This one is in my 2024 list to read. I bought a copy for my Ma and Pa before their trip to Savannah a few weeks ago and my dad liked it. I feel like I saw the film 20 years or so ago but can’t fully remember it.Book 34: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (Sceptre, 2009)
I was recommended and borrowed this book and went in blind. It really captivated me throughout. It's split into 2 parts with the first being slices of lives of different people living in Savannah from the 1960's onwards. The second half centres around a murder trial of one of those characters (the victim being another) which is spread across 10 years or so. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it wasnt until after I read it that I found out that its based upon true events.
View attachment 191489
Just picked this up on a kindle 99p daily deal. Seems to be getting generally positive reader reviews. I’ll try and add this one to 2024’s to read list too.Book 45 - Really Good, Actually / Monica Heisey
Monica Heisey is a Canadian author, now living in the UK. She was a writer on Schitt's Creek and new UK tv show, Smothered. Normally this is not the type of book I would pick up (modern dating/rom-com with 20s Torontonians) but my sister-in-law really talked it up when I saw her a few weeks ago. So far about a hundred pages and I am enjoying it. Also happy not to be a Gen-Z living in the Big Smoke.
View attachment 191501
It was a fun read, I’m sure you will enjoy it. There’s a few architectural bits of info in there which I found really interesting, I actually checked online to see if they were true and it seems to hold up.This one is in my 2024 list to read. I bought a copy for my Ma and Pa before their trip to Savannah a few weeks ago and my dad liked it. I feel like I saw the film 20 years or so ago but can’t fully remember it.
Just picked this up on a kindle 99p daily deal. Seems to be getting generally positive reader reviews. I’ll try and add this one to 2024’s to read list too.
29. They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraquib. Great stuff as usual from Hanif. This is his first work, so I don't think it's as realized as his mote recent stuff, but still very moving and insightful looks at kusic and culture.23. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca - Had this recommended as a shocking, viral horror story, so decided to give this collection a shot. Unfortunately pretty terrible. Bad prose, corny execution.
24. It Came Frim the Closet: Essays by Various - An essay collection on queer readings of horror films by a number of writers. Fun and enlightening!
25. Bag of Bones by Stephen King - My yearly King read for the holiday season and sadly thought this one kinda sucked too. A cool vibe (haunted beach house in western Maine) but EXTREMELY dated and capital P problematic in more ways than one. And too long. Love the King but probably will take a break from him next year.
26. Capitalism Realism by Mark Fisher - A great, short look at the potential for alternatives to our current hellscape.
27. Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louise Glück - Read The Wild Iris earlier this year and enjoyed, so decided to read another since she recently passed away. Lovely, evocative poetry.
28. Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky - This was a fascinating, dence little read. Kind of hilarious, but also runs the gammit in terms of how you feel for this poor little loser. Will be reading more Dostoevsky soon.
Currently reading They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraquib, one of my favorite current writers. Think I will be closing out the year with Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita and some Mary Oliver poetry. Also need to pick an audiobook to enjoy on Spotify. TBD!
Also plan on readin a lot more poetry next year. Have a bunch from the library right now!
Actually haven't hit those yet but plan to!I would recommend both Hanif's books of poetry, if you haven't already read them.
Glad that you enjoyed it! It looks like it’s being made into a film with Cillian Murphy as the father, and also starring Ciarán Hinds and Emily Watson. It might be the rare film that doesn’t have to leave anything out from the source material, haha.Book 60: Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan
View attachment 191779
Following the recommendation from @Ericj32 I gave this one a whirl and I concur, it is a really impressive piece of succinct but serious writing. The Magdalene Laundries were something I was totally unaware of but it comes as no surprise that this was allowed to go on. The short tale ends with an uncertain but hopeful note for just one of the poor girls made to suffer at the hands of the Catholic nuns.
Just saw this had a movie release. I hope they do it justice, it definitely has potential to be a compelling feature.Book 2: Eileen - Ottessa Moshfegh
I enjoyed this atmospheric and at times creepy tale of a young woman suffering a troubled home life with her drunk father, pushing her way through her day job at the local young correctional facility full of bad boys. When a brash, beautiful new educator joins the facility and takes an interest in Eileen that nobody else seemingly ever has, our protagonist's world starts to spiral. Well written and crafted story, narrated 50 years after the events outlined took place, it did feel throughout like what it was, a debut novel but with a whole lot of promise. I'll have no hesitation reading more from this writer.