Ten books that were banned

Matthew Fellion and Katherine Inglis are the authors of Censored: A Literary History of Subversion & Control. One of ten books they tagged that were subject to silencing or censorship, as shared at the Guardian:

Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

After a parent in Virginia complained in 2012 that her son had been required to read the Pulitzer prize-winning novel by Morrison, which Republican senator Richard H Black described as “smut”, state legislators passed the “Beloved Bill” to give parents the right to opt their children out of “sexually explicit” reading in schools. The bill, which governor Terry McAuliffe vetoed in 2016, threatened to undermine school boards’ power to make curricular decisions and protect students’ right to receive information.

Read about another book on the list.

Beloved also appears on Jeff Somers's list of ten fictional characters based on real people, Christopher Barzak's top five list of books about magical families, Ayelet Gundar-Goshen's ten top list of wartime love stories, Judith Claire Mitchell's list of ten of the best (unconventional) ghosts in literature, Kelly Link's list of four books that changed her, a list of four books that changed Libby Gleeson, The Telegraph's list of the 15 most depressing books, Elif Shafak's top five list of fictional mothers, Charlie Jane Anders's list of ten great books you didn't know were science fiction or fantasy, Peter Dimock's top ten list of books that challenge what we think we know as "history", Stuart Evers's top ten list of homes in literature, David W. Blight's list of five outstanding novels on the Civil War era, John Mullan's list of ten of the best births in literature, Kit Whitfield's top ten list of genre-defying novels, and at the top of one list of contenders for the title of the single best work of American fiction published in the last twenty-five years.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Jessica L. Adler's "Burdens of War"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: Burdens of War: Creating the United States Veterans Health System by Jessica L. Adler.

About the book, from the publisher:

In the World War I era, veterans fought for a unique right: access to government-sponsored health care. In the process, they built a pillar of American social policy. Burdens of War explores how the establishment of the veterans’ health system marked a reimagining of modern veterans’ benefits and signaled a pathbreaking validation of the power of professionalized institutional medical care.

Adler reveals that a veterans’ health system came about incrementally, amid skepticism from legislators, doctors, and army officials concerned about the burden of long-term obligations, monetary or otherwise, to ex-service members. She shows how veterans’ welfare shifted from centering on pension and domicile care programs rooted in the nineteenth century to direct access to health services. She also traces the way that fluctuating ideals about hospitals and medical care influenced policy at the dusk of the Progressive Era; how race, class, and gender affected the health-related experiences of soldiers, veterans, and caregivers; and how interest groups capitalized on a tense political and social climate to bring about change.

The book moves from the 1910s—when service members requested better treatment, Congress approved new facilities and increased funding, and elected officials expressed misgivings about who should have access to care—to the 1930s, when the economic crash prompted veterans to increasingly turn to hospitals for support while bureaucrats, politicians, and doctors attempted to rein in the system. By the eve of World War II, the roots of what would become the country’s largest integrated health care system were firmly planted and primed for growth. Drawing readers into a critical debate about the level of responsibility America bears for wounded service members, Burdens of War is a unique and moving case study.

Learn more about Burdens of War at the Johns Hopkins University Press website.

The Page 99 Test: Burdens of War.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five picture books with a focus on compassion & hope

At the BN Kids Blog Maria Burel tagged five "picture books [to] empower young children to make a difference in their world, in the simplest of ways," including:

Come With Me, by Holly M. McGhee and Pascal Lemaitre

This is one of those simple stories that packs a powerful punch. Sensitive, like many children, to the world around her, young Holly wonders what she can do to make the world a better place. Her parents each take her in hand, showing her how to perform simple kindnesses for the people she sees every day. Taking her cue from her parents, Holly then extends the gesture to the boy across the hall, telling him, “Come with me.” Together, the two discover that small gestures (and small people) can have a great impact.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

What is J.T. Ellison reading?

Featured at Writers Read: J.T. Ellison, author of Lie to Me: A Fast-Paced Psychological Thriller.

Her entry begins:

I am knee-deep in a book that is very oddly timed for me. I’ve just released a new novel that has a huge Parisian component, and I did several events with a delightful author named Eleanor Brown on my tour. In preparation for the event, I went to familiarize myself with her new book. What a delight!

A Paris All Your Own is a compilation of essays by highly-successful female authors who’ve all written books set in the City of Light. I’ve...[read on]

About Lie to Me, from the publisher:

They built a life on lies.

Sutton and Ethan Montclair's idyllic life is not as it appears. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tenstensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her.

Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless.

Visit J.T. Ellison's website, or follow her on Visit J.T. Ellison's website, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

The Page 69 Test: Edge of Black.

The Page 69 Test: When Shadows Fall.

My Book, The Movie: When Shadows Fall.

My Book, The Movie: What Lies Behind.

The Page 69 Test: What Lies Behind.

The Page 69 Test: No One Knows.

My Book, The Movie: No One Knows.

The Page 69 Test: Lie to Me.

Writers Read: J.T. Ellison.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nose in a book: Marilyn Silverman

Who: Marilyn Silverman

What: What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton

When: September 2017

Where: Lexington KY

Photo credit: Susan Bordo

Visit Susan Bordo's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five SFF worlds tied together by a multiverse

Ryan Graudin's most recent novel is Invictus. At Tor.com she tagged "five of [her] favorite series that cross multiple dimensions," including:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

This childhood classic submerges readers into a world slightly altered from our own: Lyra’s Oxford. Its inhabitants have souls that exist outside of their bodies in the form of animals, known as daemons. As the series progresses, we discover that Lyra’s world is connected to our own by a magical artifact known as the Subtle Knife. Will—from our own version of Earth—can cut windows through the fabric of the multiverse. This allows Lyra and Will to travel through all sorts of realms. Including that of the dead.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Brad Abraham's "Magicians Impossible," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: Magicians Impossible: A Novel by Brad Abraham.

The entry begins:

I’m a screenwriter by trade; or at least that’s what people knew me and my work from (pre-Magicians Impossible anyway). When writing a screenplay it helps to have a “type” in mind for each character, as it helps give them each a distinctive voice. You may not get George Clooney or Anne Hathaway, but you want to aim for a type, if only to keep the voices separate. Naturally, when drafting Magicians I employed the same tricks of the trade. Magicians has a large cast of characters but these are the ones you’ll really want to watch closely.

I went back and forth on protagonist Jason Bishop in the early drafts, trying to figure out who he was. Then I saw Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys and went “that’s the guy.” His Holland March is much more comedic than Jason, but there’s a quiet desperation beneath everything he does. Gosling is a real chameleon of an actor; useful skills for a magically-gifted spy.

For Jason’s father, the enigmatic Damon King, I pretty much had John...[read on]

Visit Brad Abraham's website.

The Page 69 Test: Magicians Impossible.

Writers Read: Brad Abraham.

My Book, The Movie: Magicians Impossible.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 69: Terrence McCauley's "A Conspiracy of Ravens"

Featured at the Page 69 Test: A Conspiracy of Ravens by Terrence McCauley.

About the book, from the publisher:

Battle Lines Have Been Drawn. The War Has Begun.

James Hicks finally knows his true enemy: the criminal organization known as The Vanguard. They mysterious group has been known as an organization of weapons dealers, drug runners and money launderers for years, but has now decided to add regime change to the mix. But knowing the enemy is one thing. Being able to defeat it is another matter entirely. When Hicks uncovers a solid lead on his new adversaries, his world explodes. His home base is attacked, his operatives in the field are wiped out and, for the first time, The University finds itself in open combat against an unknown enemy. In a battle that rages from the streets of Manhattan to the halls of power in Washington to the dark alleys of Berlin, Hicks will have to use every resource at his disposal to defeat A CONSPIRACY OF RAVENS.

Visit Terrence McCauley's website.

My Book, The Movie: A Conspiracy of Ravens.

The Page 69 Test: A Conspiracy of Ravens.

--Marshal Zeringue

Fifty of the all-time best adventure novels

At B&N Reads Jeff Somers tagged "50 adventure novels you have to read before you die," including:

Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson

On the downside of unbidden adventure, this is the story of David Balfour. After the death of his parents, he visits his miserly, paranoid uncle at the family estate known as the House of Shaws. Learning that he might be the rightful heir, David confronts his uncle—who tricks him onto a ship, where he is knocked unconscious and taken to sea. To say that “adventure ensues” in this classic novel is an understatement.

Read about another entry on the list.

Kidnapped also appears among Ramona Ausubel's six favorite books, M.C. Beaton's six best novels, Robert Wilton's ten top civil war novels, Janis MacKay's top ten books set on the ocean, Joshua Glenn's top 32 adventure novels of the 19th century, Charlie Fletcher's top ten swashbuckling tales of derring-do, and on John Mullan's lists of ten of the best wicked uncles in literature, ten of the best misers in literature, ten of the best shipwrecks, and ten of the best towers in literature.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Zack McDermott's "Gorilla and the Bird"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: Gorilla and the Bird: A Memoir of Madness and a Mother's Love by Zack McDermott.

About the book, from the publisher:

The story of a young man fighting to recover from a devastating psychotic break and the mother who refuses to give up on him

Zack McDermott, a 26-year-old Brooklyn public defender, woke up one morning convinced he was being filmed, Truman Show-style, as part of an audition for a TV pilot. This was it – his big dreams were finally coming true. Every passerby was an actor; every car would magically stop for him; everything he saw was a cue from “The Producer” to help inspire the performance of a lifetime. After a manic spree around Manhattan, Zack, who is bipolar, was arrested on a subway platform and admitted to Bellevue Hospital.

So begins the story of Zack’s freefall into psychosis and his desperate, poignant, often darkly funny struggle to claw his way back to sanity, regain his identity, and rebuild some semblance of a stable life. It’s a journey that will take him from New York City back to his Kansas roots and to the one person who might be able to save him, his tough, big-hearted Midwestern mother, nicknamed the Bird, whose fierce and steadfast love is the light in Zack’s dark world.

Before his odyssey is over, Zack will be tackled by guards in mental wards, run naked through cornfields, receive secret messages from the TV, befriend a former Navy Seal and his talking stuffed monkey, and see the Virgin Mary in the whorls of his own back hair. But with the Bird’s help, he just might have a shot at pulling through, starting over, and maybe even meeting a woman who can love him back, bipolar and all.

Written with raw emotional power, humor, and tenderness, GORILLA AND THE BIRD is a bravely honest account of a young man’s unraveling and the relationship that saves him.

Visit Zack McDermott's website.

The Page 99 Test: Gorilla and the Bird.

--Marshal Zeringue

Top ten brothers & sisters in fiction

Sarah Ward is the author of the crime novels In Bitter Chill, A Deadly Thaw, and A Patient Fury. One of her ten top brothers and sisters in fiction, as shared at the Guardian:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This was my O-level set text and I still love it. Four years older than Scout, Jem is the archetypal older brother, taking charge of the games focused on their reclusive neighbour Boo Radley and taunting Scout with the name “Miss Priss”. The relationship changes as the children grow up, typified by Jem’s adolescent moodiness and instruction to Scout that she isn’t to bother him at school but “stick to the first grade”. By the end of the novel the two are reconciled, and echoes of their old familiarity emerge.

Read about another entry on the list.

To Kill a Mockingbird made Katy Guest's list of six top books for shy readers, Jeff Somers's top ten list of fictional characters based on actual people, Carol Wall's list of five books that changed her, John Bardinelli's list of five authors who became famous after publishing a single novel and never published another one, Ellie Irving's top ten list of quiet heroes and heroines, a list of five books that changed Richelle Mead, Robert Williams's top ten list of loners in fiction, Alyssa Bereznak's top ten list of literary heroes with weird names, Louise Doughty's top ten list of courtroom dramas, Hanna McGrath's top fifteen list of epic epigraphs, the Telegraph's list of ten great meals in literature, Nicole Hill's list of fourteen characters their creators should have spared, Isla Blair's six best books list, Lauren Passell's list of ten pairs of books made better when read together, Charlie Fletcher's top ten list of adventure classics, Sheila Bair's 6 favorite books list, Kathryn Erskine's top ten list of first person narratives, Julia Donaldson's six best books list, TIME magazine's top 10 list of books you were forced to read in school, John Mullan's list of ten of the best lawyers in literature, John Cusack's list of books that made a difference to him, Lisa Scottoline's top ten list of books about justice, and Luke Leitch's list of ten literary one-hit wonders. It is one of Sanjeev Bhaskar's six best books and one of Alexandra Styron's five best stories of fathers and daughters.

--Marshal Zeringue

What is Sujatha Fernandes reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Sujatha Fernandes, author of Curated Stories: The Uses and Misuses of Storytelling.

Her entry begins:

Among my favorite books I’ve read this year is Lisa Ko’s book The Leavers about a Chinese migrant in New York City who mysteriously disappears one day, leaving her son to be adopted by a white family in New Jersey. I thought that the book superbly described so many different worlds, from immigrant New York, to white suburban Jersey, and an industrialized Fuzhou. I also loved the descriptions of music in the novel, which helped evoke so much about the struggles of the main protagonist. It reminded me of...[read on]

About Curated Stories, from the publisher:

Storytelling has proliferated today, from TED Talks and Humans of New York to a plethora of story-coaching agencies and consultants. These narratives are typically heartbreaking accounts of poverty, mistreatment, and struggle that often move us deeply. But what do they move us to? And what are the stakes in the crafting and use of storytelling?

In Curated Stories, Sujatha Fernandes considers the rise of storytelling alongside the broader shift to neoliberal, free-market economies to argue that stories have been reconfigured to promote entrepreneurial self-making and restructured as easily digestible soundbites mobilized toward utilitarian ends. Fernandes roams the globe and returns with stories from the Afghan Women's Writing Project, the domestic worker and undocumented student legislative campaigns in the United States, and the Misión Cultura project in Venezuela. She shows how the conditions under which stories are told, the tropes through which they are narrated, and the ways in which they are responded to may actually disguise the deeper contexts of global inequality. Curated stories shift the focus away from structural problems and defuse the confrontational politics of social movements.

Not just a critical examination of contemporary use of narrative and its wider impact on our collective understanding of pressing social issues, Curated Stories also explores how storytelling might be reclaimed to allow for the complexity of experience to be expressed in pursuit of transformative social change.

Visit Sujatha Fernandes's website.

The Page 99 Test: Who Can Stop the Drums?.

The Page 99 Test: Curated Stories.

Writers Read: Sujatha Fernandes.

--Marshal Zeringue

Fourteen top YA gothic novels

At the BN Teen blog Nicole Hill tagged fourteen of the best YA gothic novels, including:

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Genevieve Tucholke

The real beauty in a good gothic story is the irresistible mixture of seductive horror and twisted romance, and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea checks those boxes, along with several others. Weird old-moneyed mansion? Check. Seaside setting? All-but-orphaned protagonist? Charismatic and probably dangerous new guy in town? Check, check, and check. Hauntings, eerie happenings, uncovered secrets, and death? Checkmate.

Read about another entry on the list.

My Book, The Movie: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Alejandro Nava's "In Search of Soul"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: In Search of Soul: Hip-Hop, Literature, and Religion by Alejandro Nava.

About the book, from the publisher:

In Search of Soul explores the meaning of “soul” in sacred and profane incarnations, from its biblical origins to its central place in the rich traditions of black and Latin history. Surveying the work of writers, artists, poets, musicians, philosophers and theologians, Alejandro Nava shows how their understandings of the “soul” revolve around narratives of justice, liberation, and spiritual redemption. He contends that biblical traditions and hip-hop emerged out of experiences of dispossession and oppression. Whether born in the ghettos of America or of the Roman Empire, hip-hop and Christianity have endured by giving voice to the persecuted. This book offers a view of soul in living color, as a breathing, suffering, dreaming thing.

Learn more about In Search of Soul at the University of California Press website.

The Page 99 Test: In Search of Soul.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 69: J.T. Ellison's "Lie to Me"

Featured at the Page 69 Test: Lie to Me: A Fast-Paced Psychological Thriller by J.T. Ellison.

About the book, from the publisher:

They built a life on lies.

Sutton and Ethan Montclair's idyllic life is not as it appears. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her.

Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless.

Visit J.T. Ellison's website, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

The Page 69 Test: Edge of Black.

The Page 69 Test: When Shadows Fall.

My Book, The Movie: When Shadows Fall.

My Book, The Movie: What Lies Behind.

The Page 69 Test: What Lies Behind.

The Page 69 Test: No One Knows.

My Book, The Movie: No One Knows.

The Page 69 Test: Lie to Me.

--Marshal Zeringue

Terrence McCauley's "A Conspiracy of Ravens," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: A Conspiracy of Ravens by Terrence McCauley.

The entry begins:

I get asked this question quite a bit and I always enjoy answering it. I'm a big fan of movies both new and classic, so I've been known to borrow inspiration from actors throughout the history of cinema in my writing. The University/James Hicks series has some interesting characters. For my main character, James Hicks, I'd love to see Jeremy Renner in the role. He's versatile enough to play the many facets of the character convincingly. While we're dreaming, I'd love to see Robert...[read on]

Visit Terrence McCauley's website.

My Book, The Movie: A Conspiracy of Ravens.

--Marshal Zeringue

Six of the best books featuring iconic sleuths

Nelson DeMille's new thriller is The Cuban Affair. One of the author's six favorite books featuring iconic sleuths, as shared at The Week magazine:

The Black Tower by P.D. James

Nobody writes murder mysteries like the British: slow-paced, almost laconic, atmospheric, and very quirky. Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard is outwardly detached, but he sees, hears, and evaluates everything. The exquisite prose is why you read James.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Sujatha Fernandes's "Curated Stories"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: Curated Stories: The Uses and Misuses of Storytelling by Sujatha Fernandes.

About the book, from the publisher:

Storytelling has proliferated today, from TED Talks and Humans of New York to a plethora of story-coaching agencies and consultants. These narratives are typically heartbreaking accounts of poverty, mistreatment, and struggle that often move us deeply. But what do they move us to? And what are the stakes in the crafting and use of storytelling?

In Curated Stories, Sujatha Fernandes considers the rise of storytelling alongside the broader shift to neoliberal, free-market economies to argue that stories have been reconfigured to promote entrepreneurial self-making and restructured as easily digestible soundbites mobilized toward utilitarian ends. Fernandes roams the globe and returns with stories from the Afghan Women's Writing Project, the domestic worker and undocumented student legislative campaigns in the United States, and the Misión Cultura project in Venezuela. She shows how the conditions under which stories are told, the tropes through which they are narrated, and the ways in which they are responded to may actually disguise the deeper contexts of global inequality. Curated stories shift the focus away from structural problems and defuse the confrontational politics of social movements.

Not just a critical examination of contemporary use of narrative and its wider impact on our collective understanding of pressing social issues, Curated Stories also explores how storytelling might be reclaimed to allow for the complexity of experience to be expressed in pursuit of transformative social change.

Visit Sujatha Fernandes's website.

The Page 99 Test: Who Can Stop the Drums?.

The Page 99 Test: Curated Stories.

--Marshal Zeringue

What is Brad Abraham reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Brad Abraham, author of Magicians Impossible: A Novel.

His entry begins:

When I was writing Magicians Impossible I was very conscious about not reading any books about, or indeed any media involving magic. It’s why I only saw Marvel’s Doctor Strange when it arrived on Netflix this summer, safely after delivering my book to the publisher. But all through the writing of it, I was building a list of titles with a mind to reading them once my book was sitting on bookstore shelves. Right now I’m about three-quarters of the way through Lisa Maxwell’s The Last Magician and have been enjoying the dive into another writer’s take on magic, mystery, secret societies, and my adopted home of New York City. What’s been really fascinating about Maxwell’s book is how...[read on]

About Magicians Impossible, from the publisher:

Twenty-something bartender Jason Bishop’s world is shattered when his estranged father commits suicide, but the greater shock comes when he learns his father was a secret agent in the employ of the Invisible Hand; an ancient society of spies wielding magic in a centuries-spanning war. Now the Golden Dawn—the shadowy cabal of witches and warlocks responsible for Daniel Bishop’s murder, and the death of Jason’s mother years before—have Jason in their sights. His survival will depend on mastering his own dormant magic abilities; provided he makes it through the training.

From New York, to Paris, to worlds between worlds, Jason's journey through the realm of magic will be fraught with peril. But with enemies and allies on both sides of this war, whom can he trust? The Invisible Hand, who’ve been more of a family than his own family ever was? The Golden Dawn, who may know the secrets behind his mysterious lineage? For Jason Bishop, only one thing is for certain; the magic he has slowly been mastering is telling him not to trust anybody.

Visit Brad Abraham's website.

The Page 69 Test: Magicians Impossible.

Writers Read: Brad Abraham.

--Marshal Zeringue

Coffee with a canine: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley & Polly

Featured at Coffee with a Canine: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley & Polly.

The author, about whether Polly helps or hinders her writing:

It depends on the day. Usually she sits in the windowseat of my office and lets me know if anyone is coming up the driveway. Sometimes, especially in winter when the heating vent under my desk is blowing warm air, she comes and lays on my feet. I find that very companionable. Sometimes, however, she falls asleep and snores so loudly that I have to go wake her up. I can't write with...[read on]

About Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War I Finally Won, from the publisher:

Like the classic heroines of Sarah, Plain and Tall and Little Women, Ada conquers the homefront as her World War II journey continues in this sequel to the Newbery Honor–winning The War that Saved My Life

When Ada’s clubfoot is surgically fixed at last, she knows for certain that she’s not what her mother said she was—damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as physically. She’s not a daughter anymore, either. What is she?

World War II continues, and Ada and her brother, Jamie, are living with their loving legal guardian, Susan, in a borrowed cottage on the estate of the formidable Lady Thorton—along with Lady Thorton herself and her daughter, Maggie. Life in the crowded cottage is tense enough, and then, quite suddenly, Ruth, a Jewish girl from Germany, moves in. A German? The occupants of the house are horrified. But other impacts of the war become far more frightening. As death creeps closer to their door, life and morality during wartime grow more complex. Who is Ada now? How can she keep fighting? And who will she struggle to save?

Ada’s first story, The War that Saved My Life, won a Newbery Honor, the Schneider Family Book Award, and the Josette Frank Award, in addition to appearing on multiple best-of-the-year lists. This second, marvelous volume continues Ada’s powerful, uplifting story.

Visit Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley & Polly.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ten top books for non-geek parents of geeks

At B&N Reads Jeff Somers tagged ten books non-geek parents of geeks need to read, including:

Neuromancer, by William Gibson

Another sci-fi classic that offers clues to the cyberpunk and programming subculture that your geeky kid is somehow magically well-versed in. Although dated, Gibson’s novel established so many of the tropes that reign in modern-day sci-fi, it’s essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the thrill of hacking together your first app—or simply hijacking the neighbors’ Netflix password.

Read about another entry on the list.

Neuromancer made Soman Chainani's top five list of SFF novels with perfect opening lines, Abhimanyu Das and Gordon Jackson list of eleven science fiction books regularly taught in college classes, Steve Toutonghi's list of six top books that expand our mental horizons, Ann Leckie's top ten list of science fiction books, Madeleine Monson-Rosen's list of 15 books that take place in science fiction and fantasy versions of the most fascinating places on Earth, Becky Ferreira's list of the six most memorable robots in literature, Joel Cunningham's top five list of books that predicted the internet, Sean Beaudoin's list of ten books that changed his life before he could drive, Chris Kluwe's list of six favorite books, Inglis-Arkell's list of ten of the best bars in science fiction, PopCrunch's list of the sixteen best dystopian books of all time and Annalee Newitz's lists of ten great American dystopias and thirteen books that will change the way you look at robots.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Jeremi Suri's "The Impossible Presidency"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office by Jeremi Suri.

About the book, from the publisher:

A bold new history of the American presidency, arguing that the successful presidents of the past created unrealistic expectations for every president since JFK, with enormously problematic implications for American politics

In The Impossible Presidency, celebrated historian Jeremi Suri charts the rise and fall of the American presidency, from the limited role envisaged by the Founding Fathers to its current status as the most powerful job in the world. He argues that the presidency is a victim of its own success-the vastness of the job makes it almost impossible to fulfill the expectations placed upon it. As managers of the world’s largest economy and military, contemporary presidents must react to a truly globalized world in a twenty-four-hour news cycle. There is little room left for bold vision.

Suri traces America’s disenchantment with our recent presidents to the inevitable mismatch between presidential promises and the structural limitations of the office. A masterful reassessment of presidential history, this book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand America’s fraught political climate.

Visit Jeremi Suri's website.

The Page 99 Test: Henry Kissinger and the American Century.

The Page 99 Test: The Impossible Presidency.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 69: Jacob Stone's "Crazed"

Featured at the Page 69 Test: Crazed by Jacob Stone.

About the book, from the publisher:

L.A. detective Morris Brick has seen the face of evil. He has witnessed the grisly handiwork of a deranged sadist known as SCK-the Skull Cracker Killer. But Brick isn't the only one watching. A crazed lunatic's interest in the case has turned into a deadly obsession. This sicko vows to outdo SCK and reach new heights of macabre mayhem. The mounting body count is a personal challenge to Brick. But as he lays his trap, he can hardly imagine the evil he is about to face...

Jacob Stone is the byline chosen by award-winning author Dave Zeltserman for his Morris Brick series of serial-killer thrillers. Visit Zeltserman's website.

My Book, The Movie: Deranged.

The Page 69 Test: Deranged.

My Book, The Movie: Crazed.

Writers Read: Jacob Stone.

The Page 69 Test: Crazed.

--Marshal Zeringue

Alys Clare's "The Devil's Cup," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: The Devil's Cup: A Medieval mystery by Alys Clare.

The entry begins:

When I started the Hawkenlye Series seventeen books ago, I had a clear image of Josse d’Acquin in mind, and he looked very like the actor Robert Lindsay. As, like all of us, he’s matured and life’s experiences and trials show in his face, he goes on looking just as I imagine the older Josse, and I still think he’d be just right. For Helewise, who we first meet when she’s Abbess of Hawkenlye, I would cast the luminous Juliet...[read on]

Learn more about The Devil's Cup at the publisher's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Devil's Cup.

Writers Read: Alys Clare.

My Book, The Movie: The Devil's Cup.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ten YA books that tackle racism

Dhonielle Clayton is the co-author of the Tiny Pretty Things series and the forthcoming The Belles. A former teacher and middle school librarian, Clayton is co-founder of CAKE Literary—a creative development company whipping up decidedly diverse books for a wide array of readers—and COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. At Paste magazine, she tagged ten top YA books that tackle racism, including:

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Under the backdrop of the 1937 New London school explosion, one of the worst disasters in American history, this book pushes two kids together across the most powerful line at the time: the color line. In East Texas, you don’t mix with people who aren’t your kind. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller understand this deeply. These kinds of things are reinforced and there are painful consequences for failing to understand—even death. But sometimes love pushes you to cross the boundaries of everything you’ve ever known despite the risk. This book unpacks the complicated history of the school explosion and challenges readers to dig into how the forces of love, community and segregation shape people.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

What is Cora Harrison reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Cora Harrison, author of Beyond Absolution: A mystery set in 1920s Ireland.

Her entry begins:

Currently I am reading Hilary Mantel’s book on the French Revolution, A Place of Greater Safety. It’s not at all as well-known as her Wolf Hall and its sequel, but oddly I find myself enjoying it very much, more so, I think, than her more famous work. I was led to it by an article about Hilary Mantel that I read, in the Guardian, I think, which describes how this, her first novel, was written almost accidentally. She had intended to write a non-fiction book about the French Revolution, had done a tremendous amount of research, filing cabinets full of tantalizing snippets of information, and, no doubt, books, with post-it notes or cards stuck into relevant pages, lying around on tables and desk.

And then, suddenly, her non-fiction book turned into fiction. The three main characters of her research, Robespierre, Danton and Camille began to come alive for her; began to talk; had, in her mind’s eye, childhoods that modelled their future actions; had developed...[read on]

About Beyond Absolution, from the publisher:

Ireland. 1925. The body of the priest is found wedged in a confessional cubicle. Loved by all, Father Dominic had lent a listening ear to sinners of all kinds, but who inserted a deadly weapon into that listening ear? The Reverend Mother Aquinas can do nothing for Father Dominic, but find out who killed him, and why.

Visit Cora Harrison's website.

My Book, The Movie: Cross of Vengeance.

My Book, The Movie: Beyond Absolution.

Writers Read: Cora Harrison.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five top dark romances for adventurous readers

At B&N Reads Amanda Diehl tagged five gritty and twisted dark romances for adventurous readers, including:

Asking for It, by Lilah Pace

Vivienne Charles has overcome a devastating moment of trauma and is now living a pretty average life as an graduate student. There’s just one problem: her sex life. She remains constantly unfulfilled save for the rape fantasies she hides from her previous partners. When she meets mysterious Jonah Marks at a party, she’s stunned to find that he’ll help her with her fantasies. In a no-strings-attached arrangement, Viv and Jonah begin an affair there’s no coming back from, until Jonah discovers the source of Viv’s desires. Bonus points for scenes where Viv visits her therapist in an effort to make sense of her conflicting history versus sexual needs.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Katja Maria Vogt's "Desiring the Good"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: Desiring the Good: Ancient Proposals and Contemporary Theory by Katja Maria Vogt.

About the book, from the publisher:

Desiring the Good defends a novel and distinctive approach in ethics that is inspired by ancient philosophy. Ethics, according to this approach, starts from one question and its most immediate answer: "what is the good for human beings?"—"a well-going human life." Ethics thus conceived is broader than moral philosophy. It includes a range of topics in psychology and metaphysics. Plato's Philebus is the ancestor of this approach. Its first premise, defended in Book I of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, is that the final agential good is the good human life. Though Aristotle introduces this premise while analyzing human activities, it is absent from approaches in the theory of action that self-identify as Aristotelian. This absence, Vogt argues, is a deep and far-reaching mistake, one that can be traced back to Elizabeth Anscombe's influential proposals. And yet, the book is Anscombian in spirit. It engages with ancient texts in order to contribute to philosophy today, and it takes questions about the human mind to be prior to, and relevant to, substantive normative matters. In this spirit, Desiring the Good puts forward a new version of the Guise of the Good, namely that desire to have one's life go well shapes and sustains mid- and small-scale motivations. A theory of good human lives, it is argued, must make room for a plurality of good lives. Along these lines, the book lays out a non-relativist version of Protagoras's Measure Doctrine and defends a new kind of realism about good human lives.

Visit Katja Maria Vogt's website.

The Page 99 Test: Desiring the Good.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nose in a book: Katy Perry

Who: Katy Perry

What: The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo

When: May 2017

Where: Mexico

Photo credit: Katy Perry's Instagram account

Visit Susan Bordo's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 69: Brad Abraham's "Magicians Impossible"

Featured at the Page 69 Test: Magicians Impossible: A Novel by Brad Abraham.

About the book, from the publisher:

Twenty-something bartender Jason Bishop’s world is shattered when his estranged father commits suicide, but the greater shock comes when he learns his father was a secret agent in the employ of the Invisible Hand; an ancient society of spies wielding magic in a centuries-spanning war. Now the Golden Dawn—the shadowy cabal of witches and warlocks responsible for Daniel Bishop’s murder, and the death of Jason’s mother years before—have Jason in their sights. His survival will depend on mastering his own dormant magic abilities; provided he makes it through the training.

From New York, to Paris, to worlds between worlds, Jason's journey through the realm of magic will be fraught with peril. But with enemies and allies on both sides of this war, whom can he trust? The Invisible Hand, who’ve been more of a family than his own family ever was? The Golden Dawn, who may know the secrets behind his mysterious lineage? For Jason Bishop, only one thing is for certain; the magic he has slowly been mastering is telling him not to trust anybody.

Visit Brad Abraham's website.

The Page 69 Test: Magicians Impossible.

--Marshal Zeringue

Alastair Campbell's 6 best books

Alastair Campbell was born in Keighley, Yorkshire in 1957, the son of a vet. Having graduated from Cambridge University in modern languages, he went into journalism, principally with the Mirror Group. When Tony Blair became leader of the Labour Party, Campbell worked for him first as press secretary, then as official spokesman and director of communications and strategy from 1994 to 2003. He continued to act as an advisor to Blair and the Labour Party, including during the 2005 and subsequent election campaigns. He is now engaged mainly in writing, public speaking and consultancy and is an ambassador for a number of mental health charities. His new book is Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 - 2007.

One of Campbell's six best books, as shared at the Daily Express:

MADAME BOVARY by Gustave Flaubert

The story of doctor’s wife Emma Bovary, her affairs and her attempts to escape a banal provincial life. It made me fall in love with the French language, a love that’s endured rather longer than hers did for her husband.

Read about another book on the list.

Madame Bovary is on Paul Theroux's six favorite books list, Peter Brooks's list of favorite Flaubert's works (at #1), Ed Sikov's list of eight great books that got slammed by critics, BBC.com Culture's list of the three of the worst mothers in literature, Alex Preston's top ten list of sex scenes from film, TV and literature, Rachel Holmes's top ten list of books on the struggle against gender-based inequality, Jill Boyd's list of six memorable marriage proposals in literature, Julia Sawalha's six best books list, Jennifer Gilmore's list of the ten worst mothers in books, Amy Sohn's list of six favorite books, Sue Townsend's 6 best books list, Helena Frith Powell's list of ten of the best sexy French books, the Christian Science Monitor's list of six novels about grand passions, John Mullan's lists of ten landmark coach rides in literature, ten of the best cathedrals in literature, ten of the best balls in literature, ten of the best bad lawyers in literature, ten of the best lotharios in literature, and ten of the best bad doctors in fiction, Valerie Martin's list of six novels about doomed marriages, and Louis Begley's list of favorite novels about cheating lovers. It tops Peter Carey's list of the top ten works of literature and was second on a top ten works of literature list selected by leading writers from Britain, America and Australia in 2007. It is one of John Bowe's six favorite books on love.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pg. 99: Mara Einstein's "Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know by Mara Einstein.

About the book, from the publisher:

3000. That's the number of marketing messages the average American confronts on a daily basis from TV commercials, magazine and newspaper print ads, radio commercials, pop-up ads on gaming apps, pre-roll ads on YouTube videos, and native advertising on mobile news apps. These commercial messages are so pervasive that we cannot help but be affected by perpetual come-ons to keeping buying. Over the last decade, advertising has become more devious, more digital, and more deceptive, with an increasing number of ads designed to appear to the untrained eye to be editorial content. It's easy to see why. As we have become smarter at avoiding ads, advertisers have become smarter about disguising them.

Mara Einstein exposes how our shopping, political, and even dating preferences are unwittingly formed by brand images and the mythologies embedded in them. Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know® helps us combat the effects of manipulative advertising and enables the reader to understand how marketing industries work in the digital age, particularly in their uses and abuses of "Big Data.' Most importantly, it awakens us to advertising's subtle and not-so-subtle impact on our lives--both as individuals and as a global society. What ideas and information are being communicated to us--and to what end?

Learn more about Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know at the Oxford University Press website.

The Page 99 Test: Compassion, Inc.

The Page 99 Test: Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know.

--Marshal Zeringue

What is Jacob Stone reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Jacob Stone, author of Crazed.

His entry begins:

I've been reading John Lutz's Quinn series out of order, and the last book I finished was the second book in this series, In for the Kill. Lutz has a breezy witty style, and he's a masterful crime thriller writer, and I'm reading these books both because they're a lot of fun, and also to study them. I think a lot of crime thriller writers could improve their craft studying Lutz....[read on]

About Crazed, from the publisher:

L.A. detective Morris Brick has seen the face of evil. He has witnessed the grisly handiwork of a deranged sadist known as SCK-the Skull Cracker Killer. But Brick isn't the only one watching. A crazed lunatic's interest in the case has turned into a deadly obsession. This sicko vows to outdo SCK and reach new heights of macabre mayhem. The mounting body count is a personal challenge to Brick. But as he lays his trap, he can hardly imagine the evil he is about to face...

Jacob Stone is the byline chosen by award-winning author Dave Zeltserman for his Morris Brick series of serial-killer thrillers. Visit Zeltserman's website.

My Book, The Movie: Deranged.

The Page 69 Test: Deranged.

My Book, The Movie: Crazed.

Writers Read: Jacob Stone.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ismée Williams's "Water in May," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: Water in May by Ismée Amiel Williams.

The entry begins:

I’ve fantasized about Water in May becoming a movie since I started writing it! In fact, I pictured Reese Witherspoon as Helen, the woman Mari shares a hospital experience with, from the very beginning. She would do an amazing job playing the mother of a baby in distress. And I always hoped she would like the book since I once saw her say that if she couldn’t be an actor she would be a pediatric cardiologist (look up Reese Witherspoon, Vogue’s 73 questions video).

For Dr. Love, my vote would be Scott...[read on]

Visit Ismée Williams's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Ismée Amiel Williams & Rowan.

My Book, The Movie: Water in May.

--Marshal Zeringue