The Wave

The Wave

Rating:  The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean, by Susan Casey. Doubleday (2010), 318 pages. Oh, Susan. I’m so embarrassed for you. Aren’t you embarrassed? Must all your books become a paean to your unbridled lust for one of the...
People of the Book

People of the Book

Rating:  People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. Penguin Books (2008), 386 pages. Geraldine Brooks is an exceptional writer of nonfiction (Nine Parts of Desire was shortlisted for a Gustine in 2008) and fiction set in the past (Year of Wonders, set during...
A Wolf at the Table

A Wolf at the Table

Rating:  A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father, by Augusten Burroughs.  St. Martin’s Press (2008), 256 pages. I was wrong about Augusten. He has proven beyond a doubt that he did have another award-winning book in him after all. I had declared him...
In Defense of Food

In Defense of Food

Rating:  In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.  Penguin Press (2008), 256 pages. Though I am a huge fan of The Omnivore’s Dilemma (a 2007 Gustine  Award winner), I had some concerns about Pollan’s new book also being about the food we eat. Could...