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LATEST Feature Articles
Discipline in Jogging and Writing
by - Saturday, July 12, 2008
Haruki Murakami has a wonderful article in the "Life and Letters" section of The New Yorker magazine (June 9 &16, 2008) that reveals the Japanese novelist's inner workings and how he became both a runner and a writer. It's not surprising that discipline, with a capital D is at the root of both, providing fascinating biographical insights into the author's life, his motivations and his writing. If you're a runner, a wannabe writer, or simply a lover of Murakami's books: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1997) Kafka on the Shore (2005) and After Dark (2007) to name three titles for starters... read on.
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LATEST Author Interviews
Author Interview: Kem Nunn
by - Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Summer is finally here and all the folks at BookBuffet who have surfing on the brain decided to re-post an earlier interview [Nov 13 2004] with Kem Nunn, the legendary surf noir novelist. In addition to his own novel adaptations, Kem has a successful streak of screenplays to his name, Wild Things and his newest collaborations are with HBO Producer David Milch on the show "Deadwood" and he co-produced the HBO series "John from Cincinnati", a surfing series set in Imperial Beach, California which premiered on June 10, 2007. Kem spoke to BookBuffet about the third book in his surf-trilogy, Tijuana Straits, Random House (2004)
Feature Articles >>
Rose Tremain Wins 2008 Orange Prize
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Saturday, June 21, 2008
Rose Tremain has twice been a Booker Prize judge and this year she wins the prestigious Orange Prize for her tenth novel, The Road Home: A Novel (Chatto and Windus 2007) The story is about an Eastern Eurpean migrant worker who travels to London for employment that can support his family. He discovers London is awash with money, celebrity and complacency. The contrast underscores the new East-West economic dichotomy that exists between disparate EU countries resulting in the flow of population to Western urban centers who must then grapple with a cultural divide.
Book Reviews >>
Canadian Feminist Writer Sarah Felix Burns Writes BIG Fish Story
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Jackfish, The Vanishing Village (Inanna Poetry & Fiction) is not a regular fish story—but it will hook you. Clemance-Marie Nadeau is haunted by memories unraveling from a traumatic past. Her story begins as she boards a train bound for Sault Ste. Marie and falls under the spell of a charming stranger who promises her a life of adventure. Nothing she will experience could be further from that promise. Based on her own life and stories from the trauma/torture survivors that Sarah Felix Burns has counseled over the years, Jackfish will mesmerize and invoke a gamut of emotions. Not since, Bastard Out of Carolina will you be so moved by a book of this kind. Don't let your group miss Jackfish. The author writes, “This book is dedicated to all those people who battle with the demons of guilt, shame addiction, and mental illness.” Take a look at BookBuffet Reviewer Dee Raffo's review.
Publisher News >>
NYRB Is Having A Sale
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The New York Review of Books (NYRB) is moving offices from their current location to Hudson Street in Greenwich Village. Take advantage of the 40%-60% discounts on excellent titles not often available at these prices. Sale ends March 9th. Just browsing the list of fiction, translated fiction, essays and criticism along with other genres, I have pulled a few titles from my own shopping list. Aside from personal reading interests, it's always nice to have a few extra books on hand for gift occasions in the coming months; these are books suitable for most everyone. Learn more about this important literary and publishing force in America.
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Whistler Reads >>
Whistler Reads: James Bond 007 Fall Party
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
May 28th was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond 007. To celebrate, renowned British author Sebastian Faulks has released a new novel titled Devil May Care (James Bond). This unprecedented new edition to the popular and enduring spy series is the Whistler Reads pick for the summer. Members will have some frivolous fun over the summer planning for the September fundraiser and costume party! SAVE THE DATE: Sept 13th (venue TBA) Our sponsors are BACARDI and the Four Seasons Resort and Spa. Tickets are $100 each with proceeds going to fund future WR events. So pick up a copy of this book and developing your party cameo personae - are you a Bond babe, a 007 clone or an evil-doer? Come prepared to shake and get stirred! Event details to follow. Read more about what the critics are saying about Devil May Care.
Wine & Book Club >>
Wine & Book Group Pick for July '08
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I've always been a fan of Glen Gould. His playing of Bach and particularly the Goldberg Variations is like trance for the piano—starting at the first variation one is swept away in space and time. I always imagine that my math skills are subliminally being enhanced just by listening to the contrapuntal melody. The other fascination I have with Gould is hearing the stories of his unusual personality quirks. Declared a child prodigy by age three when he demonstrated perfect pitch, it is said that he could read a music score through just once and play the piece perfectly from memory. He had an obsession with his hands. He always wore gloves, even in summer, and never shook hands with people. He would stand for long periods of time at the sink running warm water over his hands. This month I'm recommending the Wine & Book Group pick-up a new book about this fascinating musical genius. (Your dinner conversations will sparkle and entertain even the most die-hard pop or rock fan.) A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano borrows heavily on a previous biography on the artist, but it also tells the story of Gould's relationship with a particular piano and the blind farm-boy technician he relied upon to keep the instrument tuned to his grueling specifications. See what you think as you read further, and download Gould's music from iTunes as a wonderful accompaniment. For wines to go with this selection we've chosen a few delicious ones from the Niagara escarpment wine growing region of Ontario. (Gould was a native of Toronto, not far away.) The area is as physically beautiful as this love story and the music. Enjoy!
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Author Interviews >>
Author Interview: CS Richardson
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
CS Richardson has worked in publishing for over twenty years. He is a multiple recipient of the Alcuin Award, Canada’s highest honor for excellence in book design, and a frequent lecturer on various facets of publishing, design, and communications. The End of the Alphabet: A Novel, published by Doubleday Canada, is his first novel and it has just been awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize for A Writer's First Novel. Congratulations Scott!! [interview Feb 2008]
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Technology Corner >>
Survey Shows Increasing Use of E-Books As Research Tool Among Students
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Digital resources are used as often, if not more often, than print books says 6,500 students at around 400 institutions across the globe who participated in a survey by Ebrary, the Palo Alto-based digital content service and delivery company. Craig Morgan Teicher who writes for Publishers Weekly, (6/25/2008 7:00:00 AM) says that "while the survey does indicate some skepticism and ignorance about e-books in institutional libraries, it also clearly shows that students are increasingly using e-books and other digital reference sources for research and other assignments."
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Events >>
2008 BBC Samuel Johnson Award for Nonfiction
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Sunday, July 13, 2008
Each year the BBC sponsors the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction recognizing excellence in nonfiction writing. BookBuffet editor Paula Shackleton attended the discussion and provides audio excerpts with the five out of six shortlisted authors whose books vary in subject matter from the history of the Congo, to life in the Soviet during Stalin, to the biography of V.S. Naipaul, to an encapsulated view on the vitality of twentieth century classical music and its connections to popular culture, and finally to the first murder case in Victorian history that sparked an entirely new genre in literature and crime fighting—the detective novel and the professional crime detective. Meet Tim Butcher, Mark Cocker, Orlando Figues, Patrick French, Alex Ross and Kate Summerscale.
....More >>
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