palace of winds

The Book of Merlyn, by T. H. White, read by Neville Jason — This is the last book in the Once and Future King compilation. It brought back some of the whimsy of the first, with Arthur being transformed into other creatures — but it mostly felt like a long political treatise. Que sera. On the whole I really enjoyed this series.

The Savage Girl, by Alex Shakar — I don’t remember how I found it, but I read this fascinating article about an author selling his first book for big bucks — the sudden change in his fortune, the whirlwind of fame, the eager anticipation as the publication date neared. Everyone involved feels it’s going to be the Next Great Thing: a novel about consumerism, marketing, irony. It’s set in New York; it has captured the zeitgeist. And then, a week before the book hits the shelves: 9/11. And the book is suddenly irrelevant. Or so goes the tone of the article. I’m not sure how I would have felt reading it almost a decade ago — hard to say. I liked it now — it’s edgy, interesting, the characters all sort of strange and otherworldly. I think I would have felt more or less the same back then — but I don’t live in New York, so I don’t think it ever would have spoken to me the way it did to the publishers and editors and marketers living in the heart of the city. It would never have been my story the way it was theirs.

A Cupboard Full of Coats, by Yvvette Edwards — When the 2011 Man Booker Prize longlist was announced at the end of July, I requested all of them that my library has (some haven’t been published yet). This was my first read of the batch. I found the story and characters compelling, but there were a few times I found myself daydreaming about how the author will write after she has a few more books under her belt (this is her first). Still, definitely recommended.

2011 Book Count: 31
January: 6
February: 2
March: 7
April: 3
May: 3
June: 3
July: 4
August: 3

Goodbye, Columbus: and Five Short Stories, by Philip Roth. — I must have requested this one alongside the Nemesis audiobook I finished in June. Safe to say at this point that Roth isn’t really my author, though there are lots of people who think he’s a genius. I never got swept away in the stories or felt much for any of the characters. Just not my thing.

The Finkler Question, by Howard Jacobson, narrated by Steven Crossley. — This was the 2010 Man Booker Prize winner. Normally I’m a big fan of Booker books, but… I don’t know if it was a problem with listening to it versus reading it, but my mind kept drifting, and — confession: I totally lost the plot during one of the first discs. I kept listening anyhow, but just never settled into the book. I didn’t care much for the characters and it didn’t bother me at all that I didn’t really know what was going on — which is the opposite of my usual careful, close reading style. Both this and the Roth stories wrestle primarily with questions of Jewishness, and maybe I’m just not in the right frame of mind for that right now… I’ve also read other Booker winners that are primarily end-of-life reflections (maybe the Booker panel favors them?), and they’re typically not my thing. I’m sure they will be one day, but I think I’m a good many years away from that resonating for me.

The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind, by T. H. White, read by Neville Jason — These are the third and fourth books in the Once and Future King compilation (I had a bit of a wait to get the audiobook back from the library, then was mired in The Finkler Question for a while). The entire collection is the story of King Arthur — these continue the quirky, fun style to an extent, though as they progress into the Guinevere/Lancelot/Arthur triangle and the treachery of Arthur’s son Mordred they naturally lose a lot of the light-heartedness of the earlier books. Still enjoying them, but the Questing Beast thread from the second book is still my favorite.

2011 Book Count: 28
January: 6
February: 2
March: 7
April: 3
May: 3
June: 3
July: 4

Thanks especially to January and March, I finished my 2011 reading goal a full six months early. Apparently I need to be a little more ambitious with my numbers next year…

Nemesis, by Philip Roth, read by Dennis Boutsikaris – Nemesis is set in 1940′s New York, during a polio outbreak. The main character is a playground director, who watches helplessly as his kids begin falling victim to the paralyzing disease and the neighborhood is overtaken by fear. I did listen to the whole thing, but found it pretty meh. The narrator uses a very thick New York Jew accent that I found rather distracting (even though it was appropriate), and I just didn’t find the main character very interesting or likeable. I’d give this one a miss.

Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut – Loved it. I’d never read any Vonnegut before this, and had somehow escaped having any actual clue what he’s like as an author. Somewhere along the way I’d picked up the impression that he wrote Literature and was expecting — I don’t know what. Maybe a high poetic style, or something overtly philosophical, or..? Whatever I thought I was going to get, this was not it. It is literature, and it is thought-provoking, but Sirens of Titan is also a quirky sci-fi romp. I finished it quickly and wanted to read it again right away.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon – A friend of mine lent this to me a while ago, and I was a little hesitant to crack it open because it’s massive. I read it ridiculously quickly, though, and loved it. It’s a time-travel romance, set just after WW2 and then 200 years prior. The main character is feisty and fun, and — honestly, if the phrase “time-travel romance” does it for you, pick up this book. I’m really excited to read the next one.

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel, read by Simon Slater – This, sadly, is one I just couldn’t get into. I requested it from the library, but when it came in I couldn’t remember why or what it was about or anything — which actually happens to me quite a bit. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. In this case, not so much. I had high hopes when I put the first disc in; I liked the narrator and was really intrigued by the story. Turns out that it’s all about Thomas Cromwell, though, and while I normally find the whole King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and etc era interesting, I just couldn’t keep my mind on this one. Lots of politics. Lots and lots. I don’t like to quit on books, but I had to with this one; I like to be absorbed in my book or music while I’m driving, especially lately, and this one just wasn’t doing the trick. I slogged through over half of it, but I’m not counting it toward my total.

2011 Book Count: 24
January: 6
February: 2
March: 7
April: 3
May: 3
June: 3

I am really, really tired, so I should probably not be writing this. There are actually a lot of things I should not be doing, and likely chief among them is all of this going to bed after midnight, and waking up in the middle of the night anyway & being totally unable to fall back to sleep.

Anyway: Books!

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman – This was another Allison recommendation (alongside last month’s The Book of Lost Things), for “people who always secretly hope to find hidden doorways to magical worlds” — one of the most compelling book recommendations I’ve ever received. I really liked this one. Throughout the first half or two-thirds of the book I found myself faintly puzzled sometimes about the things Grossman chose to write about, why he was emphasizing certain things — but then the book twists, and twists again, and in the end it all makes much more sense and hangs together after all. There’s a follow-up coming out in August and I’m looking forward to it.

The Witch in the Wood (or The Queen of Air and Darkness), by T. H. White, read by Neville Jason – This is the second book in the Once and Future King compilation. I’ve really been enjoying the series (though it’s monstrously long and there’s a small waiting list, so I keep having to return it to the library and wait for my turn again). It’s not at all what I expected when I requested it (I put it on my list because it won the 2009 AudioFile Earphones Award) — I was expecting King Arthur, which it is, but it’s the Disney King Arthur: fun, light-hearted, and often overtly silly. I’ve been particularly enjoying the bumbling King Pellinore, Sir Palomides, and Sir Grummore; Jason’s voices for them are fantastic.

Dead Reckoning, by Charlaine Harris – I thought this latest Sookie book was much like the last few: a little disappointing. I feel like nothing much happens anymore, and the stuff that does happen doesn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. Some of the writing seemed a little rough — abrupt transitions or strange character reactions, and it seems like even she doesn’t really know where she’s going with it or why. It’s a quick read, and I like the characters, but I’m really glad I borrowed it from a friend and didn’t buy it myself.

2011 Book Count: 21
January: 6
February: 2
March: 7
April: 3
May: 3

Parts of April really sucked, and parts were pretty damn awesome. At least I chose good books (and credit to Kim and Allison, who recommended the first two, respectively).

• The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
• The Book of Lost Things, by John Connolly, read by Steven Crossley
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Süskind

2011 Book Count: 18
January: 6
February: 2
March: 7
April: 3