So many books, so little time. This month we’ll look at new releases, novellas and short stories, and a personal author recommendation.
New releases
A God In Ruins. One of the most anticipated recent releases surely is Kate Atkinson´s latest novel. It stands to reason that reviews will be mixed, given the enormous success of her previous effort Life After Life. Stephanie Merritt in the Observer warns against underestimating A God in Ruins, saying “Though it may appear to lack the bold formal conceit that made Life After Life so original, don’t make the mistake of thinking that Atkinson has abandoned her interest in authorial playfulness.” The book sold out in many bookstores immediately upon its release in May. Continue reading Summer 2015 Anticipated Novels (Not Necessarily for the Beach)→
This chronicle of Mexico City is not only a personal memoir, but also an engaging, though turbulent, tale of our times, covering the years 2012 to 2014. It’s significant that Goldman’s young wife died in a surfing accident off the coast of Mazunte, Oaxaca, five years before he wrote the book. Still recovering from his loss, he demonstrates his method for dealing with grief through his work. This is not a sentimental tryst, but rather just what the subtitle states: a chronicle of modern life for both rich and poor in an iconoclastic city with its challenges, politics, social structure, religions, tragedies, and glories. Continue reading BOOK OF THE MONTH, The Interior Circuit, A Mexico City Chronicle by Francisco Goldman (Grove Press, 2014)→
An integral part of the travel adventure is anticipating your journey, which often includes studying the local culture before even stepping onto the tarmac. Not only do we want a glimpse into the physical world we’re entering, we want to know something of how it got that way. Continue reading Books About Native Mexican Cultural History→
Thousands of years ago, the people who lived in the forested slopes and valleys of the Sierra Madre del Sur, where fog lingers on the tops of trees, and corn is communally planted, spoke in a language that rose and fell like music. Today they still do. The Zapotec language, the oldest written language in America, comprises of 50 different dialects that together have almost as many varieties as there are pueblos in which it is spoken. Some half a million people speak Zapoteco, most living in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, usually speaking one or two varieties of their native language along with Spanish. In some areas, this native language is used in all daily communication such as commerce, religion and literature, but in other areas, the Zapotec language is on the brink of extinction. Continue reading Poetry in the Clouds→
Starting in the 17th century, women in Mexico have been commenting on politics, history, society, and culture via their writing in newspapers, books, and magazines. Sadly, until recently, many haven’t been honored with the status conferred on their male counterparts. Continue reading Las Reinas de Mexico City: Top Mexican Women Writers→
There is irony embedded in a discussion of the women artists of the surrealism era, since at surrealism’s core lies the idea of women as objects of desire and mystery, and the worship of them as stereotypes and sexist norms. Even in the 1920s, surrealism expressed an archaic view of women. In addition, male surrealists lacked respect for female artists, and the women had to work hard to refute it. Continue reading Art As Liberation: The Mexican Women of Surrealism→
Looking back and looking forward, two favorite exercises as the year turns. Now is the time readers make lists of books they’ve read, and then make more lists of books they want to read. Newspapers, magazines, and internet sites are filled with “best of” lists along with tantalizing speculation about newly published works. Continue reading A Reading Journey Continues: Reflections on 2014 and Anticipating 2015→
Picture yourself on vacation or living at the beach and what do you see? For most of us, what springs to mind is you, relaxing on pristine sand overlooking glassy blue water, beer or margarita in one hand and a book in the other. For stressed-out Northerners, a common feeling is “All I want to do is lie on the beach and read.” So this month we offer some suggestions. Continue reading What To Do In Huatulco: Sand & Surf Reading→
In keeping with tradition, here are some recommendations, gathered over 2014, for books that will bring hours of joy to friends and family throughout the year.
PRIZE-WINNING BOOKS
These are usually a welcome gift, especially if you know the genre preference of the recipient. Here’s a sampling of the 2014 books that took the honors. Continue reading Books for Holiday Giving→
Shock waves hit the literary community last year when Philip Roth announced his retirement after 50 years of writing and more than 30 novels to show for it. We rarely think of writers entering the world of non-work. They write until death, right? Roth claims he has nothing more to say except that he’ll be working on his own autobiography from now on. Continue reading From Portnoy’s Complaint to Nemesis Philip Roth: Chronicler of the American Identity→
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