Category Archives: Other Prizes

Includes National Book Award, Man Booker International, Man Asian Literary Prize

On the banks of the Hudson, with Echoes of Wellesley

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Beth Parks Aronson

I have leap-frogged over a couple of reviews to discuss this one, because I found myself composing this post in the time remaining in my commute after the novel stopped playing. Something in Leah Hager Cohen’s writing made me … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Orange, Other Prizes | Tagged American Literature, books, Explo, Exploration Summer Program, Leah Hager Cohen, New York, The Grief of Others | Leave a comment

The Journey of A Glass Church in New South Wales

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Beth Parks Aronson

Without intending to, I have immersed myself in mid-19th century Oceania with my most recent reads. This one was across the water in the marginally more settled New South Wales. The narration begins in the present day, with a narrator … Continue reading →

Posted in 1001 Books, Booker, Books, Other Prizes | Tagged 1001 Books, Around the World in Books, Australia, Booker Prize, books, Oceania, Oscar and Lucinda, Peter Carey | 1 Comment

DC, Addis Ababa, North Dakota, and Illinois

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Beth Parks Aronson

I’ve been having a lovely time reading, but haven’t been so good at catching you all up on my progress. This review features 4 recent reads, titles A-D for the alphabet challenge I doubt I can finish by year end. … Continue reading →

Posted in Around the US 2013, Around the World 2013, Books, Other Prizes | Tagged Abraham Verghese, African American literature, All Aunt Hagar's Children, Alphabonkers, American Literature, Around the US in Books, Around the World in Books, Big Rock Candy Mountain, books, Cutting for Stone, DC, Divergent, dystopian fiction, Edward P. Jones, Ethiopia, Illinois, ND, Veronica Roth, Wallace Stegner, Washington, YA | 1 Comment

Closing in on the End of Author Alphabet

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Beth Parks Aronson

I’m racing along to the end of the alphabet, trying to get at least the authors done before the end of the year. The end is in sight, and in most cases, I’ve been able to meet some other goals … Continue reading →

Posted in 1001 Books, Around the US 2013, Booker, Books, Mystery/Thriller, Other Prizes | Tagged 1001 Books, Alphabonkers, American Literature, Around the World in Books, Booker Prize, books, Europe, Felicia's Journey, God Bless you Mr. Rosewater, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, North America, Rabbit Run, USA, William Trevor | Leave a comment

In Post-War Japan

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Beth Parks Aronson

I’m back to the Alphabonkers challenge and my trip around the world with another 1001 Books list entry. I have read Ishiguro before, and liked his work very much. I found this novel somewhat less engaging than The Remains of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1001 Books, Around the World 2013, Books, Other Prizes | Tagged 1001 Books, An Artist of the Floating World, Around the World in Books, Asia, books, Japan, Kazuo Ishiguro, WWII | 4 Comments

A Long-Overdue Trip to Afghanistan

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Beth Parks Aronson

I have had this book for years, since 2008. It has been on a bookshelf, then by my bed, but I kept putting off starting it because I knew it might be a hard read emotionally. This is crazy, since … Continue reading →

Posted in Around the World 2013, Books, Other Prizes | Tagged A Thousand Splendid Suns, Afghanistan, Around the World in Books, Asia, Khaled Hosseini | 3 Comments

Waiting for Snow in Havana

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Beth Parks Aronson

After trashing the narrator of the last book I listened to, I want to sing the praises of David Drummond, who did a marvelous job with this one! I had a wonderful, if disturbing at times, visit to Cuba at … Continue reading →

Posted in 1001 Books, Around the World 2013, Books, Other Prizes | Tagged Around the World in Books, books, Caribbean, Carlos Eire, Cuba, National Book Award, Waiting for Snow in Havana | 1 Comment

Being Dead During the Philly Rock and Roll Half Marathon

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Beth Parks Aronson

Ok, I’m officially catching up a bit on back posts. Somehow both husband and child are in bed and sleeping before 11 pm. I finally have time to think and type without interruption! Before I get on with my review … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Other Prizes, Uncategorized | Tagged Being Dead, books, British Literature, England, Europe, Jim Crace, National Book Critics Circle | Leave a comment

Bout of Books Readathon

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Beth Parks Aronson

I’m a sucker for a readathon. So here goes. This one is being hosted at the Bout of Books Blog and will be chatting on Twitter under #boutofbooks . This is version 5 of the readathon and it runs all … Continue reading →

Posted in Distractions, Food, Orange, Other Prizes, Pulitzer Prize, Uncategorized | Tagged 1001 Books, Africa, Around the World in Books, books, goodreads, Pulitzer Prize, readathons | 8 Comments

A Day in Three Lives

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Beth Parks Aronson

I just finished Michael Cunningham’s The Hours. This was a complicated read for me because it carried so many echoes of important pieces of my own life. I’m a psychologist, and I treat depression fairly frequently. Often it feels manageable, … Continue reading →