?RUReadingRedux!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kim Anderson on August 30, 2011 at 9:07pm

Well, a week at the lake and another week in Napa with in-laws produced lots of great reading time. What did I do with all those hours? I could have finally finished Proust. I could have cracked Moby Dick (see the Literary Games conversation for Roundtablers' humiliating confessions re great books they've never read). But me? I continued sweeping through the first 3,000 pages of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series. I might need intervention but I'm still lovin it although I'm now coming up for air and some minimalist contemporary fiction. In between trying to read as many books featured at the Humanities Montana Festival of the Book as I can, I've also enjoyed Siri Hustvedt's latest, The Summer Without Men, Ann Patchett's latest, State of Wonder, and Jonathan Tropper's "This is Where I Leave You." All pretty light, all really enjoyable. What did everyone else spend their summer reading? And does anyone else feel the need to get back to meatier things as fall approaches?

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Permalink Reply by Russell Rowland on September 3, 2011 at 6:06am

I'm happy to add my own plug for AMERICAN MASCULINE, a really wonderful collection of stories that combine grit and violence with some incredibly lyrical prose. I think Mr. Ray (aka Ferch) is a writer to watch. I just finished Jennifer Egan's Pulitzer Prize winning A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD, and there were some chapters in this book that were incredible, but I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped. She uses a unique narrative approach, switching to an entirely new point of view with each chapter, and although she manages to inhabit each character pretty thoroughly, I found it hard to make an emotional connection to the overall story without an anchor. Now starting STATE OF WONDER.

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Permalink Reply by Kim Anderson on September 4, 2011 at 9:59pm

I'm already on record here as having loved Goon Squad, a convert, but I know what you mean Russell. For me she almost magically did make me mourn for a whole generation by the end. I'll be interested to know what you think of STATE OF WONDER. I enjoyed it as I almost always enjoy Patchett, but it didn't carry the weight of BEL CANTO. Still, very interesting issues served up in almost ridiculously addictive prose...she knows how to write a novel.

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Permalink Reply by Kim Anderson on October 26, 2011 at 9:00pm

I just realized that I posted the first entry in this string almost a year ago after the 2010 book festival. And, once again, I followed this year's festival with a weeklong binge of New Yorker and literary journal catch-up before I could finally turn back to books. And, like years past, I immediately search for something "nonwest" totally foreign to what I've been immersed in (happily, I might add) for months. Well, I found the antidote--The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Perhaps a little precious and certainly without the emotional weight of Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife (probably unfair comparison but they're both impossibly young female writers). Still as beautiful as a tiny Dresden teacup. Transporting. Just what I needed. Now, considering what to bring on the plane with me to Florida next week--humanities conference. Must be paperback. Should probably have a little more testosterone. Suggestions?

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Permalink Reply by David Abrams on October 27, 2011 at 5:00pm

Once again, I find myself replying to this when I'm at work and not surrounded by my library....but, just off the top of my head, two of my favorites which spring to mind: "The Clearing" by Tim Gautreaux and "Tree of Smoke" by Denis Johnson.  Both have their share of testosterone and are available in paperback (trade PB size, I imagine).  "The Clearing" is one of those books I thrust on anyone I can at every opportunity.  Gautreaux's more recent novel "The Missing" is good, too.  Another title which just came to mind: "Lost Nation" by Jeffrey Lent.

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Permalink Reply by Kim Anderson on October 28, 2011 at 3:41pm

Thanks David! Tree of Smoke blew me away--I remain a fierce advocate for its slightly unhinged power. It reminded me of Damascas Gate by Robert Stone, another book I love.

 

But I've never heard of The Clearing or its author. I'm going to look for it now!

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Permalink Reply by Ken Egan on November 15, 2011 at 5:27pm

Two L.A.-centric books to recommend, though composed in very different genres:

 

Neil McMahon, "L. A. Mental: A Thriller."  Neil plays all kinds of changes on the L. A. noir tradition--including a femme fatale, a mad scientist, and a Russian agent.  Oh yes, and these killer nanos that infiltrate your brain and. . . .  Won't give anymore away.  A very fast read--well written, full of atmosphere and family tension.  Oh, and think about the title--punny, yes?

 

Joan Didion, "Blue Nights."  A gorgeous, heartbreaking memoir of losing her daughter.  One of the more remarkable themes of the book: Memories do not save us--they make us suffer.  As one reviewer observes, this is a study of life in the abyss--it's hard to find comfort or hope in the midst of such loss.  Yet I continue to believe the act of writing (and the responsive act of reading) provide solace--maybe just the solace of sharing our woes.  Call it the Job effect.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by David Abrams on November 16, 2011 at 5:45pm

I'm currently reading 1Q84 (which, no matter how many times I look at it, I always want to call "Eye-Q-84").  I picked it up at Fact & Fiction last week after literally weighing the balance--physically and mentally--of this book before the purchase.  It's a heavy book and in hindsight I probably should have loaded it onto my Kindle.  But in any event, I'm glad I have it.  This is my first trip through Haruki Murakami and I guess I'm a little surprised at the accessibility of his language and how quickly and smoothly the plot moves along.  Some of the dialogue borders on cliche, but the intrigue of the shadow world circa 1984 more than makes up for any of the novel's flaws.  I'm only 200 pages into it (one-fifth of the way), so only time will tell how good it is.

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Permalink Reply by kathleen kimble on November 16, 2011 at 7:50pm

What am I reading? "Extremophilia" by Fred Haefele. When he has me laughing out loud, I get sideswiped by raw honesty, brave stories of truth. When he has me crying, I get sideswiped again by wry humor. And sometimes, it's just a good story well told. I love these ...uh....short stories?....essays?

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Permalink Reply by Kim Anderson on November 17, 2011 at 5:11pm

Hey, great grab bag of choices (especially the McMahon...). David, I've been eyeing the Murakami since it came out. I am a big fan of Kafka on the Shore. And I guess I've decided to stop reading all the (decidely mixed) reviews. At some point with a big (as in lots of media attention) book I start to feel overly familiar with it, even though I've never even held it in my hand...

Kathleen, I love Fred Haefele's writing--you're so right--smart, hard hitting, true, and usually very funny.

I"m about a third of the way into Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. (I know, where have I been?? Every once in a while I make myself grab the first book on my shelves that I haven't read. Lucky me, this time I was standing in front of the "c"s.) I'm taking it with me on vacation, as well as The Swerve (National Book Award winner) and Chris Adrian's Great Night. And if any of you haven't read his The Children's Hospital you should drop whatever you're doing and order it from your favorite book store immediately.

Speaking of booky things, I just watched part of the National Book Awards (yes, I'm at work, but I think my boss knows I was doing it, and I think he was okay with it. Right, Ken?) and Nikky Finney's acceptance speech was one of the most moving things I've seen in a long time. John Lithgow even said so. You can watch it here:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/nikky-finney-speech-rocks-nati...

 

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