Second Reading: Notable and Neglected Books Revisited

For seven years, beginning in 2003, the Washington Post ran articles by Jonathan Yardley that was modestly subtitled, "An occasional series in The Post's book critic reconsiders notable and/or neglected books from the past." Yardley's criteria for his selections was admirably informal: "books I remember with affection and admiration but have not read in many years, books I would like to encourage others to discover." His choices, as one might expect, were eclectic: Titles by Hemingway, Steinbeck, Dickens, Carson Tyler, and Anne Tyler rubbed shoulders with books on baseball, football, jazz, and film comedy. This trade paperback collects these gems and it arrives with the best possible endorsement: It is reading that will inspire you to seek out some of these classics.