Odds and {Book}ends

The Friday 5: NBA & Holidayzz

Wow, it’s suddenly the end of November! Is it just me, or does this time of year feel like working people’s summer break (with worse weather and more food)? Like you mean I actually get TWO vacations TWO months in a row?? Yes, please, thank you. 

I absolutely LOVE traveling, and reading an amazing book makes the bus/train/plane/car trip go by wayyy faster. Have a happy & safe Thanksgiving!  

This book caught my attention when a publishing friend posted an amazing recommendation of it on Facebook (which she rarely does so this is serious shiz) and I then realized it was a National Book Award finalist.

Powers enlisted in the Army at 17 and served in Iraq for two years. He then received an MFA in poetry from UT. Powers uses his talent with words to depict the journey of 21-year-old John Bartle and his platoon to Al Tafar and home again. I don’t think a person’s experience at war can be accurately described by anyone but them, especially in a book summary, although here is the NY Times review if you’re intrigued. 

This book needs no help getting buzz or garnering praise (it was already a National Book Award finalist). As the much-anticipated follow up to Pulitzer-Prize-winning Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Diaz has already established himself as a modern day literary powerhouse. This is How You Lose Her actually interested me because of the way it’s written- 9 stories all revolving around one main character,Yunior, who moves from Santo Domingo to New Jersey with his family. (I have a new-found obsession with short stories.)  

According to the NY Times, Lose Her focuses on stories of love-the majority on love fraught with heartache, unfaithfulness, and at the center, “the endless difficulty of loving oneself.”       

As you can probably tell from the cover, this book is told from the viewpoint of a dog. It also apparently has various references to race car driving. Now I think dogs are cool, but I’m not a crazy animal lover. And I think the last time I saw a race car race (um, probably not correct terminology there) was on TV in the 90’s when we had no cable. But someone very trustworthy and dear to me recommended this book and just from reading the quote below, I can tell it has an amazing message. 

“To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am. I am. That is something to aspire to.” -Garth Stein, Art of Racing in the Rain

I’m currently in the middle of Carried Away, a Munro collection of short stories that the author compiled from all her various collections. I can only assume that because she picked them, they stood out to her for some reason-whether it was a challenging story to write or something that she’s particularly proud of, or maybe even a story that relates extremely closely to her own life coughFriendofMyYouthcough. Needless to say, I’m obsessed with her at the moment, and I’ve really come to appreciate collections of short stories. It’s almost like getting that feeling of satisfaction at reading a full book every 50 pages.

Munro is renowned in the literary world for her short stories about life, love, and family, the ordinary things. But she somehow crafts her language to say so much more. She’s able to catch those elusive feelings that most people would never have the ability to describe. This is what makes her work so beautiful. Plus I love the title. Legitimately a MUST READ. 

This novel caught my attention simply because of a blurb on the cover: “The Catch-22 of the Iraq War.” Bonus: another NBA finalist. 

The Friday 5…Times Two!

Woah, so it’s been quite the hiatus for little Odds and Bookends. This post has been in the works for a good couple months now, so I hope you like it, and that’s mainly why there are so many books. Enjoy yoself and yo weekend. 

So probably the last movie I got genuinely excited about was Harry Potter. I like going to movies, but I usually don’t make any special effort to see them (except you should definitely go see The Words- it’s amazing.) But PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, the movie, is out now!! I’m really excited to see it since Perks was one of my favorite books ever in high school. I re-read it a couple weeks ago. Although it didn’t necessarily mean the same things to me now, it was still so legit because it reminded me of why I loved it so much back then. The voice, the candidness, the wording- definitely worth your while, again and again.  

I randomly picked this up off a bookshelf, mainly because the spine was pink. I’ve found some of the best books that way. (Necessary clarification: not books with pink spines, just picking by up random books in general.)

Alter is almost 40, just went through a divorce with a terrible sounding man, and her life basically sucks. She decides to take on a project- bettering herself in a new way each month with the help of 10-12 different mags. It sounds cliche, but Alter is truly anything but. She’s smart, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and brings a fresh skepticism and wit to her adventures.

This book just sounds fun. It was inspired by real lyfe when Shumway spent 9 months compiling an article for Glamour about the year’s top ten college women. It’s about a girl and her struggles when moving to NYC and all the craziness in between. Can’t wait to read it. 

I’ve been hearing A LOT about this book lately. I’ve heard that it’s amazing- I’ve heard that it sucks. Either way, I think it’s a great example of what a first-time author can do. Walker was an editor at Simon & Schuster and apparently came in early every day to write this book. Can you say WILLPOWER? And if the narrator is indeed reminiscent of Susie from The Lovely Bones, I am more than down to read.  Also, she cleaned up with a seven-figure deal on her first book ever. Four for you Karen Thompson Walker! You go Karen Thompson Walker. MAKE IT RAINNNN.

I heard about this book from an editorial assistant friend who is always in the know about YA books. The central character has been living with cancer since she was 13, and it sounds like Green does a fabulous job of intertwining lives and disease and words.

This quote from the book speaks for itself:

“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities … There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbound set. But Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity.”

Side note: If you’re fascinated with the epidemiology of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies is absolutely MIND BLOWING. The aforementioned NPR link reminded me about the Pulitzer-Prize winner, and the fact that I have yet to post it on this blog! SHAMEFUL, since it’s a book about disease that is readable with a real narrative that keeps you going-a hard achievement in non-fiction books in general, and especially any that have true scientific merit like Emperor. 

I’m honestly just obsessed with this cover. I saw it in McNally Jackson, and I think it’s the perfect example of the BEST kind of eye-catcher. It literally made me pick up the book. The plot doesn’t sound like something I’d normally gravitate towards at first- “missing people who’ve deliberately vanished themselves…absent mothers, striving academics, plastic surgery enthusiasts, Sylvia Plath obsessives,” but now it has my attention.

The second I read a review of this book, I knew I had to read it. Shout out to a publishing friend who sent me a copy. Holla!

Piot’s memoir describes his experiences as one of the first researchers to discover the Ebola virus and subsequent battle for HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa. He also talks about infectious disease and the almost silent threat they hold, even more so now in the face of antibiotics and anti-retroviral drugs. The threat of drug-resistant infections is so fascinating and will most likely have a huge impact on our future. It reminds me of another classic favorite, Mountains Beyond Mountains.

I’m currently in the throes of this CRAZY FREAKING BOOK. It’s nuts. It’s nothing I would ever pick up to read normally, but a lovely friend recommended it and let me borrow a copy. I would classify it as “literally crime fiction,” with a minor in being “generally bad ass.” Shushan “Shoeshine” Cats is a kind of Robin-hood Jewish gangster mob lord in NYC during the 60s. Russ, a college-boy, pot-smoking, smartass is the main character. He somehow falls into being chosen as Shushan’s successor, and the book just ends up being an excellent combo of action, humor, and crazy guys doing crazy shit. 

Also, if you’re a guy and you’re not really into reading, you’d enjoy the crap out of this book, guaranteed.

I love the author’s note: “So far as the author knows, the details of a vanished era in this book are all correct—but one. Find it if you can.” AHHHHH what????!!!

My YA expert friend is to credit for this recommendation again. We were at BookCourt (A gorgeous independent bookseller, BTDUB) browsing the shelves, and she said, “Just read the first page of this book.” I did. Then I read the second page. Then I didn’t want to stop!

The opening scene does what most authors only hope and pray to do-it completely captivates you. It links two characters so inextricably that you HAVE to know what happens. EXTREMELY young love, a crazy-tight bond, and the feeling that you almost need another person to survive seem to be the main threads. And this is Alcott’s debut as a novelist to top it all off.

Um, is this not adorable? Seriously, if you have a nine-year-old acquaintance somewhere in the world, she needs this book. It reminds me of my obsessive grade-school drawing/sketching outfits inspired by Spice World and Destiny’s Child. And I was also insanely excited when my grandma taught me how to sew Barbie clothes. Yes, I was a complete freak of a child, but it was so much fun!!! :)

Have a wonderful Friday!!

The Friday 5: Blowin’ Up Yo Feed on Tuesday!

Wait, you say, isn’t it Tuesday? Yes, yes it is. But what better day to find a new book for a little mid-week pick-me-up?! (I’m not really sure about the grammatical accuracy of all those dashes.) I’ve been crafting this post for like a month now, just because I never seem to have enough time to get it done! GAH. So here you have it- a way overdue (I’M SORRY THE HUNGER GAMES TOOK OVER MY LIFE FOR A SECOND month, and it may or may not have been worth it because I still have mixed feelings about the last book) edition of The Friday 5. :) 

Obviously I’m pretty PO-ed along with the rest of the 12 people that care about the lack of Pulitzer fiction award. But as a friend pointed out to me, now hopefully everyone will read all three amazing books instead of just one!! Which is a great outcome for a not-so-great situation. 

This book had me at “magical realism,” AND THEN I learned there is also an “alligator theme park.” Who thinks of that?! Already love everything about it. 

Wallace committed suicide in 2008, and The Pale King was “pieced together by Wallace’s editor Michael Pietsch from pages and notes that the author left behind.” 

A little novella with a big rep to live up to: “It’s a love story, a hermit’s story… It’s also a small masterpiece. You look up from the thing dazed, slightly changed.” -NYT

Also, one of the besties just mailed it to me so I can read it on my upcoming trip :) Yayayayayayay

Gahhh I can’t even say enough good things about this book. It will truly make many an impression on you and the way you look at produce in America. Also, I’ll probably never eat at Applebees again (excluding the appetizer sampler & blondie, because really, who could forego those delightful treats?). But on the real, this is such a solid and well-written piece of journalism. McMillan gathers up her modest savings and spends a month as a fruit picker, a Wal-Mart worker, and an Applebees expo. She did a ton of research and makes amazingly articulate observations about agriculture in America to go along with it. 

Can’t remember where I first heard about this book- but I keep hearing about it. That just goes to show you that this book is probably A) LEGIT and B) has a great publishing team.  

I bought this book for a book club (not exactly a light beach read…) and the (one) chapter that I’ve gotten though so far was really good! This baby is going to require some dedication to get through, just because it’s so long, but I’m expecting great things! 

I can’t make any immediate speculations about this book because I don’t know what observations Didion makes about El Salvador & the effects of its civil war. But it is on the TOP of my “to read” list. Didion’s main focus is the little-known (at least in the US) Salvadoran civil war and the US’s role in it. I’m very interested to see what her viewpoints are. 

 

Can we just take a second (or 10) to admire this cover? I saw it at McNally Jackson (which is an awesome independent in NYC) and just love how clean and austere it is, yet beautiful. It’s probably a good book too! :)

AGH there is SO MUCH good YA stuff out right now. I just finished Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz, and I must say it was a delight. It could be so simple and lighthearted at times, but then one sentence would just break my heart. It actually involves several heavy subjects- DC area sniper shootings, leukemia, love. But seeing these events through the eyes of the two main teenage characters makes them all tie together perfectly. 

Very, very well written. I found myself wondering what Grissom’s IQ score is at times (or whatever you prefer using for a measure of intelligence). It’s not an overstatement to say she is a masterful and brilliant storyteller. I was propelled through most of the book by a combo of great writing and the need to see what messed up thing happens next to the characters. By the end, I was so entrenched in the drama, that I was reading it before falling asleep and in a half-sleep haze, realized I was literally stress-dreaming about what was going to happen to the main character. Suspenseful, but WORTH IT!! 

I’m shamelessly obsessed with breakfast. I’m the person who is appalled and offended when people tell me they don’t eat it. I really don’t cook that often, but I’ve been getting more into it lately and am super excited to break this baby open and pick out something delish to make. Forget pinterest. You’ve got William Sonoma Breakfast. 

The Friday 5: Back with a vengeance

The Friday 5 is BACK!! (after a short hiatus.) And it’s better than ever! I’m aware that it’s saturday, but “the saturday five” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. 

I’ve read three out of five of the books on this list, and the other two are books that I will most certainly be reading the moment it is humanly possible to do so. These recommendations are the real deal peeps. Happy reading! 

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m really becoming a fan of YA. Virtuosity is incredibly readable - I was taken in by the story the minute I began reading. The story line is refreshingly unique. A teen romance unfolds between two of the world’s best violinists while they prepare to face off in a competition that will make or break their careers. The main character, Carmen, also struggles with an anxiety medication addiction, which makes the story line even more complex. Love, competition, addiction…definitely an indisputable recipe for success. 

I had to finish Little Bee in pretty much one sitting because it’s such an amazing story. I’d had a copy for a few months, but just got around to reading it last weekend. It’s basically about the story of a refugee and an English family. I don’t want to say too much because “the magic lies in the way the story unfolds” and all. But I will say that there is no way you’d be disappointed by this read. 

Little Bee leads me to Gold, Cleave’s newest novel. It doesn’t pub until July 10th, so there is a BIT of anticipation. Word around the street is that it’s EVEN BETTER than Little Bee, which I really can’t fathom, but I guess we’ll just have to read it and find out!! 

So this cover picture doesn’t quite do this book the justice it deserves. The actual cover is this beautifully soft and understated gray. QUIET is all about introverts. It’s very readable, and you can tell how passionate and knowledgable Cain is about the subject. She has done a massive amount of research, and presents her findings with scientific studies to back it up. I think this book will hit home for so many people just because Cain’s basic thesis is that it’s OK to be introverted, and introversion means something different to everyone. Maybe you have to convince yourself to go out with friends once a month, or maybe you just need 10 minutes to hang out alone after a big speech. Either way, Cain explains, those things don’t mean there is something fundamentally flawed about your character. 

BIG NEWS. J. K. Rowling is writing a new book that doesn’t have anything to do with HP!! When I first heard about it, I was so surprised! Then I was surprised I was so surprised. Wait, this woman wasn’t solely put on the planet to write Harry Potter books for my and the rest of the world’s entertainment?? It’s kind of appalling that I honestly never even thought about her writing another book. But it’s obviously a great and logical next step for her. We know absolutely NOTHING about the book as of now, but I can’t WAIT to read this baby. YAYYYYY, a million times yay. Big anticipation all around.