I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing break and got a lot of leisure reading done. I read quite a few new titles that I thought I’d pass along to you for your consideration. All titles, as always, are available at your trusty library.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton: Winner of this year’s Man Booker Prize (in my opinion deservedly so), The Luminaries is an exquisitely crafted, historical novel set in New Zealand’s goldfields. On the surface, it is a mystery set into motion by the seemingly simultaneous death of a hermit, the attempted suicide of a prostitute, and the disappearance of a well-liked man. Upon deeper reflection, it is a meditation on coincidence, fate, love, and the ways in which all three intersect. The tale unravels cleverly and surprisingly quickly given its admittedly daunting length. A highly intriguing and readable romp of a tale!
Longbourn by Jo Baker: If you are an Austen fan, you know that there are hundreds of adaptations, sequels, and re-imaginings of Pride and Prejudice. You may also know that the majority of these fail, in any way, at capturing the power and wit of the original text. Longbourn is a rare exception, in part because it stays far away from the main characters of the original text and imagines, instead the lives of the servants living and working in Longbourn, the Bennet estate. Told largely through the eyes of the housemaid, Sarah, the story delves into the many details, deprivations, and longings that make up the life of a servant. It’s a lovely book with not a few darker surprises. Think Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey and you have a fair idea of what awaits you!
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki: For those of you who enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being or who simply have not yet had a chance to read Ruth Ozeki, I highly recommend her first novel, My Year of Meats. It is the story of two women brought together through the unlikely auspices of the meat industry and a Japanese TV show titled My American Wife! Alternately funny, moving, and horrifying, the story encompasses feminism, corporate greed, romance, and the media. A compelling and witty book that’s of particular interest to those intrigued by cross-cultural concerns or who are mixed race like myself!
Someone by Alice McDermott: It is very hard to describe a novel where nothing happens, a novel about a “someone” who could be any one of us living our daily lives. And yet, I so want to convey how gorgeous this novel is in all of its seemingly mundane details. It is simply the story of one very ordinary Irish-American woman’s life. Nothing extraordinary happens to her but the telling of her story is marked with amazing poetry. I have not read many books in my life that have so aptly captured what it means to be alive in moments both quiet and large. For a much more eloquent review, read this. A beautiful book!
Happy reading!
Alegria Barclay