The New York Times Book Review just chose Per Petterson's book, Out Stealing Horses (Greywolf, 2007) as one of the best of 2007. No doubt - it's subtle, well-crafted, and beautifully written, thanks in part to the skill of translator Ann Born. Set in Norway, the author's home, the book is a coming of age story, entirely free of cliche and over-statement. A consistently compelling read. (I tried to get Petterson for the show, but he doesn't like to give interviews in English and his publicist didn't know how to reach Ann Born.)
What I just said, by the way, is pretty amazing. I get about 20 books a week to review for the show and countless press releases. I review each of them for style, content, and relevance before booking the author. And what I've discovered is, if you like to read, you must be willing to sacrifice. With fiction, many books have great plot but sloppy language (think Grisham). Or they have both, for a few chapters, then leave you stranded with neither. Nonfiction can give you great ideas but the language is so dry a lobotomy is more appealing. I'm not sure why this is the case - although I have a few guesses.
Now the confession (not spicy, I'm afraid): I generally prefer fiction to nonfiction. Still, much of the nonfiction seems better these days. Here are two I highly recommend - the authors British:
- Winged Wonders by Peter Watkins and Jonathan Stockland. This British pair put together an amazing book about birds - not exotic birds but the exotic aspects of ordinary bids such as the pigeon (AKA dove), the raven, and the rooster. In our interview, Stockland revealed a wonderful excitment about the cultural and symbolic worth of these creatures.
- Taj Mahal by Diana and Michael Preston. If you are a closet soap opera lover, here's the real deal. The story of an empire (with all the sadistic, power-mongering, and amazing trimmings) that led to the building of the Taj Mahal and other great monuments of the Moghul empire in he 15 and 16oo's. An informative read - a page-turner, too.
PLEASE - know any great reads, especially fiction? Let me know!
Tomi dePaola, who authored and more to the point illustrated lots of children's books, is a really great guy. By far, the easiest interview I've ever done, mainly because he has such a great sense of humor. Last year, when I was co-hosting another talk show with a veteran host, I received this invaluable piece of advice: "Don't laugh. If you do, you'll lose your credibility." It's invaluable because it proves some advice is really bad, off-the-mark advice. I laughed all the way through the interview. So did he. So, will my listeners (I hope). It was great.