Yesterday after work I stopped by the library and picked up my lone hold. It's not often that I only have one book to pick up, but I have been trying hard to be more selective in what I request as I always end up with more than I can possibly read (and you know what that's like). Joining the three library books I have at home (I'm also trying to keep my checked out library books to very a dull roar) is Norwegian author, Linn Ullman's A Blessed Child. The inside flap calls it "bold and starkly beautiful" and "a haunting parable of innocence lost". The title doesn't really appeal to me, but the story does. It's about three sisters, all with different mothers, whose lives changed irrevocably one summer when they were young. I know I shouldn't start it right now, but this is one I would really like to read.
I also found the most recent edition of BookPage, which happens to be their 20th anniversary edition. Lately I've felt really starved for new books (another sign I need to go to the bookstore to browse and pick up a book magazine or two), so I snapped a copy of this up. I found several new books to add to my library queue.
A Partisan's Daughter, Louis de Bernieres. Corelli's Mandolin has been one of my favorite books, and I always mean to read more by him. This is his newest. It's "a story of impossible love, ethnic conflict and the whims of history, played out through the inevitable fates of ordinary, if compelling characters."
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, Vicki Myron. How can I resist a book about the orange cat, Dewey Readmore Books, who made his home in a small Iowa library?! There is a long line for this one.
Lulu in Marrakech, Diane Johnson. Years back I went through a big Diane Johnson phase. Her books are always fun if a little quirky, and she's been up for many awards. I didn't realize she had written another book. BookPage calls this "espionage light" but completely absorbing.
To Siberia, Per Petterson. Another happy discovery--I loved his Out Stealing Horses. This is described as reminiscent of Raymond Carver for his taut prose. "Both the harsh beauty of the Scandinavian world, from thick blankets of fog to ice-choked seas, and the inner lives of his characters are probed in a language that doesn't waste a word."
Dark Water: Flood and Redemption in the City of Masterpieces, Robert Clark. The 1966 flood in Florence, Italy is the subject for this book. It sounds like a fascinating read--art and history all mixed together.
French Milk, Lucy Knisely. This is a graphic memoir, which I heard about ages ago and am happy to finally see it published here in the US.
I'm impressed by the selection of books they reviewed this time around. I've not found many books to tempt me in recent past issues, but I will probably find a few more when I have a chance to read everything. Of course there are usually lots of books published in the Fall, so maybe this is just a first peek and there will be even more good books to look forward to.