I was all set to tell you about Mirabelle Bevan's latest adventure (London Calling by Sara Sheridan), which I enjoyed immensely, but it has been a weird week and I am feeling out of sorts and think some bookish distractions are in order for the weekend!
Sarah Weinman's (aka The Crime Lady) interview with author Emma Flint about her just released novel Little Deaths sent me straight to the library to request it (but then I saw how long the waiting list was, so I went straight to the Book Depository to order the UK edition that is out in paperback!). It is a novel based on an actual criminal investigation that occurred over fifty years ago. If Sarah Weinman recommends a book I always take note and this one in particular piqued my curiosity.
The 2017 Pen America Literary Awards has announced its finalists. It's always interesting to see how often the same books appear on these lists, which is always a nudge to me to pick a few of them up.
And then there is the National Book Critics Circle Award finalists list as well.
It's the beginning of book award season, isn't it. Of course I always look forward to the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction longlist. The longlist won't be announced until the first week (or so) of March, so there is a while to go yet. One nice thing--it will hopefully come about the same time as nicer (almost-Spring) weather. There is already a list of predictions to peruse while we're waiting (well, at least eagerly awaited books written by women coming in 2017).
Seeing this list of 100 Must-Read Comics reminds me I need to pick up the last two Sagas and there is still Sarah Glidden's Rolling Blackouts on my library book pile waiting for me.
Check out Book Riot's Most Anticipated Books of 2017. What I like about it is you won't see the usual list of suspects, so to speak. What I like about Book Riot is that it is very diverse both in age and sex and genre. You will find a little bit of everything and it is very refreshing!
And along those same lines, I came across this great 2017 Indie Lit list for more temptations.
I think I need this calendar. I'm all for exercising the brain (stories are good but variety is nice). And hey, you can never have enough calendars, right?
I've finished my January NYRB selection, which was an interesting read, but I need to mull it over before writing about it. It has a helpful afterword I will read this weekend as well as an interview that should shed some light on the story and give me some perspective. Now I wonder what the February book will be. I wonder if it will be this? I am a little worried it might be this challenging read. So do I just patiently wait or maybe pick up a previous as-yet-unread selection?
I think we have all seen and/or already read this wonderful and very encouraging NYT article. It's one of those contented sighs sort of things one comes across now and again. But now another sigh as it also is the end of an era. I feel like I need some sort of pickmeupper, like starting a new (and something really really really distracting) book this weekend. We'll see on that front since I am in the middle of lots of really good books and need to stay on course.
For now I plan on spending time with Elizabeth Jane Howard (my January prompt book . . . and I am starting to think about February, too--'an affair to remember') and N. Scott Momaday, two books I absolutely want to finish before the end of the month. And then whatever else calls out to me!