I’ve been looking at the lists of books that might be coming out this Fall (you know, in preparation for my Christmas list) and I’m not getting excited. And not being excited about books that are coming out this fall is bumming me out.
I always get excited for Fall book releases – there always seem to be oodles of them that I want to read and love and force on other people and so far, looking ahead this season, I’m not feeling it. I can usually count on at least one of my favourite authors to have something new coming out. Yes, I liked Eat, Pray, Love and I thought that Committed was an interesting read but is Elizabeth Gilbert one of my favourite authors? Probably not? If she’s your thing though, she does have a new book that just came out, The Signature of All Things. And it’s a novel this time.
There are few genres that I don’t read. One of them is horror. I can’t. I will not sleep for weeks and be haunted forever after by that sh*t. I just can’t. So while my other half is pretty damn excited about the new Stephen King book, I am not. At all. I didn’t see The Shining, I never read it and I’m not likely to jump on that bandwagon now, even if it is a long-awaited sequel to The Shining, since I like to sleep nightmare-less sleep and also because it will soon be dark when I’m walking home from the bus and I don’t want to be imagining all kinds of creepy shadows out to get me. If Stephen King is your thing though, you should probably look into getting Doctor Sleep.
I might have to surrender my Canadian passport for admitting this next one but I’m going to go ahead and do it anyway: I’ve never read any Margaret Atwood and don’t plan to. I know. I don’t even know why this is the case. Obviously we’ve discussed that I don’t have a particular love of Canadian fiction in general and since Margaret Atwood is probably the Queen of Canadian Fiction, I’ve thrown her in with the lot. She has that new book out, Maddaddam, that’s the finale in her post-apocalyptic series and people are excited. I am not one of those people. I don’t like post-apocalyptic stuff either.
Have I bummed you out? I’m sorry. I’m bummed too. I guess I’ve been thoroughly spoiled in the past few years with a glut of great new titles by favourite authors.
Are there books that you are eagerly anticipating this fall?
The Paperback Princess 
Hmmm…
Salinger (biography)
David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell
One Summer: America, 1927 – Bill Bryson
We Are Water – Wally Lamb
Allegiant – Veronica Roth (Divergent #3)
(The last three I have signed copies coming from B&N!)
Oh and Sycamore Row, if you are a John Grisham and/or A Time to Kill fan. It’s the sequel.
I enjoyed Catcher in the Rye but I’m not so excited about the bio. Malcolm Gladwell yes- that’s definitely one I keep forgetting about!
I’m only a little excited about Salinger. There’s a documentary on it I’d rather watch. The book is 700+ pages and there’s no way it can all be that interesting.
He was basically a recluse wasn’t he? How can that lifestyle culminate in a 700 page biography? The Queen Mum lived over 100 years, lived her whole life in public and hers is around 900.
Yep – exactly.
I know what you mean by Margaret Atwood. The set ups are often grim and miserable. Cat’s Eye was a bit different – about childhood bullying, but beautifully set and with some ever so cool modern Toronto bits. It’s a long book though!
I’m not usually into the grim or miserable. I’m also from Vancouver so it’s basically in my DNA to dislike Toronto 😉
I can’t watch horror, but I can read it no problem. I actually re-read The Shining last month, and I just started Doctor Sleep.
It’s a shame there’s nothing too exciting for you on the horizon, but maybe the winter releases will be better.
I find that books stay with me longer – I can`t watch horror because I`m a wuss. But reading it, it will get into my brain and never let go.
Here`s hoping you`re right about the Winter releases. I know of at least one I`m looking forward to. I should look at this `hiatus` as a chance to catch up on my TBR list really.
Funny post. I have to say you are missing out on Atwood’s the Penelopeiad–her retelling of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective. I saw your comment on Gone Girl at A Little Blog of Books, and I think you’d find plenty of unlikable characters to make it interesting :). Happy reading, if it is a happy book, which I doubt [[in my best Eyeore imitation]].
That was an excellent Eeyore impression.
I do appreciate the unlikeable characters but I’m still very unsure about the whole Atwood thing. Next time I’m in the library, if I run into one of her books, I will pick it up.
Your post made me laugh. I have similar thoughts on Atwood – while I appreciate the quality of her style, I just don’t enjoy her stories. Have you read anything by Jhumpa Lahiri? Her new book, The Lowland, just came out. I haven’t read it yet (I just bought it), but I’ve read and liked her other books a lot so I’m excited to start it.
I haven’t read any of her other work but I keep seeing this one and reading about it and I have to read it. So I guess that’s one that I’m looking forward to!
I first read “The Namesake” so you might want to start with that one first. And then you can see the movie which was a good adaptation (which is quite rare, I find).
I have totally read The Namesake! I can’t believe I forgot that!
That’s so funny!
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