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This Week's Must-Reads: Keys, Concerns, And Memory

Kristin Yinger |
October 31, 2011 | 3:11 p.m. PDT

Books Editor

Foer's re-release of his post-9/11 novel is tomorrow (Mariner Books).
Foer's re-release of his post-9/11 novel is tomorrow (Mariner Books).
“Extemely Loud and Incredibly Close MTI: A Novel”
By: Jonathan Safran Foer
(Paperback, Mariner Books; None edition, $15)

The book is being re-released with a new cover for the movie version that is coming out in December.

From the author that brought us “Everything is Illuminated,” comes a story of Oskar, a boy on a mission to find the lock that fits with a key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. His journey will take him through the twists and turns of the different New York boroughs and Foer weaves Oskar’s story together with that of his grandparents to both evocative and humorous ends. Fans of Foer will find all the things that he is best known for here, but with the addition of photographs and illustrations as well as other literary formatting experiments. This re-release is just as relevant now with the 10-year anniversary of September 11. (Nov. 1)

“Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)”
By: Mindy Kaling
(Hardcover, Crown Archetype, $25)

For fans of "The Office" and Kaling’s character, Kelly Kapoor, this book contains the same sort of hilarious and opinionated insights you might expect Kelly to impart if she was given more screen time each episode. Kaling welcomes readers into her life—from her childhood as a good kid who always stayed in and did her homework to her off-Broadway experiences to her time as an actress on "The Office." Along the way, she imparts her views on romance, friendship, Hollywood and beyond much as she would if you were sitting down with her for a long, candid chat. (Nov. 1)

“Under Blue Cup”
By: Rosalind E. Krauss
(Hardcover, The MIT Press, $25)

Art history buffs will recognize Krauss’ name from her discussions of modernism and post-modernism, as well as modern sculpture, and many famous artists’ lives, but this book takes a more personal turn. The title refers to the flashcards Krauss uses as memory cues following a ruptured aneurysm she suffered in which her short-term memory was mostly wiped out and this sets the theme for the rest of the book: how memory relates to medium in art. She argues that the post-medium art world of conceptual art and installation of “the knights of the medium” keeps the “white cube” of the gallery intact and examines these artists in greater detail. (Nov. 4)

Reach Books Editor Kristin here. Follow her on Twitter here.

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