Some of the titles come from you, my blog friends, others from Booksense or from the B&N Discover New Writers Series. It doesn’t matter that I have toppling stacks of to be read books, there are always new books making it on my list for one day.
Here are the latest books that I’m adding to my wishlist:
- The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. From a blurb: Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, The Diving Pool is a disquieting and at times darkly humorous collection of novellas about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities.
- Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski. From the Publisher: A daring, spellbinding tale of anthropologists, missionaries, demon possession, sexual taboos, murder, and an obsessed young reporter named Mischa Berlinski
- The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum. From the Publisher: Buxbaum’s debut is a welcome addition to the having-it-all genre.
- Gardens of Water by Alan Drew. From a blurb: In a small village outside Istanbul, Sinan, a struggling Kurdish grocer, hears an odd and ominous rumbling. In the rush of destruction that follows, his first thought is for his young son, buried beneath the earthquake’s debris — then for his wife and daughter. It is an impulse that will torment him for years to come.
- Shame in the Blood by Tetsuo Miura. This novel is considered one of the finest contemporary love stories in all of modern Japanese literature.
- My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead by Jeffrey Eugenides. “When it comes to love, there are a million theories to explain it. But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler.”
- A Person of Interest by Susan Choi. The cover of this one got my attention.
- The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. From a blurb: This novel takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical.
What do you think?
16 Comments
I think The Opposite of Love sounds like one I’d like to at to my list. And speaking of this list, I really should start writing it down. Do you keep an actually TBR list? Or is it just a list in your head, always making mental notes of books to read?
All these books sounds interesting! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, Iliana. 🙂
The Diving Pool and Gardens of Water sound very intriguing. Fieldwork also sounds very interesting. Good picks as always! 😉
I NEED to get myself a copy of “My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead”. I saw it at the bookshop the other day, and the book itself is a thing of beauty. The cover, the binding, everything. Then I sat down and read Jeffrey Eugenides’ whole introduction, and it’s funny, touching and wise and everything one would expect from him. It also sounds like he picked some great stories for it. I really have to read it.
Fieldwork is an excellent read – well-paced, different angles to round out the story, a good plot. I’m rather curious about Eugenides’s stuff.
aka_Nik – I do keep an actual list. I use a program called Bookpedia which I can also upload on my iPod. I can keep track of all my books and make a wishlist too. Unfortunately not all of my books make it to the list because sometimes I just forget.
Melody – I wish I could go book shopping right now but I’m saving for an upcoming book sale but maybe I’ll see if my library has any of these yet!
Christine – When I saw The Diving Pool I thought of you as I know how much you enjoy short stories.
Nymeth – Isn’t the cover of that lovely? I haven’t even seen the real book but I am going to look for it on my next bookstore outing. I’ve not read any Eugenides but I get the feeling I must be missing out!
RG – Oh good to hear! It sounds pretty different than my typical reads so that’s what caught my attention.
The Palace of Illusions sounds good – I really enjoyed Sister of My Heart by the same author.
I saw The Diving Pool in the bookstore the other day and had confused the author (same first name, different family name) with one I read last year and wasn’t all that thrilled with. I’ll have to take a better look at it next time. Shame in the Blood also sounds interesting. Thanks for some contemporary Japanese suggestions. 🙂
Tara – She has several books right? I’ve always heard good things about Sister of My heart. I really must read her!
Tanabata – Ha,ha.. That sort of thing has happened to me too. You’ll have to let me know if you read any of those.
I wish you wouldn’t make lists like this, Iliana. Really. I’m trying to cut down on my book acquisitions, not add more to my TBR collection.
Seriously though, I have seen mention of Palace of Illusions in a few places now and am really curious about it. And a new book by Jeffrey Eugenides! That’s a must have. Gardens of Water also sounds really intriguing and The Diving Pool and I can’t leave out Fieldwork . . . Oh, you are bad for me!
Literary Feline – hee,hee… Just trying to spread the book madness 🙂
I love making lists. I should take a page from your book and make wish lists rather than challenge lists! These books sound like they’ll be good reading.
I want My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead SO BADLY!I might have to blow some more of my B&N gift card on it.
Gardens of Water and Shame in the Blood both sound intriguing. But, I’ll look forward to any and all of your reviews, of course!
Oh, wow, and I totally overlooked My Mistresses’ Sparrow is Dead. That looks really great.
Booklogged – I’m always making lists too! I hear you on the challenge lists – I think I got over-involved but it’s fun 🙂
Andi – Did you see the NPR article about it? I really want it now too!
Nancy, aka Bookfool – They sound good don’t they? Oh why is there never enough time!