Book Reviews, Author Interviews

Cover Story The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver The space betweenKingsolver’s latest novel is a powerful mix of art, politics and identity In the pantheon of popular fiction, Kingsolver is queen. Or close to it. Consider this: she is among the first Barbaras to pop up in a Google search, trailing only a few well-known names such as Streisand, Bush and Boxer. In the two decades since the release of her first novel, The Bean Trees—which was published the day her daughter, now a college graduate, started to walk—Kingsolver has amassed an avid following of readers. They’ve devoured both her fiction and nonfiction, including best-selling novels The… Read More…	Current Issue Columns Audio Author Enablers Book Clubs Cooking Romance Well Read Whodunit?
Author Interviews Debut teen author brews a tasty romance Interview by Linda M. Castellitto Kristina Springer is unequivocal and unabashed about her love of coffee. She drinks it often, her kitchen is espresso-themed and she’s a devoted… Read More… Salvation in a bottleMary Karr comes clean in a riveting third memoir Interview by Katherine Wyrick She may be 20 years sober and a Catholic convert, but don’t get the wrong impression—Mary Karr is no “candy-ass” (her word). She’s… Read More… On the runJohn Irving’s father-son fugitive adventure Interview by Alden Mudge John Irving did not actually attend his induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, some 15 years ago. But now he… Read More… Goth Girl finds her voice Interview by Kate Pritchard Barry Lyga’s debut YA novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, told the story of two high school outcasts: one a… Read More…
Features Vintage selections to please any wine lover Feature by Eve Zibart For several years now, the holiday batch of wine books has become increasingly divided between the “elitists” and the “populists.” The… Read More… Military histories honor veterans of American conflicts Feature by Howard Shirley Veterans Day, November 11, began as Armistice Day—the day on which World War I, or The Great War as it was then known, came to a messy, awkward… Read More… Bright lights, big names‘Tis the season of celebrity in this year’s Hollywood tomes Feature by Pat Broeske The star names shine particularly bright on the bookshelves this holiday season. Where to begin? How about age before beauty . . . Read More… Stepping out: Little ones (and parents) find the courage to break away Feature by Robin Smith When is the best time for a youngster to strike out on his or her own? Every family faces this crucial moment, whether it’s a toddler taking her… Read More…