The Best Novels of the Nineties: A Reader's Guide

So many books, so little time. It's hard enough to keep up with the book reviews these days, much less the flood of new novels that often stay on the shelves for only a few months. The Best Novels of the Nineties steps in to help you choose from more than 1,000 great works written between 1990 and 1998 with capsule summaries and clips from the most insightful reviews to help you or your reading group decide what to tackle next. Arranged alphabetically by author in such sections as "The Ties That Bind," "Innovators," and "Humor," the entries are informative and often inspirational--while the book separates the wheat from the chaff, there's still plenty of wheat to drool over. Author and editor Linda Parent Lesher has a reader's eye for what's important. Whether she's examining regional or ethnically based literature, exploring the frontiers of experimental fiction, or chasing down murderers with the best mystery writers, she sums up each book's merits with a few bright, engaging sentences that make the decision to read simpler for each selector. There are plenty of familiar names: Doris Lessing, Saul Bellow, and Martin Amis, for three, as well as newcomers to watch out for in the 21st century. The indices and bio-bibliography are helpful for comparative readers, and the lists of books available as audiocassettes or film adaptations are nice afterthoughts. Now you can quit finishing your books halfway through. With The Best Novels of the Nineties, you'll never have to read a stinker again. --Rob Lightner