With the publication of Crimes Against My Brother this month, I’m reminded of how little I have read of David Adams Richards’ work, only Nights Below Station Street (and the opening pages of about six other novels). Every time I pick up one of his books, I tell myself that I want to begin at the beginning (hence the numerous false starts). One of the main draws for me is the idea of recurring characters, and there are apparently links between this new novel and earlier works. So, off the shelf.
Possibilities and temptations
Speaking of linked works, I have Richard Van Camp’s The Lesser Blessed in my stack. He is one of my MRE authors, and his characters frequently resurface throughout his fiction.
This one is off the shelf not only because I haven’t read anything of his since Godless but Loyal to Heaven (2012) but because it fits the “First Book by a Favourite Author” square under the “B” in this year’s Reading Bingo.
Another work of linked stories in my stack is Polly Dugan’s So Much a Part of You. I take chances on short story collections because I stumbled onto Megan Mayhew Bergman’s Birds of a Lesser Paradise a couple of years ago and it made my list of favourites for that reading year.
I haven’t heard of Polly Dugan’s work before either, but I am curious. And some of my favourite books are linked stories (Carrie Snyder’s The Juliet Stories immediately comes to mind).
I’m also keen to read Alexi Zentner’s The Lobster Kings because I thought Touch was remarkable, although one of those reads that leaves me wondering what a second novel from that writer could possibly be like.
I had the same thought about Joshua Ferris, too, that sense of being so struck by voice/story that it seemed impossible to imagine a second novel (and, now, he has written a third).
So, I am intrigued. Megan Abbott’s The Fever sounds a little like Emily Schultz’s The Blondes and Maggie Helwig’s Girls Fall Down. Last year I sat on the porch and read Stephen King’s Joyland and drank lemonade on a warm, bright afternoon, reading from beginning until end. I hope that’s what happens between me and The Fever in the next couple of weeks.
With Shani Mootoo’s new novel in mind, Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab, I am itching to reread Cereus Blooms of Night.
I first read it in 2004, so it will feel like a fresh read. But how to make time for rereading when there are so many new temptations around just now.
What books are lingering in your stacks these days? Any of these on your reading radar?
I haven’t read any Richard Van Camp either so I’m asking along with Vasilly above: where to start? I’m impressed with his titles so far. On MY stacks:
Ballistics by D.W.Wilson. I should have read it right away when it came up for me in the library because I was in absolute awe over many of the stories in Once You Break a Knuckle. But instead, I read some reviews–some on GR and some from favourite book blogs. I looked at the reviews, I looked at the story arc, I looked at the thickness of the book and I shifted it to the bottom of the TBR pile *temporarily* but now I’ve renewed and renewed and renewed without reading it and it’s due.
The Son of a Certain Woman by Wayne Johnston. I shifted this book to the top of the pile when I read a tweet by @zab8 that anyone who loves John Irving should read this book. The appeal of reading about sexual deviance (from a safe distance) is something I can relate to. So I’ll get to it…soon.
The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill. I cannot WAIT to get into this book, having had my proverbial socks knocked off by Lullabies for Little Criminals. At the same time, I need to savour the delicious writing of the books I’m currently reading–All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews must not be rushed. And Runaway by A.M. And Oh My Darling by Shaena Lambert. And Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
The Barbarians by Todd Babiak is on my stack right now as well. He claims to have written the book to keep you up all night ON PURPOSE. The very devil! But I do love a good thriller/page turner from time to time and I quite enjoy his tweets plus the fact that he’s from my own #yeg. So there’s that one.
Sleeping Funny by Miranda Hill too. I’ve wanted to follow up on this one since last July when I read “The Variance” from the collection for my “Short Stories for Breakfast” month. I’m going to do that again this July: read a short story from a different author each day. Last year I focussed on Canadian writers but I don’t yet know if I’ll pick a focus this year or not.
And on my Kindle: Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawez which I got for FREE by participating in the Bare it for Books campaign last year. I started the first chapter and was drawn in right away. But time in a day is limited so it waits with the others for my attention. Sigh. Because besides reading them, I also need time to collect, sort, discuss, read reviews and author interviews on, recommend, classify, mull over, and read blogs on all the books. You know what I mean.
I’d recommend listening to one of the archived podcast with Shelagh Rogers in which she interviews him and see which you think you’d like; the interviews are so warm and welcoming, I think you’ll be impressed, regardless which you choose to hear.
What a great selection you have underway. None of them can be rushed, IMO. Especially Shaena Lambert’s beautiful stories. One of my favourite collections from last year. Have you read Rosemary Nixon’s stories? I read them around the same time and was struck by how different the voice is and, yet, how equally satisfying.
But it’s also true that you have some tempting titles awaiting. The only ones I’ve read in your “soon” stack are Saleema Nawaz’s novel and Miranda Hill’s stories. “The Variance” was one of my favouites in that collection for sure. I’ve got Todd Babiak’s in my “someday” stack and am about 50 pages into Heather O’Neill’s novel, which is pretty darn awesome so far.
Lullabies for Little Criminals was a really difficult read for me. It read quickly, but I started and finished reading it on the TTC over a few days, and that sense of transitory-ness definitely impacted my experience of it. It left me raw (and yet not hopeless, I hasten to add, for those who might read this and steer clear) and happy not to read something else like it for a good while. But, years later, I can still conjure up scenes from it, and the names ‘Baby’ and ‘Jules’ slip into my consciousness, whereas so many other characters’ names slip away. So I was a little hesitant to begin TGWWSN, but I’m so impressed so far.
Ballistics is a bulky one, for sure; I haven’t gotten to it yet, but I have the same intentions. There is an interview on Hazlitt about Johnston’s writing of TSofaCW and I wish I’d read it first, before reading the novel; I liked it, but I think I would have appreciated it more if I’d fully grasped what he was aiming for with the novel. I bet you could easily do another few months of different Canlit authors in months of July before you’d risk doubling up; I’ll be curious to see what you decide to do. Sooo many choices!
I haven’t heard of Richard Van Camp. If he’s one of your MRE authors, I need to read him. Where should I start?
There are so many books lingering on my shelves. I’ve just started The Iliad since summer vacation is here and it’s been on my shelves for YEARS now.
I’ve yet to read The Iliad, but I did finally read my long-neglected-copy of The Odyssey a couple of summers ago (with that lovely Hinds’ illustrated volume alongside, which you recommended): congrats on finally beginning it, when it was such a shelf-sitter. We can read The Lesser Blessed together if you like: there’s also a film….
That could be quite intriguing! (and I always like to hear your comments!)
What I love about reading your blog (and I don’t comment as much as I should!) is that you introduce me to authors I’ve not heard of. I don’t follow modern fiction much at all so it’s always fascinating to hear about the books you’re reading. So whatever you read next, I’ll enjoy hearing about it!
I face the same challenge; I really enjoy reading about what you’re reading too, but even when the works and authors are familiar, they’re not what I’m reading (mostly, anyway), so I can’t offer anything substantial in a comment and wonder if it’s worth saying (for the umpteenth time) that I’d like to read that book or it sounds really interesting or I’ve been meaning to read that author for ages. But I never tire of hearing that kind of thing myself, so sometimes I work myself up to leaving another repetitive comment on your site, and other times I quietly scurry off to make notes in my TBR list or notebook. Maybe we should plan a month where each of us reads from the other’s stacks!