Progress: Notes From A Reading Life ~ October 20
I just finished reading A Mercy, by Toni Morrison, and I loved the story. Morrison’s stories and storytelling are always so complicated and intricate, leaving me swinging wildly from one opinion to the next on the characters and what is going on in the story. I know now when I start a Toni Morrison novel I need to be completely focused, and am prepared to be baffled for the first 50 pages. At least. That held true here. You go from having no clue, but you keep reading and it very slowly starts to dawn into comprehension with a quiet horror. I think she channels her books. I never have any idea of how she makes it all come together quite the way that she does.
Shelf Discovery, by Lizzie Skurnick- Last week I went to the Fall Bash thrown by Harper Perennial and I picked this up. I had seen it all over the place without really knowing what it was about, and it is hilarious. Skurnick has compiled a series of book reports on books that a lot of us are familiar with from childhood and adolescence. You just don’t know how much you overlook as a child reading these books, and it’s so much fun to see them examined from a more critical perspective. These book reports will be fun to pick up and read for some comic relief during the Read-a-Thon if I manage to save any of them for the weekend!
In The Land of Cotton, by Martha A. Taylor – This came to me last week from the author, and I started reading a few pages and have had difficulties putting it down. The story of Martha and her troubled family in the segregated south has been compelling. The narrator is young, just entering her pre-teens, and sometimes I question the depth of the historical background she provides, but it’s happened in only a few places so far and is easily overlooked since I am enjoying the story so much.
Books Read Since My Last Update:
- The Greatest Knight, by Elizabeth Chadwick
- The Day The Falls Stood Still, by Cathy Marie Buchanan
- City of Refuge, by Tom Piazza
- Break No Bones, by Kathy Reichs
- The Last Dickens, by Matthew Pearl
- 31 Hours, by Masha Hamilton
- A Change in Altitude, by Anita Shreve
- The Seance, By John Harwood
- Locked In, by Marcia Mullen
- Tell Me Something True, Leila Cobo
I had been in a bit of a slump as far as posting and reading during the last of the summer months, but I read a lot more than I thought. Do you surprise yourself sometimes with how much you manage to read in really busy periods?
13 Responses to “Progress: Notes From A Reading Life ~ October 20”
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That doesn’t look like a reading slump to me! I’m totally jealous of your being able to go to the Fall Bash!
Kathy´s last blog ..Review: Nine Dragons
I just got A Mercy. Hopefully I’ll be reading it soon.
I read A Mercy earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. As you said, it is befuddling those first 30 pages or so, but the language is so lush and evocative, I was soon swept away by the beauty and the pain of the story. Toni Morrison has definitely been one of my most exciting literary discoveries this year!
No slump here, I dont’ think! Look at that list of books you’ve already read! And they’re such good ones!
Sandy´s last blog ..The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson (audio)
Looks like lots of good reading for you. I have the audio of Mercy and loved it. Very touching. I’ve also read In the Land of Cotton and was very moved by that story as well.
Margot´s last blog ..A Teaser From: A Separate Country
I ate up Shelf Discovery in about a day (I reviewed it last month) – I enjoyed it a lot, and I hope you will too!
Florinda´s last blog ..Quitting time – times 5! (Weekend Assignment #289)
Actually yes. I’m often thinking that I’m not getting through very many books but when my time is sought after I’m able to use my time more wisely and prioritize my reading!! I enjoyed Land of Cotton too….have a great reading week!
Staci´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesdays and It’s Tuesday…Where Are You?
I tried listening to A Mercy, but it didn’t work out. I kept losing the thread of the story. Someday I’ll have to try it in print.
softdrink´s last blog ..1776
Okay I have a confession to make…I have never read anything by Toni Morrison…I know, I know it is CRAZY! Well your post reminds me that I have been seriously deficient for far too long!
Kathleen´s last blog ..Rebecca Read Along Part II
I have thiis book. I read it for a few pages.. and then set it aside! Focus… now i know.. how to deal with this book.. i will surely get back to it now.
) 
Veens´s last blog ..Attraction to Blue
I listened to “a mercy” on CD and Toni Morrison read it. As much as I enjoyed the book, I think I would listen to her read the phone book. This might have been my favorite Morrison.
Lisa´s last blog .."Family Plots: Love, Death and Tax Evasion"
I loved A Mercy too!
I agree that there are some writers where I’m prepared to be confused at first because the payoff once the book gets going is so good!
Eva´s last blog ..Read-a-Thon Pile, Version Two (in pictures!)
I think Morrison is brilliant. I loved A Mercy, but I think Beloved is the best of her books that I have read.
3m.michelle´s last blog ..Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins