May 7, 2008
Yes, this blog hit a sophomore slump for awhile there. But I have been reading and even reviewing, if not writing about it in this forum. My latest was a book called “Literary Seductions” by Frances Wilson — I saw it referred to somewhere, looked it up in our catalogue at work and got it through interlibrary loan. Last weekend, I read it. It was OK though not to my standard of high-end literary gossip/lives for regular readers (”Parallel Lives” by Phyllis Rose being my high watermark in the genre). It was kind of a hybrid between academic treatise and layperson read. Maybe that’s how they do it in the UK. Anyway a decent read.
But not as good as the previous one, “Wild Nights!” by Joyce Carol Oates, which I have reviewed for an upcoming edition of Solares Hill. I know, I know, JCO’s prodigious output can be intimidating. And I even made sure to write this review without using the word “prolific.” But this is a good one, maybe because it’s also on the literary lives vein — but with the Oatesean twists of eerieness and weirdness pushed a few shoves beyond comfort level.
Keep reading →
April 18, 2008
My review of Quiet, Please, Scott Douglas’ memoir of working in a public library, is in today’s edition of Solares Hill and on The Citizen website. I liked the book, but not as much as I’d hoped to. But it’s still a great behind-the-scenes look at life in the library. And definitely check out Scott’s blog.
I also FINALLY finished Samantha Hunt’s The Invention of Everything Else, a historical novel about Nikolas Tesla and a young hotel chambermaid. It’s mostly set in the early 1940s in New York though it contains extended flashbacks, mostly to Tesla’s life. I liked it a lot and hope we may see Hunt down here for the 2009 Literary Seminar. It’s going to be a great one, and there’s lots of reading to do. Lots and lots.
And some really great news: We’re getting a lot of new titles onto the shelves at the college library, from donations and other sources. Every day I go in and find a new book I just have to read. Since I don’t finish a book a day, this is a bit of a problem. But at least they’re library books so I have to give them back and they won’t add to the book storage issues already occupying my house. (And I always assume people know this but many don’t: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A COLLEGE STUDENT TO BORROW BOOKS FROM US!!!!!)
April 13, 2008
After a good start to the year, my reading pace slowed considerably — but I wanted to make a few notes. 1) I just finished “Quiet, Please” by Scott Douglas, which I’ll be reviewing very soon for Solares Hill. I found the book an enjoyable read, though my expectations were raised a little too high because I so like the author’s blog, Speak Quietly. Still, good to see young librarians out there telling stories. I’m about halfway through The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt, which I like a lot so far despite the fact that the author seems to be the hot new thing, went to my high school, is a couple years younger than me AND lives in Brooklyn. (Also, check out her website from the link on her name — it’s very cool.) And last weekend, I accompanied a bunch of birders to the Tortugas (for more on that trip, you can read my husband’s column in the Citizen) — the trip reminded me of a book I liked a lot and reviewed for Solares Hill a few years back: “Assassination Vacation” by the multi-talented Sarah Vowell. Vowell writes about being seasick on the trip to see Dr. Mudd’s cell at the Tortugas but the really good parts of the book, to me, were about lesser-known assassins, namely the guys who shot McKinley and Garfield.
March 31, 2008
I’ve now read the entire published works of John Wray — in other words, I finished his other book, “The Right Hand of Sleep.” Like “Canaan’s Tongue,” it’s a historical novel but set in a very different time and place — this time, it’s an Austrian mountain village in 1938, aka the time of the Anschluss. Wray’s mother is Austrian and he spent a lot of time there growing up and it’s astonishingly surehanded and mature for a first novel. This guy is that good.
March 27, 2008
A recommended read from Maggie Nelson, one of the New Voices at this year’s Key West Literary Seminar, was John Wray and over the weekend I finished his second and most recent novel, Canaan’s Tongue. Thank you, Maggie! Wow. The book is one of those written in multiple voices, set during the Civil War, about a gang of criminals engaged in an abhorrent enterprise known as the Trade — stealing slaves for re-sale; the slaves co-operate because they think they will eventually be rewarded with freedom. Instead, they’re murdered.
Wray’s first novel, “The Right Hand of Sleep,” is also historical, this one set in Austria in the 1930s. And he seems to be an interesting fellow — according to this interview, he wrote that first novel under some interesting living conditions.
March 21, 2008
From the National Book Critics Circle Blog, Critical Mass, a very interesting guest post from Molly Giles on judging the PEN Faulkner Awards. I can’t imagine.
Her comments at the end of the post are especially interesting, given the upcoming Key West Literary Seminar topic, historical fiction.
March 17, 2008
I’ve always been an admirer of graphic novels — but, I must confess, mostly in concept. I’ve read some shorter pieces, like the ones published in the New York Times Magazine on Sundays, but never an entire book. Until last weekend, when I got hold of A Thousand Ships, the first volume in Eric Shanower’s projected seven volume Age of Bronze, a history of the Trojan War.
I’m on a historical fiction kick anyway, because that’s the theme of the upcoming Key West Literary Seminar, and the latest in this series, the third volume, got a boffo review on Salon, one of my favorite sources for new titles. So I tracked down the first volume through interlibrary loan and it really is that good. Keep reading →
March 14, 2008
Just can’t get away from the book reviewing habit — recently I picked up a copy of Michael Pollan’s most recent book, In Defense of Food, at work (yes, it’s in the collection of the FKCC Library!) and found it a quick, engaging and interesting read — so engaging I started taking notes. Next thing I knew, I was reviewing it for Solares Hill and the review appears in the current edition (that link takes you to a PDF of the entire issue). The review is also available on the Citizen’s website, where Solares Hill’s book review appears each week, down at the bottom of the page. Keep reading →
March 11, 2008
To one of my favorite children’s books, The Wind in the Willows, which celebrates its centennial today. Ratty, Mole, the Badger and, of course, Mr. Toad — great characters. Great book.
March 11, 2008
More from Kris on book clubs at the Key West library: “The All for One Book Club at the Key West Library will discusses Ann Patchett’s novel Bel Canto next week. The group will meet Wednesday afternoon March 19 at 4:00–bring your afternoon coffee, tea and snacks to the discussion!
Here is a link for a reading guide for the novel: http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=833
Books for discussion are not chosen ahead of time. When we finish discussing Bel Canto the group will decide what to read for next month’s meeting.
Hope to see you at the library!”
Yes, this blog hit a sophomore slump for awhile there. But I have been reading and even reviewing, if not writing about it in this forum. My latest was a book called “Literary Seductions” by Frances Wilson — I saw it referred to somewhere, looked it up in our catalogue at work and got it through interlibrary loan. Last weekend, I read it. It was OK though not to my standard of high-end literary gossip/lives for regular readers (”Parallel Lives” by Phyllis Rose being my high watermark in the genre). It was kind of a hybrid between academic treatise and layperson read. Maybe that’s how they do it in the UK. Anyway a decent read.
