
I just finished my last ‘summer stack’ book (see the other books here) and it turns out I saved the best for last. Have you had a chance to read ‘City on Fire‘ by Garth Risk Hallberg? I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a big, juicy book that jumps from the 50’s to the 90’s with much of the action happening in the 70’s when parts of New York really were burning. The plot deftly weaves 15+ characters story arcs between each other, with some of the stories told via a book within a book (think fanzine, diary entries, and a manuscript). This is Mr. Hallberg’s first novel and he has set the bar high for future writings. If his next book is as good as his first I will be in for another highly enjoyable read. How about you? Have you read any good books lately? I’d love to know what’s on your ‘must read’ list…