Critical Notes October 10, 2016

By Bethanne Patrick

Greetings, critics and readers. This week we’ve got a good mix of fiction and nonfiction, reviews and interviews.  Kerri Arsenault talked to Matt Weiland, lover of soccer and talking rabbits,

Ann Patchett, Monet, Banned Books and More

By Elizabeth Taylor

Autumn brings a bounty of books, and reviews. Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth has been reviewed widely. Eileen Weiner reviews Patchett's novel for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Alexis Burling reviews the novel for the San Francisco Chronicle  and

Colson Whitehead, William Giraldi and Patient H.M.

By Elizabeth Taylor

Board member Colette Bancroft reviews Colson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad for the Tampa Bay Times. Mike Lindgren reviews William Giraldi’s The Hero’s Body for the Washington Post.  Julia M. Klein reviews Luke

Helen Gurley Brown, Teju Cole and Romance of Latin

By Elizabeth Taylor

Post-conventions, mid-Olympics, pre-Labor Day, and plenty of time for summer reading. Board member Carmela Ciuraru has been surveying a set of smart readers, so check out the marvelous series— or take your

Mychal Denzel Smith, Cynthia Ozick and Anne Tyler

By Elizabeth Taylor

It's a steamy summer, and drama and tragedy roll across the nation.  It was a particularly resonant time for NBCC Board member Walton Muyumba to write about Invisible Man, Got