Summer Reading - In Conclusion

Somehow, we've found ourselves in Autumn already and so technically, the days of Summer reading are over. As usually happens once the new year gets underway, my ability to stop and digest what I've been reading slips to the bottom of the mountain of tasks required for basic life maintenance. Nonetheless, I have still been reading, which is probably the most important thing (although does not in itself make for the most interesting blog posts). The last month in books, in summary:

John Brandon's first novel, Arkansas, landed in my lap as a result of a McSweeney's subscription program and I loved every page of it. His newest offering, Citrus County, is just as good. I challenge you to find a more cutting, deadpan writer!

 Another author whose first novel I adored - Keith Donohue's The Stolen Child is one of my favourite urban fantasy/magical realist novels (what are we calling that genre these days?). I was very excited to discover his not-so-new book, Angels of Destruction, a story about the past, and the line between the real, the imagined and longed for impossibilities. It pains me to say it, but it left me unsatisfied. The sophomore novel is a difficult beast.

Annnd there goes my literary credibility, if I ever had any. Let me say nothing more than that the outcome of this tangled web of angsty teenage lust was quite satisfactory!

Great American Novels

I have been struggling my way through this, for class:

so have failed utterly to have any interesting book/blog related thoughts. I'm disappointed in myself for not enjoying this more - for some (obviously unfounded) reason, I thought James would be my cup of tea. Perhaps it will all become clear at the end?

I had to have a brief mental-palate-cleansing read, so I went for this:


the eighth and final book in Sara Shepard's unapologetically trashy and fabulous Pretty Little Liars series. Henry would be rolling in his grave, but I have no regrets (and now I FINALLY know who killed Ali - YAY)!