Greetings, fellow readers! I'm happy to report that as we approach the midpoint of the summer this Saturday, I am reading more than ever. Unfortunately, my book record-keeping system is in need of repair: ever since I filled up my last reading logbook, I haven't been able to settle on a way to record the titles I've finished. I tried Goodreads for a while but couldn't stick with it, perhaps because my TBR is mainly concentrated in my (very large) Amazon Wishlist. I've been writing book reviews for my library's adult summer reading program, but those have to be turned in to the reference desk, leaving me no paper trail with which to jog my memory.
That being said, I will do my best to reconstruct a list of what I've finished since my last post:
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I'll admit, once I realized this book was authored by the same woman who penned some very lackluster YA fiction a few years ago, I was less enthusiastic about reading it than I was after reading the blurb. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this touching hybrid between George Eliot's Silas Marner and Penumbra-esque homage to bookstores and those who love them. I don't know what's causing the recent proliferation of books about books, but whatever it is, please, keep them coming! This book is bittersweet, delightful, and heartwarming, a must-read for all book lovers.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. This was another excellent recommendation from Jacob, which I finished last weekend. It tells the story of an autistic teenager who sets out to solve the murder of a neighborhood dog and gets more than he bargained for. This is a tale of family, thought, and altered perspective. I liked it very much; I enjoyed both the mystery and the character's distinctive voice. Reminded me of Flowers for Algernon and its sympathetic portrayal of mental disability.
Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light by Leonard Shlain. This history of humanities and science written by a California surgeon took me back to the Good Ol' Days of my Science and Literature class. Shlain explores the predictive capabilities of art and examines how shifts in artistic perspective and representation prefigure new discoveries in physics. The "world soul" stuff at the end was a little too theoretical for me, but I really enjoyed Shlain's scholarship and idolization of Leonardo Da Vinci. This book made me appreciate modern art because of the way it taught me to see the world. It also sparked my interest in the life and work of the French artist Marcel Duchamp, about whom I cannot wait to read more.
Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor by Liam Hearn. My friend Grant told me about this series, which he described as "Eragon set in medieval Japan." With a description like that, how could I not be curious? All I can say is, I'm so glad this book is part of a series because the story is so awesome, I don't want it to end. Though there are some fantastic elements, the book is based on Japan's rich history, something which I firmly believe people in the West should know more about. I can't wait to read the second one.
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I'm almost finished with this one, and though it is Binchy's Big Break, I'm not really a fan. For one thing, the storyline is pretty depressing: girl suffers from negative body image, unrequited love, and feelings of stagnation in provincial Irish town. Men and women alike are mean to this girl: they use her, make fun of her, and play with her affections. The other reason why I'm not a huge fan of this book is that I've seen what Maeve Binchy can do, and this is not it. In many ways, this prefigures the richness of Whitethorn Woods and Quentins, but it's not all there yet. I suppose that's what you get for going back and reading the early stuff after reading what the author wrote in her prime.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I just got this one from the library today, and I'm about halfway through it. I remember when this book came out, I thought it was silly to have a book for adults told from the point of view of a dog. How wrong I was. This dog is more human than I am, for goodness sake! I love this book--I know I will be sad to see it end.
That's it for now--I went to the library this morning and came home with a pretty sizable haul, so it'll probably be a while before I have enough finished to write another post. In the meantime, maybe I'll figure out a suitable way of recording the books I read!
Until next time,
Anna
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