Autumn is my favorite season! It means comfy sweaters, hot tea and curling up with a good book.
What are you most looking forward to reading this fall? Is it a new release? Or something from your bedside pile?
I’ll go first: I can’t wait to read ‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert (the movie looks amazing!), ‘The Sea, the Sea’ by Iris Murdoch (it’s been on my pile for years) and ‘Tokyo Ueno Station’ by Yu Miri (2020’s National Book Award winner for translated literature).
I’ll definitely be reading ‘The Master and Margarita’, but just now I’m reading ‘The Hakawati’ by Rabih Alameddine and ‘An Equal Music’ by Vikram Seth. Alameddine also just published ‘The Wrong End of the Telescope’, which sounds very complex and intriguing.
These are all great titles, Lisa. Thanks for sharing them! 'The Wrong End of the Telescope' has been getting a lot of play in the book world, so that's been on my radar. I will be interested to get your thoughts on Margarita. It's been a journey for me!
Thanks, Jane! Donna read Hamnet for her book club, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I think we still have it so I will put it on the list for 2022. In the meantime I would love to hear your thoughts on it when you finish.
I didn't have a ton of standouts from my summer reading selections this year, but I'm looking forward to my fall reads. I'm rereading Dune soon (and maaay have assigned myself a story about it for work so I really have to do it), and no joke - I have Tokyo Ueno Station out from the library right now, so I'll be reading that as well. And I'm excited about the new Ruth Ozeki and Fault Lines by Emily Itami — both holds just became available for me. I have a looot of reading to do and can't slack off like I did this summer.
I hear you about the summer reads. I didn't love much of what I read. The books were good, but only one really stood out. I'm hopeful that the Fall is better, and I'm looking forward to the books above. I am, however, concerned about Dune. I tried it many years ago and didn't get very far. I'm a slow reader as it is and I don't know if I can get it done in 2 weeks. Yours is the second reference to Ruth Ozeki here, so I will definitely work her into the queue soon. I look forward to discussing Dune and TUS with you this fall!
I think you should try Dune one more time but *don't* put pressure on yourself to read it faster. The movie coming out doesn't even cover the entire book. I fell in love with it two decades ago but I wonder if it helped that I had watched and liked the Children of Dune miniseries before I decided to try the books. Maybe they would have felt denser if I hadn't had that introduction. I've only read the first three because I've heard the series gets messy from there, but I do have a soft spot for them. Some of the themes just resonated really well with me, but I'm curious to see how I feel about it now because I think it's been a while since my last reread. (Re: Ruth Ozeki - I read and enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being a few years ago, so that's contributing to my interest in her latest. Maybe that's also a title worth checking out for you!)
Every time I think about Dune I have to take a deep breath. I feel like now, with the movie coming out, I have to tackle it. Because if not now, when? I was also going to tackle The Eye of the World because the Amazon series is coming out, but that felt like too much too close together. I will do that next year, or whenever a second season happens. I think I will eventually read A Tale for the Time Being. But I have a TBR pile that is getting a little high so I need to chip away at it before restocking lol!
I am reading "Outline" by Rachel Cusk, which I am really enjoying so far. Next I have "Trick Mirror" by Jia Tolentino. I also want to read "Three Women" by Lisa Taddeo since everyone raves about it. Also, "Conviction" by Denise Mina as recommended by Ellen K.! (P.S. I flew threw "Severance" and enjoyed it. Could not believe this book published in 2018 was discussing N95 masks and Netflix promotions about staying in during lockdown/quarantine. Spooky prophetic!)
I am excited to hear what you think about the Cusk book. I really enjoyed the trilogy. It's intense and interestingly written. I also wanted to read Trick Mirror, but my interest there comes and goes. Let me know if I should finally dig in. Many people have suggested the Taddeo book to me as well. I gotta get on that. And that's crazy about Severance! Early in the pandemic I tried to read The Decamaron but it was about a bunch of people hiding out in a house telling stories to avoid the plague. It was written hundreds of years ago but it was just too real! Had to put it aside. lol! So I might need to wait for things to settle down before tackling 'Severence.'
Honestly I didn't find Severance to be as much of a "this is too much realness for me" experience as I was thinking it could be. Still, I know what you mean. "Outline" sort of reminds me of the movie "Waking Life" where it's just a series of conversations. Some of the ideas introduced feel so painfully relatable, haha. I went back and read your BoG review of it and I was like yes, yes exactly Joseph Gordon-Levitt sad on a bus.
I have this weird obsession with "fake true crime" and ended up reading "Conviction" twice. Denise Mina clearly knows the true crime genre. She incorporates it flawlessly.
I'm currently reading an ARC of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (comes out September 28th) and LOVING it. It reminds me a bit of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I also loved. Having been reminded of Mitchell's work I'm planning to read another book of his, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I don't actually know much about it or whether it has "fall" vibes, I'm just assuming it's seasonally appropriate because it has the word 'autumns' in the title!
Hi Adrienne! I also loved Cloud Atlas (it was the novel that got me back into novels), and on the strength of that love I read de Zoet. It was many years ago, long before BoG. I don't remember much about it. I think I enjoyed it, but not as much as Cloud Atlas. As far as fall vibes, I do remember there being something about leaves in it. It could also just be the cover design giving me that impression. Let me know what you think of it. Also, how is Cloud Cuckoo Land going?
I'm almost done with Cloud Cuckoo Land now and have been thoroughly enjoying it! I really like it when books have a lot of threads connecting characters across time and place, and this book does that very well in my opinion.
My next read is Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, on my way to pick up my hold today from the Astoria Bookshop! And then looking forward to Fault Lines by Emily Itami and Forestborn, a YA debut novel by my former roommate Elayne Becker. Been needing a good fantasy YA to sink my teeth into for a while and what better time than fall!
Hi Alex! I've heard good things about Breasts and Eggs, and I got an RT from the author recently, so it's definitely on the radar screen. Let me know what you think of it! I hear you about wanting something to sink your teeth into. I feel like that experience has been few and far between for me this year. I'm hoping things pick up in the fall. Also I've always wanted to go to Astoria Bookshop, but haven't gotten up there yet. From what I've seen online it seems like a great book store!
Will do! Astoria Bookshop is a great place! Lovely, helpful staff and a great collection in store. The last book I truly, truly loved was Crying in H. Mart by Michelle Zauner so I'll just be chasing that feeling all through fall *sobs*
Currently finishing Joy Luck Club, a book I've been putting off since high school. lol Like a few others mentioned, looking forward to Ruth Ozeki's new one. I read A Tale for the Time Being in January, and it's turning out to be my favorite so far this year.
Hi Manki! I haven't read The Joy Luck Club. How did you like it? And what I'm learning from everyone's feedback is that I need to get Ruth Ozeki into the mix ASAP!
I'm still working through Joy Luck Club... my feelings are complicated about it but to sum them up, I enjoy the representation of Chinese culture and dynamics of Chinese mother/daughter relationship, but I can't shake the feeling that the book is written for the white gaze.
Considering when the book came out, it probably had to. If Amy Tan were writing it now, I wonder what she would do differently. And I am going to tackle Ruth Ozeki soon. It's happening!
I'm a huge Nordic noir fan and lately many of my reads have been either set in Iceland, or written by Icelandic authors. Just started rereading "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent. Fascinating story based on a real life character in the early part of 19th century Iceland. Yrsa Sigurðardottir's "The Day is Dark" is next on my list.
I should mention that the first book I'll review this fall is 'The Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov, which hits inboxes on Sunday!
I’ll definitely be reading ‘The Master and Margarita’, but just now I’m reading ‘The Hakawati’ by Rabih Alameddine and ‘An Equal Music’ by Vikram Seth. Alameddine also just published ‘The Wrong End of the Telescope’, which sounds very complex and intriguing.
These are all great titles, Lisa. Thanks for sharing them! 'The Wrong End of the Telescope' has been getting a lot of play in the book world, so that's been on my radar. I will be interested to get your thoughts on Margarita. It's been a journey for me!
Master and Margarita is one of my favorite books! I'm so excited for the review!
I was worried about this book honestly but the cat gun battle won me over lol
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki is next on deck for me.
Thanks, Joanna! Ruth Ozeki is an author I've been meaning to read for a while. Have you read any of her other books?
Do try A Tale for the Time Being. It’s a stunner.
OK! Will do. Thanks!
I’m reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Thanks, Jane! Donna read Hamnet for her book club, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I think we still have it so I will put it on the list for 2022. In the meantime I would love to hear your thoughts on it when you finish.
I didn't have a ton of standouts from my summer reading selections this year, but I'm looking forward to my fall reads. I'm rereading Dune soon (and maaay have assigned myself a story about it for work so I really have to do it), and no joke - I have Tokyo Ueno Station out from the library right now, so I'll be reading that as well. And I'm excited about the new Ruth Ozeki and Fault Lines by Emily Itami — both holds just became available for me. I have a looot of reading to do and can't slack off like I did this summer.
I hear you about the summer reads. I didn't love much of what I read. The books were good, but only one really stood out. I'm hopeful that the Fall is better, and I'm looking forward to the books above. I am, however, concerned about Dune. I tried it many years ago and didn't get very far. I'm a slow reader as it is and I don't know if I can get it done in 2 weeks. Yours is the second reference to Ruth Ozeki here, so I will definitely work her into the queue soon. I look forward to discussing Dune and TUS with you this fall!
I think you should try Dune one more time but *don't* put pressure on yourself to read it faster. The movie coming out doesn't even cover the entire book. I fell in love with it two decades ago but I wonder if it helped that I had watched and liked the Children of Dune miniseries before I decided to try the books. Maybe they would have felt denser if I hadn't had that introduction. I've only read the first three because I've heard the series gets messy from there, but I do have a soft spot for them. Some of the themes just resonated really well with me, but I'm curious to see how I feel about it now because I think it's been a while since my last reread. (Re: Ruth Ozeki - I read and enjoyed A Tale for the Time Being a few years ago, so that's contributing to my interest in her latest. Maybe that's also a title worth checking out for you!)
Every time I think about Dune I have to take a deep breath. I feel like now, with the movie coming out, I have to tackle it. Because if not now, when? I was also going to tackle The Eye of the World because the Amazon series is coming out, but that felt like too much too close together. I will do that next year, or whenever a second season happens. I think I will eventually read A Tale for the Time Being. But I have a TBR pile that is getting a little high so I need to chip away at it before restocking lol!
I am reading "Outline" by Rachel Cusk, which I am really enjoying so far. Next I have "Trick Mirror" by Jia Tolentino. I also want to read "Three Women" by Lisa Taddeo since everyone raves about it. Also, "Conviction" by Denise Mina as recommended by Ellen K.! (P.S. I flew threw "Severance" and enjoyed it. Could not believe this book published in 2018 was discussing N95 masks and Netflix promotions about staying in during lockdown/quarantine. Spooky prophetic!)
I am excited to hear what you think about the Cusk book. I really enjoyed the trilogy. It's intense and interestingly written. I also wanted to read Trick Mirror, but my interest there comes and goes. Let me know if I should finally dig in. Many people have suggested the Taddeo book to me as well. I gotta get on that. And that's crazy about Severance! Early in the pandemic I tried to read The Decamaron but it was about a bunch of people hiding out in a house telling stories to avoid the plague. It was written hundreds of years ago but it was just too real! Had to put it aside. lol! So I might need to wait for things to settle down before tackling 'Severence.'
Honestly I didn't find Severance to be as much of a "this is too much realness for me" experience as I was thinking it could be. Still, I know what you mean. "Outline" sort of reminds me of the movie "Waking Life" where it's just a series of conversations. Some of the ideas introduced feel so painfully relatable, haha. I went back and read your BoG review of it and I was like yes, yes exactly Joseph Gordon-Levitt sad on a bus.
I think I've used that JGL bus GIF in all three newsletters on the trilogy. It really captured the mood lol!
I have this weird obsession with "fake true crime" and ended up reading "Conviction" twice. Denise Mina clearly knows the true crime genre. She incorporates it flawlessly.
I'm currently reading an ARC of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (comes out September 28th) and LOVING it. It reminds me a bit of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which I also loved. Having been reminded of Mitchell's work I'm planning to read another book of his, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I don't actually know much about it or whether it has "fall" vibes, I'm just assuming it's seasonally appropriate because it has the word 'autumns' in the title!
Hi Adrienne! I also loved Cloud Atlas (it was the novel that got me back into novels), and on the strength of that love I read de Zoet. It was many years ago, long before BoG. I don't remember much about it. I think I enjoyed it, but not as much as Cloud Atlas. As far as fall vibes, I do remember there being something about leaves in it. It could also just be the cover design giving me that impression. Let me know what you think of it. Also, how is Cloud Cuckoo Land going?
I'm almost done with Cloud Cuckoo Land now and have been thoroughly enjoying it! I really like it when books have a lot of threads connecting characters across time and place, and this book does that very well in my opinion.
I love books like that, too, and they are very tough to pull off!
My next read is Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, on my way to pick up my hold today from the Astoria Bookshop! And then looking forward to Fault Lines by Emily Itami and Forestborn, a YA debut novel by my former roommate Elayne Becker. Been needing a good fantasy YA to sink my teeth into for a while and what better time than fall!
Hi Alex! I've heard good things about Breasts and Eggs, and I got an RT from the author recently, so it's definitely on the radar screen. Let me know what you think of it! I hear you about wanting something to sink your teeth into. I feel like that experience has been few and far between for me this year. I'm hoping things pick up in the fall. Also I've always wanted to go to Astoria Bookshop, but haven't gotten up there yet. From what I've seen online it seems like a great book store!
Will do! Astoria Bookshop is a great place! Lovely, helpful staff and a great collection in store. The last book I truly, truly loved was Crying in H. Mart by Michelle Zauner so I'll just be chasing that feeling all through fall *sobs*
Oh! I want to read H Mart too. I need a good cry.
My book club read Breast and Eggs in the spring. I really enjoyed it — I can't think of anything to compare it to.
Currently finishing Joy Luck Club, a book I've been putting off since high school. lol Like a few others mentioned, looking forward to Ruth Ozeki's new one. I read A Tale for the Time Being in January, and it's turning out to be my favorite so far this year.
Hi Manki! I haven't read The Joy Luck Club. How did you like it? And what I'm learning from everyone's feedback is that I need to get Ruth Ozeki into the mix ASAP!
I'm still working through Joy Luck Club... my feelings are complicated about it but to sum them up, I enjoy the representation of Chinese culture and dynamics of Chinese mother/daughter relationship, but I can't shake the feeling that the book is written for the white gaze.
Yes to Ruth Ozeki!! Go for it!!!
Considering when the book came out, it probably had to. If Amy Tan were writing it now, I wonder what she would do differently. And I am going to tackle Ruth Ozeki soon. It's happening!
I haven't had the attention span to read much lately, but Sally Rooney's new book has been enjoyable so far!
Hi Jane! I hear you. It has been so hard to concentrate on reading this summer. Glad you are enjoying Sally Rooney. Did you get the bucket hat too??
I'm a huge Nordic noir fan and lately many of my reads have been either set in Iceland, or written by Icelandic authors. Just started rereading "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent. Fascinating story based on a real life character in the early part of 19th century Iceland. Yrsa Sigurðardottir's "The Day is Dark" is next on my list.
Thanks, Corinne! Nordic Noir sounds really interesting. I'll put these on my tbr list.