Ann Patchett’s Twisting, Turning Life and Books
When the last independent bookstore in Nashville closed, Ann Patchett and a friend opened Parnassus Books. As she says, she didn’t want to live in a city without a bookstore. Who can blame her?
Audiophile Files: Beth Fish Reads
Book bloggers are often the first to tweet book news, the brains behind book memes, and of course, the first to review new releases. I called up Candace of Beth Fish Reads, a blog covering both books and audiobooks, to talk about blogging and her favorite types of books.
Book of the Month: State of Wonder
Take a dark and thrilling trip down The Amazon river in Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, our October Book of the Month!
The Bookseller Chronicles: Third Place Books
We sat down with veteran bookseller Erin Ball, assistant manager at Third Place Books to discuss bookselling, the philosophy behind Third Place Books, and what’s on her to-be-read list.
Atul Gawande: The Thoughtful Doctor
Atul Gawande has been many things: Rhodes scholar, husband, father, journalist, surgeon, political advisor, and author. His writings show that he is as thoughtful as he is meticulous.
Book of the Month: Being Mortal
In Being Mortal, doctor and writer Atul Gawande discusses end-of-life care. He takes us through the history of gerontology, assisted living, and provides countless sets of data and anecdotes. Through it all, Gawande says that the medical community as well as patients’ families treat patients as subjects rather than as human beings.
Indie Picks: September 2015
The IndieNext bestseller list is one of the best places to find out what’s hot at independent bookstores around the United States. Based on reporting from hundreds of independent bookstores, here’s a sampling of some of the best nonfiction books right now.
Dolen Perkins-Valdez on Genres, Complex Characters, and Healing Our Wounds
Dolen Perkins-Valdez follows the rabbit hole of historical footnotes, adds robust, nuanced characters, rhythmic dialogue, and intricate subtexts, and produces some of the best historical fiction around. She took the time to speak to me about both books over the phone, while she was visiting her home state of Tennessee.
Not My Father's Son
Not My Father’s Son
Amanda Palmer on Wanting to Be Seen
Amanda Palmer on Recording Her Audiobook, the Weird Places She Writes, and Fear
If you already follow Amanda Palmer, author of The Art of Asking, on Twitter, then you probably know that lately she’s been busy grieving, battling Lyme Disease, recording with her father, and preparing to have her first baby with her husband Neil Gaiman. So we were incredibly pleased that she took time out from her nonstop, go-go-go life, to answer a few questions for us via email.