A Work in Progress

Looking for a 'beachy-coming-of-age' Read

It must be the wish for spring and warm weather?  It's not as if I can't get into trouble all by myself, but I need to bring other readers into it, too.  I always talk of being a mood reader, and I think that is exactly why I always have so many books on the go at once.  Because when I feel like reading a particular kind of story . . . more often than not I have a book on my reading pile that fits the mood and I will reach for it to satisfy the craving.

This week's craving?  I love seaside settings in general but I want a story that is set on the coast, by the sea preferably--maybe the US East Coast, or Cornwall or the Mediterranean, I'm not really particular at the moment.  But the twist is, I am sort of in the mood for the story to be told by a girl/young woman, and for it to be a coming-of-age tale. 

What comes to mind if you are wondering about an example, is Jill McCorkle's Ferris Beach, which I love and have read a few times already.  I last wrote about it here.  It doesn't have to be an exact readalike, but that is the feel I am going for. 

So, might you have a suggestion--old or new book, but something I haven't read yet.  I'll be thinking about this over the weekend, too, and I'll share what I come up with!  I know the story I am in the mood is out there somewhere.  I just need to find it.

In Search of . . . Literary Fiction

This is going to sound a little bit like a loaded question, though it is not meant to be.  I'm a pretty equal opportunity reader and am happy to read a little bit of a lot of different kinds of books.  Lately, though, I tend towards comfort reads, which is not to say there aren't some very well done comfort reads (and I have had a string of good reads lately, too).  But I feel like I neglect contemporary fiction far too much, and literary fiction seems to end up in my to be read piles without actually ever being read. 

So this is a tricky question.  I'm looking for some literary fiction to read.  I realize "literary fiction" can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, and genre fiction can be literary, too.  So I have gone in search of a definition and Wikipedia describes it as:

" . . . a term principally used for certain fictional that hold literary merit.  In other words, they are works that offer deliberate social commentary, political criticism or focus on the individual to explore some part of the human condition. Literary fiction is deliberately written in dialogue with existing works created with the above aims in mind. Literary fiction is focused more on themes than on plot."

That may or not be helpful, but it seems literary fiction is a term everyone understands even if readers have a slightly different take on the books the term encompasses.  I'm sort of thinking along the lines of award winners, but not exclusively.  There are so many authors I Should Have Read by now, but haven't.  I almost hang my head in shame by admitting some of them--like Anne Tyler, or Hilary Mantel or Jane Smiley or Jonathan Franzen or Philip Roth or . . .

So, here is the question--if you could choose two or three contemporary (and what exactly is contemporary? --the last 25 years or so?) authors (or particular books) that everyone should read, who would they be?  I'm waiting for a few books to come in the mail including Anne Tyler's latest (which seems to be on every prize list) as well as last year's Booker winner by Richard Flanagan, but for the short term have narrowed the choice down to The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (shortlisted for the Booker, winner of the Costa, the James Tait and Irish Book awards), Academy Street by Mary Costello (Irish Book Award, Costa shortlist), Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (Orange Prize shortlist), and Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (Pen/USA West Fiction award, Edward Abbey Ecofiction award).  Maybe I'll close my eyes, shuffle the books and randomly pick one up to read now.

Suggestions always welcome, of course.

In Search of . . . More of the Same

This is what I did this weekend.  How did you spend yours?

Oh, dear, yes, I have been sucked into the film adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series of books.  I read the first three books many, many years ago.  I recall gulping them down, but they are very hefty tomes and I think my interests shifted and I never did get back to the rest of the books.  I saw the first episode for free online, but at the time felt only tepid towards it all.  Very desultorily I decided I would just get in line for the DVD at the library.  I might try an episode or two when my turn finally came up.  As we now only get one (very short) week for DVDs at my library (and the line is long so there will be no renewals) it was now or never to begin watching.

Well.  I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed watching the first season (or most of it--I still have a few episodes left to watch).  Now, you have to definitely suspend disbelief to a certain degree when watching this.  And yes, it is pure, unequivocal fantasy.  Lots of eye candy--in what world would someone who looks the part of the hero Jamie Fraser ever cross my path?  (Trust me, only in a book!).  Not much of a parallel between that world and the real world.  I am sure, despite all the villainy and dirt of 18th century Scotland that the movie tries to convey, it still paints a very rosy picture.  But if you come at it with a view to simply enjoy it as a fluffy entertainment, it's pretty darn addicting.

So now, yes, it has put me in the mood to read something in a similar vein.  I could reread the books (I think I would have to begin at the beginning at this point--too much time has passed for me to jump back into the fourth book), but I know liberties were taken with the story, so I hate to read and watch in tandem as then I will be comparing them too much.  Better to find a story that has similar traits.  Any suggestions?

I am looking for an epic sort of read, historical, perhaps a Scottish setting again, maybe time-slip, but not a requirement.  I've already contemplated reading Susanna Kearsley (I love her books but I think I have read most of her novels set in Scotland with a time slip element), and Rosamund Pilcher.  I've already thought about Sara Donati.  I've read most of Paullina Simons books, which have that same epic story-romance-ish.  I'm not quite sure what I want.  Something similar--a story you can sink your teeth into and can spend lots of time with yet is still engaging enough that you want to keep picking it up and fly through the story.  Maybe Sharon Kay Penman or Judith Merkle Riley or Elizabeth Chadwick, though they all deal in earlier time periods.

Why is it that I see something I like or enjoy--on whatever level (maybe just pure entertainment or maybe something more), but then I must read about it?!  It's as if every life experience or pleasure must translate then into a book . . . 

In Search of . . . Spirited Heroines

You already know how much of a 'mood' reader I am.  And I am in the mood once again for a particular sort of book/story.  It was spurred on by my reading of Parnassus on Wheels and the lovely main character, Helen, who I got such a kick out of.  She is indeed a very spirited heroine.  Not perfect--either physically or personality-wise but in my eyes entirely likable.  What I especially like is that she is a woman, the main protagonist too, who is 'of a certain age'.  And unmarried and with no children.  I have a feeling that I am somewhere in the middle of that span of 'a certain age'.  I am now a single woman and have no children. 

When I was younger the idea of reading about a heroine over the age of thirty was not very appealing.  Now I almost prefer reading about women over thirty (not exclusively by any means, but I can relate to a woman who has more experience in life).  I certainly don't mind reading about married women or mothers, but sometimes it's hard finding a heroine who is slightly older and shall we say, unencumbered.  A heroine that is, who is not looked down upon as being a spinster or added appendage since she has no family. 

So, this is what I am in search of.  A good story about a strong woman who is on her own and unapologetic about it.  Fairy tale endings not a requirement.  Ideas?  I'll start, to give you an idea of what I have in mind (have read and loved both of these stories . . .). 

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (and you have to love Persephone Books for having a category in their online catalog called Single Women--I have already requested two of their titles from my public library--Lettice Delmer by Susan Miles and Tea with Mr. Rochester by Frances Towers.

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym--as a matter of fact I think a number of Pym's books would work quite nicely in this case, so I will be investigating my Pym collection (I have a stack of books by her!).

I'm making good progress in my 'in progress' books and will continue reading them, but if I can find an equally enjoyable book as Parnassus was, I will happily add it to my reading pile.

As always, suggestions most welcome!

Searching for fantasy reads...

I like to think of myself as a well rounded reader.  In reality I don't think this is really true.  I tend to read fiction primarily.  I do branch out and read mysteries, and I am supposed to be regularly reading nonfiction, but I think that is really as daring as I get.  I am trying to read more essays, and I keep telling myself I need to read more short stories (though am not succeeding wholly in that endeavor). Poetry? Plays?  Shh.  They seem to be my weakest areas.  Now when it comes to fiction, I at least think I am an eclectic reader, but again I think I tend to get drawn to the same sorts of stories over and over again.  I rarely pick up or search out science fiction or fantasy novels.  I'm not entirely sure why--I guess I like to stick with the familiar perhaps, and science fiction and fantasy are very unfamiliar in my reading.

Although challenges abound these days I have been trying hard to steer clear of them (tempting as they may be!) as I never seem to be able to finish them and then I get sidetracked from my own reading plans.  I do think I am going to join in on Carl's upcoming fantasy challenge however.  I like to read outside my comfort zone, so this would be a perfect time to look for some fantasy reads.  Now then, what exactly does fantasy literature encompass? 

"Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. The genre is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by overall look, feel, and theme of the individual work, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three (collectively known as speculative fiction). In its broadest sense, fantasy comprises works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians, from ancient myths and legends to many recent works embraced by a wide audience today." (Wikipedia)

Interestingly the Wikipedia mentions the Epic of Gilgamesh as being the earliest story using mythic elements, which would become central to fantasy literature.  I had no idea.  I have a few books that I think would work as possible reads for the challenge (perhaps now is the time to finally finish Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, or to pull out Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon, or Neil Gaiman's Stardust?), but I think I am going to need other ideas for this challenge.  Any favorites?  Is there a fantasy novel that is a classic of the genre that I shouldn't miss (though I have to say, I think I will bow out of reading J.R.R. Tolkien at the moment-I have a feeling he is a classic fantasy author)?  Or maybe something off the beaten track?  This is such an unknown area to me, it will be fun to explore it a bit.  As always suggestions welcome!