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A new novel imagines what life was like for Atlanta's first black policemen |
Kerri Miller's Must-Read |
| "Siracusa" by Delia Ephron Buy this book Don’t tell Steph Curtis — who schedules all of my author interviews — but I played book hooky last weekend. I should have been finishing the two novels and a nonfiction book on my "for work" pile, but I got snagged on Ephron’s inventive and unpredictable book about two families traveling together in Italy. New Yorkers Michael and Lizzie have joined Finn and Taylor and their daughter, all from Portland, Me., for a trip abroad. Both couples’ marriages are decaying — one from infidelity, the other from disinterest — and the travelers are struggling to grasp what life might be like on the other side of marriage. There is also the precociously beautiful 10-year-old daughter whom I’m convinced has a future as a serial killer, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. This novel, told from four points of view, explores all of the ways we inflict wounds on our relationships — something at which the Ephrons, Delia and her late sister Nora, are experts. In fact, there are echoes in “Siracusa” of Nora’s autobiographical novel, “Heartburn,” in which she chronicled the dissolution of her marraige to Carl Bernstein. At one point early in “Siracusa,” a character muses: “Couples collaborate, hiding even from each other who is calling the shots and who is along for the ride.” Delia says that when she wrote that sentence, she knew exactly where this novel was headed. But I didn’t and that’s why I lost a weekend to it. -K.M. |
| This Week on The Thread |
| 19 books to read this fall This fall's reading list is packed with new perspectives on U.S. history, a fresh reinvention of Sherlock Holmes and book that asks: Why is Tetris so addictive? More |
| James Patterson plans to write "The Murder of Stephen King," then cancels it James Patterson pitched a book in which Stephen King is stalked by characters from his own novels, like "It," "The Shining" and "Misery." But just a week after announcing it, Patterson said he would not release it. More |
| Banned Books Week: Yes, someone once tried to ban 'Hop on Pop' Find out which books received the most challenges in libraries around the country. More |
| Happy 75th birthday, Curious George George has had many close calls, but did you know he once outran the Nazis? Despite some dated themes (we're looking at you, Man with the Yellow Hat), George is now a multimillion-dollar franchise. More |
| Talking Volumes 2016 season guide The 16th season of Talking Volumes includes interviews with Gloria Steinem, Ann Patchett and Colson Whitehead. More |
| Winston Churchill in an "Indiana Jones"-style escapade "Hero of the Empire" by Candice Millard Buy this book Jean Ann Robison has been selling books for more than 20 years, and this month she's excited about a biography of Winston Churchill's early years, which reads like something out of "Indiana Jones," she said. More |
| Novelist Carl Hiaasen: You can scream about injustice or you can use humor At Talking Volumes, Carl Hiaasen discusses his new novel, "Razor Girl," and why humor is an effective weapon against injustice. More |
| How black women did the math that put men on the moon "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly Buy this book Back in the days of the Space Race, "computers" were people — often women — who performed vital calculations. "Hidden Figures" tells the stories of the women who got some of the first men to space. More |
| Hardboiled historical noir with a heart "By Gaslight" by Steven Price Buy this book Steven Price's hefty new novel stars William Pinkerton, whose father founded the famous detective agency that bears his name, plus a colorful cast of Victorian ne'er-do-wells. And a severed head. More |
| New novel imagines what it was like for Atlanta's first black policemen "Darktown" by Thomas Mullen Buy this book In 1948, eight African-American men joined Atlanta's police force. Those pioneer officers — who couldn't drive squad cars or even step foot in headquarters — inspired Thomas Mullen's new novel. More |
| A powerful political cartoonist questions his influence "Reputations" by Juan Gabriel Vasquez Buy this book Juan Gabriel Vasquez left Colombia when he was 23 to escape the violence — and to write. Now, he's back with the first book he's written since moving home to Bogota. More |
| An unsettling glimpse into a tech-obsessed future "Children of the New World" by Alexander Weinstein Buy this book Alexander Weinstein's collection of stories examines what happens when technology outpaces ethics. More |
| Lose yourself in the twisting, turning alleys of this breakneck sequel "Crooked Kingdom" by Leigh Bardugo Buy this book Leigh Bardugo's follow-up to her steampunky heist tale Six of Crows follows teenage criminal mastermind Kaz and his ragged crew as they take revenge for a betrayal and deal with a dangerous drug. More |
| The power of music to manage pain and illness "Waking the Spirit" by Andrew Schulman Buy this book Andrew Schulman, a medical musician, has written a book on the power of music to help patients manage pain and recover from illness. More |
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