In this mélange of essay and memoir, author White reflects on the books and people that helped shape his remarkable literary life . . . In a conversational tone that blends affirmation and elegy, White escorts readers through an impressive range of interests and experiences . . . this collection is like a heartfelt conversation with friends over a bottle of wine.

Mitchell S. Jackson writes brilliant sentences, so full of the energy and beauty and tragedy of life.

With her signature humor and compassion, A.M. Homes exposes the heart of an uneasy America in her new collection—exploring our attachments to each other through characters who aren’t quite who they hoped to become, though there is no one else they can be.

For all the sorrow Vollmann catalogs, his persistent and compassionate pursuit of the truth reminds us of all that we share as human beings and all that we can do for each other.

Bohjalian is an unfaltering storyteller who crosses genres with fluidity, from historical fiction to literary thrillers…a read-in-one-sitting escapade that is as intellectually satisfying as it is emotionally entertaining.

Elizabeth Berg’s characters jump right off the page and into your heart.