The First Person & Other Stories - Ali Smith (Penguin)
I had the pleasure of reading Girl Meets Boy earlier in the year and so far its still one of my favourite reads in ages, I also loved The Incidental when I read that a few years ago. A collection of short stories that are "always intellectually playful, funny and moving' should be a joy to read.
Mr Toppit - Charles Elton (Penguin)The cover (or covers... more when I review) of this makes it look like a gothic mystery novel and I adore those. I have high hopes for a debut which seems to have a massive marketing campaign going and took fifteen years to write. The line "and out of the Darkwood Mr Toppit comes, and he comes not for you, or for me, but for all of us" sounds deliciously dark. I have to admit I have started this it just looked to good to savour.
Netherland - Joseph O'Neill (Harper Perenial)
Another one of the Richard and Judy Books of 2009 for which I am doing the challenge. This one is the one that in all honesty (and I will always be honest) has the least appeal to me initially as it seems to be about cricket which I am not a fan of. However its also a book about 'belonging and not belonging' which sounds unusual plus it was longlisted for the Man Booker and didnt win which is a good sign. I am more of a fan of the longlisted or shortlisted than the winner.
The Devils Paintbrush - Jake Arnott (Sceptre)
I meant to re-read his novel The Long Firm earlier but didnt manage to get round to it (don't worry though I will) which is part of his trolgy about gangsters. This scandalous tale is set in Paris in 1903 and is Arnotts first foray into 'historial fiction'.
The Dog - Kerstin Ekman (Sphere)
Dovegreyreader reviewed this recently and I would never have heard of it if not for her... and the people at NewBooks Magazine who have asked me to review it. It sounds a bit sad though, a puppy getting lost in the wild and having to fight for its survival. However this may actually make the dog loving Non Reader pick up a book after I have finished one for once.
The Prophet Murders - Mehmet Murat Somer (Serpents Tail)
A crime which has the wonderful subtitle of 'a Hop Ciki Yaya Thriller' - I am already sold.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon (Harper Perennial)
I cannot count the times that people have told me 'you will love that book' its huge so I will be saving it for some very long train journeys I have lined up in a few weeks. The fact its a "heart-wrenching story of escape, love and comic-book heroes set in Prague, New York and the Arctic" does sound like quirky brilliance so I may very well love it.
King Kong Theory - Virginie Despentes (Serpents Tail)
This book has caused quite a lot of controversy of late (well in the broadsheets at the weekend anyway) and has made me want to read it and from the chapter titles (oh its short autobiographical stories) which I shant print just yet I can see why. Its also very short and short reads are the way forward after Mr Toppit I think.
I also went second hand shopping yesterday and found...
The Danish Girl - David Ebershoff (Phoenix)
After the thought provoking The 19th Wife it seemed like fate when I saw this for 50p. The story is again based on real people this time the "story of Danish painter Einar Dresden, this is a strange and eerily haunting novel about a very unusual love affair between a man who realizes he is really a woman and his remarkable wife" sounds unusual and is currently being made into a film with Nicole Kidman and Charlie Theron in it!
I have seen this book listed in so many 'books you must read' lists and the like that again for 50p how could I say no? I had no idea what it was about but apparently its a materpiece "is set amongst an aristocratic family, facing social and political changes in the wake of Garibaldi's invasion of Sicily in 1860" time will tell I sometimes have issues with masterpieces. Love the old Fontana edition I got will feel cultured andretro reading it on the tube.
The Secret River - Kate Grenville (Canongate)
I had been out shopping second hand especially for this. It's for this reason that charity books are brilliant, money to a good cause and also when your unsure of an author its a good way of trying them before you become addicted and buy everything they do th moment it comes out... or never read them again. I heard Grenville on the Guardian Book Group podcast and despite the fact it pretty much gave everything away (I shant dear readers) I thought I should try it. It is another Man Booker nominee that didnt win so the signs are good I will like it.
As for what I am specifically reading this week after Mr Toppit... mainly short reads including The Dog as mentioned. After a few heavier novels I want some faster fiction plus I had a readers block for a while and short reads are the best medicine for that. I might recah for another Capote maybe. I have also promised Novel Insights (who is on a world tour so wont be blogging till the summer now - selfish) I will read The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood for our mammoth Rogue Book Group and shes stared already!
Any short read recommendations out there? What are you all reading?
4 comments:
Wow - that's a lot of books! Are you a professional book reviewer?
I do some work for some different book magazines and book pages... professional am not so sure lol!
That's great! I torn between trying to do some of that kind of work, and just reading the books I like!
The Leopard and The Secret River are both wonderful, I hope you enjoy them and will be interested in your thoughts either way. (To be fair to Grenville, I don't think given Australian history the direction of her story is a surprise).
I've very envious of the Ali Smith book, I loved Other Stories and other stories and covet The first person. The hard back price is a bit steep though, so I'll have to wait for it in PB.
The hype about Netherland and Mr Toppit has been huge. Personally, the cricket is the main reason I'd try the former.
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