New Books

Marilynne Robinson's new book, Home was released today. Buy it. Buy it because Robinson can write, because her last novel Gilead nabbed her a Pulitzer, because her novel before that, Housekeeping, was just as good, and because damnit you should be reading good books.

Rachel and I were talking about this trend in people not reading anymore, but when we take the train anywhere, people are packed like sardines with their ipods in their earholes and books in front of their eyeholes. This is just another reason cities should have better mass-transit (coughSeattlecough): reduce traffic, reduce pollution, create jobs (?), lotsa other stuff, oh, and people might read a little bit. Maybe that's just a side-effect of all the schools here in Bostonia, but anyone who's been to college will tell you going to school doesn't necessarily make you a reader.

Also, issue #28 of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern was released a week or so ago, with eight tiny, separate books that fit together to make two gorgeous pictures. The best part: each book contains an illustrated fable. This only makes me want a nice copy of Aesop's Fables even more.