Now that the abominable 2009 (did anyone have a good year in 2009?) is behind us, it’s time to start anew with fresh resolutions to stick to, goals and challenges to work toward and a new layout for Start Narrative Here. Here is to 2010, a year which is destined to offer more sparkle than the last. Only a few days in and it seems to already be delivering. And, just to keep the ch-ch-ch-changes happening for 2010, I’ve finally succumbed to the twitterbug.
Some of the books I ordered before Christmas – including some intended as Christmas gifts (no, really, thank you for striking at the busiest mailing time of year Australia Post workers) – have arrived this week, fresh from their bubble-wrapped jackets. A bookseller enthusiastically recommended the Bolaño to me, and he’s been spot on with all of his other recommendations.
- A Lover’s Discourse by Roland Barthes
- The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño
- Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion
- The U.S.A. Trilogy by John Dos Passos
- Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth
I’ve been enjoying my time off from work and my reading has taken a prolific turn. In the next week I’ll be posting my reviews of a heartbreaking work about Hurricane Katrina, a salacious biography of a notorious figure from Melbourne’s seedy history and 2009′s most controversial novel.
Happy new year! Thanks for stopping by my blog (and for the greetings). I’ve been behind in replying due to a very busy December. I do agree 2009 was, in fact, a little abominable ha ha. Here’s hoping the new one is better.
Your stack looks great. I’ve The Savage Detectives on the to-be-read pile, hoping to get to it soon. Bolaño is an aMAZing writer. Also have Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking to read this year.
Is the Katrina book you were referring to Eggers’s Zeitoun?
A very happy new year to you too Claire. December is always crazy, and at the beginning of every year I convince myself that I will plan, plot and prepare to avoid a hectic December, and every year I completely forget about that goal by November. I’m very optimistic about 2010 though, busy December forthcoming or not.
EVERYONE has been raving about Bolaño so I figured it was about time to give him a go. I love Joan Didion but the Year of Magical Thinking left me a little cold, surprisingly. The Katrina book is Zeitoun, which was equal parts amazing and horrifying.
I just read your review of The Year of Magical Thinking. I haven’t read anything by her yet so we’ll see.
2666 is the only Bolaño I’ve read but after that I resolved to read all his books translated in English. Mindblowingly good. I really do hope we both enjoy The Savage Detectives.
Zeitoun is on my tbr shelf, and will get to it soon. I saw your review was up and starred it on my Google Reader. Won’t read it now (because I almost always avoid reading about books I want to read until after), but will get back to it as soon as I finish.