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.

Books to Escape the Cold

My official Theory of Winter is that January is the worst because it's the darkest and longest winter month; 31 days is God's idea of a hilarious joke. February on the other hand, is nice and short and even includes a very indulgent holiday (I know a lot of people will bristle at this because it is NOT cool to like Valentine's Day. And those people don't have my husband, who historically knocks it out of the park for this holiday, probably because he knows how insane I go in winter). So you've survived the worst of it! Now you just have to coast through this short, terrible month. and the following list of books will help you forget the weather:

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster - Prolonged engagements! Unrequited love! Colonialism! And false accusations of sexual assault! All under the hot, Indian sun. I read this a few years ago in January. It helped a little.

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner - This novel jumps between the steamy, gritty New York art scene of the 1970s, the sizzling streets of Rome amid political and civic turmoil, and the white hot salt flats of Utah. There is a lot of talk of engines and burning metal and motorcycles. It's also just a good book that you should probably read, regardless of the weather.

Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion - If you trend toward Season Affective Disorder, then stay away from this one. I wouldn't go so far as to say this novel will help you forget your cares, but it will certainly put your weather problems in perspective. Plus there's a lot of Los Angeles freeway cruising in a convertible.

The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene - Literally every page of this novel includes some reference to humidity or sweat. A bit more colonialism, if that's your thing, this time in Sierra Leone. There's also a juicy affair (because it's a Graham Greene novel) and a Catholic crisis of faith (because it's a Graham Greene novel).

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - A really inventive and cool response to Jane Eyre, this novel tells the pseudo-prequel story of Rochester's first wife, a Caribbean heiress who later goes insane and ends up locked up in his attic. There is a 1993 film adaptation with an NC-17 rating, in which a young Naomi Watts plays a small role...You're welcome.

The Better Beach Read

I have always hated the phrase "beach read," and the notion it represents, that somehow your vacation is the only appropriate time for pleasure reading or genre fiction. It seems like the kind of unrealistic trope that is exacerbated by magazines, like you should buy some sunglasses based on your "face shape" and a swim suit that emphasizes your "small bust" and get a "beach read" for your vacation. I have a tendency to bring on vacation any book on my TBR list that is compact and lightweight, i.e. paperback, and there is usually no rhyme or reason to it. That said, I can concede that people often want good books for vacation time with the implication being that they'll be sitting in a hammock, on a beach, or poolside for long stretches of time and need a book that they can really disappear into. Thus, the following, my recommendations for beach books this summer:

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What I'm Reading: 'The Flamethrowers' by Rachel Kushner

I have a confession to make-- I'm not reading this right now. I finished a looong time ago, but I definitely forgot to write about it, and it is such a great summertime read, that I would be the worst book blogger if I neglected to mention it. The Flamethrowers garnered a considerable amount of hype last year when it was released, probably 80% of it deserved. It was hailed as some sort of watershed moment for young female authors, but in my opinion, anyone who forced that kind of symbolism and meaning on it hasn't been paying much attention to all the unbelievably talented young authoresses these days (Karen Russell, Tea Obrecht, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie {because I can't go a week without mentioning her name}, Nell Freudenberger, etc). But even so, it deserves a fair amount of hype for being a really superb novel.

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This Week in Books: Possible Screen Adaptations of 'The Flamethrowers' and 'Wolf Hall' Series

In adaptation news, Jame Campion is currently working on a deal to adapt Rachel Kushner's The Flamethrowers, one of 2013 biggest novels, and one I really enjoyed last summer. I can't really think of a better director to take the helm on this project, especially after I gulped down Campion's 'Top of the Lake' in a matter of days.  The Flamethrowers was unique in that I kept thinking as I read it, "I cannot wait for the movie of this to come out." Now they need to announce the casting of Elizabeth Moss as the protagonist, and all will be right in the world.

Another adaptation I am greatly anticipating is the BBC production of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series. The cast was recently announced, and includes 'Homeland' star Damian Lewis as famous ginger Henry VIII. Mark Rylance will play Thomas Cromwell, and seems well-suited in that he has already played Hamlet, Richard II, Thomas Boleyn, and Henry V.

This week novelist Adele Waldman appeared on HuffPost Live to discuss her debut novel The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P (which I will admit I haven't gotten around to yet). I haven't decided yet if this interview makes me want to read it more or less, but it has been one of the most widely recommended books of the past year.

In promotion of her most recent short story collection Bark, Lorrie Moore visited  Los Angeles Public Library's ALOUD to do a reading and answer some questions. There is a nice write-up by Los Angeles Magazine, and ALOUD will be making a podcast available soon.

You love Zadie Smith, don't you? Who doesn't. And you've probably seen a bit of Roxane Gay lately, as she's everywhere promoting her new book An Untamed State (I need this book). How about Roxane Gay's thoughts on Smith's NW? Enjoy!

Editor's Note: This Week In Books is a weekly roundup of the goings on about the world of literary fiction.