saturday september 30
The Keep by Jennifer Egan is the story of two cousins who are restoring a medieval castle in Europe, and the dark history that connects them. Within this framework, Egan introduces us to another character, Ray, a convict taking a writing class in prison where he creates a story about- you guessed it- two cousins in a medieval castle. Ray has written himself into the tale of the castle, but we're not sure where he fits in, or whether any of his account is autobiographical. What follows is a compelling story which is part mystery, part suspense and possible allegory- it's a thought-provoking book which is extremely well-crafted. I'm looking forward to checking out more by this author.
My apologies for not posting in a while - it's certainly not for lack of great reading! My desk is piled with books I'm dying to get to, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to read next. It's always difficult to follow up a great book and not be set up for disappointment. Also, I've been in the midst of a career change, and this will unfortunately be my last post. I've enjoyed sharing my passion for books in this blog, and hopefully have inspired a few to pick up some of my suggested reads. Keep reading!
thursday august 24
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is the U.K.'s top literary prize, and according to a recent article in the London Times, "arguably the world’s top premier literary prize." The longlist for this year's prize was recently announced, and consists of 19 novels. It will be whittled down to a shortlist in mid-September, and the winner will be revealed on October 10th. Past winners of the Booker which have become favorites on this side of the Atlantic include Life of Pi, The God of Small Things, and The Remains of the Day.
I have discovered many gems on previous longlists for the Booker- authors and novels I would have otherwise never known of or been inspired to read. Since the Booker is not an American prize, the novels are not always immediately available in the States. The library owns a number of the books on this year's longlist, and others are probably not far behind. Those in the library's collection include:
Continue Reading…
wednesday august 02
Lucy Grealy was diagnosed at age 9 with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer that led to multiple surgeries and resulted in the loss of a third of her jaw. Surviving childhood taunts and exposure to endless doctors and hospitals, Grealy went on to become a writer of poetry, essays and her own story, Autobiography of a Face. Grealy's writing is straightforward, lyrical and compulsively readable.
Ann Patchett, renowned author and graduate school roommate of Grealy's, wrote the afterword to the paperback edition of Autobiography of a Face. Patchett states that Grealy's book "can certainly be read as an account of a child's cancer and disfigurement (a word Lucy despised), but it can also be read as it was written: as a piece of literature." Sadly, Grealy died in 2002 at age 39, and the world suffers in not having more of her writing.
A great companion piece to Grealy's book is Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett's memoir of the friendship she had with Grealy, and a beautiful tribute to Grealy's life.
monday july 17
The Book Thief is one of the most moving and powerful books I've read in a long time. Narrated by Death, a charismatic and highly likeable character, the story revolves around Liesel Meminger, a foster child living near Munich during World War II. Liesel tries to make sense of her life and her surroundings by losing herself in books she pilfers from the trash, remnants from Nazi book burnings, and from the wealthy woman who employs Liesel's foster mother. Not your typical Holocaust tale, the Book Thief conveys to us how words can sustain and heal, as well as destroy. As one reviewer put it, "When Death tells a story, you pay attention." I found the Book Thief hard to let go of once I had finished- I think Death may just be one of the best narrators ever.
saturday july 01
I must confess that this was the first graphic novel I've ever read- I've always been a littled daunted by the genre, and didn't think it was something I could lose myself in. Reading Fun Home proved me wrong. As Amy Bloom said in a blurb, "If David Sedaris could draw, and if Bleak House had been a little funnier, you'd have Alison Bechdel's Fun Home." That was enough to draw me in to this memoir about the author's closeted gay father who ran a funeral home. Despite his shortcomings as a father, the author establishes a bond with him through common interests, mainly books (he was a high school English teacher as well). Bechdel is as adept with crafting sentences as she is with illustrating them. Readers will enjoy her gothic illustrations as well as her deft descriptions of an unconventional background.
Other notable graphic novels which you might enjoy are:
Persepolis I and Persepolis II by Marjane Satrapi
Cruddy by Lynda Barry
Blankets by Craig Thompson
wednesday june 21
In 2004, Frank Warren began an art project which involved leaving postcards in public places- restaurants, libraries, bus terminals- and asking people to mail them in with a secret of theirs written on the postcard. The project is ongoing, and Warren recently published some of the postcards in this fabulous collection which is at turns hilarious and devastating. Included within are secrets from ordinary people about obsessive habits, dreams never realized, undisclosed memories of abuse or confessions of furtive acts. The collection is compulsively readable, and you may be inspired to send Frank your own secret- many participants have attested to feeling unburdened after doing so...
By the way, if you enjoy this kind of voyeuristic look into the secret lives of others, you would appreciate the Found books and magazines put out by Davy Rothbart.
wednesday june 14
If you are an admirer of edgy, captivating book covers then chances are you have probably eyed books designed by Chip Kidd. Chip Kidd is a graphic designer with Knopf publishers and is regarded by many as the best in the business. He recently put out Volume 1 of a collection of some of his most memorable and provocative covers. Not only are the covers of Chip Kidd's books a visual treat, the inside content is usually pretty interesting- at a recent signing at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, I had the opportunity to ask Chip Kidd whether he reads any of the books whose covers he designs. He replied that he tries to read all of them. Generally, the covers Kidd designs are for books worth reading. Here are a few to try:
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Seek My Face by John Updike
Naked by David Sedaris
and of course, Kidd's own semi-autobiographical novel The Cheese Monkeys
friday june 09
One of my favorite things to do after finishing a good book, is to go directly back to page one and at least reread the first chapter. With Becoming Abigail, I reread the whole thing.
Becoming Abigail is an intense narrative full of beautiful prose. This 119-page novella is by Christopher Abani, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for his previous novel GraceLand. Becoming Abigail tells the story of the title character, a young Nigerian who has moved to London with relatives who treat her harshly. Named for her mother who died giving birth to her, Abigail deals with growing up motherless by engaging in strange mourning rituals and other disturbing behavior. The language with which Abani delivers his story is spare and haunting, and the tale of Abigail, though devastating in many ways, is definitely one worth reading.
friday june 02
A colleague recently recommended A Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken following a discussion of "cult" titles. The novel proved to be a very quick read, and ultimately profound in its depiction of the short and meaningful life of one very big person. The story takes place in a small town that is home to a young man who suffers from gigantism- he reaches a height of over 8 and a half feet by the end of his life. What follows is an improbable love story involving the town's librarian and James Sweatt, the tallest person in the world. The novel is tender without being sentimental, and eccentric enough to appeal to those of us who have always held a secret penchant for the Guinness Book....
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 is the fourth volume put out by Dave Eggers and compiled by a group of high-schoolers who comb through all types of publications for these stories. The volume boasts a representation of topics as well as genres- there are not only short stories, but also comics and illustrations, as well as non-fiction pieces. There are authors you may recognize (my personal favorite was Aimee Bender’s “Tiger Mending”) but more obscure writers you may be inspired to look into. I look forward each year to what will be included in The Best American Nonrequired Reading, because, as the title suggests, these are pieces you may not otherwise encounter, and many pleasant surprises await!
