Finally, we can talk books, darlings. Pull up a chair, and pay close attention.
Now, I will not be talking about all 100 Books, or even the complete Fiction list. Just the books I find interesting, which I think, you, my readers, might, and, as this has been a rather bad year for Fiction, this post, though longer than most, will not be as lengthy as it has in past years.
So, let's get to it!
1. "Bangkok Wakes To Rain," by Pitchaya Sudbanthad--Here we go! A ravishing, promisingly written generation saga of families bereft in Thailand. Just the kind of book I like! I cannot wait to get my hands on this one, girls!!!!!!!!!
2. "The Body In Question," by Jill Ciment-- I have read it. To be discussed in another post.
3. "Cherokee America," by Margaret Verble--Never heard of the author, but this frontier set Indian family historical saga is the stuff of which good fiction is made. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. "Disappearing Earth," by Julia Phillips--A remarkable debut novel, this has cropped up on many book lists. I liked it, but unsure if it merits a best citing. I will discuss it more, in another post!
5. "Ducks, Newburyport," by Lucy Ellmann--The much touted big one, waiting to challenge me. All I can promise you, girls, is I will get to it, and as soon as I do, you will know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. "The Dutch House," by Ann Patchett--Hey, it is Ann Patchett! Need I say more? This book is on my pile, just waiting to be read. Who knows, it could be a game changer in terms of my selections. I will be sure to let you know.
7. "Exhalation," by Ted Chiang--Another author I am not familiar with, and a collection of short stories, musing on sci-fi and philosophy. Ho hum. Do I have to read it? Of course, I do, and, should I turn out to tell readers to save themselves the trouble, I will be thanked! Or, it could turn out to be a big surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. "Fall, " by Neal Stephenson--Oh no, REALLY? Do I have to? I could only get through two volumes of his "Baroque Cycle" ("Quicksilver" and "The Confusion," and this was mostly because I was on jury duty, so what else did I have to do? The last volume, "The System Of The World," I did not even attempt. This may the one volume I skip. Neal Stephenson? No, thanks! He has his own fan base and demographic. He does not need me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. "Fleishman Is In Trouble," by Taffy Brodesser-Akner--I have heard good things about this one, another urban marriage collapses novel, but they can always be fun! Figure it has GOT to beat Neal Stephenson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. "Full Throttle," by Joe Hill--When I first saw this in the stores, it confused me. I thought it was a novel, a riff on the union workers' protest song I remember Joan Baez singing so well. But Joe Hill is the author, and, as far as I know, has nothing to do, with Joan Baez. This sounds like a good collection, all in the working class territory. More Steinbeck-ian than Baez!!!!!!!!
10. "Girl," by Edna O'Brien--A kidnapping in Nigeria, a woman's sexual and cultural struggles, the fact it is written by Edna O'Brien--I am there, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11. "The Godmother," by Hannelore Cayre--Who am I to turn down a good crime novel? Just because Paris went wild for it, do not confuse it with the pulp fiction of last year's "The Perfect Nanny." A seemingly innocuous middle-aged woman getting mixed up with drugs, Paris crime, and Africa--how can I resist this one?
11. "The Gone Dead, " by Chanelle Benz--A Mississippi woman's father is murdered three decades before, and she leaves home. Now, she returns to find out who did it. Crime and Southern Gothic; how did I miss this one in the first place?
12. "The Grammarians," by Cathleen Schine--Even though Schine did ex-hubby David Denby (who I have some issues with) dirt by ditching him for a lesbian relationship, twins are a fascinating topic that never fail to draw readers in. So, I am curious to see what she does with this fictitious work, exploring the dynamics and differences of the two fictitious girls she has created.
13. "Grand Union," by Zadie Smith--Ah, Zadie Smith. She is a mixed bag. Consistently cited for excellence, after struggling twice through "White Teeth," I finally came to terms with her through "On Beauty." Then the thought of more just stopped me in my tracks. But this being a short story collection may be enough; maybe Zadie paints better on a smaller canvass, It is worth a try.
14. "Growing Things," by Paul Tremblay-- I am familiar with Tremblay through his novel, "A Head Full Of Ghosts," which I may or may not have read. This short story collection may be worth it as a sampling of Tremblay, and a sad comment on Fiction this year that this is the third short story collection to appear on the list. Why aren't there more novels?
15. "The Heavens," by Sandra Newman--Some may balk; another novel about a woman traveling in Time; here the New York of today, and Elizabethan England. The gimmick here is that what impacts one time period impacts the other and I cannot wait to see the influence we have on the Elizabethans, and vice versa. A MUST with tea and coffee, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16. "The Institute," by Stephen King--Oh, please Please, PLEASE don't tell me I have to read Stephen King! Isn't it about time he became passe? But this supposedly offers a criticism of corporate America, or some form thereof, as psychically gifted children are being kidnapped and held to either benefit or aid in the evil of mankind. I don't know; sounds John Wyndham-ish, to me. Time will tell, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!
17. "Last Day," by Domenica Ruta--Domenica, who? And I thought Cormac McCarthy had the last say on the Apocalypse with "The Road." So, how good can this one really be? Only way to find out, girls, but I am not going to rush into this, with all I have before me. Anyone get to it before me, let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
18. "Lost Children Archive," by Valeria Luiselli--I read it. To be discussed in another post.
19. "Lot," by Bryan Washington--Drugs and poverty, and other vices in Houston today. The fourth short story collection on the list. Do we really need it? Let's wait and see how well this guy writes.
20. "Maggie Brown, And Others, " by Peter Orner--My God, another short story collection? This must be the fourth, or the fifth? People rushing through time, I hear. Faster than it is taking me to write this post, or better authors to write more better novels this year.
21. "The Man Who Saw Everything," by Deborah Levy--Time travel and short stories seem to be the major topics this year. A young historian in Eastern Europe crosses over Abbey Road--THAT Abbey Road?????--in London, and steps into who knows what? The look on the cover reflects as I contemplate having to read some of these selections.
22. "The Memory Police," by Yoko Ogawa--Though the novel has a dystopian--my least favorite literary exploration next to apocalyptic--it also promises an inner exploration of a mind with dementia, something that concerns us one and all. It would wrong to pass this one up.
23. "Mostly Dead Things," by Kristen Arnett-- A novel concerning itself with taxidermy and suicide; such fun, darlings! Actually, I am sure it is laced with sardonic humor, so I simply cannot wait! Take a breath from all those short story collections!!!!!!!!!!!!!
24. "Mrs. Everything," by Jennifer Weiner--Stephen King, maybe. Weiner, no No NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
25. "The Need," by Helen Phillips--I have heard about this one, and how neatly it blends the suspense, horror, and even sci-fi genres. I would take this over King, Stephenson and Weiner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26. "The Nickel Boys," by Colson Whitehead--I have been waiting for this one, for a long time. Thought it would get more recognition than this. Hey, it's Coslon Whitehead taking on the Southern reform school system for boys in the early Twentieth century. Need I say more?
27. "Night Boat To Tangiers," by Kevin Barry--I have been looking forward to this one. Irishmen discoursing, Beckett-like on the world and their lives! Whoo-eeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28. "Normal People," by Sally Rooney-- I read it. To be discussed in another post.
29. "Nothing To See Here," by Kevin Wilson-- Satire or sci-fi? Twins that go up in flames when emotionally challenged? Sounds like it could be a fun read! How do they survive? Who puts them out? Hey, the book is worth reading, just to find this out.
30. "Now We Shall Be Entirely Free," by Andrew Miller--PTSD after the Peninsular War, laced with psychology and mystery. Count on me for this one, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31. "The Old Drift," by Namwali Serpell--I read it. To be discussed in another post.
32. "The Parisian," by Isabella Hammad--This has potential, darlings! A Palestinian exploring Paris in the early part of the last century. Politics and Paris! Could be worth checking out!
33. "Rabbits For Food," by Binnie Kirshenbaum--Cute little bunny rabbits and mental health, as a woman checks into an institution. Now, if that does not sound interesting, I don't know what does. Mental illness is always a favorite topic with me, girls--keeps me feeling better about myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!
34. "Red At The Bone," by Jacqueline Woodson--I loved Woodson's "Another Brooklyn." Whether it was young adult, or not, I did not care, and the same applies here. I look forward to reading this one, because Woodson speaks the truth when she writes her fiction! Amen, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!
35. "The Revisioners," by Margaret Wilkerson-Sexton--"The Great Believers," "The Travelers,"...how is a reader to keep track? But this tale of two women caught in the America of 1924 and 2017 sounds Heaven sent. I, for one, cannot wait to read this, and cannot imagine how I missed it.
36. "The Shadow King," by Maaza Mengiste--Described as a lyrical novel of a young Ethiopian woman during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, I picked this one up in a store recently, and, regretfully, put it down. My next store trip will rectify that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
37. "She Was Like That," by Kate Wilbert--Yet another story collection, this time about women and mothers, and bonding with babies. What makes this so special? Hasn't the area been explored enough? I will have to see, if I can fit it in, to find out.
38. "Spring," by Ali Smith--I have her novels "Autumn" and "Winter." I will wait for this to come out in paperback, so when I have the entire quartet, I can read it completely.
39. "The Testaments," by Margaret Atwood--Like everyone else, I read and admired "The Handmaid's Tale." As for this one, let me put it this way--NO! Life is too short to devote it entirely to Margaret Atwood!
40. "The Topeka School," by Ben Lerner--You have to admit the cover is gripping. I am currently reading this now, and with 54 pages to go, I will soon post what I think of this novel. So, stay tuned!
41. "Westside"--Just for us, girls, a Prohibition timed mystery, in a Manhattan where a wall excludes the Upper East Side haves from the West Side have- nots! A bit "Gangs Of New York-ish?" Nonetheless, we love our NYC stories, and this one sounds good!
42. "Women Talking," by Miriam Toews--Thoughts and feelings of women suppressed in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia should make for some insightful, compelling reading. I am on board with this one.
So, there you have it, 42 fictional titles to explore. I think I will avoid the Stephenson, Weiner and Atwood works altogether, and save myself some misery.
As I said, those on here I have already read will be discussed elsewhere.
My selections will be discussed after having read the Five Best Fiction Works on "The New York Times" list, and then comparing it with mine. Which, I keep saying, is vastly different from theirs.
So, get going, girls, and happy reading!
Don't you just love talking about books??????????????????
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