Serendipity, or it's a sign maybe, but I am back into my daily reading of Teffi's Memories and lo and behold this morning I came across this article about the book!
"What makes Memories so extraordinary is that amid the uncertainty, horror, sorrow, and fear, Teffi still acknowledges and vividly depicts moments of levity, humor, and even pure joy."
Aside from being happy to be back among my NYRBs once again, I am happy to be reading my own books and books in translation. It sort of feels like my reading is being realigned and I am feeling less scattered. And as the quote says, there are indeed moments of levity in the reading despite knowing she was fleeing from civil war. Like Eleanor Perenyi's book, this feels like a snapshot of a lost time and place and I can begin to see it in my mind playing out like one of those old B&W movies.
By the way, despite being several books behind in reading, I did read January-April, so half of what has been sent on subscription was read and enjoyed (though not yet all the books have been written about properly . . . one thing at a time, I guess).
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Have you come across the literary magazine, Freeman's: The Best New Writing on . . . and this second issue is "Arrival"? How did I miss it? The "Arrival" issue is actually the inaugural issue and a new one has just been released, which I also have on my reading pile. The subject matter of the newest issue is "Family". I'm thrilled to discover this and not only just discover it, but get in on the ground floor as it would be. They don't seem to have a website dedicated to the journal, but it is published by Grove Atlantic (so no subscription option now?). Here's the librarian in me looking at the CIP on the verso page of the title page, but I don't see any publishing information. It appears it will be a biannual, however.
It's chock full of, yay, short fiction and short stories and essays, and there is even a photo essay. Lots of new authors to discover and old authors to try or enjoy once again. This issue has work by a variety of writers from Kamila Shamsie and Helen Simpson to Etgar Keret and Dave Eggers. I have been dragging it about with me in my bookbag to read pieces here and there. Really this is the perfect book to carry about on errands and to the gym and on the bus. Shorter works that are easily consumable in short periods free for reading. I know short stories are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are really the perfect solution for people who just try and squeeze in a little reading whenever they can!
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And you know I have to share a book list with you! Here's another one that I very much like: 25 Books to Read Before You Die: World Edition. Yes, twenty-five works in translation. Yikes, I've only read two, but I have several more on my TBR piles. One of the second-half-of-2016 reading goals is to get in as many more works in translation as I can get (always helped along by those lovely NYRBs).
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And I shall end on a happy note . . . just a little over a week to go until I have my mini-vacation to Colorado. I have not picked up any Colorado-inspired books like I thought and hoped, but maybe there is still time between now and then. I am taking mostly books from my in progress piles (or something from that little pile of languishing book--that I started this year and have not read in far too long), but I am allowing myself one new book as a treat and you should see my "longlist of vacation reading possibilities"! I will share my choices sometime between now and then. Not only do I have vacation anticipation, but reading anticipation, too!