It's been a while!
I'm kind of obsessed with zuihitsu right now, a Japanese literary form somewhere between a poem and an essay. It's translated as "following the brush" and comprised of connected statements, lists, references, what have you, depending on the writer and topic and method chosen. A very flexible literary form. I've had one that I've written accepted for publication and I want to write more. So I'm immersing myself by reading them. The most famous is Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book, but right up there is Yoshida Kenko's Essays in Idleness, which I'm loving. So that's what I'm reading. What about you?Saturday, September 28, 2024
Monday, July 15, 2024
Jewish Book Carnival!
Welcome to the July Jewish Book Carnival, where we gather links from folks in the Jewish book world- librarians, authors, booksellers, and more, to create community and share our work and writing.
The carnival was started by Heidi Rabinowitz and myself to build community among bloggers and blogs who feature Jewish books. It runs every month on the 15th (or close to the 15th when it falls on Shabbat).
Author Talia Carner's appeal to the leadership of the Authors' Guild highlights a major issue of concern to all Jewish writers.
Adam Gidwitz and Steve Sheinkin are guests on the July episode of The
Book of Life Podcast, talking about their recent Holocaust books, Max in
the House of Spies (middle grade historical fantasy) and Impossible
Escape (young adult nonfiction). You can hear the episode, find a
transcript, and see the show notes at the link here, and of course you
can hear it wherever you normally listen to podcasts by subscribing to
The Book of Life. https://jewishbooks.
In this episode of What If? Why Not? How?, Sally Wiener Grotta talks with Yerra Sugarman about the history, emotions, and craft that make up her poignant poetry. https://www.sallywienergrotta.
Monday, June 3, 2024
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
It's Monday, and I'm treating myself to a re-read of Diana Wynne Jones' children's classic Howl's Moving Castle. It's the basis for my favorite comfort-watch movie and I know the book is very different from the movie but that's what I love about both, the way that Hiyao Miyazaki used this weird and wonderful book as the jumping-off point for his own weird and wonderful art. I'll put on some of Joe Hisaishi's magical soundtrack, make some tea and settle in. What about you?
Monday, May 27, 2024
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
Shze-Hui Tjoa's memoir The Story Game is my current read. It's a mysterious, searing memoir told in a format I've never seen before, alternating between first-person narration of anecdotes whose connection only becomes clear as we go on, and a conversation between the narrator and a younger child.
I received it for review and promotion from the publisher, Tin House Books, whose books I always love. They really do publish the crème-de-la-crème of both fiction and nonfiction. They also run some pretty great writing workshops.
They sent me this nice gift wrapped package with two promotional postcards. So fun!Anyway definitely check out The Story Game. I am probably going to be done reading it in another couple of days and then you'll see a review in my Substack, which I encourage you to subscribe to.
Monday, May 6, 2024
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
I'm reading J.L. Carr's lovely A Month in the Country, about an art restorer and WW1 vet spending a summer in the English countryside restoring a painting in a village church. It's low-key and delightful and very short- only 135 pages in the New York Review Books Classics edition. I heard about it from YouTuber Tristan and the Classics, which I recommend you check out for great reading ideas.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Niantic Book Barn Angela Thirkell Shopping Spree
I got a chance to visit the Niantic Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut, recently. The Book Barn is unique among the bookstores I've visited as being broken up into several stores throughout the town of Niantic. The main store is composed of a house that has several categories of nonfiction, and vast outdoor barns and stalls for fiction- mystery, general fiction, romance, etc. There are several other stores around town that are Book Barn stores that have science fiction, other categories of nonfiction, and even an antique store.
I spent most of my time, and all of my money, in the general fiction section.
I collect Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire novels; sometimes, I even read them. There are about 21 books in the series and I got a stack of Thirkells years ago at the Montague Book Mill. I was hoping to luck out here on this visit. I was not disappointed. I got all of the Thirkells pictured above, very nearly completing my Barsetshire collection. I think I only need two more now.
Very exciting!
When I'm done with Wheel of Time I'm going to make Barsetshire my next destination.
Monday, April 15, 2024
Jewish Book Carnival
Welcome to the April Jewish Book Carnival, where we gather links from folks in the Jewish book world- librarians, authors, booksellers, and more, to create community and share our work and writing.
The carnival was started by Heidi Rabinowitz and myself to build community among bloggers and blogs who feature Jewish books. It runs every month on the 15th (or close to the 15th when it falls on Shabbat).
Monday, April 8, 2024
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
I'm debating doing this here or over on my Substack but I feel like taking this up again right now. I was thinking about a written reading journal when I remembered I have an actual blog I could use. So here we are.
What are you reading?
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Books Against Humanity Annual Meme
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Year-End Statistical Roundup for 2023
How many books read in 2023?
58 books in 2023. I wish the number were higher but that's OK.
How many fiction and non fiction?
33 fiction and 25 nonfiction. Three of the nonfiction titles were audiobooks.
Male/Female author ratio?
23 men to 30 women.
Diversity?
17 authors were people of color. 10 (or 10 that I know of) were Jewish and 3 (that I know of) were queer.
Favorite book of 2023?
Before My Actual Heart Breaks, by Tish Delaney
Oldest book read? Lady Audley's Secret, published in 1862.
Newest? Death Valley, by Melissa Broder, which came out in October, 2023.
Longest and shortest book titles?
Shortest title: Artforum, by Cesar Aira
Longest title: One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World, by Michael Frank
Longest and shortest books?
Longest: The Shadow Rising, by Robert Jordan
Shortest: probably Artforum
How many books from the library?
None! I'm a buyer, not a borrower.
Any translated books?
Yes, I read books translated from Spanish, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Italian, and German, and two with portions translated from Yiddish.
Which countries did you go to through the page in your year of reading?
South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Japan, France, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Israel, Korea, Russia, England, Bangladesh, Brazil. And the fictional world of "Randland," the unofficial fan name for the main continent on which The Wheel of Time series is set.
Most read author of the year, and how many books by that author?
Robert Jordan, with four books
Any re-reads?
Pushkin Hills, by Sergei Dovlatov
Favorite character of the year?
Egwene from the Wheel of Time series; Lady Audley of Lady Audley's Secret.
Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?
All of the Robert Jordan books- The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn and The Shadow Rising, recommended by my husband, a true Wheel of Time warrior.
The Art of Memoir, was recommended by several writing teachers.
The Artist's Way, was recommended by someone else I know.
Which author was new to you in 2023 that you now want to read the entire works of?
Robert Jordan
Which books are you annoyed you didn't read?
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk and the rest of my TBR.
Did you read any books you have always been meaning to read?
Normal People, by Sally Rooney
Bookish Events in Marie's Life
Started writing again
Got some things published
Took a lot of writing workshops
Enjoyed the Wheel of Time TV show and one read-along podcast, Through the Glass Columns.