"Holy Coming Out, Batman! Why Can't I Dress Like Carolyn Jones As Marsha, Queen Of Diamonds????????????????????

                                           Too bad Adam West and Burt Ward as Bruce Wayne and his young ward, Dick Grayson (wink! wink!)  did not have that conversation.  It would have hurled the TV series in an entirely different direction.

                                              A strange way to introduce a book column, girls, but then it has been a strange year for Fiction.  Of the fifty selections in Fiction of "The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books Of 2021," I have read only eighteen, which is low for me, and the books I want to read are even lower in number.  Here, let's take a look--

                                                                       

                                                 1. "Burnt Sugar," by Avni Doshi--Trouble in India, mother and daughter conflict; this one has my attention, darlings.   A debut novel, but one having all the elements that press my buttons.

                                                                             

                                                  2.  "Ghosts Of New York," by Jim Lewis--I have not read any of Lewis' work, but this novel-disguised-as-short stories format might work, mixing ghosts--whether they be supernatural or memory--and the city I live in and love--sounds like the material and I would connect.  I will let you know, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                          3.  "Klara And The Sun," by Kazuo Ishiguro--This garnered a lot of attention when it first came out, mainly because of its author.  When I first read about it being about artificial intelligence, I thought this similar to the film "Her," which I disliked.  I resolved to stay away from this one.  I may have to give it a try.  If I do, girls, I will let you know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                                4. "The Love Songs Of W. E. B. Du Bois," by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers--When this first appeared in the bookstores, I groaned at its length.  Do I really have to read this?  Forget Oprah; she means nothing to me.  But the length was staggering, and do I really want to invest my time in such an undertaking?  Well, it looks like I may have to.  Like 'Klara,' this may be another book I am forced into reading.  I have a heavy schedule already, but promise I will get to it, and let you know, but it may take a while.

                                                                                    

                                            5.  "Oh, William!" by Elizabeth Strout--Well, let's start with my loving to read Elizabeth Strout, having read several of her books.   There is a connection to 'Lucy Barton' here, too, and I just loved that, so this really is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I will pass on the word, darlings!

                                                                              

                                              6.  "The War For Gloria," by Atticus Lish--Shades of Joan Didion!  I say that, because I have to warn you, dolls, this is a dark one.  A father and son conflict, the boy coming to terms with himself, whatever they may be--all this while the mother is battling ALS!!!!!!!!!!!   Make sure you have something fun lined up after you finish this one, dears!  Definitely NOT a light read!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                

                                        7.  "When We Cease To Understand The World," by Benjamin Labatut-- What is it?  Thomas Pynchon?  A novel? Short story collection?  Both?  The last is what I have heard.  It is waiting in my pile, so I may give it a try before year's end.   If it is what I fear, please writers, keep writing cohesive novels--cc: Jonathan Franzen, Amor Towles, Donna Tartt!

                                                                             

                                             8.  "The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels," by India Holton--Well, thank God the author is not India Wilkes.  I have to admit the title attracted me because of its similarity to "The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Society," by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  This looks like it could be a remedy for some of the darker books.  It concerns a niece trying to save her aunt from the clutches of a pirate and his henchman, and is set in Victorian times.  This catches my eye, darlings; I only hope it is as good as it sounds.

                                              And that is it!  Can you believe it?   In any other year, my "Must Reads" would number in the teens and twenties.  Not this year, so what is wrong?  In any case, dears, this should give you something to peruse, and others you have been warned about.  

                                                   Happy Reading To All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!