The Assault
Harry Mulisch
A singular event in the ending days of WWII sets off decades-long reverberations for the sole survivor of a Dutch family.
Reading
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Matsuo Bashō
A half poetic, half discursive travel journal by the inventor of the haiku.
The Enigma of Arrival
V.S. Naipaul
The story unfolds in the Wiltshire countryside, where the protagonist rents a modest cottage
Tomorrow x3
Gabrielle Zevin
A trio with skills that mesh and a friendship that has more ups and downs than most rollercoasters helps the pages pass quickly.
What We Can Know
Ian McEwan
The characters grapple with the realization that much of what they perceive as "known" is inherently colored by their experiences and biases.
In Xanadu
William Dalrymple
Scottish historian William Dalrymple, uses older historic narratives and maps to help guide him and fellow travelers from the Holy Land to Xanadu (Shan-tu, just north of Beijing).
Seven Empty Houses
Samanta Schwebin
Schweblin, an Argentinian writer, has written the finest story I've yet read about someone experiencing dementia…
The Hunted
An unfortunate bit of timing has our hero captured in a front page story standing amidst the rubble of a hotel bombing.
Things Become Other Things
Craig Mod
The walk and the environs are the stage settings for the people Mod encounters, who share this forgotten land south of Nara - the Kii peninsula.
Hitch-22
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens reflects on his upbringing, the influences that shaped him, and the philosophical foundations of his worldview.
Quicksand
Junichiro Tanizaki
Quicksand is a silkily nuanced novel of erotic gamesmanship and obsession.
The War Against Cliché
Martin Amis
Essays on the intricacies of literature, focusing on the importance of originality, and the tremendous lack thereof.
The Guide
R.K. Narayan
A young man falls for a dancer and in promoting her falls into debt, and finally prison. The novel starts with his release from prison.
Malgudi Days
R.K. Narayan
Short tales by R.K. Narayan taking place in the fictional town of Malgudi.
The Dog of the South
Charles Portis
Ray Midge, a bean counter in Arkansas, is our leading man and narrator. One day, his wife leaves him for Guy Dupree, but what's worse is that she takes his car.
Clay
James Joyce
Multi-levels of meaning and potential interpretation exist in this, one of Joyce's shortest stories.
