The Bookhive List: 'Surfacing' by Margaret Atwood

Choosing a favorite Margaret Atwood novel is no small task, but Surfacing is really strange and special to me. It feels more distinctly Canadian than many of her others, especially because it largely takes place in very rural Quebec. Many of the recurring themes of Margaret Atwood novels (feminism, environmental concerns, sci-fi/fantasy elements) are present in Surfacing, and I found it to be one of her most overtly feminist novels, with the central character traveling further and further into the literal and metaphorical wilderness as the novel progresses. This summer I went on a very satisfying camping trip on which I managed to finish H is for Hawk while swinging in a hammock, and the thought struck me that if I had a copy of Surfacing as a follow-up, some kind of Platonic ideal of women in the wilderness would be achieved. 

The Bookhive List is a weekly recommendation of my all-time favorite, must-read books.

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.

The Better Father's Day Gift Guide

Don't waste a day of celebrating your father with garbage books like Erik Larson and Doris Kearns Goodwin. That is perhaps unnecessarily harsh -- both are great writers -- but show a little creativity this Father's Day. Every other Father's Day gift guide I've seen lists the same old sports and non-fiction stuff, which is fine and predictable and lame. Here are the superior choices to celebrate your dad:

Missoula by Jon Krakauer -- This one is actually a trick because Krakauer is totally in the realm of Erik Larson and Doris Kearns Goodwin in terms of non-fiction bestsellers, but hey, dad's love Krakauer. Plus, this one has a bit of sports and a heaping dose of feminism, so it's the perfect thing.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- In my own dad's words "It's one of the best books I've read...AND it's by a woman!"

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald -- I've got a longer review of this coming up, but it's a really terrific book about grief and falconry, and is totally something your dad would like, if your dad is awesome.

The White Album by Joan Didion -- Baby-boomer dad's like books about their cultural "moment" which is why every list of dad books includes some kind of rock bio, but give your dad this instead. Didion's counter-culture essays are smarter and more nuanced than anything else out there.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace -- Another book of essays, although these are a lot more contemporary. Dads love books upon which movies are based (Seabiscuit, Unbreakable, all the Lincoln  biographies), so buy your dad this funny, touching book and remind him about 'End of the Tour.'

The Son by Philipp Meyer -- If your dad is like my dad, or my father-in-law, he likes Westerns, even if he doesn't know it. More likely he just finds himself watching whatever is on AMC on a Saturday afternoon, and thus a lot of 'Lonesome Dove' type stuff. The Son is a really recent, really great novel, although I will admit the brutal violence was too much for me. 

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -- If your dad dabbles in PBS programming, he probably caught at least an hour or two of the miniseries, so get him hooked on the original, which is better and less confusing; also, if he's like my grandpa, he can't figure out how to watch the rest of the episodes, so he needs to get caught up anyway.

This Week in Books Everything Happens

I haven't done one of these posts in a very long time and remain very dubious as to  their popularity among my blog readers, but nevertheless, this week in books was simply too exciting to ignore.

So the trailer for 'The End of the Tour' is here, and it doesn't even look bad; actually, it looks like it might be quite good, which is absolutely crazy because a movie based on David Foster Wallace seemed like such a terrible idea. Maybe when I finally get around to finishing War and Peace I can dive in to Infinite Jest as my next big fat book selection.

I am officially a stan for Brit Bennet, and not just because she's currently a Hellen Zell Writers Program fellow at the University of Michigan, my alma mater. Nor is it because I discovered her on Twitter when we attended the same Roxane Gay reading at Literati (although those two things instantly make me like someone). It's because of stuff like this, her incredible new essay on Addy Walker of the American Girl dolls and what role black dolls play in racial identity. Her book can't get her soon enough...

Margaret Atwood has submitted her Future Library manuscript, which won't be read by anyone for one hundred years. This is extremely magical but also very upsetting, because I bet it's good and I bet I won't live that long. Also, shout-out to that incredible Hollinger box she put the manuscript in -- as an archivist, I have a deep appreciation for acid-free metal-edged boxes.

I have no explanation for the lack of video, but I'll follow-up on this because I'm very anxious to see it -- Roxane Gay spoke at TEDWomen 2015 last night, and everything I've heard about it is incredible; it kind of reminds me of another very important TedTalk from a woman author of color that ignited Beyonce-wave feminism. 

Finally, Saeed Jones, whose debut book of poetry I read back in March, published a great essay on being black in the publishing world. This was actually posted back in April and somehow I missed it, but kudos to NPR's Code Switch for sharing.

Books on Love, Part I: Cynics Version

There is an over-abundance of books on love, and very few of them end happily, which is why I've rounded up a list of recommended fiction for those who are less than thrilled about Valentine's Day this year.

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene -- The name says it all; if you like your love stories to include terminal disease and weird Catholic overtones, this is the one for you.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- For those among us who have decided to swear off men for good, this is the validation you need.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron -- A very funny, sweet novel based on Ephron's own divorce experiences. Not nearly as cynical as the rest of the list, and an excellent breakup book.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -- A book about love for anyone who feels too much. 

The Awakening by Kate Chopin -- I am so tempted to summarize this novella about an unhappily married woman but I would inevitably ruin the ending for you, and it is such a treat (if you hate Edna, as I did).

Canadian Women Writers

Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving and I'm ending the week with a trip to Quebec, so let's take a moment to appreciate our favorite Canadian women writers. I am obviously a huge Margaret Atwood fan, counting her in the Bookhive Pantheon, and I have a post on Alice Munro coming up later this week.

But what about some more contemporary/younger/lesser-known Canadian authors? Check out this nice round-up from CBC.

This list from National Post includes the usual suspects (AM and MA) along with men, but it has a different perspective as it lists authors to be read by Canadian students. It skews a bit younger and has a few I'd never heard of before, along with a very old-school pick, L.M. Montgomery.

This Week in Books Adulthood Dies and Margaret Atwood Lives Forever.

The shortlist for the 2014 Booker Prize has been announced; it's particularly significant because this is the first year the prize is open to non-Commonwealth writers (i.e., it used to be exclusive to Britain, Ireland, Canada, and a few other former British colonies, like India). The books still must be written in English and published in the UK, but it's possible for Americans (Karen Joy Fowler and Joshua Ferris made the cut) to win now, which actually seems kinda lame.

Flavorwire has a nice interview with the ladies behind Women in Clothes, which I'm still obsessed with.

After the initial flurry of interest in the YA genre bashing back in early summer, I was very over it, and I don't even really read YA books anyway. But Emily Nussbaum and A.O. Scott, two of my absolute favorite cultural critics (neither of whom writes about books) got into the mix this week, and I enjoyed the results. Plus, Nussbaum gives some attention to Outlander, which only further secures her place in my heart.

Finally, some frustratingly awesome news out of Canada. Margaret Atwood is the first author to participate in the Future Library project; a forest in Norway has been planted with the intention of one day supplying paper to publish a Margaret Atwood book that has been written but will not be read and distributed for 100 years. That's pretty cool, but also kind of non-news.

This Week in Books: Upcoming 2014 titles, Southern reads, and a 'Wild' trailer

The Millions has a thorough preview of upcoming book releases for 2014, and the list is ridiculous. What I especially noticed was how many authors were defying their normal genres and expectations-- a children's book re-telling by Lydia Davis, a very straightforward narrative novel by Murakami, and short story collections from Hilary Mantel and Margaret Atwood. There is so much on the list to get excited about. I'll be waist-deep in essay collections from Amy Pohler, Roxane Gay and Lena Dunham

I found this lovely discussion on favorite Southern novels by Southern independent bookstore staffers, and thought it was a nice follow-up to my Flannery O'Connor/ Carson McCullers binges.

It's pretty lucky that the official trailer for 'Wild' (based on the book by Cheryl Strayed), came out this week, a few days  after I posted about how much I loved it. The adaptation looks excellent, and I think Reese Witherspoon is a great choice for the role, but I'm still going to strongly advocate reading the book. Normally I'm not a big stickler about literary adaptations, but the book is so great and very bookish, that I think some of its magic will naturally get lost in the translation. I bought my mom a copy of this book last year, so this might have to be a mother-daughter trip to the movies.

Bookhive Abroad: Stratford, Ontario

I just arrived back home from a really lovely and rewarding weekend in Stratford, Ontario, home of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The company that puts on the festival every summer is known as being one of the absolute best, second only to the Royal Shakespeare Company, and they really delivered on that promise. Ever since I moved to Michigan I had been implored by people to go check it out, but didn't get around to it until this year, 11 years into my Michigander-hood, but I was compelled by the schedule this season, which included "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "King Lear." Two very different plays, and two very different interpretations, but both were excellent and made for a really enjoyable weekend. The beautiful sunny weather, the delicious poutine, and the lovely public gardens surrounding Lake Victoria rounded out an excellent trip, and the fact that it was a roadtrip with good friends only helped.

Obviously the highlights of the trip were the incredible performances, but what really made it special were the small, unexpected details, like our discovery of Canada's Balzac Cafe, a small chain of gorgeously-appointed cafes in Eastern Canada. Besides the obvious literary reference in their very name, they actually brew and sell a special Canadian blend called "Atwood Blend," named for Canada's literary treasure and my special obsession. Naturally I got it in au lait form, and took home a freshly ground bag as a souvenir. There is a great cartoon of Margaret Atwood along the side panel, which unfortunately did not photograph well, but the blend is heartily endorsed by the authoress, and proceeds from sales of it go towards Canadian birds and wildlife, hence the beautiful Audubon-esque packaging. The flavor is light and citrusy, and not at all what I would've imagined if I had tried to design a coffee inspired by Margaret Atwood.

Stratford will always hold a place in my heart now and forever because it has no fewer than THREE bookshops on one block, and I visited all of them. I was especially excited to find a pocket edition of "Notes on King Lear," which I bored everyone with over breakfast. I am already anxious to plan a return trip next year.

This Week in Books: Aronofsky and Atwood, BEA 2014

HBO has been on a long adaptation rights tear, and the latest addition to their stable of literary source material is Margaret Atwood's Maddaddam trilogy. Unlike so many of their other exciting literary adaptation projects that are currently languishing in HBO purgatory, this one has a director attached: Darren Aronofsky.

The annual literary issue of the New Yorker is out, and includes some really stellar fiction, with contributions by the likes of Alison Bechdel, Rachel Kushner, Karen Russell, Miranda July, and Haruki Murakami, along with a great Talk of the Town piece on the #YesAllWomen movement by Rebecca Mead. Interestingly, it looks like the fiction this year is dominated by female contributors. There is also a long profile on John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, for those of you who, like me, don't keep up on YA fiction.

Finally, BookExpo America was last week. The biggest news story to come out of the event was widespread criticism of the lack of diversity among panelists. For anyone interested in everything else that happened at BEA, here is a very nice round-up of summaries and blog posts, mostly written by librarians and book bloggers.