Book bleg
Not much happening here in Caffeine Land. Summer is over and the time is right for racin' in the streets. Whoops, didn't mean to channel Springsteen. What I meant was that summer is over and it's time to start classes again. Exciting though that usually is, I just can't get fired up about it this semester. If the start of a new semester isn't enough, I'm also battling a reading dry spell. Sure I'm still reading as much as ever, but I'm not reading anything good. Most of the time there's a book or two hovering at the back of my mind that I'm trying to get around to. Not now. The last 3 or 4 I've read have been pretty bland and there's nothing looming on the horizon. That, friends and neighbors, is where you come in -- hopefully.
I know some of you have suggested books to me in the past, but I'm going to ask again. Give me something to read, please. I guess a few parameters might not hurt. Let's see:
1. I'm looking for a novel. I already have a couple of non-fiction works that I need to get around to, so I don't need anything else there.
2. Fairly new -- less than 5 (or so) years old. This is an arbitrary rule, but I'm not looking for a list of classic works that I've just never plowed through.
3. Not too heavy, but not too light. Okay that was ambiguous. Let's try it this way: no Rick Moody or Don DeLillo, nor am I looking for the next Patricia Cornwell or Dan Brown. Note I'm not intentonally being a highbrow snob. I've read both Cornwell and Brown (though NEVER again), that's just not what I'm craving right now.
4. English language -- either originally or available in translation. Okay, that was a silly and unecessary parameter, but I'm feeling rather whimsical today. Must be the Friday thing.
I think that's about it. So put on your thinking caps and tell me some good books you've read of late. If you want to offer support for your suggestion, that's okay -- but not mandatory.
After looking back at the first paragraph, I had to check if my pants were on fire. I DO have one book "looming". One of the coffee crew recently suggested The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet, but she said it was better than The Time Traveler's Wife! While I know she HAS to be wrong about that, such a stronge endorsement did catch my attention. Any of you know that one? Regardless, I'm still going to ask for general input/suggestions.
posted by St. Caffeine @ 12:08 PM
10 Comments:
Well, I can't remember some of the things I've suggested in the past and what you have said you have read, but here are a couple:
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
The Plot Against America, Philip Roth
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Thanks, Mel, I've read the first and the last of your suggestions. I have picked up Plot Against America and carried it around the library more than once. I cannot, though, get past my Roth block. Still, I'm thinking I might give it a shot.
Okay, I recently read The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl and I really, really enjoyed it. Check out the info on Amazon. It's billed as a "murder mystery", but his character development makes it something that I read of my own free will (and I don't get into the murder mystery genre). I'd pass it on to you, but hubby loaned it out. :-(
I liked it enough to look for his next one. And, as you know, i've spent my summer reading Anne Rice, various "chick-lit" offerings and childrens literature--Pearl's work made me think about my long-ago literature classes and how I didn't appreciate some things nearly enough.
Really, Stella? I'd not paid any attention to The Dante Club because, for some reason, I assumed it was another DaVinci Code type thing and I've read more than enough of those. Hmm, I guess I should reconsider.
BTW, I've tried a couple of times to get ahold of you guys. I had a question.
Have you ever read Grapes of Wrath? I just reread it (yes, I am not allowed to buy anymore books for now so going over my library again) and it was much better than I remembered, although I knew I liked it before, but I was just 16 or something then. I mention it, despite the fact that you've asked for recent works, because it resonates today oddly enough. I even found some correlations between it and V for Vendetta, but I'm weird like that.
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve was interesting - not totally great, but I didn't regret reading it. And Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim.
Funny you should ask, Mel. I just reread Grapes this summer. Sorry you're not allowed any new books. I knew there was a reason I like the single life.
Ok, it is weird you reread it too. Did you post that you reread it? Is that what made me decide to reread it? Am I completely losing my mind and forgetting EVERYTHING???
Well, my hubby actually doesn't mind if I buy books. But I control the budget of the household and I say we can't afford any til next month. Not to mention, I *should* be spending every available moment on my thesis reading. But then, I gotta have something for bedtime reading, right?
I don't know if this is less than 5 years old, but it's close. As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann.
Very disturbing. I just thought of it again today.
I highly recommend a non-novel, The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr.
It explains the difference between Shia and Sunni and shows how these differences have affected, and will affect, world events. Only 258 pages, a real eye opener.
VolMom
Thanks, Vol and VolMom. I'll add both to my "potential read" list.
Oh, and Mel ... No, I never mentioned rereading Grapes. Must have just been a spurious correlation -- a topic we talked about in class today.
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