The good thing about being a Neil Stephenson fan is that his books are so gargantuan that no one can call them a fleeting pleasure. Stephenson has struck again with the 935 page, 2.86 pound Anathem. Set in a Concent, an intellectual sanctuary sealed off from the outside world save for a week long festival held once a decade, Anathem at first follows the highly charged festival experience of one Concent member, and then journey which is its aftermath. ...More

Toobin's bestseller on the Supreme Court is out in paperback, and includes a new epilogue. Every system of checks and balances requires final authority to repose in one element. The least public element of our government fills that role, making Toobin's book rather worth reading. ...More

Robison, who was not diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome until he was 40, has written a memoir whose humor, and narrative excellence underscore it's heartfelt insight....More

This outstanding new Dystopia by Allegra Goodman is a tremendous read. Here's a link to a spiel I did on The Other Side of The Island for Publishers Weekly's Galley Talk, which is kind of Coffee Talk for books. So, talk amongst yourselves. ...More

This monster release by Scholastic is the start of a ten book experiment, in which books by high profile authors are paired with collectible cards and an online role playing game. Each element requires the other. The first book, The Maze of Bones is by best selling author Rick Riordan. The ultimate success of the integrated media 39 Clues campaign is hard to judge, since it depends not on the appeal of the book, but on the requirement of buying the book and the booster packs to succeed in the online role playing game. It is therefore the relative addictive power of the game which will determine the success of the other media. Will kids be infatuated with the 39 Clues online role playing game enough to buy the books and cards in large numbers, or will they think that it looks kind of cool but decide to just go back to playing Runescape or World of Warcraft and not spend the money? Hard to say. I do know that as good a storyteller as Riordan is, The Maze of Bones's endless series of perils, coupled with its lack of depth and perfunctory character development, make for the reading experience equivalent of an over long action movie trailer....More