Seven years after his debut, the award-winning story collection “For the Relief of Unbearable Urges,” Nathan Englander has finally published a second book. nabokov novel  His publisher must be relieved that it’s a novel. Even readers who end up not liking “The Ministry of Special Cases” ought at least to admire Englander’s good sense.
“The Ministry [...]

the South African writer Tony Eprile published his debut novel The Persistence of Memory, a fine piece of writing concerning one man’s recollections of the “slippery and disputed history” of his country.
The Impostor, Damon Galgut’s sixth novel, suggests that a person’s own history can be similarly disputed and slippery. It tells the story of Adam, [...]

The dustjacket describes this joint critical biography of Kingsley and Martin Amis as “witty, opinionated and thoroughly readable”. The word “opinionated” should ring alarm bells.
The book opens with Neil Powell visiting Kingsley’s childhood home in Norbury and finding that “the air carries a strong and unmistakable whiff of curry”. Is this actually true? Or is [...]

On a supported bike tour, you don’t have to worry about smelling like road kill after days upon days of cycling. There will be opportunities to shower along the way.
You needn’t schlep all your gear on your bike. A van will deliver your street clothes, your IPod, your Tom Clancy novel and the rest of [...]

It was one of the most iconic record album covers ever released, and Suze Rotolo was part of it: On a snowy day in 1963, she snuggled with Bob Dylan as the two walked down a Greenwich Village street. “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” went on to become one of his best-known records, but the long-haired [...]

The Summary of Notifiable Diseases — United States, 2006 contains the official statistics, in tabular and graphic form, for the reported occurrence of nationally notifiable infectious diseases in the United States for 2006. Unless otherwise noted, the data are final totals for 2006 reported as of June 30, 2007. These statistics are collected and compiled [...]

The Vermont Civil War Hemlocks bring the past alive through living history presentations, and now the organization is doing the same for the memories of 48 valiant soldiers.
The group has published a book titled “Everlasting Glory” that tells the story of each of the Vermonters who won the Medal of Honor in the Civil War, [...]

Midnight March 4 is the “bewitching hour” for Stephen King fans who read his Dark Tower series like gospel.
Marvel will release the first 48-page issue of his second graphic-novel series, “Dark Tower: The Long Road Home,” at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, March 5. The Comic Store, 28 McGovern Ave., will be open for business at 9:30 [...]

Lisa Jackson had no great plans to be a writer. She was a Molalla kid who went to Oregon State for a couple of years as an English major before dropping out, working in a bank, and then getting married and having a couple of kids.
She was working as a baby sitter when her sister, [...]

Hibiscus, former two-star centrepiece of the foodie scene in Ludlow, is now happily nestled in Mayfair, as anywhere charging ï¿¡49.50 for lunch damn well ought to be.
It feels like it’s been here for ever, it’s just that confident, relaxed and warm. There was a pre-starter of hibiscus cordial and soda with a smoked olive oil [...]