Martin's Must-Reads

Martin's Must-Reads

By Betty Martin, Mark MartinArtsBooks
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Martin's Must-Reads episodes

  • Martin's Must Reads: 'No Two Persons'
    “The Writer. The story on Alice’s computer screen had been finding its way into words for more than five years, or maybe forever. Over that time, it had grown, changed, creaked, flown, gone silent and then gained its voice again, its plot taking unexpected paths, its characters turning into people she hadn’t thought they would be, just as she had.”
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'An American Beauty'
    “Arabella. Richmond, 1867. The best part about working for Johnny Worsham, aside from that fact that he paid reliably, and in cold Yankee cash, was that he insisted she never wear her spectacles while on the floor. Which meant that Belle never had to really see any of the men she served, not unless they came quite close, which some of them did.”
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'The Book Spy'
    If you’re looking for a book about the part librarians played in WWII and some of the atrocities that were heaped on those trying to help innocent people escape, then you must read The Book Spy by Alan Hlad.
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'The Perfumist of Paris'
    “I can talk for hours about fragrances. When I’m mixing a formula, hours can pass before I stop to look around, stretch my neck or step outside the lab for a glass of water and a chat with Celeste, Delphine’s secretary."
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'Solito'
    If you’re interested in understanding just what immigrants are willing to endure in order to come to this country, then you must read Solito by Javier Zamora.
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'Such a Pretty Girl'
    The author wrote about her novel, “I wanted to examine how ambition can tilt one’s moral compass. I wanted to write about a period in history when women were simultaneously fighting for equal rights and still being exploited and commodified.”
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'Properties of Thirst'
    “The past is carried to us on simple things- a written page, a spoon, a glove, a bowl of water: carried by the souls who touched them, those plain relics emanate a language freed of time, a language without cadence - mute and eerie as the sound a granite planet makes giving birth to mountains, coursing its way through space.”
    2 min
  • Martin's Must Reads: 'Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting'
    “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting: 1. You must have a job to go to, 2. Never talk to strangers on the train, 3. Don’t consume hot food, 4. Never give up a seat once occupied, 5. Always pack for any eventuality. “Life is hard, Sometimes we just need to read a book that has a happy ending, renews our faith in humankind and reminds us that we should care about strangers.
    2 min

About Martin's Must-Reads

From the publisher's feed

There are one million new books published each year. With so many books and so little time, where do you begin to find your next must-read? There’s the New York Times Bestseller list, the Goodreads…