Six books in the second fourteen days of the year. Excellent reading and mapping them was fun. Last year's World of Reading map has no markers in Africa and the 2019 map already has three!
All of these were from my "owned-but-unread" shelf. The last two on the list were Christmas presents. 🎁
Sydney Noir edited by John Dale
This is one of the Akashic Noir Series so there is a map showing the fourteen sections of Sydney where the crimes are committed. Review Copy through LibraryThing giveaway
Adua by Igiaba Scego; translated from the Italian by Jamie Richards
This story of a Somalian emigrant takes place in Rome with flashbacks set in Somalia and Ethiopia.
Gesell Dome by Guillermo Saccomanno; Translated from the Spanish by Andrea G. Labinger
Only one place in this one--a small, corrupt, Argentine resort town.
The Elusive Moth by Ingrid Winterbach; Translated from the Afrikaans by Iris Gouws
Set in the Free State Province of South Africa
🎁The Flying Mountain by Christoph Ransmayr; Translated from the German by Simon Pare
The author is Austrian, the story is set in Ireland and Tibet.
🎁The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon; Translated from the Thai by Mui Poopoksakul
Short stories set in modern Thailand.
Showing posts with label Australian Lit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian Lit. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2019
Saturday, January 13, 2018
January (second week) 2018 Reads
The "Deal Me In" story this week was a so..so one about a new mother. The three novels I read were all really good, the noir was good, and the non-fiction on translation theory was excellent.
Card: 6 of Hearts
Story: Bravery by Charles Baxter (in The best American short stories, 2013)
Meh...
from the Library...
The Strays by Emily Bitto
Australian girl grows up in the shadow of her best friend's eccentric family. Set in the 1930s.
The Ocean in the Closet by Yuko Taniguchi
Ten year old Japanese-American girl searches her family background to better understand her disturbed parents. Set in 1978 San Francisco and Japan. Narrative moves between the girl's account and that of her great uncle. The uncle's story has many flashbacks to the time of the post WW2 American occupation of Japan.
Trieste by Daša Drndić ; translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać
A complicated story of Jewish-Italian family in WW2. Fictional narrative is interspersed with much factual documentary of Nazi atrocities, particularly the Lebensborn project. Very difficult read.
from my shelves...
Montreal Noir edited by John McFetridge and Jacques Filippi
Most of the ten anthologies I have read from the Akashic Noir series have been good, but this one is one of my favorites. The stories feature a variety of protagonists and situations. Who expects to find, among the usual suspects, guys who hunt coyotes for sport in the burbs of Montreal?
Free review copy from publisher through Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Literary Translation and the Making of Originals by Karen Emmerich; Brian James Baer , Michelle Woods
Card: 6 of Hearts
Story: Bravery by Charles Baxter (in The best American short stories, 2013)
Meh...
from the Library...
The Strays by Emily Bitto
Australian girl grows up in the shadow of her best friend's eccentric family. Set in the 1930s.
The Ocean in the Closet by Yuko Taniguchi
Ten year old Japanese-American girl searches her family background to better understand her disturbed parents. Set in 1978 San Francisco and Japan. Narrative moves between the girl's account and that of her great uncle. The uncle's story has many flashbacks to the time of the post WW2 American occupation of Japan.
Trieste by Daša Drndić ; translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać
A complicated story of Jewish-Italian family in WW2. Fictional narrative is interspersed with much factual documentary of Nazi atrocities, particularly the Lebensborn project. Very difficult read.
from my shelves...
Montreal Noir edited by John McFetridge and Jacques Filippi
Most of the ten anthologies I have read from the Akashic Noir series have been good, but this one is one of my favorites. The stories feature a variety of protagonists and situations. Who expects to find, among the usual suspects, guys who hunt coyotes for sport in the burbs of Montreal?
Free review copy from publisher through Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Literary Translation and the Making of Originals by Karen Emmerich; Brian James Baer , Michelle Woods
Saturday, March 25, 2017
March (fourth week) 2017 Reads
Two super great novels, a non-fiction, a couple of literary journals, a Gutenberg find, and my weekly short story made up this week's reading.
In this week's short story, Ministry of the Interior by Louise Kennedy, a man in Beirut buries his pet cat with the help of some women friends. It's a rather sad affair and although he has prepared a nice buffet, the women can't wait to leave.
It is online at Short Fiction, a print and online journal, featuring excellent short stories from around the world.
This week's card, The Five of Hearts, is from the Marshall McLuhan Distant Early Warning (D. E. W.-Line) Card Deck, A deck of playing cards designed to be used as a problem-solving device. Published in 1969.
An essay about the deck may be found here and a complete set of DEW Line cards can be seen on Flickr at https://goo.gl/bvwVM7
from my "owned-but-unread" shelf...
A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska, Christina E. Kramer (Translation from the Macedonian)
The separation of conjoined twins serves as a metaphor for the breakup of Yugoslavia, but it's a very strong story even if read as a straight narrative without the metaphorical stuff.
From my subscription to Two Lines Press
Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
In this collection of linked short stories, Strout expands on the lives of several people mentioned in My name is Lucy Barton. It stands alone, you don't have to have read Lucy Barton to appreciate these stories of small town life, love, and loss. Strout is one my favorite authors and this one does not disappoint. Loved it.
Advance review copy through GoodReads.
Riding the Black Cockatoo by John Danalis
The author gives an account of the process of returning a skull of an Australian Aborigine to its tribe. He goes into the difficulties encountered which include convincing his father of the necessity of repatriating the skull, finding the right authorities to receive it, working with elders to assure that the proper ceremonies are observed, and dealing his own psychological reaction to the atrocities that the native people of Australia have suffered over the years.
Not the greatest writing, but it does help to raise awareness.
My copy from a blog win at The Bookshelf Gargoyle
Literary journals...
Two Lines 26 by CJ Evans (Editor)
More information and Table of Contents Some selections from this and previous issues are available online
I am a subscriber.
New England Review, Vol. 37, No.3 (2016)
Publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama. This issue features a section of translations of current German poetry. Some material from past issues is available online (pdf). I rec'd this copy from a blog win at LitHub Daily. More Information and Table of Contents
Gutenberg find...
The American Railway : Its Construction, Development, management, and Appliances by Bogart, Clarke, others, and Voorhees (Originally published by Scribners' in 1889)
Over 400 pages of essays, pictures, charts, statistics, and more. A lot of it is rather dull, but there is plenty of interest especially to a researcher. It's worth a look just for the sketches, drawings, and photographs.
The chapter on "The Every-day Life of Railroad Men" is a gem with such insights as "Brakemen have had the reputation of doing a good deal of flirting, and many a country-girl has found a worthy husband among them; but there is not so much of this method of diversion as formerly; both passenger and freight men now have to attend more strictly to business, and they cannot conveniently indulge in side play. There are still, however, enough short branch-lines and slow-going roads in backwoods districts to insure that flirting shall not become a lost art in this part of the world."
 |
| “Deal Me In 2017!” |
It is online at Short Fiction, a print and online journal, featuring excellent short stories from around the world.
This week's card, The Five of Hearts, is from the Marshall McLuhan Distant Early Warning (D. E. W.-Line) Card Deck, A deck of playing cards designed to be used as a problem-solving device. Published in 1969.
An essay about the deck may be found here and a complete set of DEW Line cards can be seen on Flickr at https://goo.gl/bvwVM7
from my "owned-but-unread" shelf...
A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska, Christina E. Kramer (Translation from the Macedonian)
The separation of conjoined twins serves as a metaphor for the breakup of Yugoslavia, but it's a very strong story even if read as a straight narrative without the metaphorical stuff.
From my subscription to Two Lines Press
Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth StroutIn this collection of linked short stories, Strout expands on the lives of several people mentioned in My name is Lucy Barton. It stands alone, you don't have to have read Lucy Barton to appreciate these stories of small town life, love, and loss. Strout is one my favorite authors and this one does not disappoint. Loved it.
Advance review copy through GoodReads.
Riding the Black Cockatoo by John Danalis
The author gives an account of the process of returning a skull of an Australian Aborigine to its tribe. He goes into the difficulties encountered which include convincing his father of the necessity of repatriating the skull, finding the right authorities to receive it, working with elders to assure that the proper ceremonies are observed, and dealing his own psychological reaction to the atrocities that the native people of Australia have suffered over the years.
Not the greatest writing, but it does help to raise awareness.
My copy from a blog win at The Bookshelf Gargoyle
Literary journals...
Two Lines 26 by CJ Evans (Editor)
More information and Table of Contents Some selections from this and previous issues are available online
I am a subscriber.
New England Review, Vol. 37, No.3 (2016)
Publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama. This issue features a section of translations of current German poetry. Some material from past issues is available online (pdf). I rec'd this copy from a blog win at LitHub Daily. More Information and Table of Contents
Gutenberg find...
The American Railway : Its Construction, Development, management, and Appliances by Bogart, Clarke, others, and Voorhees (Originally published by Scribners' in 1889)
Over 400 pages of essays, pictures, charts, statistics, and more. A lot of it is rather dull, but there is plenty of interest especially to a researcher. It's worth a look just for the sketches, drawings, and photographs.
The chapter on "The Every-day Life of Railroad Men" is a gem with such insights as "Brakemen have had the reputation of doing a good deal of flirting, and many a country-girl has found a worthy husband among them; but there is not so much of this method of diversion as formerly; both passenger and freight men now have to attend more strictly to business, and they cannot conveniently indulge in side play. There are still, however, enough short branch-lines and slow-going roads in backwoods districts to insure that flirting shall not become a lost art in this part of the world."
Sunday, July 17, 2016
July (first half) 2016 Reads
July reading got off to a fine start with two great books with strong women as central characters. Then a fun Mexican novel, the Jazz age in New York City, and a monumental epic of Canada and forestry. Then some ex-pat writers. Anthony Doerr, temporarily in Rome, tells a nice story of fatherhood and personal/literary growth. The story of Ernest H & crowd in Paris is not so nice but Blume tells it well.
If it seems that I haven't read at my usual pace this month, consider that the Annie Proulx novel is over 700 pages.
A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa, Daniel Hahn (Translation)
One of the best books I've read this year. Portuguese woman shuts herself up in an apartment in Luanda during Angola unrest. Library book.
Elemental by Amanda Curtin
A strong saga of a Shetland Island fisher girl who emigrates to Australia told in the form of notebooks addressed to her granddaughter. (1891-1932, with final chapters set in 2011). My copy.
I'll Sell You a Dog by Juan Pablo Villalobos, Rosalind Harvey (Translation)
I may never eat tacos in Mexico again. Very funny satire. My copy
A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams
Roaring twenties, NYC. I've read a couple of other books by Williams. This one didn't appeal to me as much as the others. An OK read. My copy, free ARC from publisher.
Barkskins by Annie Proulx
I liked it ...but. Too many throwaway characters and too much description of the tools of logging. Hard to tell just what was important. Library Book.
Some Non-fiction
Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway’s Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises
by Lesley M.M. Blume
Much to my surprise (because I'm not a fan of Hemingway) I really liked this. Library Book
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
Good writing. A nice taste of the expat experience (and everyone behaves reasonably well). Library Book
Thursday, June 02, 2016
May (second half) 2016 Reads
From the Library
Beauty Is a Wound by Eka Kurniawan, Annie Tucker (Translator)
Indonesian history winds its way through this epic family tale. Plenty of ghosts, love, violence, and more. Fantastic.
The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
Delightful. Family secrets in Templeton (Cooperstown) NY.
Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue, Natasha Wimmer (Translator)
Didn't care much for this acclaimed novel.
Alice in Bed: A Novel by Judith Hooper
Liked this novel based on the letters and journals of Alice James.
Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett
On Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist (2016). I didn't find it prize worthy. Just ok. I learned a bit about Australian whaling history.
Good Sam by Dete Meserve
Sappy story about a good Samaritan--wish I hadn't bothered.
All the Presidents' Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses, How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America by Marta McDowell
Most of the text was familiar to me, but I still enjoyed the book for its illustrations.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
March (second half) 2016 Reads
Wow, it's April already! (Why did it snow last night?)
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours ; Oyeyemi, Helen
Locked doors, locked books, strange keys--all presented in nine interlocked stories. The opening story is a real stunner. Library book
Contents; Books and roses -- "Sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea -- Is your blood as red as this? -- Drownings -- Presence -- A brief history of the homely wench society -- Dornicka and the St. Martin's Day goose -- Freddy Barrandov checks...in? -- If a book is locked there is probably a good reason for that don't you think.
Pig's Foot ; Acosta, Carlos; Frank Wynn (translator)
A Cuban family saga complete with history, myth, and magic. a good story. Library book.
The Last Weynfeldt ; Suter, Martin; Steph Morris (Translation)
What a bunch of rogues! Really there's no one we should like, but, well, we like them. A prig, a forger, a liar, a schemer, a double-crosser, gossipy servants, and a plot that's almost too silly. What fun! My copy.
This Census-Taker ; Miéville, China
I really enjoyed this even though I'm really not sure what was happening. I really like the way the narrator switched voices--sometimes in the middle of a sentence he goes from "me' to "he" when speaking about himself. Unsure of himself, his identity. Library book.
All Things Cease to Appear ; Brundage, Elizabeth
The ratings on Goodreads are all over the place on this psychological drama. It's not exactly a who-done-it, it's more of a how and why and is there any proof. I couldn't put it down for long. Library Book.
Lila (Gilead, #3) ; Robinson, Marilynne
Not anything I thought I would like, but I did. Excellent writing, a tale well told even though it's full of churchy religious thought. It's labeled #3 but it stands alone. Perhaps I'll take a look at the others. Library book.
Sweetgirl ; by Travis Mulhauser
A promising debut novel. If one wants a "genre" classifications, I'd call this "grit lit plus chick lit" but it's so much more. Library book.
After the Fire, a Still Small Voice ; Wyld, Evie
Unsettling, beautifully written multi-generational tale of Australian men dealing with memories of war. Library book.
For the Love of Meat: Nine Illustrated Stories ; Jaeckel, Jenny
A good collection of stories. The settings are diverse in time and place. The characters are also diverse--a nun, a monk, immigrants in Canada, Sixteenth Century Polish nobility, African Americans in 1940s Philadelphia. The stories have gentle twists and are illustrated with whimsical drawings, though at times I wondered what some of the drawings had to do with the accompanying tales. A fun book to read. Advance review copy through LibraryThing early Reviewers program.
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours ; Oyeyemi, Helen
Locked doors, locked books, strange keys--all presented in nine interlocked stories. The opening story is a real stunner. Library book
Contents; Books and roses -- "Sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea -- Is your blood as red as this? -- Drownings -- Presence -- A brief history of the homely wench society -- Dornicka and the St. Martin's Day goose -- Freddy Barrandov checks...in? -- If a book is locked there is probably a good reason for that don't you think.
Pig's Foot ; Acosta, Carlos; Frank Wynn (translator)
A Cuban family saga complete with history, myth, and magic. a good story. Library book.
The Last Weynfeldt ; Suter, Martin; Steph Morris (Translation)
What a bunch of rogues! Really there's no one we should like, but, well, we like them. A prig, a forger, a liar, a schemer, a double-crosser, gossipy servants, and a plot that's almost too silly. What fun! My copy.
This Census-Taker ; Miéville, China
I really enjoyed this even though I'm really not sure what was happening. I really like the way the narrator switched voices--sometimes in the middle of a sentence he goes from "me' to "he" when speaking about himself. Unsure of himself, his identity. Library book.
All Things Cease to Appear ; Brundage, Elizabeth
The ratings on Goodreads are all over the place on this psychological drama. It's not exactly a who-done-it, it's more of a how and why and is there any proof. I couldn't put it down for long. Library Book.
Lila (Gilead, #3) ; Robinson, Marilynne
Not anything I thought I would like, but I did. Excellent writing, a tale well told even though it's full of churchy religious thought. It's labeled #3 but it stands alone. Perhaps I'll take a look at the others. Library book.
Sweetgirl ; by Travis Mulhauser
A promising debut novel. If one wants a "genre" classifications, I'd call this "grit lit plus chick lit" but it's so much more. Library book.
After the Fire, a Still Small Voice ; Wyld, Evie
Unsettling, beautifully written multi-generational tale of Australian men dealing with memories of war. Library book.
For the Love of Meat: Nine Illustrated Stories ; Jaeckel, Jenny
A good collection of stories. The settings are diverse in time and place. The characters are also diverse--a nun, a monk, immigrants in Canada, Sixteenth Century Polish nobility, African Americans in 1940s Philadelphia. The stories have gentle twists and are illustrated with whimsical drawings, though at times I wondered what some of the drawings had to do with the accompanying tales. A fun book to read. Advance review copy through LibraryThing early Reviewers program.
Monday, March 14, 2016
March (first half) 2016 Reads
Started March with a trip to the library to return a batch (10) of books and pick up four waiting holds. Checked out the four plus three from browsing. Actually returned more than I checked out.
Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy ; Hotta, Eri
An examination Japanese history, politics, and foreign policy in the year leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It helped clarify a confusing period of history.
Library book.
The Yid ; Goldberg, Paul
Promos for this compared it to Catch-22 and it was a little like that, but I also thought of The Golden Calf by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov (translated by Konstantin Gurevich and Helen Anderson). And the disposal of the bodies reminded me of the 1955 movie The Lady Killers. Whatever it reminds one of, it's a great book all by itself. Library book.
Zoli ; McCann, Colum
Gypsy life in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s through the 1950s. An agonizing escape to the West. Told from several points of view. I just read McCann's Dancer, which I liked very much. I also liked his TransAtlantic and Thirteen Ways of Looking so I decided to read something else by this author. I was not disappointed. The title character in this novel is "loosely inspired by Papusza" a polish poet (1910-1987) so I decided to explore that more: see Online Reading below. Library book.
The Heart ; Kerangal, Maylis de; Sam Taylor (Translation)
This amazing novel follows a multiple organ transplant procedure including the ethical considerations, medical decisions, bureaucratic necessities, and emotional impact on all concerned. The technical aspects never overwhelm the human nature of what is happening.
(note: this the American translation; the UK/Canadian translation by Jessica Moore is titled Mend the Living and is on the 2016 Man Booker International Prize longlist. French title: Réparer les vivants)
A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding ; Copleton, Jackie
Survivors of Nagasaki seek redemption and recognition many years after the tragedy. Worth reading. Library book.
Heat and Light ; Neerven, Ellen Van
I chose this because of the reviews linked on the 2015 Wrap Up: Diversity of the Australian Women Writers Challenge. I had to order this from Book Depository since it was not available at local libraries. It as worth the effort and price. I want to read more from this resource and/or 20 reasons you should read Blak ("Blak" is not a typo).
Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams ; Thomas, Louisa
Excellent biography of the wife of John Q. Adams. I enjoyed it in spite of the dreaded Adobe Digital Edition. Free from Penguin's First to Read program.
And After Many Days ; Ile, Jowhor
Family life and politics in Nigeria. So-so read. Library book.
Ways to Disappear ; Novey, Idra
Uh, why did this get so many raves? A Brazilian novelist goes missing, her American translator goes to Brazil to search for her, stuff happens. I thought of the movie Romancing the Stone though I doubt that's what the author intended. Library book.
The Dance of the Seagull (Inspector Montalbano, #15) ; Camilleri, Andrea; Stephen Sartarelli (Translation)
Maybe I've read to many of these, or maybe this really isn't as good as the others I have read in the series. It seemed a bit tedious. My copy
Online Reading:
The Last Taco Truck in Silicon Valley by Michelle Richmond
This is one of the first offerings from Technically Literate, CNET's (yes, CNET) new fiction "with a tech twist" site featuring Bay Area authors (and others). This story is fun with some animated illustrations. Looking forward to following this venture.
Some information on Polish poet Papusza (including some poetry in English translation) from Culture.pl - an interesting website to explore (operated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute).
The next two are from Short Fiction, a print and online journal short stories from around the world. The online edition is free and has one or two short stories a month. Great illustrations. Archived.
Blue Limitless Emptiness by Lania Knight
Spare Room Ethics by Helen Oyeyemi (just picked up Oyeyemi's new story collection at the library today and am liking it.)
Tom Vowler on the Short Story, a guest post on The Literary Sofa Vowler is a novelist, short story writer, and editor of the literary journal Short Fiction (see entry above). I had already pledged to support his new short story collection on Unbound when I came across this post.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
January (second half) 2016 Reads
Reading from my tbr stacks, plus a couple from the public library. In addition to these, I'm about halfway through The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek which I am reading because of an essay in The Art of Flight by Sergio Pitol. I am about a third of the way through the Pitol--he keeps leading me to other things to read. More about this next month when I hope to have finished both books.
Meanwhile, I read some good ones this month...
The 6:41 to Paris; Blondel, Jean-Philippe; Alison Anderson (Translation)
Former lovers meet (sort of) twenty-seven years after their break-up. For most of the nearly two and a half hour journey from Troyes to Paris they pretend not to recognize each other. What is he thinking? What is she thinking? It's a delight finding the answers.
My copy
Cover design by Liana Finck (see an Interview with Liana Finck on Words Without Borders).
Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs; Wolff, Lina; Frank Perry (Translation, from the Swedish)
Somewhat disjointed and meandering with stories within the story; amazingly, it all comes together in the end. Set in Barcelona.
My personal copy.
Cover design by Hannah Naughton
Where All Light Tends to Go; Joy, David
Gritty, violent and dark--and very well written. North Carolina backwoods coming of age.
Advance Review copy
Book design by Nicole LaRoche
My Name is Lucy Barton; Strout, Elizabeth
Excellent. Read it in one sitting.
Library book.
Still Life and Other Stories; Shono, Junzo; Wayne P. Lammers (Translation)
Short vignettes of family life.
Finished copy from publisher through a 2014 blog win (January in Japan).
The Tsar of Love and Techno; Marra, Anthony
Closely linked stories. Set in USSR/Post USSR; Leningrad, Chechnya, Siberia.
Advance Review Copy
Jacket design: Christopher Brand
Jacket Photography: Bobby Doherty
Lonesome You; Wansuh, Park; Elizabeth Haejin Yoon (Translation) From the Dalkey Library of Korean Literature (#9)
Another fine collection of short stories. I especially liked the ones about family life and in-law relations. My copy.
Selected Stories; Askildsen, Kjell; Sean Kinsella (Translation)
Still more great short stories, this time from Norway. I wish a certain recently lionized Norwegian writer had taken some brevity lessons from Askildsen! My copy.
Cover portrait by Finn Ståle Felberg
Anna and the Swallow Man; Savit, Gavriel
This is labeled as juvenile fiction (middle grades? YA?) but it is an engrossing read for any age. Survival in Poland during World War 2.
Advance review copy.
Jacket art and interior illustrations by Laura Carlin
Also: I enjoyed the author interview on Shelf Awareness
The Fine Color of Rust; O'Reilly, Paddy
A single mom copes with kids, friends, and community problems in a small Australian town. She's a bit bitter, very sarcastic, and has anger management problems. All with a caustic sense of humor. She'll survive. Library book.
Cover design: Laywan Kwan
Cover Photo: Ty Milford
Casada: A History of an Italian Village and Its People; Comis, Anna; Isabel Comis Degenaars (Introduction and translation)
This was a bit of a surprise. The author and the translator are cousins, one lives in Casada, the other in New Jersey. The book is self published and is very well done. There are plenty of photographs & maps. I enjoyed it more than I had anticipated considering that it is about a village I've never visited (though I did drive through the region about 30 years ago). The book gave me a good feel for the place. My copy, free finished copy from author/publisher through Goodreads giveaway.
The Dogs of Littlefield; Berne, Suzanne
The town is listed as "one of the best places to live" but it is full of unhappiness. And someone is poisoning the dogs. Library book.
American Housewife: Stories; Ellis, Helen
Book was fun, but seemed dated. I kept thinking of Erma Bombeck. If these stories are about contemporary women, I wonder if they have all turned into their grandmothers. Also, I skimmed in a couple of the longer pieces.... Library book.
The Land of Steady Habits; Thompson, Ted
So-so marriage, family, divorce among the Bridgeport, CT commuter crowd. My copy.
The Roots of the Olive Tree; Santo, Courtney Miller
Family saga, five generations of women with extra-ordinary long life spans. Set in the Northern end of the Sacramento Valley. My copy.
Meanwhile, I read some good ones this month...
The 6:41 to Paris; Blondel, Jean-Philippe; Alison Anderson (Translation)
Former lovers meet (sort of) twenty-seven years after their break-up. For most of the nearly two and a half hour journey from Troyes to Paris they pretend not to recognize each other. What is he thinking? What is she thinking? It's a delight finding the answers.
My copy
Cover design by Liana Finck (see an Interview with Liana Finck on Words Without Borders).
Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs; Wolff, Lina; Frank Perry (Translation, from the Swedish)
Somewhat disjointed and meandering with stories within the story; amazingly, it all comes together in the end. Set in Barcelona.
My personal copy.
Cover design by Hannah Naughton
Where All Light Tends to Go; Joy, David
Gritty, violent and dark--and very well written. North Carolina backwoods coming of age.
Advance Review copy
Book design by Nicole LaRoche
My Name is Lucy Barton; Strout, Elizabeth
Excellent. Read it in one sitting.
Library book.
Still Life and Other Stories; Shono, Junzo; Wayne P. Lammers (Translation)
Short vignettes of family life.
Finished copy from publisher through a 2014 blog win (January in Japan).
The Tsar of Love and Techno; Marra, Anthony
Closely linked stories. Set in USSR/Post USSR; Leningrad, Chechnya, Siberia.
Advance Review Copy
Jacket design: Christopher Brand
Jacket Photography: Bobby Doherty
Lonesome You; Wansuh, Park; Elizabeth Haejin Yoon (Translation) From the Dalkey Library of Korean Literature (#9)
Another fine collection of short stories. I especially liked the ones about family life and in-law relations. My copy.
Selected Stories; Askildsen, Kjell; Sean Kinsella (Translation)
Still more great short stories, this time from Norway. I wish a certain recently lionized Norwegian writer had taken some brevity lessons from Askildsen! My copy.
Cover portrait by Finn Ståle Felberg
Anna and the Swallow Man; Savit, Gavriel
This is labeled as juvenile fiction (
Advance review copy.
Jacket art and interior illustrations by Laura Carlin
Also: I enjoyed the author interview on Shelf Awareness
These two are a step below the above, but interesting reads...
The Fine Color of Rust; O'Reilly, Paddy
A single mom copes with kids, friends, and community problems in a small Australian town. She's a bit bitter, very sarcastic, and has anger management problems. All with a caustic sense of humor. She'll survive. Library book.
Cover design: Laywan Kwan
Cover Photo: Ty Milford
Casada: A History of an Italian Village and Its People; Comis, Anna; Isabel Comis Degenaars (Introduction and translation)
This was a bit of a surprise. The author and the translator are cousins, one lives in Casada, the other in New Jersey. The book is self published and is very well done. There are plenty of photographs & maps. I enjoyed it more than I had anticipated considering that it is about a village I've never visited (though I did drive through the region about 30 years ago). The book gave me a good feel for the place. My copy, free finished copy from author/publisher through Goodreads giveaway.
The following were OK reads, but not quite as good as those above...
The Dogs of Littlefield; Berne, Suzanne
The town is listed as "one of the best places to live" but it is full of unhappiness. And someone is poisoning the dogs. Library book.
American Housewife: Stories; Ellis, Helen
Book was fun, but seemed dated. I kept thinking of Erma Bombeck. If these stories are about contemporary women, I wonder if they have all turned into their grandmothers. Also, I skimmed in a couple of the longer pieces.... Library book.
The Land of Steady Habits; Thompson, Ted
So-so marriage, family, divorce among the Bridgeport, CT commuter crowd. My copy.
The Roots of the Olive Tree; Santo, Courtney Miller
Family saga, five generations of women with extra-ordinary long life spans. Set in the Northern end of the Sacramento Valley. My copy.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
November 2014 Reads Part I
One surprise (Zupan), one disappointment (McCullough), one difficult to review (Hahn), some fun (Lakhous), plus some other good reading. All in all a good batch.
The Ploughmen by Kim Zupan
Library book. I read this 272 page book in one day, I put it aside a couple of times, but picked it up again. Goodreads description says "A young sheriff and a hardened killer form an uneasy and complicated bond in this mesmerizing first novel set on the plains of Montana." That would not have sold me. I picked it up off the new book shelf, read a few paragraphs and was sold by the descriptive language--particularly of the landscape. Warning: the descriptions of murders and other deaths are graphic and gruesome, but necessary to the plot and character development. I was surprised that I liked this one.
Shorter Days by Anna Katharina Hahn; Anne Posten, translation.
My copy (on Kindle). Am trying to write a review of this for German Lit Month. The problem is that I had so much fun reading it that the experience turned out to be so personal. Memories kept taking over. I loved the book.
Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet (Enzo Laganà #1) by Amara Lakhous; Ann Goldstein, translation.
Library book. Lots of fun as reporter Enzo Laganà works on two different stories--the "feud" between Albanian and Romanian immigrants and the case of a piglet whose actions have upset the balance in Enzo's own neighborhood. Amid the humor are serious reflections on prejudice, journalistic ethics, and family.
Just a Human Being and Other Tales from Contemporary Cambodia by Teri Shaffer Yamada, editor
My copy. As I suspected, life in Cambodia isn't easy. Many of these twelve stories concern the plight of the urban poor and such social problems as crime, access to health care, immorality, and greed.
About the translation: In the acknowledgements, Yamada points out that it was a team effort and "...are not direct translations but renditions created with the intent of maintaining the initial meaning of the text."
Worth reading.
Defiant brides : the untold story of two revolutionary-era women and the radical men they married by Nancy Rubin Stuart
Library book. This is a very engaging piecing together of the lives of two women who are little known in United States history.
Seven Japanese Tales by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki; Howard Hibbett (Translator)
Library book. Published by Knopf in 1963, this collection covers a wide span of Tanizaki's literary career from 1910 through 1959. The subject matter includes relationships of obsession, bordering on the sinister and forbidden. The most haunting is "Bridge of Dreams" (1959) which is about a man's strange relationship with his stepmother. "Terror" (1913) deals with a man's phobia with train and other forms of transport. "Aguri" (1922) and "The Tattooer" (1910) are stories of men obsessed with adorning women--one with clothes and jewelery, the other with his art. Two deal with blindness: "A Portrait of Shunkin" (1933) and the historical novelette "A Blind Man's Tale" (1931). The most straightforward tale is "The Thief" (1921) a rather predictable story and the least interesting of the seven. It is an excellent sampling that makes me want to read some of his longer works.
Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough.
Free finished copy from publisher through the Goodreads First Reads Program. Didn't live up to my expectations. Brief review cross-posted on LibraryThing and Goodreads.
Three Novellas; by Thomas Bernhard; Peter Jansen (Translator), Kenneth J. Northcott (Translator)
Brian Evenson (Foreword)
See brief review on my German Lit Page
Online:
“Incident on the 405” by Travis Richardson. One of 13 short crime stories in Criminal Element's e-collection, The Malfeasance Occasional's Girl Trouble issue. Reprinted here in its entirety, this is the story of a minor accident that provides an opportunity for major revenge.
Tomorrow Is Waiting By Holli Mintzer. Published online by Strange Horizons, November, 21, 2011.
A futuristic tale of Kermit the Frog.
Also there are a couple of links to articles about Berlin on my German Lit Page.
The Ploughmen by Kim Zupan
Library book. I read this 272 page book in one day, I put it aside a couple of times, but picked it up again. Goodreads description says "A young sheriff and a hardened killer form an uneasy and complicated bond in this mesmerizing first novel set on the plains of Montana." That would not have sold me. I picked it up off the new book shelf, read a few paragraphs and was sold by the descriptive language--particularly of the landscape. Warning: the descriptions of murders and other deaths are graphic and gruesome, but necessary to the plot and character development. I was surprised that I liked this one.
Shorter Days by Anna Katharina Hahn; Anne Posten, translation.
My copy (on Kindle). Am trying to write a review of this for German Lit Month. The problem is that I had so much fun reading it that the experience turned out to be so personal. Memories kept taking over. I loved the book.
Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet (Enzo Laganà #1) by Amara Lakhous; Ann Goldstein, translation.
Library book. Lots of fun as reporter Enzo Laganà works on two different stories--the "feud" between Albanian and Romanian immigrants and the case of a piglet whose actions have upset the balance in Enzo's own neighborhood. Amid the humor are serious reflections on prejudice, journalistic ethics, and family.
Just a Human Being and Other Tales from Contemporary Cambodia by Teri Shaffer Yamada, editor
My copy. As I suspected, life in Cambodia isn't easy. Many of these twelve stories concern the plight of the urban poor and such social problems as crime, access to health care, immorality, and greed.
About the translation: In the acknowledgements, Yamada points out that it was a team effort and "...are not direct translations but renditions created with the intent of maintaining the initial meaning of the text."
Worth reading.
Defiant brides : the untold story of two revolutionary-era women and the radical men they married by Nancy Rubin Stuart
Library book. This is a very engaging piecing together of the lives of two women who are little known in United States history.
Seven Japanese Tales by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki; Howard Hibbett (Translator)
Library book. Published by Knopf in 1963, this collection covers a wide span of Tanizaki's literary career from 1910 through 1959. The subject matter includes relationships of obsession, bordering on the sinister and forbidden. The most haunting is "Bridge of Dreams" (1959) which is about a man's strange relationship with his stepmother. "Terror" (1913) deals with a man's phobia with train and other forms of transport. "Aguri" (1922) and "The Tattooer" (1910) are stories of men obsessed with adorning women--one with clothes and jewelery, the other with his art. Two deal with blindness: "A Portrait of Shunkin" (1933) and the historical novelette "A Blind Man's Tale" (1931). The most straightforward tale is "The Thief" (1921) a rather predictable story and the least interesting of the seven. It is an excellent sampling that makes me want to read some of his longer works.
Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough.
Free finished copy from publisher through the Goodreads First Reads Program. Didn't live up to my expectations. Brief review cross-posted on LibraryThing and Goodreads.
Three Novellas; by Thomas Bernhard; Peter Jansen (Translator), Kenneth J. Northcott (Translator)
Brian Evenson (Foreword)
See brief review on my German Lit Page
Online:
“Incident on the 405” by Travis Richardson. One of 13 short crime stories in Criminal Element's e-collection, The Malfeasance Occasional's Girl Trouble issue. Reprinted here in its entirety, this is the story of a minor accident that provides an opportunity for major revenge.
Tomorrow Is Waiting By Holli Mintzer. Published online by Strange Horizons, November, 21, 2011.
A futuristic tale of Kermit the Frog.
Also there are a couple of links to articles about Berlin on my German Lit Page.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
May 2014 Reads
Some really good books in May. As usual I'm all over the map, both geographically and figuratively. A dozen plus countries and a variety of subject matter. Fifteen books didn't make a dent in my TBR pile since most of these were library books. AND, I purchased 19 books, rec'd 15 ARC's and other freebies, and have a stack of 8 library books.
All books on my May list are from libraries unless otherwise noted.
Fiction
The best of the bunch, all amazing, each in its own way:
A Curse on Dostoevsky; Rahimi, Atiq; Polly McLean (Translator)
The story is harsh, but there is an almost mystical, dream-like quality to the narration.
The Blazing World; Hustvedt, Siri
Art as a gender statement. Amazing tour de force.
All the Birds, Singing; Wyld, Evie
It's Australian Lit month. This was on the Bailey's Women's Prize longlist, it didn't make the shortlist. I'd put it there in place of either of the two shortlisted ones that I tried to read and rejected (The Goldfinch and The Lowland).
Talking to Ourselves; Neuman, Andrés; Nick Caistor (Translator), Lorenza García (Translator)
A family story told in three voices: father, mother, ten-year old son.
Shotgun Lovesongs; Butler, Nickolas
Seems like an updated The Big Chill stretched out over a longer time period. But better.
Mr. Loverman; Evaristo, Bernardine (advance review copy)
There is empathy and humor in this delightful tale. You like this guy in spite of yourself.
Casebook; Simpson, Mona
A boy, with help from his best friend, spies on his mother and her boy friend and finds out more than he wants to. He has to decide how to deal with what he knows.
All the Light We Cannot See; Doerr, Anthony
The stories of a young radioman in the German army and a blind French girl are told in parallel until their paths cross in German occupied St. Malo on the French coast in the summer of 1944.
A little less than the best:
The Painter; Heller, Peter
Good but I liked The Dog Stars better. Personal taste, just wasn't as interested in this subject.
The Steady Running of the Hour; Go, Justin
Fine until the less than satisfactory ending. In fact, he didn't end it, he just quit.
Disappointing:
The Paris Architect; Belfoure, Charles
Should have exciting and interesting, but it fell flat on both counts.
Short Stories
The Cost of Lunch, Etc.: Short Stories; Piercy, Marge
A good collection of stories written over several decades. Nice to look back on the 1960s and 70's
Nonfiction
One excellent biography; one excellent memoir, both dealing with exile. And a bio of a building.
The Impossible Exile: Stefan Zweig at the End of the World; Prochnik, George (advance review copy)
A fantastic read!
The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis, #1-4); Satrapi, Marjane; translation of first part of Persepolis
Mattias Ripa (2003), translation of second part Persepolis 2 Blake Ferris (2004)
A good use of the graphic format.
House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World’s Most Powerful Address; Gross, Michael
Not too bad, just a little more than I wanted to know about real estate development in New York City.
All books on my May list are from libraries unless otherwise noted.
Fiction
The best of the bunch, all amazing, each in its own way:
A Curse on Dostoevsky; Rahimi, Atiq; Polly McLean (Translator)
The story is harsh, but there is an almost mystical, dream-like quality to the narration.
The Blazing World; Hustvedt, Siri
Art as a gender statement. Amazing tour de force.
All the Birds, Singing; Wyld, Evie
It's Australian Lit month. This was on the Bailey's Women's Prize longlist, it didn't make the shortlist. I'd put it there in place of either of the two shortlisted ones that I tried to read and rejected (The Goldfinch and The Lowland).
Talking to Ourselves; Neuman, Andrés; Nick Caistor (Translator), Lorenza García (Translator)
A family story told in three voices: father, mother, ten-year old son.
Shotgun Lovesongs; Butler, Nickolas
Seems like an updated The Big Chill stretched out over a longer time period. But better.
Mr. Loverman; Evaristo, Bernardine (advance review copy)
There is empathy and humor in this delightful tale. You like this guy in spite of yourself.
Casebook; Simpson, Mona
A boy, with help from his best friend, spies on his mother and her boy friend and finds out more than he wants to. He has to decide how to deal with what he knows.
All the Light We Cannot See; Doerr, Anthony
The stories of a young radioman in the German army and a blind French girl are told in parallel until their paths cross in German occupied St. Malo on the French coast in the summer of 1944.
A little less than the best:
The Painter; Heller, Peter
Good but I liked The Dog Stars better. Personal taste, just wasn't as interested in this subject.
The Steady Running of the Hour; Go, Justin
Fine until the less than satisfactory ending. In fact, he didn't end it, he just quit.
Disappointing:
The Paris Architect; Belfoure, Charles
Should have exciting and interesting, but it fell flat on both counts.
Short Stories
The Cost of Lunch, Etc.: Short Stories; Piercy, Marge
A good collection of stories written over several decades. Nice to look back on the 1960s and 70's
Nonfiction
One excellent biography; one excellent memoir, both dealing with exile. And a bio of a building.
The Impossible Exile: Stefan Zweig at the End of the World; Prochnik, George (advance review copy)
A fantastic read!
The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis, #1-4); Satrapi, Marjane; translation of first part of Persepolis
Mattias Ripa (2003), translation of second part Persepolis 2 Blake Ferris (2004)
A good use of the graphic format.
House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World’s Most Powerful Address; Gross, Michael
Not too bad, just a little more than I wanted to know about real estate development in New York City.
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