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The Snow Whale by John Minchillo

2012-02-10T07:16:51Z

John Minchillo's The Snow Whale is an amusing swipe at race and culture, in which a mild office worker, upon discovering he's part Inuit, sets out to join "his people" in their annual whale hunt.

_{Photo: Atticus Books}

The Snow Whale by John Minchillo originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Friday, February 10th, 2012 at 07:16:51.

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The Galley Slave by Drago Jancar

2012-02-09T06:52:53Z

Drago Jancar's The Galley Slave tracks Johannes Ot's travels through late-medieval Europe as he flees from the plague and the paranoid pious of the Inquisition. Feverishly paced and deliriously fun, Ot's episodic exploits crackle with a relentlessness akin to an old, familiar adventure novel.

Review of Drago Jancar's The Galley Slave

_{Photo: Dalkey Archive}

The Galley Slave by Drago Jancar originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Thursday, February 9th, 2012 at 06:52:53.

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Feynman by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick

2012-02-08T07:15:48Z

Richard Feynman, who worked on the Manhattan Project and was an early pioneer of quantum mechanics, is one of the few physicists who have also enjoyed significant status in popular culture - as a result of his accomplishmments, his quirks, and the sheer volume of books written by and about him. Add to this ouvre, Jim Ottaviani's and Leland Myrick's graphic autobiography, Feynman.

Review of Feynman

_{Photo: First Second Books}

Feynman by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 07:15:48.

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The Journals of Spalding Gray

2012-02-02T07:14:55Z

The Journals of Spalding Gray is something of a deep dive into the famous monologist's anxieties and self-analysis. Don't get me wrong. I love Spalding Gray. I watched his movies and attended his performances when came to Boulder's Chautauqua Auditorium. For me, that's about the right level of exposure to Gray's boundless self-absorption. For you? Who knows? Read on.

_{Photo: Knopf}

The Journals of Spalding Gray originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 07:14:55.

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The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2012-02-02T06:51:11Z

In The Future of Us, which occurs in the early-Internet days of the 1990s, neighboring teens Josh and Emma are able to access Facebook, even though it doesn't exist yet, and see the posts they write in the future. Cowritten by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, The Future of Us explores how teenagers would respond to an influx of information about their futures - is it really your actions in high school that determine your happiness in your 30s? Can changes in behavior lead to changes in the future... and will those changes be for the better?

Review of The Future of Us

_{Photo: Razorbill}

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 06:51:11.

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Distrust that Particular Flavor by William Gibson

2012-01-31T06:45:24Z

In his introduction to Distrust that Particular Flavor, William Gibson cops to not being entirely comfortable with nonfiction assigments. It did, however, afford him certain benefits - the chance to visit exotic locales, meet interesting people, and ask questions - that Gibson notes, were invaluable to a writer of fiction.

And despite his reservations, readers and fans of the cyberpunk novelist will welcome this slight volume of pieces that range from his several Wired articles to talks that Gibson gave before live audiences.

Review of Distrust that Particular Flavor by William Gibson

_{Photo: Putnam}

Distrust that Particular Flavor by William Gibson originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 06:45:24.

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Habibi by Craig Thompson

2012-01-30T07:14:27Z

A sprawling epic of nearly 700 pages, Craig Thompson's Habibi is the story of two slave children whose love for each other overcomes endless challenges. Set against a backdrop that combines the historical narratives of Islam, Judaism and Christianity with threaded commentary on sexuality, Habibi will most surely become a classic among graphic novels.

Review of Habibi by Craig Thompson.

_{Photo: Pantheon}

Habibi by Craig Thompson originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 07:14:27.

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Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar

2012-01-25T07:15:19Z

In Hisham Matar's Anatomy of a Disappearance, Kamal is a Cairo widower; Nuri is his son. When they both fall in love with the same woman, it is Kamal who gets the girl, but then shortly thereafter disappears under mysterious circumstances. Read more.

_{Photo: The Dial Press}

Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 07:15:19.

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And So It Goes, Kurt Vonnegut: A Life

2012-01-24T06:44:10Z

Kurt Vonnegut became a cultural legend with novels like Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Galapagos, and many others. His novels and even his artwork is iconic, but less known is his personal life. Until now. Charles Shields, who was working with Vonnegut on this biography when the author died at the age of 85, has delivered an engaging and definitive biography in And So It Goes.

Review of And So It Goes, Kurt Vonnegut: A Life

_{Photo: Henry Holt & Company}

And So It Goes, Kurt Vonnegut: A Life originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 06:44:10.

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The Shadow of a Blue Cat by Naoyuki Ii

2012-01-23T07:15:56Z

In Naoyuki Ii's The Shadow of a Blue Cat, 51-year-old Japanese businessman Yuki Yajimi traces a path to his present by reflecting on the events of the past.

Review of The Shadow of a Blue Cat

_{Photo: Dalkey Archive}

The Shadow of a Blue Cat by Naoyuki Ii originally appeared on About.com Contemporary Literature on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 07:15:56.

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