Monday, March 25, 2013
Harrowing plane crashes, a true Bronx tale and more.
Nothing is as satisfying to me as reading a well-written, compelling true story. Which is why I love narrative nonfiction. The genre reads like fiction — it has plot, character development, scene-setting, conflict — but it's all true. Sometimes the best stories are not the ones we make up, but the ones that make up our lives. Below, in no particular order, is a list of five of my favorite narrative nonfiction books — old and new. If you're looking for a good read, I encourage you to check out any on this list. You just may have a hard time putting these titles down. 1. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand At times, the tale of Olympic runner and World War II prisoner of war Louis Zamperini seems ripped from the set of an adventure or war …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Here are some of the hottest books flying off bookstore shelves this month.
What's on your "must read" list? For all you voracious readers out there, here's a look at some of the hottest books of February, according Barnes & Noble. "Inferno," by Dan Brown: This book doesn't even hit the shelves for three more months, but pre-orders make it one of the hottest books right now. Brown, of "Da Vinci Code" fame, will likely have another movie deal on his hands: About the book: In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces…Dante’s Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, …
Monday, January 28, 2013
From Charlotte's Web to Where the Wild Things Are, share these classic books with your children and encourage their love for reading.
- PATCH READS
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Monday, January 28
“Where’s Pa Going with that Axe?” The Enduring Quality of Children’s Classics By Anita Silvey Courtesy of James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read Foundation The opening line of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web— “Where’s Pa going with that axe?”—has now been read by adults to eager young listeners for more than 60 years. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day have been picked up with enthusiasm for more than 50 years. For 75 years, parents have shared The Hobbit, and this year Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are turns 50. These books and others like them (Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) bring …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bestselling authors Sue Grafton, Jodi Picoult and more are releasing books this winter.
It might be chilly out, but book publishing is red hot right now. Several favorite bestselling authors are releasing books early in 2013. What are some of the most anticipated?
Monday, December 24, 2012
A list of the best children's books of 2012, from James Patterson's ReadKiddoRead Foundation.
Courtesy of the ReadKiddoRead Foundation: Maurice Sendak once said that one of the best things about being a maker of children’s books was that his audience kept being born. It’s true, of course: The great books from years past are brand new to today’s children and teens. But let’s take a moment at year’s end to recognize the books being published now for our young people. Here’s a quick roundup of a dozen highlights of 2012. (For more, visit ReadKiddoRead.com and check out our reviews.) Great Illustrated Books (Ages 2-5) Llama Llama Time to Share By Anna Dewdney For ages 2-5 When the doorbell rings, Mama Llama welcomes the neighbors – the Gnus. While Mama and Nelly have tea, their two toddlers are left with a boxful of toys to play …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
It's that time of year: The internet is littered with best books lists for 2012. But why let critics and publishers get the last word? What was your favorite book this year?
It's December, which is the unofficial "taking stock" month of the Internet. And one of the Internet's favorite year-end topics focuses on the best book of 2012. There are plenty of takes to choose from, like the newsy list, the most-purchased list, the best-as-voted-by-social-media-users list, the traditional list, the contrarian publication's list. We could go on. But now it's time to hear from you. What was the best book you read in 2012? And best, of course, is subjective. It can mean your favorite, the one you thought was crafted best, the one you thought was most thought-provoking. Or fun. Or important. It's up to you. Got a favorite book you read in 2012? Use the comments section below to tell us what it was and why you loved it.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The famed author takes an unflinching look at British society in her first novel for adults.
The Harry Potter series famously opens with a chapter called "The Boy Who Lived," which any of J.K. Rowling's millions of fans would tell you refers to Harry's miraculous survival after the dark wizard Voldemort attacked and killed his parents. In Rowling's new novel for adults, the first chapter could easily be titled "The Man Who Died," since the entire novel subsequently revolves around the death of the one fairly likable character. Just as Harry's status as a miraculous survivor gives him an elevated position in the fantasy series, Barry Fairbrother's status as a revered corpse reverberates through "The Casual Vacancy." The premise of "The Casual Vacancy" is that one man's death sets into motion a series of escalating events in a small…
Monday, November 19, 2012
Celebrate next week's holiday by reading some of these Thanksgiving-themed books.
Although it's not as famous as Halloween or Christmas, the Thanksgiving holiday does have it's fair share of literature dedicated to it. Whether you're young and still reading picture books, or an adult, we have a little something for everyone in our Patch Reads book list. So grab your turkey and enjoy some books as side dishes! Younger readers: 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving—In a switch on the classic Clement Moore poem, some boys and girls have an eventful Thanksgiving eve. If You Lived In Colonial Times—This book outlines what the lives were like for the Pilgrims and Colonists from 1565 to 1776. The First Thanksgiving—Geared toward beginner readers, this book tells the story of the first Thanksgiving with lots of illustrations. …
