First my fiction/poetry selections (links go to goodreads):
1. Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt - I'm a fan of the Canongate myth series but boy am I behind with them! This is apparently book 17 and my reading total is still in the lower end of the single digit numbers. Based on Norse mythology, Ragnoraok is about a young girl evacuated to the English countryside in World War Two who is given a copy of a book of ancient Norse myths.
2. Ariel by Sylvia Plath - You can tell I need to rejuvenate my reading by trying new things as I never normally pick up poetry. But I live Sylvia Plath and I've never actually read this in full. I have high hopes.
3. Property by Valerie Martin - I use the Orange Prize as a recommendation list as I generally enjoy the short-listed books and winners. Property won in 2003 and is set in the deep South of America in the 1800s. Manon is unhappily married to the owner of a sugar plantation in Louisiana as whispers of a slave rebellion grow.
On to the non-fiction selections. I was in a non-fiction mood today, so they outnumber the fiction:
4. The Devil Came on Horseback by Brian Steidle - Brian Seidle was one of only three Americans hired by the African Union to document the situation in Darfur during 2004. This book is him bearing witness to the atrocities and genocide.
5. Titans of History by Simon Sebag Montefiore - I know the type of history that focuses on big personalities alone is out-dated now, but I do enjoy it. I've read and enjoyed Montefiore's books about Stalin so I'm hoping to enjoy skimming through this guide to influential personalities throughout world history.
6. The Lost City of Z by David Grann - A British explorer attempts to fill in the blank spaces on the map of the Amazon during the 1920s but then vanishes without a trace. I love a good adventure story, especially if it's true.
7. Enslaved by Jessica Sage and Liora Kasten - Modern day slavery is such an under the radar issue, so I'm looking forward to this book of true stories from slaves. Hopefully I will learn more about the millions of people that are currently held as slaves around the world.
Have you read any of these titles?
Wow, that's a lot for one trip! I haven't read any of them but I have wanted to read Ariel and the Canongate Myth Series. I should get on that. And I know what you mean about the Song of Ice and Fire series messing up your reading. Even though each book is so long, as soon as you finish one you just want to pick up another! Ah, cliffhangers.
ReplyDeleteIt is" I probably won't read all of them but I like to have a selection :)
DeleteI'm going to read Ariel slowly, a few poems a day. The ones I've read today have been beautiful.
And I'm stopping myself from moving on to Feast for Crows just yet, or I will be well and truly obsessed...
Yahoo for the library :) You've got a nice big stack there! They all sound good, especially the nonfiction. I hope you enjoy each and every one.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for libraries, I would have a very expensive book habit!
DeleteI'm reading Simon Sebag Montefiore's "Jerusalem". I have Stalin with me. but man can Montefiore writes about history! I think writing a history book and make it interesting for the general public is a daunting feat. Enjoy your loot!
ReplyDeleteWhich Stalin do you have? I enjoyed both, but I liked Young Stalin better than Court of the Red Tsar because Stalin when he was young was so different to how I imagined he would be. Hope you're enjoying Jerusalem, my husband has his eye on that one.
DeleteI have been meaning to get into poetry. But it's so scary, I don't even know where to start. I need a guide. Or a chaperone.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary. I liked poetry when I studied it in school, but it's harder on my own.
DeleteDon't be afraid, just read around until you find something you like. I'd recommend an anthology like "Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times." Some f my favorite poets- Mark Strand, Sara Teasdale, Theodore Roethke.
DeleteI need to start a Storm of Swords in the next month. I want to have it read before the next season of Game of Thrones. I like the sound of Ragnoraok, so I'll be looking forward to your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to love it! Storm of Swords is by far the best of the series so far, in my opinion. So many dramatic events!
DeleteWhat a nice pile. Enjoy them all.
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
DeleteI haven't read any of these but I am keen to read Ragnorak and The Lost City of Z. I look forward to hearing what you think of them.
ReplyDeleteAll good picks, I'd say. I'm especially interested in Ragnarok, Property, and Lost City of Z. I've been in a kind of a strange reading mood too. I DNFed a book I thought I'd love and now I'm loving a book I thought I wouldn't. Funny how that happens.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! Ariel and the Canongate myth series, especially (never heard of the last one, but Norse mythology? I approve). Hopefully you'll find a new favorite among it.
ReplyDeleteThe only one that you have there that I've read is The Lost City of Z, which I thought was very good. Have fun with your reading!
ReplyDeleteI would like to read more of the Canongate myth series too; i think I've read two. For some reason they are hard to find without buying!
ReplyDeletehope you read The Lost City of Z and make a post about it. I actually had to check my shelves if I had it. I don't, mixed it up with Hiram Bingham's Lost City of the Incas. "Z" is something I want to read!
ReplyDelete