Although I've been more prolific with my reviewing the past couple of weeks (having to drop to part-time work at my job for at least a couple of weeks is a main factor in the increased output), there just have been too many books read this year for me to cover them all the way they deserve. Therefore, I thought I'd write a whimsical post about which books might be better covered by certain blogger reviewers. Let's hope some of these read this list and agree to review them, shall we?
Neth Space – Helen Oyeyemi, Mr. Fox. Being a new father should prepare him well for how Oyeyemi constructs her latest novel.
Empty Your Heart of Its Mortal Dream – Terry Goodkind, The Omen Machine. I think it would be neat to see how Paul would break down Goodkind.
Dazed Rambling – Stewart O'Nan, Songs for the Missing. Just because I'd like to see his reaction to it.
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist – Georges Perec, Les choses. Why? Because it's in French, Pat can read French, and I just want to see if he'll use at least one of the following: "It's YA," "Fans of Salvatore and/or Weiss & Hickman...," "7.5/10"
The Wertzone – Amy Waldman, The Submission. Just because.
A Dribble of Ink – Moacyr Scliar, Kafka's Leopards. I want to see if Aidan will get past the cover art and cover the entire novel.
Mat Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review – Javier Marías, Your Face Tomorrow (trilogy). Again, just because.
The Speculative Scotsman – Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (eds.), ODD? If you're planning to cover The Weird, I'd like to see someone cover its little brother/cousin, ODD?
There, with one notable exception, these are all books that I've read this year (guess which one I haven't) that I think might be interesting to see how others would cover them. Hopefully, a few reading this will actually take me up on this and try out those works.
Neth Space – Helen Oyeyemi, Mr. Fox. Being a new father should prepare him well for how Oyeyemi constructs her latest novel.
Empty Your Heart of Its Mortal Dream – Terry Goodkind, The Omen Machine. I think it would be neat to see how Paul would break down Goodkind.
Dazed Rambling – Stewart O'Nan, Songs for the Missing. Just because I'd like to see his reaction to it.
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist – Georges Perec, Les choses. Why? Because it's in French, Pat can read French, and I just want to see if he'll use at least one of the following: "It's YA," "Fans of Salvatore and/or Weiss & Hickman...," "7.5/10"
The Wertzone – Amy Waldman, The Submission. Just because.
A Dribble of Ink – Moacyr Scliar, Kafka's Leopards. I want to see if Aidan will get past the cover art and cover the entire novel.
Mat Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review – Javier Marías, Your Face Tomorrow (trilogy). Again, just because.
The Speculative Scotsman – Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (eds.), ODD? If you're planning to cover The Weird, I'd like to see someone cover its little brother/cousin, ODD?
There, with one notable exception, these are all books that I've read this year (guess which one I haven't) that I think might be interesting to see how others would cover them. Hopefully, a few reading this will actually take me up on this and try out those works.
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19 comments:
I'll be the first to bite and pick-up the first volume of Your Face Tomorrow. I'm a fan - as you probably know - of Spanish fiction. Did you read Marías in the original Spanish or the English translation?
Just noticed. Aidan gets 152 page novel and I get a trilogy comprised of more than 1,000 pages?
That sounds like a wonderful novel. I have a soft spot in my heart for Prague and just started writing a short story set in the city. It's like you can read my mind, Larry.
The cover art *is* kinda boring, though...
;)
I read it in both, as I bought the translation for a planned project that might not now come to fruition. I can say the translation is good, but the original is mesmerizing.
Well, the Scliar is a bit more challenging in some ways... but at least you'll be guaranteed a long, enjoyable read, no?
And Aidan,
I hope you're somewhat familiar with Kafka, as he does play a role in this :P
Only aware of Kafka and his work through cultural osmosis. Haven't read any of it directly.
You should try it, as his stories are wonderfully weird.
I have only read The Metamorphosis and, yes, it was definitely weird. Can't say that I enjoyed it all that much either. Wouldn't put me off reading more of his work though.
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Well, hey, look at that. My library has Stewart O'Nan's Songs for the Missing. Will be picking it up soon.
As it happens I just bought Odd? - from an independent ebookstore that was linked on JV site as they offered a nice drm-free epub for 5.99 - last night to alternate with Parallel Stories which is mostly great but pretty hard going on occasion and I hope to read all the stories by this Sunday or next one at the latest and run a review; I sampled all the opening lines and I liked most if not all of them
James,
I think you might enjoy the O'Nan. I did, at least.
Liviu,
Cool! It would be out-of-place for me to justify reviewing a book in which a translation of mine appears, but it's nice to know there are outlets out there besides Amazon and B&N that carry it.
Well, after 4+ years of fatherhood, I'm not sure that I still qualify as a new father as I do have at least some seasoning. However, the year has been quite the rollercoaster.
It sounds like a very interesting book, though I know I don't have the background to fully appreciate it (at least based on the couple of reviews I looked at). I'll keep an eye out for it, though with the severe constraints on my reading time these days it'll proabably be a while before I can get to it.
Larry,
I was quite annoyed to discover the Amazon preview ended mid-chapter.
Ken,
I was thinking of your recent post about your youngest child. Sorry I was unclear with that. As for the Oyeyemi, if you've ever read any of the old fairy tales, especially "Bluebeard," you'll have a leg-up on things. Add to that that the sections aren't very long and it should be perfect for a parent of an infant, no? :P
James,
Sometimes you just have to take a plunge blindfolded ;)
Weightless Books carries the ebook; never used them before since I prefer Kobo (or Smashwords) and then Amazon if Kobo does not carry it, but I am all for using smaller outlets if they are competitive
http://weightlessbooks.com/genre/fiction/anthology/odd/
I notice that Paul has refused to comment here. I can't imagine why.
Oh, he already told me on Twitter what he thought of the selection. I then suggested, this time seriously, Colson Whitehead's The Colossus of New York.
If you want, you could always try to read/review Amit Majmudar's Partitions. Curious to know what you make of that. I liked it, but not as well as his short fiction that I chose for consideration for the aborted Best American Fantasy 4.
Larry,
I was enjoying it. The last thing I wanted was for the chapter to leave me hanging. I will be heading over to the library sometime over the next few days, so I will pick it up then.
That actually sounds like an interesting book. Though if I added it to the to-read pile now, it'd probably be 2014 before I got to it :-)
Neth, I read a previous Oyeyemi novel, White is for Witching, and it was out there and bizarre, but also tremendously well-written. I've been considering giving this one a go.
It is a good book, Adam, but alas one that I don't have time at the moment to review. Thought you might enjoy it as a change of pace.
Sir, when there's a print edition, I absolutely will. ODD? looks like the perfect complement to The Weird, and The Weird has been wonderful. So... science!
Really looking forward to Paul's thoughts on The Omen Machine, now that's he signed a legally binding document to take it apart for our pleasure/pain. Because he has; I saw it on the internet somewhere so it's surely true.
I think Paul's waiting until a more propitious moment to crack the code of The Omen Machine. That or he's in a catatonic state after reading that suggestion ;)
Glad to hear you are enjoying The Weird. I wait each day, so far in vain, for my print contributor's copy to arrive.
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