Mini Update Sticky Post: January 1, 2020
Later in December, I started to read Ian Urbina’s The Outlaw Ocean, inspired by an interview via The New York Times Book Review. It’s terrifically engaging non-fiction, and I’m reading a chapter every few days. This year could be the year that my non-fiction reading truly does increase!
From my own shelves, I’m reading Thomas King’s first novel, Medicine River, and rereading Wayson Choy’s The Jade Peony. And my reading of the Tevye Stories (by Sholom Aleichem), inspired by Mel at The Reading Life, continues.
As for other short stories, I’ll be beginning Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find this month. That has inspired a mini-Flannery project, thanks to a long-time shelf-sitting collection of her letters also occupying a place on my shelves.
This coincides with what I hope to be an ongoing series of The Writing Life, so I am also spending some time with Zora Neale Hurston on the page this year, too. Having enjoyed the Jump at the Sun documentary so much, I’ve got another film lined up to watch and, as always, several books on hold at the library.
And as if that’s not enough? A novel by Tove Jansson, with Paula’s Tove Trove event in mind. And Jessica Anderson’s Taking Shelter, with Bill’s celebration of Australian women writers in mind as well.
So many books to talk about! Including what’s currently in my bookbag, notebook, stacks and reading log.
Also, I’m still reading Mavis Gallant, one story at a time. (Which began anew on October 22nd: In Transit.) There are two full collections after this one: join in, if you wish.
How about you: what are you reading these days, and what are you looking forward to reading soon?
(First time here? Please don’t be shy: there’s no such thing as too much bookchat! Please leave a comment, say hello, talk books!)
I looked up The Quincunx because I remembered you had been reading it. And lo and behold! you mention it.
And I just read Ian Williams won the prize, so you were prescient!
Just reread one of Carol Shields’s books, and she is as good as I remembered.
The Palliser would be right up your street, I think, Kat. It’s Collinsy and Dickensy and not in a trying-too-hard way either.
Williams is very clever and heart-ful: I look forward to his next books too!
Oooo, which one did you reread? I’ll have to drop by and see…
I have The Nickel Boys checked out – haven’t started it yet. I’m a bit apprehensive about it because of the heavy subject matter, but I respect Whitehead’s writing so much I want to give it a go. I loved Olive Kitteridge! i read it just at the beginning of the year and it remains one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
It’s just so lovely, isn’t it?! Are you looking forward to the continuation (I think it’s coming in November, maybe October?) and have you seen the limited/mini-series?
You’ve probably finished it by now! But in case you were able to renew (being a librarian), I’ll just say that The Nickel Boys reads very quickly and he is deliberately not glamorizing the violence so the scenes are presented almost clinically (although you know, of course, that their after-effects do not pass anywhere near so quickly). By the time all that happens, anyway, you are so invested in the character (part one is a great immersion into the story) that you just have to see what will happen next.
I love reading about your reading. I’m also a fan of Kay, and you remind me that he has a new book. Always varied posts here: Short stories, indigenous fiction, etc.
Thanks, Kat! The new one is A Brightness Long Ago. I’m really looking forward to it!
I see what you’re up to with those three books in the picture – what fun! I hope you’re going to write about them. 🙂
Hee hee. I love that you noticed. Not here, no, but I am working on a piece and will share. 🙂
🙂
The range of your reading is really something else 🙂 I’m looking forward to ending the night with the Mavis Gallant story – eager to check out her work in depth this fall (along with several others you’ve recommended to me, haha).
I envy those readers who have a single reading interest (e.g. crime, history) because it seems so tidy. It feels like once you start to add kidlit and poetry into the stack, that things can’t help but look chaotic, but it’s just all so interesting! (That’s one long Gallant story – I didn’t finish!)
I was just thinking about how you have entered my bookish lexicon. MRE is a thing with me because of you. I read an ARC of Kate Atkinson’s new Jackson Brodie, and because she’s an MRE, as soon as I’d gobbled that, I went looking for more. I found one I hadn’t read (Human Croquet), and I was SO disappointed. Sigh. Still and all, it makes me appreciate the great ones even more.
Love this! It’s too bad that you haven’t enjoyed all of her books, but it makes sense, because her early ones (like Atwood’s) are rather different. I’m really behind with her, but was just browsing through Transcription at the library the other day, thinking how much I’m looking forward to it…eventually.
Oh, yes, Payton Place. You can’t get much more trashy than that! 😉 Pretty much every nasty thing that can happen in a community does. I always meant to watch the TV show. I wouldn’t mind reading the Ng novel myself. I really liked her first book. I am sort of on a Russian reading binge, but it mostly only extends to the setting and not (maybe not Yet) to Russian authors. Maybe I can squeeze in a Chekhov novella or some short stories. I have been thinking of rereading Anna K, but that would have to be contemplated for January, I think. Are you feeling more freedom to have the CanLit Giller Prize reading done?
It was delightfully trashy and the movie was fun to watch too. But I couldn’t bring myself to dive into the sequel straight away (partly because the library copy was in pretty sorry shape and that put me off a little, which, as you know, has to be pretty bad, as I’ve a good tolerance built up over the years)! And, yes, I love reading the Giller books, but I am really enjoying my backlisted reading just now.
I’ve heard really good things about Louise Erdrich, though I haven’t read anything by her. Where would you suggest beginning?
For story, I really like The Master Butcher’s Singing Club and The Last Report on the Miracles of Little No Horse (the former a little more about dark family history and relationships, the latter being somewhat bookish and more about faith – with overlap on all those themes across her work). If you feel drawn to one, just give it a try: she’s much more accessible than she seems.
I took the Gallant collection home with me over the weekend but then didn’t get a chance to read the first story so I have it with me today. Not sure I’ll write about each story, or maybe will just write about them in a very loose sort of way.
You’re also welcome to leave a long comment on my post if you prefer: I don’t mind. But the first one is, technically, a novella, which I’ve just finished rereading today, so you could probably find enough to say about that one for a post on its own, if you are so inclined. (Some are much shorter, I see, and I think this first story is the only one I’ve read before.)