Literature
November is a busy blogging month! At the beginning of the month, I participated in Witch Week – a very full week indeed. My contribution was an interview with Kiyash Moncef, author of the wonderful fantasy Once There Was.
Then it was time to focus on nonfiction for Nonfiction November. My posts:
Reading-wise, I went on a bit of a Dani Shapiro jag; I’d read her fascinating memoir Inheritance a couple of years ago, and thought I’d get caught up on the earlier parts of her story. It’s a bit strange to read those earlier books, because Shapiro is lacking important information about her own parentage (revealed in Inheritance), which surely plays into her lost, disoriented feelings. Her spiritual questing was especially interesting in light of my Spiritual Memoir Challenge. How much of our searching is actually fueled by what we don’t know about our ancestry?
I also joined in a readalong I came across at Consumed by Ink: the two books featuring Sara Stanley or “The Story Girl” by L.M. Montgomery. The books had a very different tone, and it was illuminating to learn that one was written just before and one after her marriage. This might account for what I found a more cynical and bitter tone in the latter.
I had back to back reviews at Shiny New Books this month: The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper, and Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones. I was especially happy to see the latter, one of my favorite books, get some attention and a lovely new edition from the Folio Society.
Finally, I announced plans to start an “Ozathon,” reading the 14 Oz books by L. Frank Baum, in company with Deb from The Book Stop.
Have you read any of these, or what are your highlights this month?
- After by Bruce Greyson
- The Story Girl and The Golden Road by L.M. Montgomery
- Landlines by Raynor Winn
- Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
- One Hundred Saturdays by Michael Knapp
- Slow Motion, Devotion and Hourglass by Dani Shapiro
Find my reviews at The StoryGraph
Language
On the recommendation of my German tutor, I’ve started reading Die Wand (The Wall) by Maren Haushofer, in which a woman staying at a house in the mountains wakes up to discover an invisible wall has appeared and everyone else seems to have been destroyed by some mysterious catastrophe.
I read very slowly, so not much has happened yet. The narrator is still in shock and not wanting to think much beyond the present moment.
How will she survive? Perhaps next time I’ll have some news.
Life
The last weekend of November was very busy with the Advent fair season beginning — I had to spend all of Saturday at one for work and all of Sunday at one for my son’s school.
I do not feel ready for the holidays! But they will soon be upon me, nevertheless. I’d better get off the computer and do something about it.
How is your month going?
Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I was amazed that on Friday, the first day of December, someone asked me if I was “ready for the holidays.” No! I cried. It’s just turned December! There’s time!
I know. I’ll just feel better after I get the overseas presents posted.
I’m also not ready for the holidays! We don’t have any decorations up yet because digging them out of the basement is difficult.
We just moved, so I’m still not sure where everything is. Hopefully I’ll find them by the end of the month.
I know that you are a huge fan of the Oz books, and I really like the idea of participating in an Ozathon. I’d planned to read the Chapter-a-Day books next year, but that list of titles has not been announced. I’ll pencil in the Ozathon. I have been very successful with reading children’s books lately, so maybe this will help me get out of my slump.
I hope you’ll manage to read at least one book!
Oooo The Wall is one of my favorite books and movies of all time!!!!!!! I even drove my lazy self to Pasadena to see the movie in a real theater when it came out many years ago. LOL
I wondered if you meant the more famous “The Wall” by Pink Floyd – I did not know this one had had a movie made of it. But then I looked it up and found there was one, from 2012. I’ll have to check it out!
Nope. The Wall (Die Wand) 2012 starring Martina Gedeck. So good!!!!
Great to know!
Looks a good, though busy month Lory. I read Story Girl and Golden Road long long ago, though I’m still hoping to revisit them this month (‘catch up’ with the readalong). Oz is on the list as well. I’m excited for the Ozathon since I’ve never read beyond the first two books. The first was a childhood favourite and reread a few times at least, the second I read only much later.
I’m reading Landlines and enjoying it very much.
Those books were so good! I read all three this year.