MORE 2005 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
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FICTION
Paradise
by A.L. Kennedy (March 2005)
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The narrator of A.L. Kennedy's harrowing, and often morbidly hilarious, new novel thinks she's found paradise in a whisky bottle; but the more she drinks, the briefer her ecstasy. (MN)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
American Surfaces
by Stephen Shore (November 2005)
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Whimsically packaged to simulate an oversize Kodak envelope for generic snapshot photography, this volume presents a vivid photo-diary of America in the early '70s. Armed with a point-and-shoot camera, the young Stephen Shore set out on a road trip across the States, skimming the surface of all that he encountered with an active lens. (PL)
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FICTION
The Areas of My Expertise
by John Hodgman (November 2005)
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Hodgman's almanac of "COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE" sets the record straight on every important world issue — past, present, and future — from the forgotten hobo rebellions to the origin of lobsters. (AC)
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REFERENCE
Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr, E.B. White, and Maira Kalman (November 2005)
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Rule #1 of Elements of Style: You do not talk about Elements of Style.
Rule #2: You DO NOT talk about Elements of Style.
Rule #3: Enclose parenthetic expressions, such as, "The book, a delightful mélange of Prof. Strunk's and E.B. White's gravitas with illustrator Maira Kalman's whimsy, has never been so germane," between commas. (JDS)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Roger Ballen: Shadow Chamber
by Robert Sobieszek (October 2005)
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Dark and bizarre, Roger Ballen's black-and-white images conjure the spirit of Diane Arbus and then kick things up a nasty notch. Photographing an assortment of misfits, animals, and objects in derelict settings, the New York-born, South African artist presents an edgy, nightmarish realm straight off of a psychiatrist's sofa. (PL)
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FICTION
Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus
by Margaret Atwood (November 2005)
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Here's a new spin on the oldest of wives' tales: Margaret Atwood reinterprets the Odyssey through the eyes of Penelope. Clever imagination and deadpan humor carry this inaugural installment of Canongate's myths series, which is set to feature classic tales re-told by Chinua Achebe and Victor Pelevin. (TW)
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FICTION
Kung Fu High School
by Ryan Gattis (September 2005)
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Imagine the crazy, kung fu universe of Stephen Chow, with a dash of The Warriors, on the set of your average, gritty, urban high-school drama. Ryan Gattis' bold and violent novel has a seriousness of purpose and character that rewards the reader with an unexpected sense of literary satisfaction. (OZ)
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ARCHITECTURE
Louis I Kahn
by Robert McCarter (May 2005)
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Monumental in scope — like the buildings Louis Kahn built — this impressive tome examines the making of this visionary architect's most important works, as well as several unfinished projects. Intelligently researched and written — and beautifully illustrated with countless photographs, plans, and new, computer-generated images of unbuilt projects — Louis I Kahn provides an in-depth, chronological look at one of the most influential American architects. (PL)
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FICTION
Dancing in the Dark
by Caryl Phillips (September 2005)
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This fictional skewering of the legacy of the minstrel show focuses on the life of the brilliant, black actor Bert Williams (1875-1922), who was, at his peak, the highest-paid entertainer in America. In order to appeal to his white audience, the light-skinned Williams had to darken up his face with burnt cork. Phillips offers a nuanced portrait of Williams' remarkable, conflicted life. (TW)
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FICTION
The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil
by George Saunders (September 2005)
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Like Dostoevsky's "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man," this novella distills into allegory the quiet hopefulness beneath Saunders' often cynical portraits of human behavior — while still using such "characters" as a belt buckle stapled to a can of tuna. (AC)
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FICTION
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart
by Lydia Millet (July 2005)
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The creators of the atomic bomb are mysteriously transported to modern-day Santa Fe, where they encounter confusion, celebrity, and infamy. Lydia Millet manages this dangerously high-concept conceit with generous, precise, and funny prose. (TW)
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DESIGN
Safe: Design Takes on Risk
by Paola Antonelli (October 2005)
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A stylish catalog for MoMA's first design show since reopening in 2004, Safe functions as a handbook of contemporary design objects and prototypes that deal with our well-being. Neatly organized into chapters on shelter, armor, property, the everyday, emergency, and awareness, it presents more than 300 captivating objects with clarity and wit. (PL)
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