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Books on the Nightstand, Episode 49 (22:48)

It’s awards season! The National Book Awards finalists were announced this past week, and we are thrilled that two books we’ve spoken about previously, Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann, and Stitches by David Small, were both on the shortlist.

The Man Booker Prize was also recently awarded to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Ann was rooting for one of the shortlisted titles, The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt, which she spoke about in podcast #46.

The full list of the National Books Awards finalists can be found here, and the list of the Man Booker Prize shortlisted titles are here.

In segment 2, Ann marks the end of Farmer’s Market season by reading a few books about the importance of eating locally and sustainably. Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food looks at the current obsession with “nutritionism” in the United States. Pollan’s manifesto can be boiled down to a simple statement: “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” Next on Ann’s reading list is Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Michael recently blogged about Food Matters by Mark Bittman, which is similar in focus to In Defense of Food, but also contains recipes. Kitchen Express is Bittman’s newest cookbook, which is organized seasonally and is written in a manner that allows the home cook to experiment and put their own twist on the recipes.

Judith Jones’ The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a book that Ann has been savoring for the last few weeks. Judith believes that everyone should treat yourself to a pleasurable meal, even if you eat alone. In her book, she tells you how to shop and plan your meals so that you can take advantage of market offerings but not eat the same dish for an entire week.  This book reminds Michael of Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food, which is also one of Ann’s favorites.

In segment 3, Michael talks about John Irving’s Last Night in Twisted River. This is a novel spanning 50 years, and begins with the accidental shooting of a local constable’s girlfriend, who a young boy mistakes for a bear. Danny, the boy, and his father Dominic, go on the run, traveling through America and Canada in vintage John Irving fashion. John Irving has written a short piece about the writing of the novel, and has created a video talking about it, on the official John Irving website.

Ann talks about The Glass Room by Simon Mawer, which is published by Other Press and was shortlisted for The Man Booker prize. Set in 1930s Czechoslovokia, it’s the story of a well-to-do couple who hire an architect to build their home. The home becomes the center of the novel, with its massive windows and wall of onyx acting as the mechanism for telling the story of the family and the history of the time. It should be in stores by the time you read this.

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Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, Random House hardcover

Stitches by David Small, W.W. Norton hardcover
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Henry Holt hardcover

The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt, Knopf hardcover

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Philips, Knopf hardcover

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Penguin trade paperback

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, Pengin trade paperback

Food Matters by Mark Bittman, Simon & Schuster hardcover

Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman, Simon & Schuster hardcover

The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones, Knopf hardcover
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, Random House hardcover
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving, Random House hardcover

The Glass Room by Simon Mower, Other Press trade paperback