Boston. I got lost in this. I laughed aloud. I cried. I was stunned and amazed and greatly moved.

A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR
by John Irving
Fiction
A peculiar novel that I wanted to give up on, but I hung in there and by the time I reached the end, I was fully immersed in this perfectly crafted novel. These characters will live on in my head always.

THE BOYS OF MY YOUTH
by Jo Ann Beard
Nonfiction.
I loved almost every single page of this book. Creative nonfiction at its best. I will definitely read more by this author.

OUR GUYS: THE GLEN RIDGE RAPE AND THE SECRET LIFE OF THE PERFECT SUBURB
by Bernard Lefkowitz
Nonfiction.
Excellent non-fiction record of the infamous case. A provocative and disturbing book. A group of well loved, athletic teenage boys rape a mentally challenged girl. The book traces the impact this has on the community, the trial that follows, and how everyone's life is changed.

THE BOY WHO WENT AWAY
by Eli Gottlieb.
Fiction
I believe this is his first novel. A first person, coming of age novel. Brutally honest. A book that lingers with you.

INTO THIN AIR
by Jon Krakauer
Nonfiction
About the disaster on Mt. Everest in 1996; for anyone who has climbed mountains, or dreamed of climbing, or never even imagined climbing -- this book is amazing; nonfiction.

INTO THE WILD
by Jon Krakauer
Nonfiction
Krakauer traces the steps of a young wealthy college student who abandoned everything and walked off into the wilds of Alaska -- and died. Krakauer's a gifted writer; nonfiction

MIND HUNTERS
by John Douglas
Nonfiction
Written by a former FBI criminal profiler; Douglas became the model for the FBI character in "Silence of the Lambs"; nonfiction

WILL YOU ALWAYS LOVE ME?
by Joyce Carol Oates
Fiction
Short stories -- some are great (I read this long ago and can't remember any details now)

GOING NATIVE
by Stephen Wright
Fiction.
Very weird narrative

LOVE IS STRANGE
edited by Joel Roset and Catherine Taxier
Fiction.
Short story collection

ALIAS GRACE
by Margaret Atwood
Historical Fiction
An excellent book. It was very long, but I didn't want it to end. Historical accurate. She portrays complex characters and pulls you into an entire world. Really excellent.

FLASH FICTION: 72 VERY SHORT STORIES
edited by Thoman, Thoman and Hazuka
Fiction
If you've never experienced the genre of short short fiction, give it a try; when they're good, it makes you wonder why most stories take so long to get to the point.

BIRD BY BIRD
by Anne Lamott
Nonfiction
A book about creative writing and living. Inspirational, funny, and vivid. The title tells the story of how to break things down (writing, projects, life in general) into manageable pieces, to take things, bird-by-bird.

POEMCRAZY
by Susan Wooldridge
Nonfiction.
Similar vein as above book but not as good. More focused on writing than other art.

SELECTED STORIES
by Andre Dubus
Fiction.
I'd recommend anything by him

Dancing After Hours, Andre Dubus (see above comment)
The Children of Henry VIII, Alison Weir (highly readable and informative; nonfiction)
Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor & Lula, Barry Gifford (fun book; Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern starred in the movie version.)
The End of Alice, A.M. Homes (not for the faint-hearted; takes us into the mind of a killer; this book should come with a warning about graphic content on the cover; fiction)
Sudden Fiction Continued: 60 New Short Short Stories, edited by Shapard and Thomas (as with any anthology, not all the stories rate 4 stars, but overall, the book is great.)
Folly, Susan Minot (her earlier novel Monkeys is much better; fiction)
Rule of the Bone, Russell Banks (classic coming of age novel; I love this writer)
The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy (McCarthy is incredible, a true master; he doesn't do interviews, moves around living out of hotels, writing, never includes his photo on books, a recluse and a genius; fiction)
All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy (fiction; I love McCarthy; of all his books, this one finally made it to film; starring Matt Damon; the film didn't get very good reviews; I thought it was great)
Sex, Lies, and Videotape, screenplay by Steven Soderbergh (Film starring Andie McDowell and others
How I Became Hettie Jones, by Hettie Jones (nonfiction)
Dance Real Slow, Michael Grant Jaffe (fiction; novel about a single-father; a made for TV movie version came out at some point)
Moon Crossing Bridge, by Tess Gallagher (the author expresses her grief over the death of her husband, writer Raymond Carver; poetry; Gallagher is always intelligent and articulate)
The Short Story, edited by Ann Charters (short story anthology)
After Delores, by Sarah Shulman (fiction)
The Lioness and the Little One: The Liaison of George Sand and Frederic Chopin, by William Atwood (fascinating if you're interested in the relationship between these two highly creative people; nonfiction)
The Stories of Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (short stories)
Let the Dog Drive, David Bowman (I loved this; it's funny, serious, unusual, full of surprises; I read somewhere that a movie version is in the works)
The Assignation, by Joyce Carol Oates (Oates is always good; fiction)
Bastard Out of Carolina, Dorothy Alison (This novel blew me away. The movies version, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, was okay, but the book is a must read. Be forewarned: it's a blunt, sometimes violent story; not for the "casual" reader.
Trash, Dorothy Alison (short stories; I was so moved by Bastard Out of Carolina, I continued reading Alison; the reader will learn more about Alison through this book)
The Women Who Hate Me, Dorothy Alison (poems)
You Must Remember This, Joyce Carol Oates (fiction)
The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff (fiction)
Sights Unseen, Kay Gibbons (A beautifully written memoir about growing up with a mother who went through bouts of mental illness; nonfiction)
Once Were Warriors, Alan Duff (Superb. I couldn't put it down. Full of brutality and hope and the will to survive. The movie version is also excellent. I'd put this one in the "not for the casual reader" category.)
Bad Behavior, Mary Gaitskill (Collection of short stories; she uses a minimalist style that you'll either love or hate. She doesn't mince words and she isn't shy.)
My Sister's Bones, Cathi Hanauer (This was great. I think it's her first novel. It's a girl's coming of age tale. Really good.)
In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien (Everything O'Brien writes is incredible. This novel is highly structured, unusual, mysterious, and one that I wished never ended.)
The Liar's Club, Mary Carr. (this is a tender, beautiful and honest memoir about growing up with a father who was an alcoholic, a gambler, and a liar -- i.e. a story teller.)
Emerald City, Jennifer Egan (short stories)
Shelter, Jane Anne Phillips (her style is dense and evocative; too lyrical and enigmatic to be mainstream, but that's why she's good!)
Natural History of Love, Diane Ackerman (my former poetry teacher when I was an undergrad at the Univ. of Pittsburgh; nonfiction)
Daddy, Janet Inglis (A novel about incest; graphic & disturbing; fiction)
Some Girls, Kristin McCloy
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Sherman Alexie (this was Alexie's first book, and it's an impressive debut; short stories)
City of Boys, Beth Nugent (a powerful first collection; her style is understated; her themes are the disintegration of the family and our search for love.
Singing Songs, Meg Tilly (yes, that's right -- the actress, Meg Tilly. A moving, first person narrative about growing up; fiction)
Hula, Lisa Shea (a really great first person narrative -- told from a child's point of view -- about two sisters and their abusive father; fiction)
Spread the Word, Editors on Poetry (essays about poetry writing and publication; nonfiction)
Henry and June, by Anais Nin (made into a film starring Uma Thurman; fiction)
Crazy Time, Abigail Trafford
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera (Kundera is excellent -- this was also made into a film -- the film version is more provocative, the book is more profound; fiction)
Rough Strife, Lynne Sharon Schwartz (fiction)
I Lock My Door Upon Myself, Joyce Carol Oates (this was one of her best books -- it's not a movie yet, but somebody should get to work on this project. It's mythical, visual, tragic, it's Romeo & Juliet and The Gift of the Magi rolled into one; fiction)
Laughable Loves, Milan Kundera (you can't miss with short stories by Kundera)
Antipodes (I have to look up the author)
The Melting Pot and Other Subversive Stories, Lynne Sharon Schwartz (Schwartz's fiction is always satisfying; her characters seems very real, and they confront very real difficulties)
Disturbances in the Field, Lynne Sharon Schwartz
Sisters of the Road, Barbara Miller (fiction)
The Lost World and Other Stories, Michael Chabon (rough in spots, but worth the effort)
The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness, Kim Chernin (nonfiction)
A Place I've Never Been, David Leavitt (short stories)
Last Exit to Brooklyn, Hubert Selby Jr. (a classic, gritty and powerful. I read it after seeing the film starring Jennifer Jason Leigh)
The Risk Pool, Richard Russo (fiction)
Tracks, Louise Edrich (Part of a trilogy; fiction)
Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Michael Chabon (good first novel; a bonus is you're from Pittsburgh; fiction; he's published many books since this one)
The Basketball Diaries, Jim Carroll (gritty first person narrative about surviving the streets of New York, kicking a drug addiction and becoming a writer; a film version stars a young Leonardo Dicapprio; fiction? autobiography?)
A Piece of My Heart, Richard Ford (Ford is a really fine novelist and short story writer; fiction)
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov (a classic, must-read; a 1997 remake of the film has been banned in the USA)
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I've always admired Marquez's work, but this book is my all time favorite so far.)
If Only We Could Drive Like This Forever, Elisabeth Harvor (fiction)
Spider Woman's Granddaughters, edited by Paula Allen Gunn (anthology of fiction by Native American women writers)
Family Dancing, David Leavitt (fiction)
Novel with Cocaine, M. Ageyev (fiction)
Smoke and Other early Stories, Djuna Barnes (Barnes is a writer that should be part of the litarary canon but isn't.)
Breathing Lessons, Ann Tyler
Ladder of Years, Ann Tyler
The Accidental Tourist, Ann Tyler (Tyler always makes the writing seem so easy; her novels are easy to read, yet they are full of insights; I always seem to come back to her; This novel was made into a movie starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner.)
Love Medicine, Louise Erdrich (part of the trilogy, along with Tracks)
The Beet Queen, Louise Erdrich (the third book of the trilogy; her newer work doesn't hold my interest)
Orchard Keeper, Cormac McCarthy (excellent!)
Dollmaker, Harriette Arnow (this is a superb novel; the movie version starred Jane Fonda, also excellent.)
A Boy's Own Story, Edmund White (fiction)
Writing a Woman's Life, Carolyn Heilbrun (nonfiction)
Rebecca West: A Life, Victoria Glendinning (a biography of the writer; nonfiction)
Camille: The Life of Camille Claudel, Rodin's Muse and Mistress, Reine-Marie Paris (this was fascinating)
Mamaw, Susan Dodd (one of my all-time favorites; historical fiction told from the point of view of Frank and Jesse James' mother; want to read more by her)
Tino Modotti: A Fragile Life, Mildred Constatine (biography of the Italian photographer)
Sophie's Choice, William Styron (a brilliant book -- the film version stars Meryl Streep.)
Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner (Stegner is excellent; I need to read more by him)
Illumination Night, Alice Hoffman (fiction; I went through a Hoffman phase in the later 80s or eary 90s; haven't read anything more recent by her; I remember liking how she blended reality with a level of magic or surrealism)
Friday Night at the Silver Star, Patricia Henley (fiction)
Golden Gate, Vikhram Seth (a unique novel-length narrative poem)
Woman in the Mist, Farley Mohatt (biography of Dian Fossey; I read this after seeing the movie, Gorillas in the Mist, with Sigourney Weaver playing Fossey)
Suttree, Cormac McCarthy (everything he writes is golden)
Tamsen Donner: A Woman's Journey, Ruth Whitman (poetry about the Donner party)
Outer Dark, Cormac McCarthy
Child of God, Cormac McCarthy