What I'm Reading: 'Watch Me' by Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston has lived the most incredible life I have ever encountered in either fiction or non-fiction, and a moment of your time spent reading anything else is wasted. Her memoirs are an absolute treasure trove of amazing life lessons. She clearly didn't intend it this way, but I've taken her memoir up as a book of advice for young women, and will strive to live more like Anjelica Huston in everything I do. This likely will mean more horseback-riding, more drinking, more general cavorting around the world, and more instances of being wildly successful at my every endeavor, partially to spite the haters (hence the title, "Watch Me," meaning - Don't think I can act, direct, etc? Watch me). I have never read juicier gossip and she is so incredibly candid about her life and most importantly her lovers. If you go the audiobook route, you'll get to enjoy her completely strange and beautiful pronunciations of ordinary words, probably the result of an Irish upbringing and a French education.

What I'm Reading: 'The Iliad' by Homer

Re-reading has been my theme lately, so I'm tackling The Iliad, a favorite book from college and my time as a student of the Classics department. This time, I'm letting Dan Stevens of 'Downton Abbey' do the heavy lifting, via Audible, which I think has really helped me more clearly define my rules of audiobooks: I would never use an audiobook as a substitute for reading a real book -- but it is totally okay for re-reading literature. It is also okay if it's a celebrity memoir read by the person themselves, because the vocal performance really enhances the book. Dan Stevens has the loveliest voice I've ever heard and he does an excellent job of deftly managing the voices of dozens of characters while maintaing the rhythm and meter and tonal shifts. It's surprisingly engaging and relaxing, for an epic poem about non-stop violence.

What I'm (Re-)Reading: 'The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I truly love the indulgence of re-reading a beloved book. The entire experience opposes my normal mental state when reading or selecting books, which is something along the lines of, there is not enough time for me to read everything I want. And yet, I spent something like 11 hours re-reading a novel I already love. Or more accurately, I let Claire Danes read it to me via Audible, which was even better. It really helps that one of the promotional images for 'Homeland' shows her swathed in red robes, in a sea of people wearing black, because that is so very "Offred" of her. She has a lovely, deep voice that really suits the material and the narrator. I highly recommend it if you have 11 hours to kill, whether you've read it before or not.

What I'm Reading: 'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara

I've taken a bit of a break from blogging recently, though not a break from reading, obviously. I don't really have a specific reason why I needed a blog-vacation, but I know I'm growing increasingly apathetic about it the longer I do it. It's been well-over a year now, and every time I write something, I wonder why I keep going.

Hence, A Little Life, a book I can only manage to read with the support and input of a community of readers. Never have I read more reviews of any book that interested me, and I find it so completely necessary for two reasons: 1. to prepare myself for the stomach-churning descriptions of abuse and trauma peppered throughout the novel and 2. to remind myself that the pain is worth the pleasure of this really intimate, beautiful novel.

What I'm Reading: 'Swamplandia!' by Karen Russell

This, along with A Visit From the Goon Squad, is one of those contemporary novels that even I can't believe I haven't read yet. I adore Karen Russell's short stories and initially this dragged along for me because I wanted it to be the same bite-sized narrative I was used to, but now I'm really settling in and loving it. It's always fun to pick apart a universally-beloved novel that is overrated, but this is not one of those times. It is as good as everyone said it was.

What I'm Reading: 'Dare Me' by Megan Abbott

This is another example of my reading a book strictly because I'm anxious to read something newer by the same author -- I'm dying to read Megan Abbott's The Fever, so I'm forcing myself to read her earlier novel in preparation. I also recently found out she's from Grosse Pointe and went to the same high school as my husband, so that really adds to her appeal.

I've always been kinda ambivalent about the teen girl novels -- maybe it's because I was one and couldn't wait to grow out of it -- but I just don't share the general titillation people get from it. I mean, I "get" it, but I find it uninteresting. They're young and virginal but also quite manipulative and generally evil, so to me, it seems like low-handing fruit. That said, I'm not going to pretend like I'm not engrossed by this very pulpy, macabre story about high school cheerleaders. It's a fun little noir that is just disturbing enough to be unique. Also, 'Bring It On' is celebrating its tenth anniversary, so obviously I'm going be watching it, and this has been a nice coincidence to read alongside MTV's oral history of the film.

What I'm Reading: 'The Optimist's Daughter' by Eudora Welty

Summer is over, and I finally managed to slip in one Southern Gothic novel before I inevitably turn to the big depressing books of autumn and winter. As it turns out, this one was also pretty depressing, but I still enjoyed it and I managed to read the whole thing in an afternoon, which is always immensely satisfying. This was also my first experience with Eudora Welty, an author I will definitely be turning back to, as I've already got her collected short stories on my shelf, although I don't think I'll be getting around to it any time soon. In some ways it seems unfair to compare her to Flannery O'Connor and Carson McCullers, just because they are all Southern women, but there are startling similarities to their prose, although of the three I'd say Eudora Welty is the least macabre. 

What I'm Reading: 'Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay' by Elena Ferrante

Book Four of the Neapolitan novels drops this week amid as much fanfare as can be expected for an author who shuns the spotlight and rarely grants interviews. The whole marketing campaign has provided an interesting counterpoint to the promotion of Jonathon Franzen's new novel Purity, which has been nothing less than a farcical publishing juggernaut.

I gulped down the first two Neapolitan novels very quickly, but I've dragged number three out all summer, in some ways to delay the pleasure and also to make sure it lasted all the way to September, when I knew another Elena Ferrante novel would auto-download on my Kindle. When I'm finally finished with this series I'm going to feel an immense sense of loss, but I'm already looking forward to the luxury and pleasure of taking the time to re-read them

What I'm Reading: 'How to Be a Victorian' by Ruth Goodman

This made an appearance on NPR's Best Books of 2014 (which is my go-to place for book recommendations), and I hinted heavily that I wanted it for Christmas, but my friends and family, who are the blog's only dedicated readers, missed the hint, so I had to get it at the library like a friendless orphan. This doesn't change the fact that it is funny, insightful, and a really terrific approach to history. I'm so much more interested in history books that deal in domestic life rather than sweeping military conflicts, and this is infinitely satisfying. Ruth Goodman's approach is to structure the book around the chronology of a typical day, and her meticulous research is interrupted by her hilarious insertions of personal experience -- because she's been a history consultant for historic estates, she has done most of these activities, exactly as the Victorians did them. So when she describes using the indoor privy or brushing her teeth with cardamom or walking with a hoop skirt, she is actually talking about personal experience. The funniest thing about it is how many Victorian practices, especially in regard to personal hygiene, are becoming popular again -- every woman I know is smearing coconut oil on her split ends, which is precisely what women were doing 150 years ago. This book also makes a great companion to a good Victorian novel, like Dickens or Disraeli.

What I'm Reading: 'A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again' by David Foster Wallace

I've been in the mood for DFW lately, probably because of the soon-to-be-release biopic about him, along with my desire to finish War and Peace so I can finally tackle another giant book, Infinite Jest. I'm not one of those DFW fans though, who is going to berate you for not liking his writing -- I actually find that completely understandable and I am not always in the mood for it. But I really love his non-fiction and I aspire to love his fiction, so this has been a nice retreat from what has otherwise been a very fiction-heavy summer. 

What I'm Reading: 'Modern Love' by Aziz Ansari

I expected to love this book as much as I already love Aziz Ansari -- I've watched every episode of 'Parks and Rec' multiple times and I've seen all his stand-up specials. But this just hasn't done anything for me. Maybe it's because I'm married and didn't have much of a dating life before I got married, so in many ways the entire concept of the book is antithetical to my lifestyle? Frankly, it just wasn't what I expected -- at all. It doesn't come across as a humor book written by a talented comedian, which is something we've all come to know and love in the past few years (see: Mindy Kaling, Judy Greer, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, etc, etc etc). Ansari works with another writer/researcher and the first chapter is a long list of research notes, as if he actually set out to write about modern love as a sociological concept. There are many charts and graphs and so forth, and not that many jokes. It's not a terrible book, or even a bad book -- it's just a confusing and maybe slightly disappointing book.

A Rare Follow-Up to What I'm Reading: 'A Visit From the Goon Squad'

What can I say? This book really grew on me even though initially I didn't see what all the fuss was about. The further along I read, the more it became obvious that it was not necessarily focused on the characters introduced in the beginning, about whom I was totally ambivalent, so it managed to keep me interested. The final chapter takes place in the not-so-distant future, which was totally unexpected and incredibly funny/disturbing.  I still wonder about the awards and critical-acclaim thrown at this novel, but it is undeniably great.

What I'm Reading: 'In the Unlikely Event' by Judy Blume

When I first heard that Judy Blume was finally publishing a new novel for adults, I was very, very enthusiastic (see: Summer Sisters). When I found out it was a novel based on the true story of two plane crashing in Elizabeth, New Jersey within a few weeks of each other, I was less enthused. I fly in plenty of airplanes and it definitely seemed like it would have decidedly less sex, so it was not the sort of natural follow-up to Summer Sisters I was hoping for.

That said, I'm really digging it anyway. It is structured very similarly to Summer Sisters in that an adult character is reflecting on their own childhood and adolescence, which allows Judy Blume to really do what she does best, which is write from an adolescent perspective. Unlike her previous novels though, In the Unlikely Event brings together multiple perspectives from a ton of different characters, some of whom die off pretty quickly (spoiler alert -- they're on the plane), which gives a very textured account of the events, even though there are moments that feel really thin as a result; example, a marriage proposal that occurs "off-stage." The narration is still very grounded in a primary narrator, Mirri Ammerman, who is a ninth-grader at the time of the crash, and our adult entry-point into the story, as she revisits her hometown for the anniversary of the crashes.

It reads quickly and pleasurably, despite its grim subject-matter, and if you liked Summer Sisters, I think you'll still find a lot to appreciate with it.

What I'm Reading: 'A Visit From the Goon Squad' by Jennifer Egan

I am very, very late to the party on this one, but I'm finally reading the book that every person on Earth has already read. The reason it took me so long to finally read it is the same reason I'm not really digging it now -- I just don't like books about music. Sorry world. I've enjoyed a few musical memoirs but most books that incorporate music in some major way are really focused on references to specific songs or artists which rarely land for me. Maybe if someone bases an entire novel around 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' I could get on board, but I've really struggled with references to Gen X punk bands. Blech.

What I'm Reading: 'Speedboat' by Renata Adler

Adler is very much having a 'moment' thanks in large part to a recently published collection of her non-fiction, which I am desperate to own. I had never read anything of hers prior to picking up her very unconventional novel Speeboat, but now I'm addicted to her writing, which reminds me of Joan Didion, goddess.

I never would have predicted this, but Speedboat has turned out to be an excellent summer read, for several reasons: I always associate anything about gritty 1970s New York with summer (see also, The Flamethrowers), and the novel is written in distinct chunks of several paragraphs at a time, making it any easy novel to slip in and out of, so it doesn't require any extreme level of commitment or concentration, which I find helpful for beach or poolside reading, which is usually fraught with distractions. I got through the bulk of it on the shores of Lake Michigan, and finished the rest in a hammock at a campsite, so now it's inextricably linked to my summer vacation, which I love.

What I'm Reading: 'Missoula' by Jon Krakauer

When I initially heard about this book, I had every intention of reading it and got a copy as quickly as possible. After reading the first few chapters, however, I set it aside and had a very hard time finding the proper motivation to finish it. This is not intended as bragging, but I've read a lot about rape on college campuses, so I wondered what new information I could possibly glean from a whole book on the subject, especially one that spends a LOT of its word count on very specific cases. However, it was due back at the library so I gave it a second look, and like all Jon Krakauer books, it read very, very quickly and before I knew it I was finished and glad I had put the time into it. Not everyone's cup of tea, to be certain, but it is thoroughly-researched and gets into many of the nuances of both criminal trials and disciplinary hearings of rape cases. Kirsten Gillibrand is also a fan.

What I'm Reading: 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins

This is a very buzzed-about, summer beach read type-book, which is not at all my usual jam, but it came with an enthusiastic endorsement from Linda Holmes on NPR's PCHH podcast and my friend (a fellow-PCHH addict), and both recommended the audio book, which is what I ended up with.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is the only or best way to imbibe the book, but I really enjoyed it, and if you are the audio book type, this is definitely for you.

It's lazy to compare it to Gone Girl but...you know...I write a new one of these every week so whatever. If you liked Gone Girl, then you will probably love The Girl on the Train, and it plays around with narrative structure and the idea of the unreliable narrator in much the same way -- which is where the audio book format factors in.  There are three women who narrate the story, and the audio book is performed by three different actresses (including Molly from Sherlock, whose voice is lovely), and so the three-voiced performance is really clever and enhances the whole experience. It's suspenseful and exciting and fun, all the things you want from a summer book.

What I'm Reading: 'H is For Hawk' by Helen Macdonald

This book has been so richly rewarding, and part of that is because I had to wait weeks for it from the library. As a close follower of the publishing industry, I absolutely love it when a book completely surprises its publisher with its success, especially if, as is the case with H is for Hawk, it unexpectedly sells out in indie bookstores across the UK and US. 

In so many ways, this book has delivered on the failed promise of Spinster, a book whose disappointment I've already documented. H is for Hawk is not "about" a woman's solitude -- it's a memoir about a daughter grieving for her recently-deceased father, and it's a natural history about falconry, and it's a literary history of writing about birds of prey, and each of these things is very elegantly linked. And yet, it is precisely about a woman's solitude, because Helen Macdonald is exploring each of these things alone and internally, and her domestic situation is not addressed and it feels only natural. This shouldn't be remarkable, but it is. I have such a crush on H is for Hawk and I'm looking forward to the end of the year when it inevitably wins lots of awards and gets put on lots of 'Best of' lists.

What I'm Reading: 'The Ballad of the Sad Cafe' by Carson McCullers

Summer is almost here, and for me that means reading really strange, macabre, depressing Southern Gothic literature, and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe really delivers on that premise. Carson McCullers is a very reliable writer in that way-- everyone in this novella is lonely and odd and (spoiler alert, but not really) everyone ends pretty much as sad as they began. In keeping with my reading habits lately, this has been another very satisfying, very short book.

What I'm Reading: 'Sula' by Toni Morrison

I think this might be my favorite Toni Morrison novel now; what am I even saying? Is that crazy? The Bluest Eye is and has been and always will be really special to me, and is made all the more remarkable for being Morrison's FIRST novel (that is still shocking). But I love, love, love Sula. Female friendship has been a major theme that Morrison has explored in all of her fiction (at least all that I've read), but Sula is very squarely focused on it. Good books about female friendships are slowly coming to dominate my reading appetite (thank you, Elena Ferrante), and this has been so deliciously satisfying.

A brief word of encouragement to my male readers, of which I know there are at least three: just because a book is about female friendships doesn't mean that you won't enjoy it, and I strongly encourage everyone to read some Toni Morrison and Elena Ferrante.