The Tournament of Books 2013 | Raging Biblio-holism

Dear Life

December 11, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: The now-Nobel lauded author’s final collection of short stories, full of life in all its majesty and quiet import. The split second decision to jump off a train and walk back instead of going forward sends reverberations down a man’s life. A chance encounter with a saleswoman reconnects two old flames. And a suite of Munro’s first-ever autobiographical stories reveals some of her dear life to close out the collection. The Review: It’s a simple enough statement […]

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories • Tags: Alice Munro, Autobiography, BookClub, Dear Life, Fiction, Nobel Prize, Short Stories, Stories, The Tournament of Books 2013

Beautiful Ruins

June 2, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: During the filming of Cleopatra, a young actress’ life changes drastically and irrevocably in a town on the Italian coast. In the relative present, the players from that fateful time (as well as some youngsters along for the ride) are trying to find each other again – and complete the story begun all those years ago. The Review: I’ve never read Jess Walter before, despite his having been one of those authors who people continually say “oh, you […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: Beautiful Ruins, Fiction, Film, Jess Walter, Literature, The Tournament of Books 2013, Travel

Building Stories

April 4, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: A building in Chicago, a young woman who lost part of her leg, a bickering couple, and an industrious bee are just some of the major players in a panoramic story of life – the lives most people lead, of quiet desperation. The Review: So it took me a while to get to this book. Partially because, yes, the price tag is a bit intimidating – but it’s also worth it, in the end. I was lucky enough to score […]

Categories: Fiction • Tags: Book in a Box, Building Stories, Chris Ware, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Literature, The Tournament of Books 2013

Fobbit

February 26, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: At Forward Operating Base Triumph in Iraq, this cockamamie war stumbles forward and everyone plays their part. The soldiers go out and nearly get killed while the fobbits stay inside the base and live in relative luxury. But as the war drags on and folks get sloppy, some bad shit starts to cross over… The Review: Let’s start with a moment of appreciation for the gorgeous cover here. This book is just damn good looking. It’s simple and […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: America, David Abrams, Fiction, Fobbit, Iraq War, Literature, Satire, The Tournament of Books 2013, War

The Orphan Master’s Son

February 22, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: Pak Jun Do, a young North Korean orphan, rises from poverty and hopelessness to eventually usurp the identity of one of Kim Jong Il’s most fearsome generals. He falls in love and, eventually, makes the greatest sacrifice to free his adopted wife and children. The Review: Firstly, let me give a shout out to Book Riot’s excellent discussion (released today, wonderfully) of this book. Because Jodi Chromey pretty much nails it: this was underwhelming at best. This is […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: Adam Johnson, Fiction, Literature, The Orphan Master's Son, The Tournament of Books 2013

How Should A Person Be?

February 11, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: Sheila Heti, a playwright in Toronto, is struggling with authenticity and what it means to be. It’s all very late-twentysomething angst, as she learns, well, how to be a person through various trials and tribulations. The Review: I’m not sure if I hated this book or if I just felt meh about it. I guess I ought to get that off my chest right away – feels better now! I made a comment in my review of Ivyland that Miles […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature, Non-Fiction • Tags: Art, Fiction, How Should A Person Be?, Literature, Narrative Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Sheila Heti, The Tournament of Books 2013, Theater

Gone Girl

January 30, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: Nick Dunne has the perfect wife. Amy is pretty, funny, sexy, smart, and just about everything he could ask for. But their marriage has taken a turn and when she disappears on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, signs point to him having murdered her – except that he vehemently denies it and might actually be telling the truth. Of course, the truth is relative. The Review: I approached this novel with trepidation, to say […]

Categories: Fiction, Mystery • Tags: Fiction, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, Mystery, The Tournament of Books 2013

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

January 28, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: Specialist Billy Lynn, youngest member of a celebrated Army squad (known as Bravo Company) who engaged in an intense and well-documented firefight in Iraq, experiences a long dark afternoon of the soul on Thanksgiving Day at the Cowboys game. The Review: That summary doesn’t exactly do the book justice, but then I don’t know quite what does. Nothing I’ve read so far about this book actually prepared me for the experience of reading it. Even the early […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: America, Ben Fountain, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Fiction, Football, Literature, The Tournament of Books 2013, War

The Round House

January 23, 2013 by Drew

The Short Version: After Joe Coutts’ mother is attacked, he goes from being a teenager with no cares to an adult in the blink of an eye. Frustrated at the inability of the legal system (figureheaded, largely, by his father – a tribal judge), he and his friends set out to try and discover the identity of the rapist. Over the course of that long spring and summer, Joe’s life will change irrevocably several times over. The Review: This was […]

Categories: Fiction, Literature • Tags: BookClub, Crime, Fiction, Literature, Louise Erdich, National Book Award, Native American Lit, The Round House, The Tournament of Books 2013

Raging Biblio-holism

The overwhelming urge to collect, consume, and consider books

Tag: The Tournament of Books 2013