My reading recently has been a lovely mix of new books and old friends, rereads and longtime – but neglected – residents of my shelves.
Reacquainting myself with L.M.Montgomery’s Anne of Avonlea, I warmed to the scene where Anne and Diana come upon Miss Lavendar Lewis’ house, when the sense of enchantment is so strong that Anne expects to meet a princess at the end of the road. In Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, the younger daughter does NOT expect to meet a princess, when she begins to explore the intersection of history and fairy tale in her grandmother’s past, but she actually does discover one.
But what’s next and what is underway?
The only library loan in this stack is Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor. It is also the heaviest book in the stack, although the anthology of love letters written by Canadian poets, Where the Nights are Longer, published by Goose Lane, leaves a mark too!
This collection I have actually been reading for several weeks now; I usually read a letter or two at the beginning of the evening. It usually marks a divide between some work and some food, and the ritual reminds me that there is likely more reading in the hours to come. Eventually I will post about the collection, but I am growing anxious, because the notes I’ve been taking are several pages long already. If you love all-things-epistolary, this is a “can’t miss” collection.
Another ongoing project is Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America. Its subtitle “Five Centuries of the Pillaging of a Continent” is the first clue that this is a difficult read. Even if you think you have an understanding of the colonization of Latin America, I suspect you will find yourself surprised by aspects of this narrative. Because the author is a poet and storyteller, the prose style is compelling, but I tend to read only about 2o pages in a sitting. I have dabbled in the book before, but this time I am steadily turning the pages, and I would like to read/reread another of his works when I have finished this one: do you have a favourite?
Besides Scott McCloud, there are five new-to-me authors in the stack. I’ve had Sarah Hall’s The Electric Michaelangelo on my stack for years, but something about it made me think it was going to be a sad story, and I haven’t had the nerve to read it yet (am I wrong?) but I am looking forward to The Wolf Border all the same. [Edited to add: I have finished this novel. Very enjoyable, very impressive.]
Sigal Samuel’s The Mystics of Mile End is terrific; I’m about half-way into the story, and I know I shall be sorry to leave these characters behind. If you enjoy meeting quirky but heartful characters on the page, you will enjoy this one. [Edited to add: This is one of my favourites for this reading year so far.]
I’m unsure of Susanna Kearsley’s novel, A Desperate Fortune, or whether there is a match to be made with me and her writing generally, but one reading friend assures me that there is more to her work than I might expect from the oh-so-pretty covers. Have you enjoyed one of hers?
Clifford Jackman’s The Winter Family has a blurb from Craig Davidson, an impressive and disturbing writer (whether he is wearing hat-literary or hat-scary); this first novel sounds like a fast-paced read.
Elena Forbes’ Jigsaw Man is the fourth Mark Tataglia mystery; of course I have had to put the other three in my stack first, because reading out of order has been a no-no since a disastrous encounter with Kinsey Milhone when I jumped ahead to E and missed C entirely. Tsktsk. Do you enjoy this series?
Suzanne Young is a relatively new-to-me writer as well; the only one that I have read is the first book in this series, The Program. While I am not entirely hooked, I am still curious what is yet to come in the sequel. Is this a series you know?
Last but certainly not least in this stack is Marina Endicott’s new novel, Close to Hugh. Such a talented writer and a distinctly satisfying style. (Did you read The Little Shadows or Good to a Fault?) This is one which I am savouring, reading only a few pages here and there, allowing the feeling to wash over me.
I love hearing about your books in progress! I’m glad you are enjoying Close To Hugh – it’s a perfect book to take your time with. And, now I feel more anxious than before to read The Mystics of Mile End. The Winter Family has also been on my radar since it came out.
The quirky nature of the first character’s perspective immediately captured my heart, so much so that I was concerned that I might find my interest flagging afterwards, but the variety of perspectives is actually quite satisfying. As for Marina Endicott’s story, I imagined that I saw Hugh on the subway today; her characters are so immediately and pressingly believable! The Winter Family is a compelling story and the prose is vivid; it’s not a perfect match for my reading taste, but it’s the sort of story that brings specific readers to my mind, in a “So-and-so would LOVE this” kind of way, y’know?
I had heard that The Winter Family is gory, but sometimes I’m in the mood for something life that.
Yes, the characters in Close To Hugh do feel so real. It just felt like ordinary people and ordinary life, which I love, but it’s hard to convey the greatness of a story like that to others. And, so hard to make ordinary life so readable.
The violence feels appropriate in the context; it is suitably visceral and in-the-reader’s-face given the nature of the story. That didn’t trouble me. (Perhaps it’s inevitable that the book be compared to The Sisters Brothers, which I loved, gore and all.) But I think that reading it alongside Marina Endicott was not necessarily a good choice, with The Winter Family being so cinematic and Hugh being so…NOT.
Have you read The Birthday Lunch?
No, I haven’t. Is it good?
It was your description of Marina Endicott’s novel that brought Joan Smith’s latest to mind: think you would love it!
Ok, It’s on my list! 🙂
I love hearing about your reading. Why does my own feel like I am wading through molasses–moving oh so very slowly and why does it bother me that I feel like I finish/accomplish nothing??!! Duly noted on the book of love letters–have found a nice discounted copy that is going to be mine! I need (and want) to read LM Montgomery, but have so many books started I keep (forever it seems) putting her off. I think I need to try Marina Endicott–have looked many times at her books–I think I’d like to start with The Little Shadows. And I love Susanna Kearsley (my faves being Mariana and The Rose Garden) but I sort of place her into my comfort read zone–not necessarily pushing any boundaries but thoroughly enjoyable, if you know what I mean. I had yesterday off and tried to read as much as I could–but I get too comfy–reading at the gym has ruined me I fear. When I am at home and relaxed and want to read I only begin falling asleep. I like exercise but don’t want to spend all my reading time walking on a treadmill (is there something Pavlovian about that?). Is that stack only in progress or have you finished some? You should see mine–now is at embarrassing proportions. Hey–have you read A Beauty by Connie Gault? I came across it while looking up the love letters and I think I would like it only it is a little too pricey for me right now–even used.
You will love the letters, Danielle; it’s a worthy addition to your shelves. LMMontgomery doesn’t necessarily combine well with other contemporary works, IMO. (Which I say even though she’s an old favourite of mine. And you might feel differently becuase you always have a classic of some sort on the go anyhow.) If you are having trouble making it through Anne, I would suggest getting hold of her journals, the first volume of which begins with a very young Maud but covers the AoGG writing years, and reading it alongside Anne. It adds another dimension to the story and I think you would actually end up loving both the fiction and the author’s journals more, for the combo of it all. (Weak apologies cast in the direction of your book-buying budget!) I’ve heard some good things about Connie Gault’s newest; I do want to read it, but I’m not rushing off for it either. Maybe we will both pick up a copy around the same time?!
No worries about tempting me to buy a book–I have been disgustingly bad and even I am getting worried about the ease with which I click that order now button. I have been buying used books, but it is amazing how even cheap books add up when you buy enough of them! I will look for the LMM journals. Actually it is more a matter of I Want to read her and get so far as to grab a book but never quite allow myself to begin reading–always thinking I want to read the book when I know I have time to devote to uninterrupted reading and well, how much of that sort of time do I ever have? I have put in an ILL request for the Gault (not wanting to let myself buy a hardcover-and expensive one at that), so I will lose points, but still get to read the book–even if I won’t be able to keep it! 😉 If you think you might read it sooner than later let me know–of course assuming I will actually get it through ILL–not a lot of US library holdings for the book.
I tend to save books for those imagined “uninterrupted times” too. And, of course, proceed to have anywhere between 6 and 26 books on-the-go at a given time, which is pretty much a permanent state of interruptedness. For some reason, I thought you had started AoGG at some point and that it just didn’t hold your interest, but, either way, I think you’d appreciate the journals. The contrast between her personal life and the lives she creates in her fiction is illuminating, fascinating. If you get A Beauty via ILL, I’ll move the book up my stacks!
I think I did start it once and managed about two pages and decided it was just not the right time for it. I sort of want to read Emily of New Moon first before Anne of Green Gables, but I had better finish Henry James before I even consider another classic in any case. I wish I could learn self control–or, that I just read faster and could read later in the evening. I am worthless at home after work. I try and read but I am always too tired. When I had Monday off I was in my chair in the afternoon all totally relaxed, book open to enjoy, and I was SO relaxed I had to fight off falling asleep. Not a good thing. Reading while exercising seems to have ruined me for reading while in a chair–did I already complain of this to you?! 😉 I will let you know if I get A Beauty–fingers crossed as I like the sound of it. We’ve not read a book together in a while–was Q the last one?
I have the same problem in the evenings; no matter how determined I am to stay awake for a few chapters, it’s often only a few sentences and the book is crashing down on my nose. Sigh.
Havne’t we done the first two of Antonia White’s joined novels since then? And surely we are due for the third before long – because I’m sure your current stack is just as *cough* tidy as mine is.
Yes, now that I think of it, we have indeed read Antonia White! Did I tell you I got a copy of her letters (or was it her journals….)–it’s somewhere in a pile…. Whenever you are ready to move on to the third book, it is sitting and waiting for me. Probably a good idea to read it before the first two fade too much (though in my case they already have been fading it would seem). My copy of the Canadian poets love letters came (so quickly!) in the mail yesterday–didn’t get a proper chance to look at it, but did look at the contents and it is chock full of letters–can’t wait to crack it open.