Bonfire of the Intellectuals – Ostensibly a book review, but really a nice thrust in the battle of the Enlightened vs. the Tolerant. I think Tolerance becomes ridiculous when it demands tolerance of the intolerant; the principle of tolerance, in that case, is self-refuting.
The Asylum scooped me by getting to Zeitoun by Dave Eggers before it had percolated to the top of my TBR. I will have my own review of the book up soon.
another cookie crumbles reviews Middlesex and gets some great LGBT recommendations in the comments.
Steph, of Steph & Tony Investigate, reviews Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, a novel I enjoyed as well. She uses Edgar Allen Poe nicely as a jumping off point. Like Steph, it was not my favorite, but I do look forward to reading her most revered work, Housekeeping.
Over at Tony’s Book World, Simone de Beauvoir stars. This makes me happy. I also appreciate the shout-out, but I am linking because the review is excellent and of a work I have not yet read. With his excellent review, Tony has pushed this up the TBR.
Kevin Hartnett’s Essay, “Reading War and Peace: Art’s Effects of Great Art on Ordinary Life“, is worth reading.
Not to suggest you OD on The Millions, but, if like me you had not been paying close attention, they have been posting the quite funny: “The Road: A Comedic Translation“.