It had been a few months since Bob last spoke with our intrepid book critic Laura Miller, so fall seemed like a good time to check in and see what’s recently piqued her interest. As usual, I asked Laura to focus on the new fiction she’s reading, simply because we cover so much non-fiction on the show. Since I’m still mad at myself for missing my chance to have Bob talk with Jennet Conant about her book The Irregulars, I was delighted that it was one of the books Laura mentioned to me. And if you’re looking for an escape from the current political fervor, this is a diverse enough list to keep your mind occupied with things other than the coming election… at least until you turn on the TV… or radio… or open a newspaper… or turn on your computer.
When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (here’s Laura’s salon.com review)
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago
Antoine’s Alphabet by Jed Perl
The Irregulars by Jennet Conant
— Cristy Meiners