Lots of Literary News!

So, you know that I love prize-winners, and there's lots of buzz surrounding this subject right now.  One is that the finalists for the National Book Award have been announced.  You can access all the info you need here:

http://www.nationalbook.org/

Of the fiction finalists, I have only read The Tiger's Wife, reviewed here.  I have already requested two of other the titles from the library; I have to admit, I like the sound of The Buddha in the Attic.  I mean literally--I like the way that title sounds.

The other buzz is about the new literary prize coming out of the UK and, if you believe all the rumors surrounding it, competing with the Man Booker Prize!  The audacity!  It's called The Literature Prize.  There's a certain self-importance linked to that simple name, don't you think?  Here's a link that you may enjoy if you'd like to follow this story:

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/new-literature-prize-establish-standard-excellence.html

Evidently this is good news for Americans because they won't be excluded from this opportunity as they are from the Booker due to estrangement from the Queen. 

More literary news to come soon, so check back often!

Women WHIRLing!

So, I promised to compile of list of books that Literary Masters Book Groups and Salons members devoured over the summer.  In no order whatsoever, and with very little accompanying commentary, here are some of the more popular titles (numerous members read these) that you may want to check out:

Submisson by Amy Waldman; here's a link to the NY Times review of it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/books/the-submission-by-amy-waldman-review.html

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer; here's a link to The Washington Times review of it:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/31/book-review-the-invisible-bridge/

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson (non-fiction); here's a link to the NY Times review of it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/books/in-the-garden-of-beasts-by-erik-larson-review.html?pagewanted=all

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain; NY Times review here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/books/review/book-review-the-paris-wife-by-paula-mclain.html

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (non-fiction); here's a link to the WSJ's review of it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463852823978496.html

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (non-fiction); here's the NY Times link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/books/review/Margolick-t.html?pagewanted=all

The Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (memoir); here's a review from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105971.html

Just in case you're looking for something to read~enjoy!

Should Your Book Club Read The Road by Cormac McCarthy?

Although I found The Road by Cormac McCarthy absolutely stunning, I hesitate to recommend it for book clubs.  I highly, highly recommend it for individuals, and I would even like to discuss it with someone else who has read it, but paradoxically, I cannot suggest you select it for your reading group because...

Well, I'm not sure exactly why.  After all, Oprah selected it for her book club, and who am I to argue with Oprah?  Let's just say that I think there are other novels better suited for book group reading, others that I would suggest instead of this one.  I am currently reading another novel by Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, so I'll let you know if you should choose that one for your group.  Let me finish it and I'll get back to you.

The Road is a quick read, but one that lingers long after you finish it.  It's the story of a man and his son who are traveling down a road in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic America.  We don't know what has caused the destruction, but the devastation is so intense and so pervasive, every moment for the duo is a struggle to survive, and every additional day of survival is a questionable achievement in itself.  After all, to live like this, wouldn't the alternative be better?

Two things pulled me along through the novel (in fact, I couldn't put the book down): one was McCarthy's poetic prose.  For a long time I had avoided him because I thought he was too grim and violent, but I am so glad that I overcame my squeamishness.  His writing should not be missed.  (Has anyone ever compared him to Hemingway?)

The relationship between the son and his father was the other thing that captivated me.  Whatever monumentally destructive event occurred, it took place before the boy was born, so his entire world has been constructed by his father.  (The mother has, well, you'll have to read the book to find out.)  The two are searching for other "good guys" but apparently the bad guys, and they are really bad, are more numerous.  Can you imagine living in a world where every single movement of every single day has the stress of life or death importance upon it?  McCarthy helps you imagine it, and for me, just doing that--imagining living that way--was a seriously intense reading experience.

Yes, this novel is bleak, but it's also filled with hope.  It's grim, but it's also filled with beauty.  Yes, it shows the absolute worst of mankind--no doubt.  But there is something to counter that, and I'll let you find out for yourself what it is.  This is one of the best books I've read this year, and I know that I am accused of liking dark literature, but I feel confident recommending this book to anyone--it's just that good.

Should Your Book Club Read Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum?

Should your book club read Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum?  A resounding "yes!" is the answer.  This intriguing novel is the ideal choice for a book club; it's a compelling read, the writing is beautiful, and there is a lot to discuss.  In fact, the publisher, Simon & Schuster, realizing the appeal Amaryllis in Blueberry would have for book clubs, produced a paperback in order to make it more affordable, and completely skipped the hardcover stage.

You may not know Meldrum's work because her first novel, Madapple, was pegged for the YA (young adult) market, where it received immediate and widespread critical and commercial success, landing as a finalist on more than one prize shortlist.  (And you know how I like literary prizes!)  Amaryllis in Blueberry is her first "grown up" novel, although I think this is a "crossover" book, one that would appeal to the "young adult" market as well as to the "adult" market.  Hmm..not sure that's what we're called, but you know what I mean, right?

Quick synopsis:

Dick and Seena Slepy are married, but we get the feeling that their marriage has become a sort of prison for them.  Each is unhappy in his/her own way, and we soon learn that each has a secret that is feeding this unhappiness.  Dick decides that the only way to escape his miserable situation is to go to Africa as a medical missionary, and he drags his family--his wife and four daughters--along.

The oldest three girls each have the first name of Mary, but are called by their middle names, and each one harbors a corrosive secret of her own.  The youngest daughter, Amaryllis, is called Yllis, and early in the book, Amaryllis seemingly discovers yet another family secret and opens it up to the family, unleashing an unforeseen chain of events that will change each and every one of them.

So, what can your book club discuss?

There are lots of secrets in this book, and much to discover.  Meldrum weaves mythological stories into the plot of the book, and does it so well and so seemingly effortlessly that the reader ends up learning not only about the Slepy family, but also about age-old stories, and why we tell them.  The book explores all sorts of stories, from religion to science to family legends to stories we tell ourselves to get through the day, and your book club will want to discuss the how and why of these tales.

Another theme running through the novel is truth or Truth--what it is, whether it exists, how we reach it, and how we hold onto it.  This is quite a philosophical novel, but done in an understated way, through the very compelling main story.  A philosophical page-turner, if you will.

Meldrum is a beautiful writer, and some of her prose reads almost like poetry.  Your book club will have a blast with the imagery--note the literary nod to Conrad with the light/dark imagery, and have fun deciphering the symbolism in the story--do the characters represent someone or something other than themselves?  What does Africa represent?  Can we do a Freudian reading of this novel?  Pay attention to the names and how they give meaning to the tale. 

In the end, this novel seems to be about redemption, about hope, about having a second chance.  As the Slepy family returns to America, forever changed by their stay in Africa, they seemed poised to take on a life without secrets.  Or do they?  Which secrets remain?  This is something your book club will want to discuss!

Bottom line:  yes, your book club should read Amaryllis in Blueberry--it's a perfect choice--and I am looking forward to more writing from this incredibly talented author!

Haruki Murakami

You'll remember from my last post that I am midway through the novel Norwegian Wood by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami.  This is the first novel I've read by him, and I suppose I shouldn't say that too loudly, as he is tipped by some to be the next Nobel Prize winner.  Where have I been?

Now I read that he is set to "take the West by storm" with a 1000-page book bound as a trilogy entitled 1Q84.  Here's the link to the article; I am definitely going to keep my eye on this one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/sep/10/haruki-murakami-trilogy-1q84

And something else about Murakami that makes me want to get to know him better:  he's a marathon runner!

Man Booker Prize 2011--The Short List!

Exciting news in the world of books--and the prizes that propel them.  The short list is out for the Man Booker, and guess which book is not on it!  That's right, The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst! That novel is, as you all know, our Literary Masters book of the month for May 2012.  Will I be changing our reading list?  Hmm...stay tuned for further details...

To find out which books are on the short list, click here.

Let me know if you've read any of them--what an eclectic selection!

Where in the WHIRL Have I Been???

I love you all--thanks for the flood of correspondence wondering where I've been--it's so nice to feel loved and missed!  I have been away on a literary mission (!) and as soon as I get my photos downloaded, or is it uploaded?, I will post a couple and blog more about my adventure.

Have I piqued your curiosity?

For today, though, I am blogging about some books that are on my side table.  These are books that I am in the midst of reading, but I've put them down because I knew at a certain point in each book that they would not work for my Literary Masters book groups and literary salons.  However, these are books that I do intend to finish!  We can call it a Mid-way WHIRL, if you like, or an In-Progress WHIRL:

First off, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.  My brother, yes--the one who disdains used books, is a fan of Japanese literature, and he introduced me to Kenzaburo Oe, the author of A Personal Matter, which I reviewed here.  Murakami is the author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which you may have read; I never have.  I decided to start with Norwegian Wood on my brother's advice, and I...like it...I don't love it, but I do like it and I am willing to persevere with a rather slowish read.  I am not, to be fair, very far into the novel.  So far I think I've met the key players, although not a tremendous amount of action has taken place.  The back of the book describes it as:

"A magnificent blending of the music, mood, and the ethos that was the sixties with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age, Norwegian Wood brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love."

Umm...okay.  I hope to finish this novel to see why, again stated on the back of my book, "This stunning and elegiac novel propelled Hauki Murakami into the forefront of the literary scene..."

When I do, I will review it at length.  Stay tuned!

Next, Tyrant Memory, by Horacio Castellanos Moya.  You'll remember that I became an instant fan of this author when I read his novel, Senselessness.  I eagerly anticipated his new book, and was so impatient, I bought it instead of waiting for a library copy!  Although I am thoroughly enjoying it, I don't think it measures up to Moya's previous work--but, to be fair, I have not yet finished reading it, so stay tuned...

It follows a certain family, their trials and tribulations, in El Salvador in 1944 during the month between an attempted coup and a general strike that forced out the dictator Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez.  Staggering between laugh-out-loud hilarity and close-your-eyes horror, this novel is a very compelling read.  I just didn't think I could subject my book groups and literary salons to it, though.

Finally, for today, The Counterlife by Philip Roth.  Many consider this to be his best work, so I was excited to read it.  I am a fan of Roth, although I know a lot of women have difficulty reading his work.  I've said before, as you know, that one of the funniest books I've ever read is Portnoy's Complaint, which I read many, many years ago.

I am enjoying The Counterlife, and I can see why it is so highly regarded, but I have to admit, I was getting kind of bogged down in the second section, after loving the first...and I imagined my Literary Masters members getting bogged down also.  The idea of the novel is a character who dies in the first section, but then who isn't dead in the next.  From the little I've read, I'm surmising that we are delving into the area of parallel universes, or the lives we could have, would have, should have lived.  Something I find very interesting, so I do hope to finish this book.  Again, stay tuned!

Right, now that I am back turning pages and pressing keys, I hope to be posting much more frequently than I did during this past month.  What about all of you, though?  What Have YOU Been Reading Lately???