This Week in Books I Forgot Two Important Posts

October 3, 2014 Natalie Morath

Marilynne Robinson's new novel Lila was published this week, to almost ridiculous critical-acclaim. I haven't read any of her fiction yet, but Gilead and Housekeeping are in the pile next to my bed, so expect a post on her soon. In the meantime, enjoy this engrossing profile from the New York Times Magazine.

My personal favorite podcast, NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, did an episode on fall books last week, and it featured two of their all-star guest contributors, editor Barrie Hardymon and librarian/super-fan Margaret H. Willison, who recommended their favorite books and authors for the latter half of 2014. I strongly agreed with many of their picks, and I took their recommendations very seriously, hence my immediate purchase of a book by Sarah Waters. I can't imagine ever being the type of person who struggles with finding my next book to read, but if you are that type of person, NPR is the best place to look. Their book coverage is really fantastic, consistent, and thoughtful. Plus, they are never judgmental and cover genre fiction and literary fiction with equal fervor.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The History of White People' by Nell Irvin Painter

September 16, 2014 Natalie Morath

I've had to enjoy Nell Irvin Painter's The History of White People via the Audible app on my phone; I was way too embarrassed to buy the book because visitors frequently browse my bookshelves at home, and I wouldn't want anyone seeing this title and giving me side-eye. It is not actually a history of white people at all, but a history of "white people," i.e. a history of the notion of whiteness and race, starting with the Greeks and moving all the way to the United States in the twentieth century. I've found it to be a really good non-fiction follow-up to Uncle Tom's Cabin, which left me with a lot of frustrations and questions. I also found it a particularly appropriate read (unfortunately) as I watched the news coverage of recent events in Ferguson.

What I'm Reading: 'Saga' by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

September 8, 2014 Natalie Morath

I successfully read three graphic novels this year (Persepolis and the two volume memoir by Alison Bechdel), so I decided it was time to try out a real, legit comic. NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast is my normal source for comic/graphic novel recommendations-- it helps that co-host Glen Wheldon is a comics expert, while the other hosts are mostly novices. The Saga series has been recommended on the show no fewer than three times, including a ringing endorsement from friend-of-the-show Maggie Thompson, a former librarian and co-author of the Comics Buyer's Guide. She mentioned Saga specifically in regard to a ComicCon panel on strong female characters and feminism in comic books, so it seemed like as good a place as any to start. I'd also like to mention, I'm hardly of the opinion that everyone should be reading comics and graphic novels -- plenty of people don't find them appealing and that's fine. My approach in blogging about them is that of curiosity; I'm a novice to the genre, but I'm interested enough to at least read a few and get a better sense of what it's all about. I'm hopeful that by doing some of the heavy-lifting myself, I can recommend comics and graphic novels that my usual blog-readers will find appealing, even if they are comic novices as well.