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Tony Miksak

WORDS ON BOOKS by Tony Miksak for KZYX&Z-FM, 90.7 Philo CA
Airs Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 10:55 am & Wednesday, Jan 9 at 1 pm

(copyright 2008 Tony Miksak)

Title: The Readers Speak: Nothing to Read, Everything to Read

(MUSIC UP) This is Tony Miksak with a few Words on Books.

Last week I kvetched about having nothing I wanted to read, my dead of winter kvetch. Clearly it hit a nerve with you.

I got more feedback on last week's column than any I wrote last year.

From Anne Howells in Seattle: Here are two suggestions of new books: "The World Without Us" and Alex Ross's "The Rest Is Noise" (about 20th century music).

From Trish West in Ashland: It's certainly a common dilemma -- wandering among stacks of books and wringing one's hands. What, oh what to read? Your faithful readers have no doubt deluged you with suggestions. Here are a couple more.

"Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56" by Rafe Esquith, is an entertaining and heartwarming account of a 5th-grade teacher in LA, although you may wonder (as I did) about the sanity of a teacher who's in the classroom (with kids) from 6 am to 6 pm and manages to stage unabridged Shakespearean plays complete with music. Of course, he also teaches the kids to play all the instruments.

From J.C.: Hi Tony, some people might have a hard time feeling sorry for you, but I can so relate to your "so many books and nothing I want to read" situation... What I have found useful (and easy on my wallet) in situations like this is to visit friends who are also into books and browse through THEIR collection of "someday" books... I am sure half of the people who walk into a bookstore are there because they have "nothing to read."

My favorite book this year was Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." Right now, I enjoy reading Ngaio Marsh's detective novels. Would prefer to read more by Barbara Kingsolver or Laurie King, but I've already read everything they have written... Ngaio Marsh wrote about a book a year between 1934 and 1982, each of them a little glimpse into the culture of the time, besides being an entertaining detective novel.

From Anne Prescott: Tony, what a relief it is to know that you ARE human, that you don't start and finish every book that has ever come your way. As for me... I've started knitting... for now. It's very satisfying. Have you considered integrating some knitting into your life?

From Nancy Kael, (first prize for number of books recommended): Just two minutes ago I was fingering over a stack of "partly read books" and wondering: What's wrong with me? Why am I unable to select the "right" books, other than Norwegian or Swedish mystery writers, such as Henning Mankell, "One Step Behind" and recently Karin Fossum "Don't Look Back" and within the English mystery contingent, Barry Maitland, "No Trace." Also John Lawton, another intelligent mystery writer with London the setting.

Thomas McGuane's "Gallatin Canyon" short fiction is astounding, as well as James Salter's "Last Night," and "Half a Life" by V.S. Naipaul. Alan Furst is fantastic, especially "Kingdom of Shadows." This year I read "The World at Night," great as ever. I keep reaching back to Graham Swift and Ward Just, re-reading Swift's "The Light of Day."

Could it be that publishers are handing over big bucks to authors whom we have enjoyed in the past... but their current writing is just not that engaging?

So, my thanks to all who wrote, and all who may still write. Next week: Even more interesting feedback, from the legendary John Biggins in London, Paul Takushi in Davis, Cindy Swan in Mendocino...

(MUSIC UP) Meanwhile, as if I had to encourage you, keep writing and reading!

(MUSIC) You, too, can receive WOB scripts in your email. To be on the list, please send a note to amiksak@mcn.org.

You can view past WOB scripts here: www.gallerybooks.com/bkm/

NOTES:

Books and authors mentioned in this week's WOB:

"The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. St. Martin's Press hardcover $24.95. ISBN 0312347294. (Reviewed in the WOB of November 18, 2007: www.gallerybookshop.com/bkm/wob071118.html).

"The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century" by Alex Ross. Farrar, Straus & Giroux hardcover $30. ISBN 0374249393.

"Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56" by Rafe Esquith. Penguin paperback $14. ISBN 0143112864.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life" by Barbara and Camille Kingsolver. HarperCollins hardcover $26.95. ISBN 0060852550.

"Artists in Crime" by Ngaio Marsh. Black Dog Publishing hardcover $9.98. ISBN 1579125786.

"One Step Behind" by Henning Mankell. Vintage Books paperback $13.95. ISBN 1400031516.

"Don't Look Back (Inspector Sejer Mysteries) by Karin Fossum. Harvest Books paperback $14. ISBN 0156031361.

"No Trace (Brock & Kolla Mysteries) by Barry Maitland. St. Martin's Minotaur paperback $13.95. ISBN 0312376464.

"A Little White Death" by John Lawton. Grove/Atlantic paperback $12. ISBN 0802142907.

"Gallatin Canyon" by Thomas McGuane. Vintage paperback $13. ISBN 1400075181.

"Last Night" by James Salter. Vintage paperback $13. ISBN 1400078415.

"Half a Life" by V. S. Naipaul. Vintage Books paperback $13.95. ISBN 037570728X.

"Kingdom of Shadows" by Alan Furst. Random House paperback $13.95. ISBN 0375758267.

"The World at Night" by Alan Furst. Random House paperback $13.95. ISBN 0375758585.

"The Light of Day" by Graham Swift. Vintage Books paperback $13. ISBN 1400032210.

"Forgetfulness" by Ward Just. Mariner Books paperback $13.95. ISBN 0618918493.

Just for the record: After expostulating last week, I found myself reading "Jubilee City, A Memoir at Full Speed" all the way through and enjoying it, and then finally getting around to the delightful "A Time of Gifts" by Patrick Leigh Fermor, a memoir which continues in "Between the Woods and the Water." More on these later.

Tony Miksak
Words on Books: www.gallerybooks.com/bkm/
personal home page: http://amiksak.googlepages.com/home

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