This stack is really more of a reflection of the books I've brought home from the library since I went back to work on January 3, but that seems to be plenty! The Tournament of Books longlist and an upcoming book club discussion that I am leading fuel many of these.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
After by Claire Tristram
Ground Zero: Nagasaki Stories by Yuichi Seirai
Monterey Bay by Lindsay Hatton
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
The Lightkeepers by Ally Geni
Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan Southard
Faithful by Alice Hoffman
The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson
To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
The Hatton, Geni, Anderson, and Ivey were all contenders for the Tournament of Books, but none of them made the short list. That's okay, I'm still going to read them anyway. Actually I only have one left!
I'm leading a discussion next month on A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton. I felt like I needed a better grounding on Nagasaki, so that is why I have the Seirai (translated) and the Southard. I need to get cracking on those, and a reread of the Copleton!
I snagged the Jiles, Botton, and Hoffman from the new books cart in the library where I work, and requested the Tristram from interlibrary loan after hearing about it from my friend (who is the author!)
What a beautiful pile! We have the tiniest of outdated libraries, which I utilize every bit as much as I can, but I could never pull together such smart titles all at once. Most of what I read from our library is ordered in from the interlibrary loan, or through their eReader service.
ReplyDeleteThe the Bright Edge of the World wasn't one of my favorite, but so many loved it so, and I hope that you do too. The writing is terrific, and things seem so real, and then I found out that it is a rewrite of a true story, so I prefer that and hope to give it a try.
I have a copy of News of the Word, which I hope to get to within the next couple weeks. Here's hoping we both love it.
Happy reading.
I'm lucky because I work in an academic library and supplement with the public library. It helps!
DeleteI have only just started this, but the first entry has me hooked. As an anthology of writings by asylum seekers, it would fit under your first goal. https://www.bookdepository.com/Country-of-Refuge-Lucy-Popescu/9781783522682?ref=grid-view
ReplyDeleteOh thank you for sharing that with me; I hadn't heard of it!
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