Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Topping Fall's TBR

Top Ten Books That Are On The Top Of My TBR List For Fall
Top Ten Tuesdays are brought to you by the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish.

I don’t keep up with what books are being released, and when, so this list consists of books that I want to read, regardless of publication date.  Also, this is not a commitment to actually read these books. I tend to pick up books based on what strikes me at a particular time. This list is more like “Books That Sound Good and I Want to Read Them Soon-ish, Probably.” Without further ado, the list (in no particular order):

1) To the End of the Land, David Grossman. This is my book club’s next pick. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make our next meeting, but I’ll read the book anyway.


2) The Taste of Salt, Martha Southgate. I read Southgate’s critique of The Help and it made me want to read one of her novels. I was able to buy The Taste of Salt online, even though it supposedly isn’t being released until September.


3) Scottsboro, Ellen Feldman. This was recommended to me by fellow blogger nomadreader, after I mentioned I did not like The Help. It was an Orange Prize nominee in 2009.


4) The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood. Um, Margaret Atwood is awesome. I am ashamed to say I’d never read anything by her until my book club picked The Blind Assassin  to read last year. Since then I’ve also read The Handmaid’s Tale, and I’ve been wanting to read more. When I heard she had a retelling of the Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, I had to add it to the TBR list.

5) A Happy Man, Hansjörg Schertenleib. The Publisher, Melville House, sent this to be as part of an awesome collection of books that I won by participating the Art of the Novella reading challenge. This is part of their Contemporary Art of the Novella series. The front flap says that this is the first time the author has been translated into English. That’s got me interested. I like reading books in translation.

6) Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi. Eva over at A Striped Armchair has been singing the praises of Helen Oyeyemi. She’s got good taste, so I thought I’d give this one a try.


7) Assata: An Autobiography, Assata Shakur. I’m interested in radical movements in the 1960s & 70s, so, yeah, I want to read this. It will probably be the first on this list that I actually get to, because I have it sitting next to me, and it’s on loan from my neighbor. Since I’m moving soon, I want to have it read and returned asap.


8)
Pigeon English, Stephen Kelman. I’ve got this Booker longlisted novel checked out from the library, and I want to get to it before I move and have to return it!


9)
The Buddha in the Attic, Julie Otsuka. Another library book that I need to read and return. I checked this one out in my attempt to read more by this year’s Brooklyn Book Festival authors.

10) American Gods, Neil Gaiman. I’ve never read anything by Gaiman, despite hearing good things. This may be the year to change that.


18 comments:

T said...

I really want to get to American Gods as well! I've been recommended it a lot, so I'm hoping it'll be good!

Alex (The Sleepless Reader) said...

... and they all have great covers!

MJ said...

@Tea Me, too! Everyone raves about Gaiman, so I'm looking forward to this.

MJ said...

@Alex (The Sleepless Reader) I'm seriously a sucker for a good cover. I can be excited about a book, then see a bad cover, and my interest diminishes instantly.

Ali Watts said...

I'm actually in the process of reading my first fabulous Atwood book right now (Alias Grace) and and I love love love the idea behind the Penelopiad! I'll have to add that to my TBR pile as well.
Looks like you have some great reading ahead of you-- best of luck

MJ said...

@Ali Watts Thanks! I'll have to add Alias Grace to the tbr list. I really should just go ahead and add everything she's written!

Anonymous said...

Interesting list! I just finished Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and while it wasn't my favorite piece of dystopian literature, I'm very interested in The Penelopiad. I've always loved The Odyssey, and Penelope was one of the most intriguing characters.

I hope you enjoy American Gods--it's one of my all-time favorite.

Here's my list: Adventures in Borkdom

-Mandy

MJ said...

@borkadventures.com Thanks, Mandy! I have a feeling I may want to read the Odyssey after reading The Penelopiad. I've actually only read it in a much abridged version when I was in high school, and some bits in college.

Rayna said...

Great list! I haven't read the Penelopiad, butI recently finished Oryx and Crake by Atwood and it was fantastic! Definitely check it out!

And based off of the cover alone, I now totally want to read Mr. Fox.

Anonymous said...

I keep promising to read more Atwood and somehow it just never happens! Argh I have to do it! The Penelopiad interests me too.

WickedWillow said...

The Penelopiad sounds so interesting!
I am so glad I came across your blog! I usually just follow YA book blogs but I loved this one! However I can't find GFC box!?

MJ said...

@Rayna Isn't that cover great? I love it!

MJ said...

@1girl2manybooks Fortunately she has quite a few books, so there are plenty to choose from :-)

MJ said...

@AgnesPink Hey Agnes - thanks! If you want to follow through GFC, I'm pretty sure the way to do it is to go to the blue Blogger bar at the top of the page and hit "Follow." I'm glad you like the blog :-)

Amy said...

I think I'll look for "The Penelopiad". I've never read anything by Margaret Atwood. I'll have to check her out.

nomadreader said...

Hooray for Scottsboro! The only other one I've read is Pigeon English, and while I didn't love it, it is worth reading. I'm excited for The Buddha in the Attic too--I hope a copy comes in for me at the library soon. Happy reading!

MJ said...

@nomadreader Thanks for the recommendation!

I'm actually about halfway done with Pigeon English right now, and it's not a favorite. I'm starting to think the Booker and I are not great friends. This is the third of the longlisted titles I've read, and none of them are favorites.

LBC said...

I just got a copy of American Gods. I've never read a Gaiman novel, although I love the Sandman comments. I'm intrigued by Mr. Fox. I'll have to add it to the TBR.

Come check out my list for the week here.