Comments on: Listapalooza: summer reading

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:24:05 +0000

Hi Tinky! Thanks for the plug, and for getting me back in touch with Martin.
I am late to this party, but here's my summer reading suggestion: James Hyne's Publish and Perish: Three Tales of Tenure and Terror. Three novellas that manage to be genuinely spooky, genuinely funny, and very sharp about life in academe. And the best one, the title novella, takes place in a thinly disguised Austin/UT.

By: Heather and Martin

Heather and Martin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:23:28 +0000

Of course I remember Peter – and his famous story about Patty Duke Astin! As a native Californian, clearly I need to find his book.

By: Tinky

Tinky — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:25:06 +0000

Alas, this is probably the one time of year I don't get much of a chance to read anything! Things accelerate in Massachusetts at this time of year, which we call summer. I am currently reading "California's Best," edited by one of our former American Studies colleagues, Peter Fish (he wasn't there very long, but you might remember him), who works at Sunset Magazine. It's easy for a girl without a lot of time to read because it's composed of snippets, but it's very interesting and diverse. I'm learning a lot about California!

By: Heather and Martin

Heather and Martin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:28:18 +0000

Jon: Thanks for the comment! I enjoyed Winter's Tale, but my favorite Helprin book is probably A Soldier of the Great War. And Shadow of the Wind sounds intriguing….

By: Jonathan Spencer

Jonathan Spencer — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:43:24 +0000

I had the great fortune to discover "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon through my book group a few summers ago. Set in post-Spanish Civil War Barcelona, it's a haunting tale about a young man's journey through a world of lost books and lost authors. Very vivid and for me quite unforgettable.

I also have fond memories of Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale," a fantastical turn-of-the-last-century tale of a mythically altered New York City beset by arctic winds and unearthly lights. Best book about a city ever! It was also the gift of a dear friend, which made it a special read.