Summary: In this episode of the Books on the Nightstand books podcast, we talk about historical fiction and how it is defined. Also, William Faulkner, Julian Barnes, and The Homemade Pantry. How we're finding Faulkner A little update on our Faulkner project. Both Michael and I are attempting to read (or re-read) a William Faulkner novel in anticipation of Booktopia:Oxford. But since 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Faulkner, we're going to enlist you all in our Faulkner project. I started listening to the audiobook of The Sound and the Fury, read by Grover Gardner. I loved the poetry in the language, and loved Grover's reading. But then I discovered (from Oprah's How to Read Faulkner (http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Faulkner-101-How-to-Read-William-Faulkner/1)) that the text uses italics to indicate shifts in time. I could not hear italics in the audiobook. So now my new plan is to listen to the audio as I read along. Michael started As I Lay Dying and is loving it. Please join us in our Faulkner read-along (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/119468?group_id=4862) on the Books on the Nightstand Goodreads group. If our happiness isn't enough of an incentive, you should know that July 6th is Faulkner Remembrance Day (http://www.squarebooks.com/event/faulkner-remembrance-day) at Square Books (http://www.squarebooks.com/), marking the 50th anniversary of his death. The next day is the 39th annual Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha Conference (http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/faulkner/). So even if you can't make it to Oxford for Booktopia, you may want to make one of these special events. What makes a novel historical? The Guardian has created a list of The 10 Best Historical Novels (http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/gallery/2012/may/13/ten-best-historical-novels?commentpage=2#start-of-comments), as chosen by William Skidelsky. As you can imagine, this has created a bit of controversy. As we looked through it, we were struck by some of the books that they considered "historical." Michael and I both immediately thought of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043.The_Pillars_of_the_Earth)(which did not make the list), which is more epic in scope than some of the books on the Guardian list. Some of those books deal with a small period of time in history. The Walter Scott Prize defines a historical novel as being set at least 60 years prior to its publication. There are many comments on the Guardian post that added a significant number of books to my reading list, and some of the comments are just entertaining in themselves. My favorite comment is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/16102805 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/16102805). Some of the books that Michael and I discuss in this segment: Ragtime (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175675.Ragtime) by E.L. Doctorow Property (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/414759.Property) by Valerie Martin Mary Renault's The King Must Die (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93941.The_King_Must_Die) (I bought this book after we recorded the podcast) The Radetzky March (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54258.The_Radetzky_March) by Joseph Roth (I bought this book, too). The Last Town on Earth (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76336.The_Last_Town_on_Earth) by Thomas Mullen So we want to hear from you: How do you define a historical novel? And what are some of your favorites? Two books we can't wait for you to read: (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333576869l/12519893.jpg) (http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577279l/11804738.jpg) Michael tells us about a cookbook, which he hasn't yet cooked from. He did, however, read The Homemade Pantry (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12519893-the-homemade-pantry) by Alana Chernila. The focus is on making food at home instead of buying the processed versions at the store. There are recipes for yogurt, pickles,
