The year has almost come to a close and I’ve had the opportunity to read a few really good novels: Chang Rae Lee’s The Surrendered, Octavia Butler’s Fledgling, and Mona Simpson’s My Hollywood for starters. As far as non-fiction goes The New Jim Crow was undoubtedly the most important book I have read this year and I would highly recommend it! I have a book habit the way some people have a show habit, my apartment is overrun with them and for anyone familiar with New York City apartments, that doesn’t leave me much room!
I ‘ve always personally found reading to be one of the most pleasurable past times and I always try to carve out time to make room for them. More importantly, I would love to write extensively about each book that I complete but alas time will not permit. Nonetheless, there are a few books that I’ve heard about either through media or word of month that are sitting in my apartment on table that I can’t wait to tear into. They include:
1. The Passage by Justin Cronin. An epic vampire tale the book has received excellent reviews so I believe I may take this rather large novel with me on my trip to Japan in the next few weeks.
2. Some Sing, Some Cry — the latest novel by Ntozake shange and her sister Ife Bayeza. The book is also epic in scope and from what I’ve heard equally as impressive a read.
3. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen — Hate him or love him, he is quickly becoming one of the most important American writers of our time. I still haven’t read The Corrections or the two novels he wrote prior to it. Freedom will be my first read of Franzen’s work and I’m eager to post a review of it here.
4. The Book of Salt by Monque Truong . I hadn’t heard of the author nor this book until I heard Alice Walker speak at 92Y earlier this year. The question was asked who and what is she reading these days and she stated that Truong’s The Book of Salt was one of the best reads she had in quite some time. A recommendation from Alice Walker carries a lot of weight with me!
5. Before You Suffocate Your Fool Self by Danielle Evans — This young lady’s first collection of short stories has been profiled everywhere to glowing reviews. Needless to say, I have to check it out!
6. The Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire — This book aims to illuminate how the in the course for civil rights, violence against black women became largely marginalized as blacks fought for civil rights. In other words, race trumped gender then and continues to do so in written history. Largely recommended as a must read.
7. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon . I’ve never read any Chabon and I’ve heard time and time again that I am missing out. Apparently he is quite the essayist and his wife Ayelet is supposedly a good writer as well and no stranger to controversy.
8. The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings of James Baldwin — a plethora of James Baldwin essays in one collection Nuff said!
9. And the Heart Says Whatever by Emily Gould — I heard about this book at salon.com, memoir in eleven essays. Inspired enough interest for me to pick it up from the library.
10. The Whites of their Eyes by Jill Lepore — an investigation of the Tea Party, its beginnings and rise to the national stage of politics. Comes recommended by The New Yorker.
I got a lot of reading ahead of me, a lot of which will be completed on planes and subways. What books do you have on your reading table?
