Library Loot: the Unpredictable

Posted on | June 7, 2010 | 15 Comments

It’s been some time since I shared with you a pile of borrowed books and the ones above have been in my possession for a few weeks now (not that I have read any of them yet…) This little bundle are quite diverse and mostly as a result of blogger recommendation.

The Easter Parade by Richard Yates is a book that I requested from my library some time ago but I had to wait for a couple of others to read it first. Rachel of Book Snob made this lesser-known Yates novel sound so appealing earlier this year and I’m looking forward to a sunny afternoon to curl up with it.

Comfort Woman by Nora Okja Keller was an inadvertent recommendation. Whilst recommending previously-nominated Orange Prize titles to (cardigan girl) Verity for her Orange Wednesday feature, I came across Nora Okja Keller’s Fox Girl on a past longlist; the title appealed and I purchased a second-hand copy but I also did some online research into her earlier novel, Comfort Woman, (also longlisted for the prize) and came across this review by Kim of Reading Matters. An account of Korean women used as sex-slaves by Japanese troops during World War II sounded fascinating and an endorsement by Kim did wonders to convince me to read it.

Speaking of wonders, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin was a book that caught my attention through its eye-catching yellow paperback design in a bookshop. Some later research and favourable reviews suggested that I would enjoy it and I borrowed it -in hardback- from the stacks the next time I made a visit to the library.

Bone 2: The Great Cow Race is the next installment in Jeff Smith’s acclaimed graphic novel series; I enjoyed the first volume during the read-a-thon and this is the follow-up (the first ended quite abruptly and I suspect that the series would be better read in the complete volumes, which my library does not stock).

Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips was receiving some buzz the day of the Pulitzer Prize announcement (which it didn’t win); I hadn’t heard anything about it, was intrigued and then more so when I read this review by Jill of Fizzy Thoughts on the same day. Serendipity assured that I picked up a copy of this to read.

Have you read any of these or looking forward to me doing so first?

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg encouraging library use and its promotion.

Comments

15 Responses to “Library Loot: the Unpredictable”

Verity
June 7th, 2010 @ 10:29 am

Ooh, I loved Lark and Termite – I think you might enjoy that. I am a big fan of Richard Yates and very much liked Easter Parade. I had forgotten about the recommendation for Fox Girl – I think it may have been one of the ones that the library doesn’t stock – v hard to get some of the older Orange longlisted titles.
Sasha
June 7th, 2010 @ 10:46 am

Awesome loot. Enjoy Easter Parade! Yates is one of my favorite writers, ever. I hope you like him. :] Am currently reading his A Special Providence–some day, I hope to read all of them [too bad he's not much stocked here, though.]
Charlie
June 7th, 2010 @ 11:10 am

I’ve been thinking of getting a copy of In Other Rooms Other Wonders for a while, same reason as you, the cover is exquisite. I’m not going to read it any time soon though so I’ll be reading your thoughts on it first.
Nadia
June 7th, 2010 @ 12:19 pm

I’m looking forward to your review of Lark and Termite. And I haven’t read any Yates, so that will be great too see what you think of his work, too. What a great pile of books!
sakura
June 7th, 2010 @ 1:49 pm

I haven’t read any of the books in your picture, but I’m interested in Comfort Women and will be looking forward to your thoughts on this difficult subject. I’ve seen a few documentaries about comfort women in the UK (it’s still a subject that is taboo in Japan) but haven’t read anything about them yet.
Eva
June 7th, 2010 @ 2:27 pm

Comfort Women sounds so sad. It upsets me that Japan has yet to officially apologise for its war crimes, and that in many of the countries where it kept women as sex slaves, the women themselves are pressured not to speak out to preserve the family honour. Not to mention, the euphemism itself makes my skin crawl.

Ahem! I have Other Rooms, Other Wonders as one of my potentials for my Pakistan reading this year, so I vote that you read that and tell if I should pick it up.
kimbofo
June 7th, 2010 @ 7:34 pm

Thanks for linking to my review. Comfort Woman is by no means an easy read, but it’s an important one, I think. I can also recommend Chang-Rae Lee’s A Gesture Life which looks at a similar topic from the point of view of a medical officer charged with overseeing the health of a group of comfort girls. Review here: http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/2006/03/a_gesture_life_.html

I’ve got a copy of Easter Parade, which I must read at some point.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 7th, 2010 @ 7:57 pm

Great selection! I haven’t read any of them, but am interested in a few. I look forward to seeing if you persuade me to get a copy of Lark and Termite or In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. Enjoy!
Brenna
June 7th, 2010 @ 9:15 pm

I’m looking forward to your review “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders”. I have heard this is a great book and am excited to hear your thoughts!
Paperback Reader
June 7th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm

Verity, my library didn’t have Fox Girl either, which is why I plumped for a copy. I think I shall enjoy Lark and Termite too.

Sasha, I cannot believe that I haven’t yet any Richard Yates yet although I own a copy of Revolutionary Road.

Hi Charlie, thank you for commenting on my blog for the first time. The cover is exquisite and it involved self-restraint on my part to borrow and not buy. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

Nadia, I look forward to reading and reviewing them for you!

Sakura, it wasn’t a chapter of history that I was at all aware of; I am hoping that the book will educate me some and then develop into further reading.

Eva, the euphemism is extremely unsavoury. I am intrigued by the subject but prepared to find it disturbing.

At the rate you read books you are bound to read In Other Rooms before I do!

Kim, thank you for persuading me to borrow the book. A Gesture Life is one for me to bear in mind once I have read Comfort Woman.

Jackie, I’ll see what I can do to persuade you… I have high expectations of enjoying both.
Paperback Reader
June 7th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm

Brenna, I hope to read it soon to let you know what I think.
Jenny
June 7th, 2010 @ 10:56 pm

Oo, I forgot all about Richard Yates. I wrote down several titles earlier this year, and I intended to get a bunch of them out of the library at one time so if I hated one I’d have the others right there to read instead (or if I loved one, I’d have the others right there to read next). And, er, then I forgot. I’m looking forward to seeing what you think of Easter Parade!
Kate
June 8th, 2010 @ 5:58 am

I’ve heard a few people recommend Lark and Termite, so I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
Simon (Savidge Reads)
June 8th, 2010 @ 9:26 pm

Great selection of books Claire and two I hadn’t heard of. I have Jayne Ann and Daniyal on the TBR so will get around to those at some point.
Paperback Reader
June 12th, 2010 @ 2:29 pm

Jenny, I hope to read it soon! Richard Yates is a writer I simply must read; I’ve been wanting to all of this year but so far time has not been on my side…

Kate, Lark and Termite has me intrigued and excited; I look forward to reading it and sharing my thoughts.

Simon, I’m guessing Bone and Comfort Woman are the two you hadn’t yet heard about? Looking forward to your thoughts on the two we have in common on our TBR piles!