Kidzdoc's 2009 Goals #4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Currently reading:
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin Kelley (US)
The Drift Latitudes by Jamal Mahjoub (Sudan/UK)

Books Read in 2009:

January:
2666 by Roberto Bolaño (Chile)
The Illusion of Return by Samir El-Youssef (Palestine)
A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo (Kenya)
Mishima's Sword by Christopher Ross (UK)
Patriotism by Yukio Mishima (Japan)
Does Your House Have Lions? by Sonia Sanchez (US)
Mi Revalueshanary Fren by Linton Kwesi Johnson (UK)
The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso (Chile)
Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami (Japan)
Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami
Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra (Chile)
Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño

February:
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (Japan)
Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russia)
The Interrogation by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (France)
Admiring Silence by Abdulrazak Gurnah (Zanzibar)
Novel 11, Book 18 by Dag Solstad (Norway)
A Better Angel: Stories by Chris Adrian (US)
The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuściński (Poland/Africa)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (US)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Australia)
Travelling with Djinns by Jamal Mahjoub (UK/Sudan)
The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt (US)
Metropole by Ferenc Karinthy (Hungary)
A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy (Hungary)
Ül: Four Mapuche Poets (Chile)
The Lemoine Affair by Marcel Proust (France)

March:
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopia/US)
My Floating Mother, City by Kazuko Shiraishi (Japan)
The Oldest Orphan by Tierno Monénembo (Guinea)
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John (US)
Resistance: The Human Struggle Against Infection by Norbert Gualde, MD (France)
The United States of Africa by Abdourahman A. Waberi (Djibouti)
The Winners by Julio Cortázar (Argentina)
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor (US)
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (US)
Broken Glass by Alain Mabanckou (Congo)
The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martinez (Argentina)
Autonauts of the Cosmoroute by Julio Cortázar & Carol Dunlop (France)
Golpes Bajos/Low Blows: Instantáneas/Snapshots by Alicia Borinsky (Argentina)
UFO in Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo (China)
Shyness & Dignity by Dag Solstad (Denmark)
A Strange and Sublime Address by Amit Chaudhuri (India)

April:
Brain Surgeon by Keith Black, MD (US)
The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (The Netherlands)
Cambridge by Caryl Phillips (UK/Caribbean)
Afternoon Raag by Amit Chaudhuri (India/UK)
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo (China/UK)
Breath by Tim Winton (Australia)
Books v. Cigarettes by George Orwell(UK)
Rhyming Life & Death by Amos Oz (Israel)
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)
World Ball Notebook by Sesshu Foster (US)
The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (US)
Unlucky Lucky Days by Daniel Grandbois (US)

May:
Five Spice Street by Can Xue (China)
The Mighty Angel by Jerzy Pilch (Poland)
The Fat Man and Infinity by António Lobo Antunes (Portugal)
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
Gimpel the Fool: And Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Poland)
Flowers of a Moment by Ko Un (Korea)
W, or The Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec (France)
Voice Over by Céline Curiol (France)
C.L.R. James: Cricket's Philosopher King by Dave Renton (Trinidad/UK)
The King's Rifle by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (Italy)
Plants Don't Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (Basque/Spain)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt)
The Armies by Evelio Rosero (Colombia)
The Bathroom by Jean-Philippe Toussaint (France)

June:
Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun (South Korea/US)
Rose by Li-Young Lee (Indonesia/US)
Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulić (Croatia)
In the Falling Snow by Caryl Phillips (St. Kitts/UK)
The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales (Cuba/US)
How I Became a Nun by César Aira (Argentina)
The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre (France)
Ravel by Jean Echenoz (France)
Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
Hoppla! 1 2 3 by Gérard Gavarry (France)
Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones (UK)
The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (Iran)

July:
Ghosts by César Aira (Argentina)
Medical London: City of Diseases, City of Cures by Richard Barnett (UK)
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
The Postman by Antonio Skármeta (Chile)
Nostalgic Views of Atlanta {Atlanta History Center}
Mercury Under My Tongue by Sylvain Trudel (Canada)
The Fête at Coqueville by Émile Zola (France)
Flaw by Magdalena Tulli (Poland)
The Observer by Matt Charman (UK)
Literary Cafés of Paris by Noël Riley Fitch
Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi (UK)

August:
Palafox by Eric Chevillard (France)
The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (UK)
Literary Paris: A Guide by Jessica Powell
Not Untrue & Not Unkind by Ed O'Loughlin (Ireland)
Journey into the Past by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
Harare North by Brian Chikwava (UK)
Another Gulmohar Tree by Aamer Hussein (Pakistan/UK)
Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne (Sri Lanka/UK)
England People Very Nice by Richard Bean (UK)
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (UK)
Derelict London by Paul Taller (UK)
Me Cheeta: The Autobiography by James Lever (UK)
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (US)
The Trial of Robert Mugabe by Chielo Zona Eze (Nigeria)
The Country Where No One Ever Dies by Ornela Vorpsi (Albania)
How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall (UK)
Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Rachel Fershleiser (US)

September:
Summertime by J.M. Coetzee (South Africa)
Beauty Salon by Mario Bellatin (Mexico)
Love and Summer by William Trevor (Ireland)
Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine by Roy Porter (UK)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (UK)
Coloured Lights by Leila Aboulela (Sudan)
A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua)
The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe (US)
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro (Japan/UK)
At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua)
The Flood by Emile Zola (France)

October:
The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt (UK)
Solo by Rana Dasgupta (India)
Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin (US)
My Men by Malika Mokeddem (Algeria)
Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (France)
The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
"I Live in Darkness" by Annie Ernaux (France)
The Education of a British-Protected Child by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
Dance with Snakes by Horacio Castellanos Moya (El Salvador)
North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica (Cuba)
Running by Jean Echenoz (France)
The Possession by Annie Ernaux (France)

November:
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux (France)
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke (Austria)
Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin (Canada)
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
City Gates by Elias Khoury (Lebanon)
A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux (France)
Shame by Annie Ernaux (France)
Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique)
Chowringhee by Sankar (India)
Heliopolis by James Scudamore (UK)
Small Memories by José Saramago (Portugal)
Waylaid by Ed Lin (US)
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Ireland/US)
Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal (Czechoslovakia)

December:
Jerusalém by Gonçalo M. Tavares (Portugal)
All Fires the Fire and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar (Argentina)
I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett (US)
Jazz and Twelve O'Clock Tales by Wanda Coleman (US)
The Two Kinds of Decay: A Memoir by Sarah Manguso (US)
Bayou by Jeremy Love (US)
When Harlem Nearly Killed King by Hugh Pearson (US)
A Kid for Two Farthings by Wolf Mankowitz (UK)
The She-Devil in the Mirror by Horacio Castellanos Moya (El Salvador)
The Giant, O'Brien by Hilary Mantel (UK)
Dust on Her Tongue by Rodrigo Rey Rosa (Guatemala)
Who Ate Up All the Shinga? by Park Wan-Suh (Korea)
A Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin (China/US)

New thread. Hello. Fresh is good. *Clicks on star to paint it yellow*

Woofie

New thread. Hola Kdoc! Enjoying your read through the Bookers.

Hi Ruth!

¡Hola chrine! I've read four of the shortlisted books so far (Wolf Hall, The Glass Room, Summertime and The Quickening Maze), and I'm currently reading The Children's Book, which I should finish by the weekend (I'm off from work until Monday). I'll finish the shortlist with The Little Stranger next week, and read the other two longlisted books I haven't read, The Wilderness and Heliopolis, by the end of the year.

My next goal will be to revisit this year's Orange Prize longlist. There are 20 books on that list, and I'd like to read 8-10 of them. So far I've only read Burnt Shadows, The Invention of Everything Else, and The Lost Dog. I own but haven't read The Wilderness, The Flying Troutmans, Evening Is the Whole Day, Scottsboro and Blonde Roots, so I'll plan to read those by year's end, along with A Mercy.

My next review will probably be Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America by Ezekiel Emanuel.

* Murr throws his paws up in despair.*

Ahem... excuse the parochial noises... but Keri Hulme is a Kiwi!!
Have fun with The Bone People...we gave our unread copy away to a German friend last year, who put us to shame by reading it on the plane home.

Hola Kdoc. Enjoy your time off then and all the reading opportunities that come with it. A Mercy is on my TBR list so I look forward to reading your review of it when you get to it.

I have found Bone People to be one of the most controversy-inducing books ever. I introduced it to my reading group about three years ago, where I loved it and everyone else loathed it. I have recommended it to a number of people who have hated it. And I know there are some people out there who love it. It elicits extremely strong reactions. I just may have to reread it. I am looking forward to your thoughts, Darryl.

Flaw by Magdalena Tulli



My rating:

I reviewed Flaw for the first issue of Belletrista. You can find my review on the magazine's web site:

http://www.belletrista.com/2009/issue1/reviews_5.html

And an excellent review it is, Darryl!!!!

Thanks, Paola!

:-))

> #9 - Darryl -

Good review. Published on a great new website. Notable. Congratulations. Well done.

The book sounds interesting ... but I don't think that right now is a good time for me to take on a novel with this particular theme. A little kindness and helpfulness would do me a world of good. Just saying. Don't need anyone else taking on setting rules for other folks because of a "costume" they feel gives them that right.

I'm starting a Lifelong Learning Class at FSU this next class period. It will cover a magazine style/sized "book," called Great Decisions 2009 (Published by the Foreign Policy Association - www.fpa.org). This is a fresh new discipline of interest/study for me and will simply be an overview of a huge and important topic. Apparently there is a television series on PBS, that I have no knowledge of, whatsoever. *blush*

Think I'm gonna learn something while reading and listening to this professor-lead class, Darryl. I will become a more informed citizen, I believe.

Don't know why your review made me start thinking about my up-coming class. Democracy? Policy? hmmm?

Your friend,

Ruth

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid



My rating:

I found this book length essay and At the Bottom of the River, a collection of short stories by the same author (who is one of my favorites), while going through some older books earlier today. I realized that I hadn't read either book, and started on this book straight away.

The setting for A Small Place, which was written in 1988, is postcolonial Antigua in the mid-1980s, as the narrator speaks to a voiceless North American or European tourist who arrives to her home island of Antigua, "a small place, nine miles wide by twelve miles long", whose beauty is contrasted by its dilapidated buildings and bad roads. The tourist is given an unsparing view of the island's inequality, poverty and corruption, and much of the blame for Antigua's situation is laid on the former British colonists, and indirectly on the unwanted and unloved visitor. The essay ends with a brief love note by the narrator to her homeland, and we are left with a sense of hope for the future.

#13: I'll be interested to hear about your class, Ruth. That reminds me, I should check the "Evenings at Emory" fall catalog to see if there are any classes I would be interested in this term.

The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe



My rating:

I read The Gold-Bug in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, after I read an article in the Guardian about the 10 best pirate stories. This is a novella about an estranged man living on an island off the coast of Charleston, Souh Carolina, who discovers a mysterious golden bug with the outline of a skull on its back. He subsequently finds a map with the bug on it, which leads him to buried pirate treasure. This was a trivial story that wasn't worth the time spent reading it.

For me, The God Bug scores at least 4, because of the way the document is decyphered, and because of the tension created when the wrong eye of the skull is used to find the treasure.

I found the part about the "wrong" left eye to be very predictable; I knew that was going to happen! And the role of Jupiter as the "stupid darky" was quite tiresome. I lost interest in the story, and found it less than believable by the time of the deciphering, so I'll stick with my two star rating.

It may be predictable now, but 100+ years ago it was unique and new. Some times books must be read with an eye on where it fits into it's time it was written. But I agree not one of Poe's best I would give it 2 or 2 1/2 stars.

>18 kidzdoc: - Darryl -

I read this story as a young child, back in the early fifties.

I don't remember that much about it and ... if I could have a sit down with Poe today ... I would hope to give his old brain and way of thinking a newer, fresher way of thinking about his characterizations and complete lack of understanding about who we are as human beings, regardless of the color of our skin or the country of our heritage.

We do have to think about history and the way things were (society, colonialism, slavery, etc.) with the limited connections that people were able to have with each other at that time, and you, of all of my LT friends are most aware of these literary blots and no logic, no brain types of characterizations.

It's Sunday morning. I must think I have a pulpit here today. Sorry ... just couldn't let this slide without someone dear knowing how I feel. Thanks for reading my comment.

We have moved on, Poe. Your character has been dismissed as un-true and proven so time and time again. We will not support this one as a classic or other-wise.

Just saying. IMHO.

Ruth

I loved Poe when I was about 11 or 12; we had an old set of his work that my mother brought from her parents' house, and I devoured the stories, especially classics like "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." This was about the same time that I devoured The Complete Sherlock Holmes, a copy that belonged to my grandfather which I still have.

I am not sure whether I would want to read Poe again, because I might be disappointed for some of the reasons above, but I would like to reread Sherlock Holmes; "The Speckled Band" still gives me the creeps.

#19, 20: I agree that a book's content must be viewed in the time that it was written, so I was willing to overlook, to a degree, the way in which Jupiter was portrayed. However, IMO it was quite overdone, and, again, it became quite tiresome, as did the entire story, which just wasn't very good. The Guardian article claimed that it was one of the 10 best pirate stories; there were no pirates portrayed in the story, which added to my disappointment.

#21: I think I've read two or three other Poe stories in the recent past, and none were memorable or enjoyable. Unless someone convinces me otherwise, I'm done with him.

I just finished A Pale View of Hills, the debut novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, which was very good, at least four stars. I'll submit a review tomorrow, after I think about it a little more, and especially after I read The Art of the Fiction interview of Ishiguro in the Spring 2008 edition of The Paris Review; one LTer mentioned that he discussed the ending of the book in the interview.

Inspired by your Booker read, I had started on the Orange Prize long-list after completing my "50 book challenge" - already read Burnt Shadows, The Flying Troutmans and Scottsboro. This last one sent me on a detour to read the non-fiction books that Ellen Feldman used for research. The Last of the Scottsboro Boys, autobiography of Clarence Norris, just arrived today.

The first three books have been enjoyable to read. I have attempted The Wilderness, but it seems quite tedious so far. I look forward to your eval of the long-list.

Catarina, I'll probably read The Wilderness in October or November; I'm sorry to hear that it has been tedious, but I think others on the Booker Prize web site's discussion thread have made the same comment. It has been listed for, I think, four major awards (Orange, Booker, Guardian First Book Award, maybe one other?), but hasn't won any of them yet.

I've read three books in the past week or so; I'll submit reviews for them later today or during the week:

#121: A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro (3-1/2 stars)
#122: At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid (2-1/2 stars)
#123: The Flood by Emile Zola (4-1/2 stars)

I'm still working on The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, which I should finish by the middle of the week. After that I'll read The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, to finish the Booker Prize shortlist. The winner will be announced on October 6th.

Doc, I hear your thoughts on Poe. I have never been able to get into him either.
For the ultimate pirate tale, you should of course read Treasure Island.

There is a distinct lack of conversation on ClubRead these days. Or is it just my imagination?

I thought you might need some more books, Darryl. LOL.

So here, in that spirit of helpfulness, is a list for you:

The top 20 books of the millenium so far, as selected by a panel of experts invited by the blog The Millions.

#20: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
#19: American Genius, A Comedy by Lynne Tillman
#18: Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
#17: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
#16: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
#15: Varieties of Disturbance by Lydia Davis
#14: Atonement by Ian McEwan
#13: Mortals by Norman Rush
#12: Twilight of the Superheroes by Deborah Eisenberg
#11: The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
#10: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
#9: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
#8: Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
#7: Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald
#6: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
#5: Pastoralia by George Saunders
#4: 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
#3: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
#2: The Known World by Edward P. Jones
#1: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

The link is here http://www.themillions.com/2009/09/the-best-fiction-of-the-millennium-so-far-an-...

>27 polutropos: Hmmm . . . I think the the panel of experts could use a few experts. A predictable and for the most part mediocre list - relative to all the other wonderful books out there. And Andrushka, yes there is much less discussion on Club read these days. Everyone must have moved to a new forum . . somewhere ;-)

haven't moved on. It's more that i've gotten so far behind on folks' threads that i've a hard time starting back up. Of the 8/20 books i've read (or started and discarded) on the above list, Diaz's is by far the one i enjoyed the most.

I'm in the midst of a long work stretch, so I'll have little to say before Saturday. I'll try to keep up on my thread, though.

I've also noticed that the amount of discussion on Club Read recently has paled in comparison to the 75ers discussions.

#26: Murr, Treasure Island is a classic that I've never read. I will have to rectify that, and I'll try to get to it, Moby Dick and a few other classics next year (whee, more books to buy!).

#27: Andrew, thanks for that list. I've read #2, 4, 11 and 16, own #1, 6, 10, 14 and 17. I'll read the Ishiguro by year's end, for the mini-author theme read, but I'm not sure when I'll get to the others. It's almost devoid of international literature, though.

#28: Agree with you, urania. I'll bet that any of us could come up with at least 10 books from this millenium that would rank higher than most, if not all, of the books on this list.

#29: Agree with you on the Diaz, Bob; it's definitely the best of the four that I've read, too. But, Diaz is a Rutgers alumnus, like me, so my view could be a bit biased.

OK, Urania,

so here is the opportunity to increase the amount and level of discussion:

What ARE ten (or twenty or whatever number you please) other books, published since 2000, that SHOULD be on that list?

No doubt this will engender so much participation that eventually it will need its own thread, but why don't we start the discussion, with Darryl's permission, right here.

Haven't moved but am in the midst of several weeks of off and on travel and lots of work, all cutting in to LT time, but hopefully not to reading time (love those airplane and train trips!).

As for the top 20 list, of the ones I've read, several absolutely DO NOT belong on the list ! Not to mention the ones I've never heard of.

Think the interesting thing is the diffence between the "pro" list vrs the "Reader" list.
There are only have seven in common;

American Genius, A Comedy
Gilead
Cloud Atlas
The Road
Austerlitz
The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Middlesex

Andrushka,

I will have to do some thinking about this. I can, however, tell you which books I would strike from the list.

20: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
#19: American Genius, A Comedy by Lynne Tillman (just ordered on Kindle but haven't read)
#18: Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
#17: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem (edited - oops just realized I haven't read this one but was basing my writing of early Lethem, which is absolutely awful)
#16: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
#15: Varieties of Disturbance by Lydia Davis (haven't read)
#14: Atonement by Ian McEwan
#13: Mortals by Norman Rush (haven't read)
#12: Twilight of the Superheroes by Deborah Eisenberg (on TBR list)
#11: The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (on TBR list)
#10: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (I did, however love this book)
#9: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
#8: Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (haven't read an Per Petterson)
#7: Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald (on TBR list)
#6: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
#5: Pastoralia by George Saunders (have not yet read)
#4: 2666 by Roberto Bolaño (have not yet read)
#3: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
#2: The Known World by Edward P. Jones - (Hmmm . . . I have to think about this one. I suspect it's a strike but . . . )
#1: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

The way I see the two lists there are ten books from the "pro" list which are not on the reader list. So yes, there is a wide divergence in the "pro" and "reader".

Here are my favorites, in no particular order (subject to revision):

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury
Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears (also known as Children of the Revolution) by Dinaw Mengestu
Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas
A Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
Travelling with Djinns by Jamal Mahjoub
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

My rating: 4-1/2 stars

I'll submit a review of this later in the week. It is a historical novel mainly set in and around London, which begins at the end of the Victorian Era and ends just after World War I, a Big (>600 pages) but very enjoyable read. I was glad to finally finish it, as I had been reading it off and on for nearly a month, but I was also not ready to say goodbye to its characters. Highly recommended!

With two days to go until the announcement of the Booker Prize I've finished five of the six shortlisted books, and 10 of the 13 longlisted ones. I won't finish The Little Stranger by Tuesday, as it is nearly 500 pages long, so this is my final pre-announcement shortlist ranking:

1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
2. The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
3. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
4. Summertime by J.M. Coetzee
5. The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds

I'm still sad that Brooklyn didn't make the shortlist, but have added the chosen books to my wishlist.

I agree; Brooklyn was a far better book than The Quickening Maze, IMO.

The National Book Foundation announced its "5 Under 35" list for 2009, which consists of five young fiction writers deserving of attention. They are:

Ceridwen Dovey, author of Blood Kin
C. E. Morgan, author of All the Living
Lydia Peelle, author of Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing
Karen Russell, author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves
Josh Weil, author of The New Valley

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves is funny, but I wouldn't put Karen Russell in the top five young fiction writers (not that I am exactly sure of the ages of many writers). Although I enjoyed Russell's book, if this is the best of the upcoming generation, we should prepare for a long reading drought.

P.S. The Children's Book will be released tomorrow on Kindle. My preorder has been placed for several weeks. I am excited.

I should receive it today (in BOOK format, HAH!). Very excited about it.

I haven't heard of any of the under 35 authors in this list, urania.

I hope that you both enjoy The Children's Book as much as I did.

I hope so too, Darryl.
Unfortunately, I still cannot plunge in it, not until I have read at least a couple I MUST review.....:-(

As expected, Wolf Hall is the winner of this year's Booker Prize:

Bookies favourite wins the 2009 Prize

And my copy from the Book Depository was waiting for me when I got home from my trip yesterday! So now everyone on the subway will be wondering how I got a paperback copy when it isn't even out in the US yet!

Nice! I didn't know that it was out in paperback in the UK already. My guess is that it will end up being the all-time best selling Booker Prize winner, as I'm guessing (or hoping) that it will be widely read in the US, Canada and elsewhere.

BTW, a few of us are having an active discussion about the announcement here.

I've really enjoyed your Booker Prize survey. Several have gone on the wishlist for me.

Thanks, Jane! I'm eager to hear what you think of them. BTW, Wolf Hall will be released in the US today.

This is admittedly off topic, but ZoneAlarm, a leading firewall and anti-virus/anti-spyware program, is offering a free download of ZoneAlarm Pro Firewall 2010, which normally costs $39.95, for today only. I have used ZoneAlarm for my PCs and laptops for several years, and am very pleased with this company's products. More information can be found here:

ZoneAlarm Pro Firewall 2010

Wolf Hall is available on Kindle somewhere (not the US), but I haven't been able to track it down. It doesn't appear to be on the UK site. Any ideas anyone?

I looked for a Kindle edition of Wolf Hall too, and also didn't find where it can be purchased; Amazon US just says that it isn't available in the US.

I'm in San Francisco for a medical conference (today), followed by my fall vacation, until the 25th. I have tickets for six jazz concerts, five of them from the San Francisco Jazz Festival. I went to City Lights Bookstore last night not long after I arrived here, and both a few books. I'm currently reading two books, "My Men" by Malika Mokeddem for the next issue of Bellestrista, and "Solo" by Rana Dasgupta, and should finish both of them by tomorrow. So, I'll get back to reading and posting reviews starting tomorrow.

Great reviews and summaries of the Booker list, Kidzdoc. You have really explored the list fully. I am always following your reading, regardless of posting.

WRT 'Best Lists' - it seems to me a fairly dangerous thing to announce a top 20 list. Looking through, it seems fairly Americo-centric so it begs the question - who goes on that website and how international is the panel. I find it astounding that The Corrections is #1.

Solo by Rana Dasgupta



My rating:

Solo was selected by readers of the Guardian's Books page as the inaugural winner of the paper's "Not the Booker" prize, for the best book that was not nominated for this year's Booker Prize. This captivating novel is divided into two distinct and minimally related parts, or movements. In the first movement, 'Dream', we are introduced to Ulrich as he approaches his 100th birthday in his home town of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. He is without heirs and nearly penniless, and he despairs that his life's work has been meaningless. Ulrich reviews his life from early youth, and uncovers the multiple external disappointments and personal failures and that characterized his early life. His father throws his beloved violin in the fire, destroying his dream of becoming a classical musician, and he is forced to give up his university studies in Berlin before obtaining his degree, and to say goodbye to the love of his life. He returns to mid-1920s Sofia, where brutal government suppression of dissidents leads to personal tragedy. The country is devastated by World War II and its aftermath, as the communist regime strips Ulrich and his mother of dignity and freedom. He is able to use his chemistry background to eke out a meager living, but unscrupulous apparatchiks thwart and destroy his best efforts. He is given a pittance of a pension, and only the grudging generosity of his neighbors prevents him from homelessness.

The second movement, 'Daydreams', is initially set in post-communist Bulgaria and Georgia at the turn of the century, and features three young people eager to make their mark: Khatuna, a beautiful and ruthless woman who uses powerful men and her own considerable wit and skill to climb out of poverty; her brother Irakli, a sensitive and troubled poet; and Boris, a farm boy and talented violinist whose discovery by a 'Plastic' Munari, a Bulgarian popular music producer working for a major American company, leads to a meteoric rise that threatens to engulf and destroy all four in a post-9/11 America that is both welcoming and fearful of eastern European culture. Toward the end of this movement Ulrich makes several appearances, which provide a linkage to the first movement as this symphonic novel closes.

This novel manages to cover a lot of territory for its relatively short length of just over 350 pages, with rich portrayals of its main and secondary characters. The differences between the first and second movements are quite striking, and it took me quite awhile to get used to the flow of the second half. Once I did, the novel regained its hold on me. This would have been a worthy nominee for the Booker Prize, and it would have made my shortlist had it been selected. Highly recommended.

Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin



My rating:

Reading this novella after finishing "Solo" was the literary equivalent of eating a Pop Tart after a fantastic dinner. The narrator of this autobiographical novel is an aimless twentysomething with the maturity of a 12 year old, who works in a vegan restaurant and gets caught shoplifting from American Apparel, then is caught shoplifting again. The characters and dialogue are quite puerile, and even though it is only 103 pages long, I skimmed the last half of the book. Recommended only for fans of 'Beavis and Butthead' and Fox TV.

#56: Well, I guess the plot delivers on the title's promise...

Congrats on calling the Booker winner ahead of time!

eating a Pop Tart after a fantastic dinner.

Lol. Ouch!

My Men by Malika Mokeddem (4 stars): My review will appear in issue #2 of Belletrista.

Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (4-1/2 stars): I'm planning to review this for issue #3 of Belletrista.

I have loved every Annie Ernaux book I've ever read (4 books total), although I will say that she, like Anita Brookner, writes the same story over and over again. For that reason, I would lower her overall score as a writer. And she is autobiographical in her writing. Understanding her work in the context of her life is crucial. Given the situation at the time, for a woman of her class to attend the university was extremely difficult - particularly given her gender. Providing the readers with an insightful view of class in the 1950s is one of her strengths. Her latest book Les Années is supposed to be her best.

Thanks for the insight on Ernaux, urania. Someone on LT recommended one of her novels, The Possession, recently, and I've picked up Simple Passion and two other books of hers at City Lights so far, "I Remain in Darkness" and Cleaned Out. I'm still looking for The Possession and La Place, which I hope to find in SF or Berkeley later this week.

I thought of you last night, as I picked up three books by Patrick Chamoiseau from City Lights: Creole Folktales, Solibo Magnificent and School Days.

I should finish "I Remain in Darkness" by Ernaux today, and The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa tomorrow.

Urania, have you found Wolf Hall in e-book format? I haven't seen it in this format in the US or UK.

kizdoc,

I have not found Wolf Hall in e-book format. The whole matter seems a mystery. We can only wait and watch.

I've read several books over the past 10 days, and I'll start reviewing these books in reverse order, starting with:

Running by Jean Echenoz



My rating:

Two quick comments: According to Amazon US, this book is supposed to be released tomorrow, but I bought it at City Lights on Saturday. Amazon US also indicates that it is 1285 pages in length, but it's only 128 pages long!

"Running" is a fictionalized account of the life of the Emil Zátopek (1922-2000), who reluctantly took up competitive running in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia as a young man, and became one of the premier long-distance runners of the mid-20th century, winning gold and silver medals at the 1948 Olympics, three gold medals at the 1952 Olympics, and setting world records in nine different events.

Zátopek's running style was most unorthodox, which Echenoz describes in detail in this brilliant passage:

"Emil, you'd think he was excavating, like a ditch digger, or digging deep into himself, as if he were in a trance. Ignoring every time-honored rule and any thought of elegance, Emil advances laboriously, in a jerky, tortured manner, all in fits and starts. He doesn't hide the violence of his efforts, which shows in his wincing, grimacing, tetanized face, constantly contorted by a rictus quite painful to see. His features are twisted, as if torn by appalling suffering; sometimes his tongue sticks out. It's as if he had a scorpion in each shoe, catapulting him on. He seems far away when he runs, terribly far away, concentrating so hard he's not even there—except that he's more than than anyone else; and hunkered down between his shoulders, on that neck always leaning in the same direction, his head bobs along endlessly, lolling and wobbling from side to side."

Videos of several of Zátopek's races on YouTube are readily available, which would make any running coach cringe in horror.

Zátopek is hailed as a national hero, and joins the Czech army, which uses him as a tool to promote communism. He is restricted from traveling abroad during the Gottwald regime, and his comments to the press are censored and rewritten by the party. However, he has a good life, with a happy marriage to another Olympic champion, and a good career, until public comments in support of Alexander Dubček during the Prague Spring of 1968 led to his dismissal from the Communist Party and internal exile.

The descriptions of Zátopek's running style and accounts of his most famous races were excellent, and the highlights of the book for me, as I ran for my high school's cross-country and spring track teams. His life in communist Czechoslovakia is covered in lesser detail, especially his exile after 1968. I would have liked more detail into his personal life outside of running, but I suspect that these details were not available to Echenoz or were sanitized by communist censors. However, "Running" was a fabulous and quick read, and is highly recommended.

North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica



My rating:

Miguel Correa Mujica was born in Cuba in 1957, and emigrated to the US as part of the Mariel boat lift in 1980. "North of Hell (Al norte del infierno)" was originally published in Spanish in 1984, and received widespread praise. It was translated into English, and published by Green Integer Books in 2008.

"North of Hell" is a collection of short and unrelated vignettes about the lives of ordinary Cubans under the Castro regime. Every day is a struggle for food and other basic items, and only through special connections can anyone hope to escape poverty. The stories are powerful, dream (or nightmare)-like and absurd: a student is kicked out of the university, because the country needs field hands and street sweepers, not engineers or journalists; a man waiting in line for days for soda curses the Party after learning that the store has run out of soda and must buy fish sticks instead; a man is lynched during a political rally.

I may give this another go in the near future, as I was distracted by the annoying couple sitting next to me on the flight from San Francisco to Atlanta yesterday. Despite that, it was still a very good read.

Dance with Snakes (Biblioasis International Translation Series) by Horacio Castellanos Moya



My rating:

This book was wacky as hell; I loved it!

In post-civil war El Salvador lives Eduardo Sosa, a sociologist who is out of work and lives with his sister in her tiny apartment. Eduardo is friendly enough, but "not quite right". The woman who runs the local market encourages him to find out more about a mysterious newcomer, who lives in a beat-up yellow Chevrolet that is parked in front of the market, across from his sister's apartment. He follows the unwashed and bedraggled man, named Jacinto Bustillo, who tells Eduardo that was a successful accountant that was forced into poverty and homelessness by his deceitful wife. The men go to the outskirts of town, where Don Jacinto murders a man who performs fellatio on him. Eduardo then kills Jacinto, grabs his keys, and prepares to take up residence in the Chevrolet. He soon discovers that it is occupied by four poisonous female snakes, who are fluent in Spanish and soon become enamored with Eduardo.

Eduardo assumes the persona of Don Jacinto, and enacts revenge, with the eager help of the snakes, against Doña Bustillo and the husband of his mistress whose affair led to his downfall. Numerous innocent citizens also succumb to the snakes' taste for violence. The entire country goes on alert, as the sensationalist media and panicked law enforcement and government officials fear for their lives and the stability of the country.

"Dance with Snakes" was one of the most entertaining books I've read this year, and as I mentioned previously, it was one of the weirdest, after The Obscene Bird of Night. Highly recommended!

Thanks for the recommendation of Dance with Snakes, kidzdoc. I love weird, and, since I've been to El Salvador (pre-war, actually), I'll be looking for this book or others by the same author. I am so involved in the Salvadoran culture here in the U.S. (my husband and his family are from El Salvador and Honduras) that I think reading books by Castellanos Moya would be fun.

You're welcome, Madeline!

I've finished two short novels that I'm planning to review for issue #3 of Belletrista, both by the French writer Annie Ernaux: The Possession and A Man's Place. I'm still reading the new Thelonious Monk biography that I bought in San Francisco last month. I'll read a short novel, A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke today, and then read Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin, the latest release by Archipelago Books.

Oh, Darryl -

Your review of Dance With Snakes pulled me in with a big ol' shepherd's size hook.

I'm ready to be entertained and I enjoy weirdness when it is the kind that makes you want to read on and is not totally repellent in and of itself. People do weird things, like assuming anothers persona from time to time, but I don't believe it has ever been a feature in the plot or character of any book that I have read (although) I could be wrong!

It is going onto my TBR cyber stack in the Next Up!!! portion of that mythical stack.

Thanks, Darryl.

Is it pretty cold up there in Hotlanta? It's pretty cool here in Tallahassee, FL. Thank goodness for some relief from the humidity.

With lots of love,

Ruth/womansheart

A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke



My rating:

In 1972, the author's mother took her own life by overdosing on sleeping pills, after an unremarkable life of 51 years that was marred by poverty, depression, neurogenic pain, and especially the limited opportunities available to her. After the initial "dull speechlessness" he experienced after receiving the news of her death, Handke was proud that his mother had taken the affirmative step to end her suffering. Soon afterward, he decided to write about her life, before the need to do so faded away.

The account of her life and demise is unique, in that he chooses to write about her in relation to other women of her era and socioeconomical status. She is born in a small Austrian village to a struggling family, and is described as a high-spirited child and a good student. She is taken out of school by her parents once her compulsory education ends, then runs away to Berlin as a teenager to pursue opportunities that her village and parents cannot offer her. After bearing a child out of wedlock to the love of her life, she agrees to marry a man whom she does not love or respect, in order to provide for herself and her child in post-war Germany. She sinks back into the life that she had sought escape, and ultimately moves back with her family to her home village. In her remaining days she is an embittered woman who frightens her children and is emotionally separated from her emasculated husband, yet she becomes more independent and full of life before developing the chronic pain and depression that ultimately led to her suicide.

I found A Sorrow Beyond Dreams somewhat difficult and less than enjoyable, primarily because of the author's use of abstraction to distance himself from and depersonalize his mother. We only get brief glimpses into her personality, and into what made her unique from other similar women, which would have made this a much more interesting book for me. The book is well written and brief (76 pages), and sufficiently unique that it may be of interest to a limited audience of readers.

I'm glad that you enjoyed my review of Dance with Snakes, Ruth. It was one of the most entertaining books I've read this year.

I'm enjoying this "cool" weather in Atlanta. Considering that I moved here from Pittsburgh, it doesn't feel cold at all. It's now 64 degrees here at about 5:30 pm, which is perfect for me. I like "sweater weather", with highs in the 60s to low 70s, the best. A friend of mine is from Tallahassee (her father teaches at FSU), and spent a weekend with me a few years ago in San Francisco. She shivered like a chilled puppy for most of the time we were outside, poor thing!

La traduction est une histoire d'amour (Translation is a Love Affair) by Jacques Poulin



My rating:

Jacques Poulin is an award-winning French Canadian author who is considered to be "the most North American of the Quebec authors writing in French". This book was originally published as La traduction est une histoire d'amour in 2006, and was published by Archipelago Books last month. It was translated into English by Sheila Fischman.

This beautiful novella centers around two main characters, Marine, a young woman starting her career as a translator, and Monsieur Waterman, a well regarded writer nearing the end of his career. The two initially meet at a cemetery where Marine's mother and grandmother are buried, in a neighborhood in Quebec City. She is fully alone, as she does not know her father and her younger sister died tragically. Waterman is also alone, but after he reads the portion of one of his books that she is translating, he employs her as his official translator, and sets her up in a lovely chalet. The two become close and intimate friends, sharing weekends and frequent phone calls with each other.

The tranquility of this arrangement is interrupted when Marine discovers a young cat in her backyard. Attached to her collar is a note, which the two later discover is from a young girl who appears to be in danger. Marine desperately wants to help this girl, as she was unable to do for her younger sister. She and Waterman find the girl, and photographs taken by him seem to confirm that she is in trouble. They seek to rescue her from the pistol carrying old "witch" that she is living with.

This book was a pleasure to read, with a straightforward, musical style. The art of translation and the ability of words to express emotions and heal wounds is celebrated throughout the book. The tender love that Marine and Waterman share for each other was sincere and heartwarming. The ending of the book was a bit contrived to me, but it was otherwise an excellent read, and is highly recommended.

Nice review, Darryl. I also really enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the natural world on the island.

I'll defn. have to pick up the bio of Zatopekby Jean Echenoz, have effectively destroyed my feet and lower back by 25+ yrs of excessive running. But i really enjoy good books about sports figures*..the best still being Levels of the Game, John McPhee's terrific account of a tennis match at the US Open between Clark Graebner and Arthur Ashe.

*generally in the more obscure sports - T&F, swimming tennis, but then there's UNC Bball with the wonderful to hate like this is to be happy forever by Will Blythe to document one kid/mans obsession w/ the dook UNC bball rivalry.

Hi, Darryl -

Interesting stopping by your thread as the next one after visiting our friend Rebecca's thread, as I just grabbed Translation is a Love Affair over there, so to speak.

It sounds like I would very much enjoy the translation.

Going in for a CT scan next week. I'll PM you soon. Still not over the UTI.

Love,

Ruthie

Love that San Fran weather!!! Hope we are coming up on some perfect sweater weather here soon. That is my favorite, too, Darryl. I miss San Diego weather, I have to say it once again. Boo hoo.

I finished An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro this evening, which was very good (4 stars); I'll submit a review of it later this week.

Bob, I hope that you enjoy the Echenoz novel. I've read two of his other books, and he's becoming one of my favorite writers. I'm adding Levels of the Game to my wish list...and I also want to read another sports book by McPhee, A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton.

Ruth, I'm surprised that your UTI hasn't cleared up yet. A CT scan sounds like a good idea. Do pick up Translation is a Love Affair, it's well written and heartwarming.

Darryl, it is heartwarming to see you use the word "heartwarming" -- it was a favorite of my father's.

Aww! Thanks for that comment, Rebecca. It was, um, uh...

Searching ... searching ......

warms the cockles of my heart?

see link:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/warm_the_cockles_of_someone%27s_heart

You are both funny and adorable!

Ruthie

Thanks, Ruth! I had no idea that cockles referred to heart valves; thanks for the info.

Mes Hommes (My Men) by Malika Mokeddem



My rating:

My review is in issue 2 of Belletrista:

http://www.belletrista.com/2009/issue2/reviews_15.php

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (4 stars): To be reviewed soon.

A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux (4-1/2 stars): To be reviewed in issue 3 of Belletrista

City Gates by Elias Khoury



My rating:

In this early novella by the acclaimed Lebanese author, a wandering man travels to a faraway city in order to lead a life of luxury, surrounded by beautiful mistresses and provided with the finest clothes and perfumes. However, when he arrives to the walled city of Beirut he is unable to find a proper entrance. After an extensive search, he eventually encounters several young and mysterious women, each of whom offer to permit him to enter the city alone, and to meet him inside at the city square. After initially refusing these gestures, he eventually agrees to the gesture from the last woman that he meets. Once inside, he discovers that the city is nearly deserted, and that the town square is bare, except for the coffin of the deceased king and the sounds of wailing from an unknown source. He is unable to find any of the women he met previously, and after walking aimlessly in circles, he cannot find a way out of the town or anyone who can help him. He decides to return to the square, where he eventually meets the women and the entombed king, who share stories about what has happened to the town, and themselves.

I found City Gates to be an easy and pleasurable book to read, but I didn't understand the message that Khoury was trying to convey.

It's been a while since I read Khoury's 'City gates' but I think I remember thinking about the same. Of his shorter fiction that's been translated 'Little mountain' which revolves around the Lebanese civil war is his best. His much longer 'Gate of the Sun' which tackles the whole Israel/Palestine/Lebanon issue IMO is a masterpiece. The best thing I've ever read out of the whole Middle Eastern region of the world though Etel Adnan's Sitt Marie Rose comes close.

I agree, Larry; Gate of the Sun is a masterpiece. I haven't read Little Mountain yet, but will add it to my wish list (if I don't already have it). Have you read Yalo? I bought it a couple of years ago, but haven't read it yet. I'll have to pick up Sitt Marie Rose, as I've heard good things about it, either from you or SqueakyChu or someone else.

Yalo is really good as well Darryl--just not quite as good. It's an Archipelago though which is almost another reason to buy it. They make some beautiful books.

I agree with you about Archipelago Books. I've enjoyed my subscription this year, although I've only read four of the nine books I've received so far. I'll definitely subscribe again in 2010 (10 books for $125 with free shipping in the US, which is a very good deal IMO).

Shame by Annie Ernaux (4 stars): to be reviewed in issue 3 of Belletrista

Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau



My rating:

This is an entertaining collection of folktales that the author, who grew up and continues to reside on the island of Martinique, heard as a child. These tales originated amongst the slaves brought from Africa to the island by the French to harvest sugar cane, and were told by storytellers at night, once the work day was done. Common themes include food, as the slaves were given barely enough food to stay alive, and trickery, by clever Creoles, devils or other spirits. Chamoiseau enlivens these stories with warmth and humor, and they are delightful to read.

Today is Veterans Day in the US. Please keep the troops and their families in your thoughts and prayers today, especially the family and friends of the soldiers that lost their lives at Ft. Hood.

A timely and important reminder, Darryl.

Thank you to all of the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States military. Your lives and service make a difference to many people in the world. Respect and care for the families of veterans and those currently serving. Blessings and comfort to all and especially the soldiers and families at Fort Hood, TX.

I can only agree with Darryl and Ruthie.

Chowringhee by Sankar



My rating:

I read Chowringhee for the Reading Globally monthly theme read (India), and purchased it at Foyles Bookshop in London this summer, after reading a glowing review of it in the Guardian earlier this year. This novel was originally written in 1962, and is one of the most popular novels of 20th century Bengali literature. A movie of the same title was equally popular and well received. Chowringhee was not published in English until 2007, and the translation won two major awards. This edition was published earlier this year in the UK by Atlantic Books.

The setting of this novel is Chowringhee, a neighborhood in Calcutta, in the mid-1950s. The narrator, Shankar, is an ambitious young man who finds himself out of a job with an English barrister, and is barely surviving by selling wastepaper baskets door to door. As he sits in a neighborhood park, pondering his past and fearful of what the future holds for him, a friend of his passes by, who is shocked by Shankar's descent into poverty. He tells Shankar that he can get him a job at the Shahjahan Hotel, one of the city's oldest and most venerable hotels, as the hotel manager is one of his clients.

Shankar is immediately befriended by Sata Bose, the hotel's chief receptionist, and after a brief stint as a typist, Shankar becomes Bose-da's main assistant and close confidant. The manager, Marco Polo, takes a liking to him as well, and young Shankar is given more responsibilities by both men. The novel revolves around the guests, entertainers, and frequent visitors of the Shahjahan, but several members of the hotel staff get equal billing in Shankar's narrative. We learn about the seamy underside of the elite of Calcutta, whose greed, shady deals, and shameful behaviors are initially shocking to our naïve young man, but he soons become jaded and disgusted by them. The poverty of working and jobless Calcuttans is vividly portrayed, as those not in the upper echelon are only one stroke of bad luck away from living in the streets or in dilapidated hovels. Love is a central theme, amongst the guests and workers, with often tragic results.

Chowringhee was a very entertaining and light-hearted though tragic read, which richly and effectively portrayed the struggles, joys and frustrations of the different strata of mid-20th century Calcutta.

Darryl,

you are trying to kill me. It has got to be a conspiracy.

I stay away from ClubRead for a month, because I have no time and certainly cannot afford to be buying new books. I take a peek today, and the very first book to greet me is the life of Zatopek, who is one of my childhood heroes, and whom I have been quoting to long-suffering friends forever. How can I NOT get that book? A conspiracy, I say!

Andrew, you must get this book if you're a fan of Zátopek. I stumbled upon this at City Lights in San Francisco last month, as I had read a couple of other books by Jean Echenoz that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Sending you a PM soon ... probably tomorrow, unless I get a break later on today.

You are a pleasant thought that crosses my mind quite often as a trudge along on my way to a diagnosis.

I will be in touch.

Ruthie

Thank you for the wonderful compliment, Ruth. I will look for your message.

Heliopolis by James Scudamore



My rating:

The setting for this novel is 21st century São Paulo, a dual city defined by its massive skyscrapers and squalid favelas (shanty towns), personal helicopters overhead and horribly congested roads below, wealthy white and poor (mostly) black citizens, and its tightly packed center city surrounded by heavily guarded neighborhoods with European styled mansions and heliports for the country's elite.

Ludo is a boy who was born to a single mother in a favela, where the only opportunities available to escape soul crushing poverty are in the illegal drug trade or prostitution. He and his mother are discovered by a wealthy businessman, Zé Generoso, who controls his family, employees and associates with a ready smile and an iron will, and his philanthropic but detached wife Rebecca. The couple bring Ludo and his mother to their suburban mansion, which serves as their weekend getaway. Ludo is befriended by their beautiful daughter Melissa, and is provided with every opportunity to succeed by Zé, who recognizes his drive and intelligence. He "works" for one of his father's friends in a marketing firm during the day, spending much of his time sleeping off hangovers or thinking about Melissa, who shares her bed with him when her idealistic but neglectful husband is out of town. Despite his success Ludo is restless and unsatisfied, as he repeatedly takes personal and professional risks that threaten to unravel his playboy lifestyle — or endanger his life.

Heliopolis was a far better read than I originally expected it to be. It is taut and fast paced, but also lush and well written, with excellent portrayals of the poverty of lives in the favelas and in the exclusive neighborhoods and skyscrapers, and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader fully engaged. It deserves its place amongst this year's Booker Prize longlisted novels, and is highly recommended.

Small Memories by José Saramago



My rating:

Small Memories is a newly translated collection of random and mildly interesting childhood memories by the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. There are some scattered gems, particularly the story of how Saramago mistakenly acquired his surname from a drunken clerk, who carelessly wrote the family's nickname ("wild radish" in Portuguese) on his birth certificate. However, most of the memories are easily forgotten, due to their brevity and the lack of a linear progression from youth to adolescence. This was a disappointing read, and I would marginally recommend it only for devoted fans of Saramago.

Waylaid by Ed Lin



My rating:

Waylaid is probably my #1 surprising read of the year. I initially regretted buying this book from City Lights last month, as I thought it would be a trivial read, like Shoplifting from American Apparel. I started reading the first few pages, and my fears seemed to be confirmed. However, by page 10 or so, I was completely caught up in the story, and finished it in an afternoon.

This short coming of age novel is narrated by the unnamed son of Taiwanese immigrants, who own a rundown hotel in a forgettable town on the Jersey Shore. His father earned an engineering degree in Taiwan, but was unable to keep his job in the US. He spends his summers, as do most of the residents of the town, catering to young vacationers from North Jersey and New York, who tear up the hotel and town and pollute the beaches with beer bottles, cigarette butts and condoms. During the rest of the year, the hotel is populated by lonely old men and hookers turning tricks. He starts obsessing about having sex, spurred by the porn magazines that he picks up while cleaning the hotel's rooms, and he engages in humorous and mostly futile attempts to get any of girls he meets to sleep with him. Although he is a good student, he despises almost everyone, especially his parents, who eat stinky Chinese food and make him work like a dog, his school mates, who isolate and make fun of him because of his race, and the hotel's guests, who punch holes in the walls and treat him with condescension. There is hope for him, as his scheme to get his cute classmate and girlfriend to sleep with him in one of the hotel's empty rooms may come to fruition before long.

Waylaid is probably the best coming of age novel I've read, as it authentically portrays the daily frustrations and small victories of a teenage boy trying to fit into a town that doesn't want or respect him, and whose parents don't understand him. The regular low-level discrimination he has to put up with as an Asian-American ring true, as do his parents' struggles to survive in an unfriendly town. I did not find this to be an overly depressing read, as the author does not dwell too long on the narrator's negative experiences and frustrations, and humor and honesty are present throughout this well written work. I'll definitely look for more works by this gifted author, and would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in coming of age literature.

i've been out of loops for a while..but: Running - Echenoz was terrific - goes on the list of books to get for some of my fellow members of the "dead runners society" - an online running club since~ 1990; 2. McPhee on Bradley is excellent, though i've lost my ancient copy. I don't think it had quite the tension that inhered in levels of the game, but just a great overview;3. I think you might really enjoy Will Blythe's autobiography of his lifelong passion of UNC BBall and his surprise that (at least a few) dook fans/players turned out to be decent human beings..(My dookie sister in law swears Phil Ford played 8 yrs for UNC). I do often get tired of John Feinstein, uber dookie, BUT the last amateurs his description of a season in the Patriot league (Army, Bucknell, Colgate and other small private liberal arts colleges who have teams that, of course, want to win as much as Pitt, UNC, UCLA et al, but only rarely can recruit a player who could play in the ACC, Big East, SEC, etc, although they're still Div 1.
If you have any interest in sports as the participants age, John Jerome's, Staying with it- a mix of sports physiology and a sensitive retelling of his entry into masters swimming in his 50s is a really superb book. Being an on again/off again life long completive, swimmer whose has since, sometimes, regretted going to college during the prime "hippie era" eg started W&M, '68, i've been sorry i didn't do any college swimming. Never would have made the nationals, but I could have been a decent middle of the pack swimmer at most programs, esp. if i'd gotten off my speedo and worked at what I was best suited for, distance freestyle. (it wasn't till i took up running , where i had minimal talent, but an absurd willingness to work, that i found out just how far hard work could take you (and its limits w/out SOME ability! eg a 2:02 800 m would have been excellent..if i'd been a woman, but meh for a 33 yr old guy, but was curiously successful, given that i'd never gotten under 60 sec for 400 meters...no speed, short legs, good endurance.). There are several wonderful books about football (American soccer) with the grass of another country probably my favorite.

Lastly all the reviews of Andre Agassi's recent autobiography not to mention listening to him discuss his book/career w/ Terri Gross on Fresh Air means I'll be picking that one up...

This looks to be a season for many teams to take out their frustrations on the Heels. oh well - i still get great pleasure out of victories, but losses i've come to shrug off ever since Matt Daugherty's last season as coach.

Seven Stories Press is offering free copies of several of its classic titles, not including shipping. I just found out about the sale 10 minutes ago, and bought five books. The sale ends at 4 pm EST, in less than 15 minutes!

Black Friday Titles from Seven Stories Press

Missed it. :(

Thanks for those recommendations, Bob. I'm putting all of them on my wish list! I used to read a lot of books about sport figures as a teen and young adult, but I haven't read any in awhile before Running. I want to read Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss early next year, as he was one of my favorite players despite playing for the Pirates.

Pitt will probably also have a down year this season, as the team lost four starters, including two All-Americans. However, the Panthers hung tough against #3 Texas in their last game before fading at the end, so they may be better than expected.

I'm behind on reviews of several books I've read over the past couple of months. I'll try to catch up over the next couple of weeks, in reverse order, starting with the two books I finished today.

All Fires the Fire and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar (Argentina)



My rating:

This collection of short stories was originally published in 1966 in Spanish, translated into English in 1973, and re-released by Marion Boyers Publishers (UK) in 2005; I picked it up at the London Review Bookshop this summer.

If I had only read the first two short stories, "The Southern Thruway" and "The Health of the Sick", I would have given this book 5 stars. The first story is about a horrific traffic jam on a major road bringing travelers back to Paris, where motorists are essentially motionless for weeks, with no help from local residents or government officials. The second story is centered around the dying matriarch of a wealthy family whose family ingeniously hides from her the death of her son and sister—or so they think.

Unfortunately the remaining six stories do not come close to the promise of the first two, and only "Nurse Cora", a story about a teenage boy who is hospitalized with appendicitis, competently cared for by Nurse Cora, but badly mismanaged by his diffident surgeon, was of interest. However, this story was marred by rapid and unpredictable changes in the narration (boy, nurse, doctor, mother), which disrupted its flow. I would marginally recommend this collection, but only because the first two stories were fantastic.

Jerusalém by Gonçalo M. Tavares (Portugal)



My rating:

Jerusalém was originally published in Portuguese in 2005, and it won the Prémio Literário José Saramago (José Saramago Literary Award) that year. It was translated into English by Anna Kushner, and published by Dalkey Archive Press this past October.

The story is centered around several solitary residents of a small unnamed city, each of whom walk toward the center of town in the early morning hours of May 29th. Mylia is a terminally ill woman who cannot sleep due to chronic pain and leaves her house to seek solace in any church that is open at 4 am. Ernst is about to jump out the window of his attic apartment, but a phone call from Mylia, his former lover, interrupts his plans. Theodor Busbeck is Mylia's ex-husband, a noted psychiatrist whose widely derided magnum opus on the history of genocide and its victims has led to his professional isolation and downfall; he waits for Hanna, a prostitute who he meets on the way to town. His crippled son Kaas searches for his father, after he realizes that Theodor is not in his bed. And Hinnerk Obst is a deranged war veteran supported financially by Hanna, who spends his days preparing for the enemy and aiming his gun at the school children playing at recess.

The story travels back and forth from the present fateful set of encounters to the characters' past experiences, which both enriches the story and adds to the tension of its denouement. Dr. Busbeck's theories of evil perpetuated by the strong against the weak in times of joblessness, boredom and stress are expounded upon, yet he is unable to predict or control immoral and evil acts committed by and against his family and loved ones.

I found Jerusalém to be a compelling and tense psychological drama, which could easily be read in one sitting. According to the book cover, it is part of a series that the author calls The Kingdom, and the other novels in this series will be released by Dalkey Archive Press in the near future. I will certainly be on the lookout for these books, as Jerusalém was an excellent read.

Jerusalém sounds fab - it's been added to my wishlist. Thanks!

stopping in and finally posting so your new posts will show on my "Your Posts" list and I can up better. Jerusalém & Waylaid sound like great books (nice reviews, by the way.). I'd like to hear your thoughts if you get to McPhee's, A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton.

...oh yeah, by the way, I had a chance to catch the Wisconsin upset win on over Duke on TV the other day. ;)

#105: You're welcome, Charlotte!

#106: Will do, Dan; I've been wanting to read about Bradley's days at Princeton for awhile. I was sorely disappointed that he lost in the 2000 Democratic primary to Al Gore, as I think he could have become a great President.

I saw a little bit of the Wisconsin-Duke game, but missed its ending. I'm not surprised that Duke lost; the Kohl Center in Madison is one of the most difficult places to play in. Pitt lost to the Badgers twice there, and both times they were undefeated and in the top 10. I'd love to go to a game there, or a Wisconsin football game at Camp Randall Stadium when I visit my close friends who live there, but tickets are very hard to get if you're not a UW student or alumnus.

Book #152: I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett



My rating:

I Am Not Sidney Poitier, the latest book by Everett, a distinguished professor of English at USC, is a hilarious novel about Not Sidney Poitier, who was given that name by his eccentric mother Portia, who carries him for 104 weeks before giving birth to him in public view on a street in inner city Los Angeles. Not Sidney never learns who his father is, or why his mother chose that name for him. Although Portia is certifiably "crazy", she is fabulously wealthy, after she invests her savings in the fledging Turner Broadcasting Company, which gave rise to Ted Turner's media and sports empire. Turner befriends Not Sidney and his mother, and he takes the 11 year old boy under his somewhat neglectful tutelage after his mother dies suddenly. Turner flies Not Sidney to Atlanta, sets him up in one of his houses, and surrounds him with tutors from the local colleges, a sadistic karate instructor, and a faithful Indian accountant who runs the network that Not Sidney purchases, Negro Entertainment Television, including its popular program Punjabi Profiles. Not Sidney is a skinny and nerdy kid, who gets beat up on a regular basis until he blossoms into a six foot tall spitting image of his (not) namesake.

Not Sidney drops out of high school, then buys his way into Morehouse College, one of the leading historically black colleges. His favorite professor and tutor is Dr. Percival Everett, whose "Philosophy of Nonsense" course is popular with the students of Morehouse and nearby Spelman College, although none understand what the "brilliant" Dr. Everett is talking about. Not Sidney experiences the best and worst of college life, but soon realizes that he needs to move on to other pursuits.

I Am Not Sidney Poitier is a laugh out loud, raucous coming of age tale of a kid who struggles to find himself and to fit in with whomever he is with. It is also a biting satire on the life of contemporary and historic African-American life, and several sacred cows, such as Bill Cosby, BET, black colleges, and bourgeoisie ("bourgie") blacks are skewered and thoroughly roasted. My understanding of what the novel was trying to accomplish was greatly aided by the review in The London Review of Books, as several of the references were unclear to me on my initial reading (thanks to charbutton for referring this article to me). Highly recommended!

>108 kidzdoc: There was an interesting review of this in the London Review of Books recently that discussed how it links to some of his other work. I was going to link to the article on their website but its for subscribers only unfortunately.

Ooh, thanks Charlotte! I am a LRB subscriber, but I missed this story. I'll read it now.

Ah! After reading the LRB review, I understand the novel, and its ending, much better than before (thanks again, Charlotte!). So, I'll now change my rating to 4-1/2 stars. I'll also look for Everett's novel, Erasure, which bears some similarities to I Am Not Sidney Poitier according to the LRB article.

I am Not Sidney Poitier sounds like a fun read. Yay for the fact that black literature can now freely satirize aspects of the black bourgoisie. It's come of age itself.

ETA: While looking up more information about Percival Everett, I encountered the following great quote in a book review of Erasure, another book by this same author. In the opening line of the Williamsburg Regional Library review, reviewer Andrew (surname not given) says "Everett, a critically-acclaimed African American writer who hasn’t had much commercial success, tells the story of a critically-acclaimed African-American writer who hasn’t had much commercial success." That's a sure-fire line to make me want to read this author's writing.

ETA even more: Darryl, have you read Push Comes to Shove by Wesley Brown? I won that book from Concord Free Press. I had such mixed feelings about that book because it takes place in the 1960s/70s, a time when I thought I was seeing better race relations between blacks and whites. However, that book was so focused on black anger (really there at the time; the author, now a university professor of English at Rutgers, had once been a Black Panther) that I found it too upsetting to just relax and enjoy the story. If you ever read it, I'd like your opinion of it. Thx!

It was definitely a fun read, Madeline. I was flipping through it casually before I went to bed two nights ago, read 10 pages, and decided to read it yesterday. It's the first book I've read by Everett, and I'll be on the lookout for more books by him. This book reminds me somewhat of Ishmael Reed's works, but I think I'll like Everett's books better.

I haven't read Push Comes to Shove, and I'm surprised that I didn't notice your review of it, given its topic and that the author is a professor at one of my alma maters. I wasn't able to get it from Concord Free Press, but I'll look for it later this month at one of the independent bookstores that the web site mentions, probably Labyrinth Books in Princeton or Three Lives & Co. in NYC.

Have you read How I Became Hettie Jones? It's a memoir written by the former Hettie Cohen, who was raised in a Jewish middle-class family in Queens and met her future husband, the poet LeRoi Jones (now Amiri Baraka), in Greenwich Village during the 1950s. I bought this book several years ago, but haven't gotten to it yet. I think I'll make it one of my early reads for 2010, as it received glowing reviews.

I can't believe I found a book that you want to read that you haven't found first. Ha!

Oh, I definitely have to read How I Became Hettie Jones*! It just jumped onto my wishlist.

*By the way, Push Comes to Shove also has a significant white Jewish female character (...we show up everywhere!).

This isn't the first time that's happened, right? I think you told me about one or more books by Amos Oz, I think it was Black Box, which I still haven't read yet. I also need to read A Tale of Love and Darkness.

LOL on your comment about Push Comes to Shove!

--> 115

Yeah. But those books you mentioned were by Israeli authors*. That is my #1 reading interest!!

*ETA: Let me know when you're ready to slip a few more of those into your reading list. Your list doesn't seem to have much room!

Darryl,

How can I help but add I Am Not Sidney Poitier to my list? Your review made me laugh!

I Am Not Sidney Poitier goes immediately on my wishlist. Actually,to feel less guilty about buying more books, I could get it as a Christmas gift for my SO....mmmmm.....that sounds like a GREAT idea!

#116: I'm always up for recommendations, Madeline. The only question is, when will I buy them? I plan to severely cut back on my 2010 book purchases, and read some of the books that I've been wanting to get to for awhile (like the ones I just mentioned).

I did buy Writing in the Dark by David Grossman recently, on your recommendation; I'll plan to read that and The Yellow Wind in 2010. And Friendly Fire by A.B. Yehoshua also sits patiently, waiting to be read.

Let me know when you plan to read The Yellow Wind because I have it in my collection and have not yet read it. It would be fun to read it when you're reading it (but give me a head start as you read more quickly than I do). We can then compare the book at the same time.

Okay. So let me know when you run out of things to read, and I'll suggest some other books to you. :)

So let me know when you run out of things to read, and I'll suggest some other books to you. :)

I don't think that day will ever come!

Darryl, will that day EVER come for any of us here???

Nope.

Alas, I toddled over to see the wicked but seductive Baron von K. He does not have I Am Not Sidney Poitier in his collection. As Greywolf Press publishes this book, I have a feeling it will be some time before this book makes it to Kindle. The smaller indie presses (with the exception of Small Beer Press) are slow to come round to the e-book format, a bad mistake imo. I will hold out for the inevitable. In the meantime, I have added it to my wishlist.

I bought immediately after my post #118. I just could not resist.

>125 aluvalibri:

Someone's being smug. It is not becoming ;-) Just wait, I see a Baron von K, an Earl of MacIntosh, Prince Nookie, or some other royal in your future.

Urania, did you see that selected works from Archipelago Books are now available as e-books?

Archipelago E-Books are now available

I renewed my Archipelago Books subscription for 2010; 10 books plus one previously released book for $125 with free shipping. Such a deal!

I've had a book by Percival Everett on my wish list for several years--Glyph. I haven't read it, but the premise is that a child is born with an IQ of over 400, and the book tells the story of his life up to age 3 or 4. It sounded very funny. I've just never come across it yet in all the bookstores I've frequented over the years (though I think it is available on Amazon).

Jazz and Twelve O'Clock Tales by Wanda Coleman



My rating:

This is a collection of short stories about working class African-Americans living in Los Angeles, and their daily struggles, loves, frustrations, and dreams. Ms. Coleman is an accomplished poet, and the best stories in this book were the shorter ones, especially "Joy Ride", "Pepper", and "Backcity Transit by Day", which were hauntingly beautiful, like a Billie Holiday solo.

However, I did not enjoy most of the longer pieces to the same degree, with the exception of "Winona's Choice", in which a struggling young woman is caught between an old flame and famous actor, who re-enters her life after her husband is tragically killed, and his running buddy from childhood, who the actor envies and uses the woman against him to even an old score. The characters in the other stories were not as well developed or compelling.

I will be on the lookout for Ms. Coleman's poetry, especially Mercurochrome, which was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry in 2001.

Speaking of black authors of short stories, have you ever read Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer? That book of short stories is excellent and contains one ("Brownies") that is among my favorite ever short stories. The premise of that story alone won my heart. If you haven't read that book yet, you must (no matter how long your TBR list is).

ETA: I recently also read your current read of To Sibera. It's nice, but uneven. You'll see. The best part of the book is actually the first third.

Yes, I read Drinking Coffee Elsewhere several years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't seen anything else by her since then, unfortunately.

I'm getting ready to start To Siberia , and I'll keep your comments in mind.

Yeah. I was hoping to hear that Packer wrote something new, but haven't heard about her again either since that book was published.

>127 kidzdoc: kidzdoc,

Thanks for the update. Earlier this year I purchased the first five e-books offered by Archipelago Books. I just toddled off and purchased two more.

130, 132 Coming out of lurk mode to agree re: Packer and Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Some of the best short fiction to be published in quite some time I thought. Last year (or possibly the year before that?) Granta featured Packer as one of the "top 5 under 35" or some such and interviewed her about novel based on the Buffalo Soldiers, to be published later that year. Nothing yet, but I keep looking for it.

Book #154: The Two Kinds of Decay: A Memoir by Sarah Manguso



My rating:

Thanks to allthesedarnbooks for recommending this book!

The author of this memoir is a junior at Harvard, who develops tingling and numbness in her feet and hands after a protracted head cold. She initially ignores these symptoms, but after a few days she develops weakness in her legs and difficulty walking, which prompts her to call her parents to bring her to a local hospital. There she is initially diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disease in which the body's immune system attacks the protein that covers peripheral nerve cells, which leads to ascending paralysis that begins in the hands and feet and spreads toward the center of the body. Within 12 hours she is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, as her condition has deteriorated to the point where she may need mechanical ventilation if the paralysis were to spread to her diaphragm. She undergoes apheresis, a procedure in which her blood is cleansed of the antibodies that are the cause of her symptoms, and her symptoms abate.

She starts to resume her normal activities, as most people with Guillain-Barré syndrome recover completely, with no further attacks. However, with a few days, her initial symptoms return, and she has to return back to the hospital for further treatment. With each treatment her symptoms improve, and she is assured by her neurologist that each attack is just a "bump in the road", as he downplays her and her parents' concerns. She eventually seeks care from a new neurologist, who diagnoses her with chronic idiopathic demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, a rare variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

She continues to have frequent relapses, and experiences excellent and incompetent care from doctors and nurses, as she undergoes a seemingly endless battery of diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures. One surgeon describes her as a difficult patient within her earshot, and a team of clinicians dismissively tells her that she has the "wrong symptom", as the numbness in her abdomen does not fit with the known course of the disease. She develops weight gain, acne, bone fractures, psychosis and depression from the high dose steroids she receives to keep her disease in check, yet she continues to live life as fully as possible.

The Two Kinds of Decay is a superb memoir told by a very intelligent and insightful young woman, who uses her considerable writing skills to describe her experiences with a chronic and debilitating disease. Her narrative consists of short paragraphs based on notes she took during her illness, to great effect. Her story is told in a matter of fact style, which adds to the effectiveness of the book.

Which Archipelago e-books did you get, urania? I'll be looking for your reviews of them.

>137 kidzdoc: kidzdoc,

I got

???

The review of Two Kinds of Decay is very well written and this book is going to the top of my wish list. I have had a chronic and debilitating illness for over twenty years. I am sure that reading this book will be a good tonic for those times when I feel like nobody can understand what I am going through.
My thanks to kidzdoc for his excellent introduction to a book I really need to read.

Two Kinds of Decay sounds chilling familiar to me. Back in the 1967 or thereabouts, a fellow student in my nursing school class developed numbness and tingling in her legs after a trip to Florida. She was told that it was "in her mind" and not treated. When it was apparent that she had a seriously debilitating condition, it must have been too late because no culture ever returned positive, but she remained alive and ended up severely brain damaged and totally dependent on her parents for care for the many years that she remained alive. I wonder, if my friend were alive now, whether or not she would have had a proper diagnosis in a timely fashion and a better outcome. I don't think there was ever a definitive diagnosis. I think it may have been something like r/o encephalitis.

P.S. The book sounds good.

"experiences excellent and incompetent care"

???

Medical question:

Since Guillain-Barré syndrome sometimes can result from the flu vaccine, is there any way to tell ahead of time who might have this reaction to the vaccine and thus avoid it?

Ooops! I just saw Two Kinds of Decay sneak onto my wishlist...

#140: Thanks, wildbill. I'll be very interested to hear your comments about the book, privately or publicly, once you finish it.

#142: Sarah had some very good doctors and nurses, but also some horrible and dangerous ones, like the ones I mentioned in my review.

#143: I'm not sure, Madeline. I don't know if people with certain immune system haplotypes are more susceptible to get GBS, in the way that those who have the HLA-B27 are more likely to have ankylosing spondylitis than those who are HLA-B27 negative. I'll see if my good friend, who is a pediatric neurologist at the U of Wisconsin, has any knowledge about this.

Bayou by Jeremy Love



My rating:

LT member AlcottAcre (Stasia) recommended this graphic novel on her thread earlier this morning, and I read the online version this morning, which is available for free viewing here. The author is updating the pages regularly, and the first four chapters (approximately 160 pages) comprise the first book in this series; according to Amazon, Book 2 will be published next summer, and a good portion of that book can also be read online.

I haven't read many graphic/comic novels, but this one is far and away the best one I've read. It absolutely blew me away! The book is set in a small Mississippi delta town in 1933, and the story centers around Lee, a young black girl whose father is a sharecropper, her white friend Lily, and a mysterious character named Bayou. I don't want to say any more about the plot, but I will say that my heart was pounding on several occasions while I read it. I liked it so much that I ordered several copies of the book to give as Christmas gifts, and I'll order Book 2 once it becomes available.

I love graphic novels. Is this book available only as an ebook or is it also availale in hard copy? (answered my own question)

I definitely have to get you more intersted in graphic novels. There are *superb* ones out there. Which ones have you already read (since you say you "haven't read many")?

Yes, Book 1 is currently available through Amazon here. I just ordered copies for my brother and father for Christmas.

The other graphic novels I've read are Epileptic by David B., The Arrival by Shaun Tan and Maus by Art Spiegelman (the first book only). There may be one or two others that I've read, but I can't recall. I'm definitely interested in your recommendations, Madeline!

1. Definitely start with Maus II: And Here My troubles Began. Your appreciation of Maus is incomplete if you've not read both books. These two books, togerther, are simply brilliant.

2. The Rabbi's Cat - by French graphic Novelist Joann Sfar and by far my favorite graphic novel, although I do love Maus (both I and II) as # 1 for a different reason. This book is about a rabbi's cat. 'Nuf said. You'll see it and love it as well.

3. Palestine - by Joe Sacco - hard to read for me, but excellent, nonetheless, about everyday life of Palestinians

Thanks, Madeline! I'll pick up all three in the very near future. Akeela reviewed The Rabbi's Cat very recently, and it is already on my Amazon wish list.

it is already on my Amazon wish list.

Now that's good! :)

There's also a book 2 for The Rabbi's Cat, but I've not read it yet. Be sure to start with book 1.

Have you read The Rabbi's Cat 2? That one is also on my wish list.

ETA: Ha! Now it's my turn to answer my own question. :)

:)

Found the Bayou site and quickly realized I do not have the time right now to focus on it, but it is bookmarked. Beautiful and horrific, right from the beginning.

>139 kidzdoc:,
??????? I have the same response. I went to great trouble to get the correct touchstones - tons of books featuring twins in the title. Obviously, LT ate half of my message. I purchased Tranquility and The Twin. We'll see if this one goes through.

I liked The Twin. I have Tranquility, but haven't read it yet.

Phew! I'm caught up here (and exhausted).

Darryl, I stopped over to see if Cleaned Out was one of the Ernaux novels you read earlier. I couldn't find your postings, but found Mary's comment about Ernaux on this thread. I will watch for other Ernaux's though but I'm not running off to Amazon (perhaps because CO was so ANGST-ridden, cranked up to a level 10). Mary, astute comments and they jive with the comments by Ernaux and the translator at the end of this book.

You don't want to look at my 75 Books thread, Lois! It has twice as many messages, and most of the messages are far longer than the ones here.

I haven't read Cleaned Out, although I own it. So far I've read Simple Passion, "I Live in Darkness", The Possession, A Man's Place and A Woman's Story. I'm not sure when—or if—I'll read Cleaned Out.

Book #156: When Harlem Nearly Killed King by Hugh Pearson



My rating:

The main topic of this wonderful book is the near fatal stabbing of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Izola Curry, a mentally unstable African-American woman, during Dr. King's visit to Harlem to promote his book Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story in September 1958. However, the author also uses this event to describe the political and racial climate in Harlem, New York City and the United States during that time, with rich portrayals of several important characters involved in this drama, which makes this book a valuable addition to the history of the civil rights movement.

King's four day visit to Harlem also coincided with the New York gubernational race between the incumbent Averell Harriman and the Republican opponent Nelson Rockefeller, who both recognized that the black vote in Harlem could decide who would be the state's next governor. Both supported the civil rights movement, and used King's visit for numerous photo ops and speeches to bolster their campaigns. Despite King's popularity he had a number of detractors, as the NAACP preferred to take a more conservative approach to the advancement of Negro rights, and its staid leadership did not fully endorse the tactics of the young preacher from Atlanta. They and other blacks also feared that Stanley Levison and Bayard Rustin, two of King's closest advisors, might damage the movement, due to their ties to the Communist Party. One of those who opposed King's methods was Izola Curry, whose distrust of preachers and Communists led her to heckle King and his supporters, and to decide to end his campaign once and for all. She approached him while he was signing copies of his book, and plunged a letter opener into his chest through his sternum. The knife's tip ended a fraction of an inch from his aorta; if the knife had punctured this blood vessel, King would have died within minutes.

King was rushed to nearby Harlem Hospital, and the hospital is soon surrounded by a huge crowd of well wishers and curious onlookers. The surgical team is prepared for him, but the Chief of Surgery, Dr. Aubré Maynard, cannot be located. The team defers to Maynard, as King waits on the operating table, with the knife still in place in his chest. While the reader waits for the great surgeon to appear, Pearson gives us a history of Harlem Hospital as a vital training ground for black doctors, and tells the story of the feared and hated Maynard and the other surgeons on the team, who prevented Maynard from a fatal mistake.

When Harlem Nearly Killed King was a far better read than I thought it would be, and is highly recommended!

totally agree w/ squeeky's recommendations-

#148 - Bayou is wonderful. We keep looking for the next volume. We read it, and got several copies to send off to friends and relations, ages ago it seems (though really just last summer).
B. 2nd the two volumes of The Rabbi's Cat. Might keep a copy of Sfar's little vampire for kid patients.
C. Excellent commentary on the commodification of news - and the US's misadventures in the middle east, the rather obscure Shooting War by anthony lappe.
D. Persepolis - growing up in Iran, before and after the revolution. The movie was good too.
-----
Posy Simmonds updating 19th C classics w/ a very wry eye on contemporary Britain mores. Gemma BovaryTamera Drewe
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Cairo and Air by g. willow wilson. The first blending myth and modernity in today's Egypt; the 2nd a surreal blending of technology, travel, politics, terrorism, Islam and Islamicism. The author is young American convert to Islam who splits her time between Cairo and the rest of the world.
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The rest...we (our family) greatly enjoy the baroque mythical worlds created by Gaiman and the modern trials of Willingham's fables, trying to survive, as unnoticed as possible in NY City...But they're a rather different (and, if you get sucked in, require something of a commitment) as their stories weave in and out of each other. But, as fashionable as it seems to have become to trash Gaiman - he really created something new under the literary sun with his long, complex, varied set of interwoven stories that appropriate and renew various mythologies.

The She-Devil in the Mirror by Horacio Castellanos Moya



My rating:

Laura Rivera, the narrator of this novel, is a recently divorced and self-absorbed woman of privilege, whose best friend, Olga María, has just been murdered execution style in her lavish home in San Salvador, in front of her two daughters. A renegade policeman nicknamed RoboCop is quickly identified as the killer—but who would have murdered this innocent and faithful wife and friend?

The novel is in the form of a narrative, as Laura speaks to another friend about Olga María's life. We soon learn that Olga María is not as pure as the unreliable Laura would have us believe, as she has numerous affairs with a variety of men, including some in very powerful and politically sensitive positions. Through Laura's narrative, we learn about the corruption, intimidation, and inequality of post civil war El Salvador. As the investigation into the murder proceeds, Laura becomes increasingly agitated as she learns more about her former friend's secret life, and she fears for her own safety, particularly when RoboCop manages to escape from prison.

This was a conceptually interesting and well written novel about late 20th century El Salvador. It was originally written in 2000 and recently translated and published in English, as part of the City of Asylum project, which publishes the works of exiled authors. I've enjoyed all three novels I've read by Moya, including Senselessness and Dance with Snakes, and I'll be eagerly awaiting translations of his other previously published novels.

Darryl, once again you have introduced me to a new source of TBR-building and wallet-thinning, the City of Asylum project. Fortunately, I haven't (yet) been able to find its web site. In any case, The She-Devil in the Mirror sounds fascinating, and I will look for it.

Rebecca, the City of Asylum started in a house in the Mexican War Streets section of Pittsburgh, and it provides residence and support for two years for exiled writers. The current residents are the Burmese journalist Khet Mar and Horacio Castellanos Moya and their families. Ithaca, New York was recently announced as the second City of Asylum.

How did I know you would let me know just how to fall deeper into TBR overload?

The Giant, O'Brien by Hilary Mantel



My rating:

This historical novel is set in late 18th century Ireland and London. Charles O'Brien, a fictional character based on Charles Byrne, "The Irish Giant", is an unschooled but literate and sensitive young man, who entertains his companions and admirers with tales of Irish lore. The countryside is beset by extreme poverty, and O'Brien is distressed when he discovers that Mulroney's, a favorite pub that hosted storytellers and poets, has fallen into ruin. O'Brien, accompanied by an unscrupulous manager and several shady hangers-on, decides to travel to London, to seek fame and fortune, and to use his earnings to rebuild Mulroney's.

John Hunter is a famous but impoverished London surgeon and anatomist, who dedicates his life to the advancement of medical knowledge, even going so far as to inoculate himself with the syphilis bacterium in order to document the pathophysiology of this disease. At that time it was illegal to obtain cadavers for medical dissection, except for executed murderers. As a result, Hunter is forced to rely on graverobbers to supply him with freshly interred bodies for his work. Hunter learns about O'Brien, who is displayed behind closed doors for anyone who will pay a fee. He becomes obsessed with the giant as a medical specimen and the future centerpiece of his anatomical collection, as O'Brien soon begins to grow again, an indication that he will not live long.

This was a fascinating story about these two intersecting lives, living conditions for the poor in late 18th century London, and especially the life of an anatomist during that time. Mantel's writing allows the reader to become immersed in the setting, as you can easily envision the teeming and filthy capital. The characters are not as richly portrayed as those in Wolf Hall, but this was definitely an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

Dust on Her Tongue by Rodrigo Rey Rosa



My rating:

This is a collection of a dozen very short and very forgettable stories set in Guatemala. Don't bother.

Book #161: Who Ate Up All the Shinga? by Park Wan-Suh



My rating:

Park, a highly acclaimed author in South Korea, describes her experiences growing up in Korea, during the Japanese occupation, World War II and the Korean War. Her family lived in a village outside of Seoul, and was dominated by her domineering but loving Grandfather and her unscrupulous Uncle. Her father died when she was very young; her headstrong Mother decides to move her children to Seoul, to the consternation of her in-laws, as education and opportunities for them are better there. The family suffers hardship and social isolation for their country ways, but Wan-Suh is able to make her own way, as she is just as independent and defiant as her mother. Due to her beloved brother's Communist sympathies, the family is caught between his leftist beliefs and friends, and the changes that are taking place in American-occupied Seoul and the nearby Soviet-run northern portion of the country. Their lives and health are threatened when the Korean People's Army invades Seoul, as her brother meets old friends that are amongst the invaders, and especially when the Republic of Korea Army defeats the People's Army and seeks to root out Communist sympathizers in the aftermath of the invasion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this "autobiographical novel", although the author gives us no indication that it is anything but a work of nonfiction. This was an excellent description of life in mid-20th century Korea, and the story is quite compelling and well-written. Highly recommended!

Thanks for the great review of Who Ate Up All the Shinga?--I hope it will appear in paperback soon...

I checked the Columbia University Press web site, and didn't find any information on whether or when Who Ate Up All the Shinga? will be published in paperback.

This book is part of CUP's Weatherhead Books on Asia series; 24 books were listed, and most seemed very interesting.

Daryl,

From where do you select the books you read? I find them so intriguing because they cover such a diverse range of subjects and they are so little known (at least at the time you read them...and until your devoted followers toss the books you like the most into their active reading piles!).

Many of the books by writers that I'm unfamiliar with come from (surprise, surprise) City Lights Bookstore. I've been placing the City Lights logo next to books that I've bought or ordered from the shop on my 75 Books thread, and I'll continue to do that next year on my 75 Books and Club Read threads.

Who Ate Up All the Shinga? was a typical City Lights find, which I bought during my last visit to San Francisco in October. It was displayed amongst the new nonfiction books, with its front cover displayed. I hadn't heard of the book or author before, but it looked interesting. I ordered Dust on Her Tongue (and three other books) from the City Lights web site last week, as it looked interesting, but it was ultimately disappointing.

ETA: I'll try to remember to indicate where I heard about or purchased the books that I've read next year, as well.

I enjoyed the reviews of The Giant, O'Brien and Who Ate Up All the Shinga. I particularly enjoy the contrast between life in 18th century England and 20th century Korea. The quality and variety of the books reviewed is an asset to all of the members of LibraryThing.
I say this in light of an article I read recently about the sales of books in translation going steadily down in the United States. Americans generally are becoming more parochial in their reading tastes, but not on this thread.

Thanks for the compliment, wildbill. Considering the diversity and complexity of the US, and our ever shrinking world, it's puzzling and disappointing that fewer Americans are reading literature from other countries. And many of these writers and their works, IMO, are far better than those produced by all but a few American authors.

On that topic, there was an article about Open Letter Books in The New York Times last week. Open Letter, like Archipelago Books, is a small publishing company that puts out translated literature, based at the University of Rochester. I haven't read the article yet, but I'll post the link later today.

For those of you in the NYC area, Book Culture on 112th Street near Broadway, a short distance from Columbia's campus, is having a one day sale on New Year's Day; everything in the store is 20% off. I think I'll go there on Friday and pick up some of the Weatherhead Books on Asia titles; I'm visiting my parents in the Philadelphia area this week, and I can take a commuter train to NYC from here. The bookstore is independent but is supported by Columbia, and it features books by Columbia University Press.

Another holiday sale: The Bellevue Literary Review, a quarterly journal about medicine, literature, and the human experience published by the NYU School of Medicine, is having a holiday sale. If you buy a 3-year subscription ($35 in the US), you can get a second subscription for free. It was time for me to renew my subscription, so the timing was perfect, and I'm sending the free subscription to a dear friend who is also a pediatrician.

# 173 and #174 -

"Americans generally are becoming more parochial in their reading tastes" and "fewer Americans are reading literature from other countries".

Despite subscribing to and reading the NY Times daily, including the Book Review on Sundays, and journals such as "Bookmark", I have found that it is very difficult to find out about books published in other countries - until I started with LT a year ago. Reading Globally is a treasure.

If you go to your local "big box" book store, such as B&N and Borders you will only find Dan Brown and (that noted literate author) Sarah Palin highlighted on the big displays. So there are probably other factors involved that just a lack of interest.

Additionally I did see the very good article last week in the Times about Open Letter Books - but that was one of very few in the last several years.

But, that said, there will always be those people who are only interested in reading the "Best Sellers" and are afraid of venturing into the unknown.

A Good Fall: Stories by Ha Jin





My rating:



Ha Jin is one of my most favorite writers, and this superb collection of short stories about Chinese immigrants to the United States is amongst his best works. These unconnected stories are all set in the Queens neighborhood of Flushing, a diverse NYC neighborhood with a majority Asian population. The characters come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ranging from scholars to illegal aliens barely able to feed themselves. All struggle to fit into their new environments, and a common theme is anxiety, often due to their lack of fluency with the English language. An English professor at an unnamed NYC college fears that he will not be granted tenure, due to a grammatical mistake on his application that emphasizes his inadequate command of the language. A divorced woman works as a grossly underpaid home health aide for a demented old man who gropes her repeatedly, as her poor English keeps her from achieving a better life.

These stories are straightforward and feel authentic, but are deceptively complex, as the characters' situations and difficulties are left unresolved by Jin. All of the stories were excellent, and these characters will stay with me for some time. This is one of my favorite books of the year, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Now how did A Good Fall: Stories get on my wishlist so quickly? A few minutes ago, I'd never even heard of that book!

One of my favorite books about the Asian immigrant experience is Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee. Have you read that book or any of his other books? He's a midlist author, born in Korea but raised in the United States, whose writing I like very much. Check him out, if you are not already familiar with him.

I have three books by Chang-rae Lee, including Native Speaker and Aloft, but I've only read A Gesture Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the next Lee book I'll read will be his latest book, The Surrendered, as I'll receive an Early Reviewer copy of it shortly.

Have you read any books by Maxine Hong Kingston? She also writes about the experience of first- and second-generation Chinese Americans. I've read The Woman Warrior, China Men, and The Fifth Book of Peace, which are all excellent. I just wish she would write more frequently!

Not fair! I wanted that book from ER! :) That's okay. I've won some fabulous books from the ER program. A book of short stories is headed my way even as we speak type.

Read Native Speaker before you read Aloft. Native Speaker is a very special book. Anyway, in Aloft the protagonist is no longer an Asian. That is so weird because I really liked the Asian characters in Lee's previous two books. I have no idea what The Surrendered is like and will be curious about (and wait eagerly for) your review of it!

I never read any of Kingston's books, but, if I get the chance, I'll grab some.

I'd be happy to send you my copy of The Surrendered after I read it, hopefully by February. And, I think I have an extra copy of China Men; I own the Everyman's Library edition of Kingston, The Woman Warrior, China Men already.

The Author Theme Reads group has selected Stefan Zweig as its 2010 author. I read two novellas by Zweig this year, Chess Story and Journey into the Past, which were both superb, and I'm excited to read more of his books. Anyone who is interested in reading him is welcome to join this group.

Stopping by to say hello and trying my very best to keep up with what you are reading. Do you plan to be a part of Club Read 2010? and if so, where can I find you? (Maybe send a link?)

We are down to the final meeting with one of the surgeons tomorrow morning. I should know a date for the "three ring circus event" in the near future. I will keep you posted. I am sleeping a lot for some reason, but, I still sleep at night, also. Cannot read very much, but, I love it when I can. Still taking anti-biotics.

I like it that you are using the City Lights logo. Sometimes we can reach them Internet/phone and place an order if they have additional copies, and I feel sure, they will give us poor ol' deprived south-easterners a helping hand.

I love the pictures that you sent and will cherish them and keep them close by. Your being yourself lifts me up. Glad that I am fortunate to be one of your buddies.

With love,

Ruthie

>136 kidzdoc:, wow, Two Kinds of Decay sounds horrible, in a good way, if that makes any sense. And I LOVE the cover.