Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures. 2009. I mean maybe it goes without saying that this isn't my normal reading? I'm continuing to look for agents to submit to and the agent of Garcia and Stohl was recommended to me by an editor. That's not to say I didn't basically enjoy beautiful creatures. Again … Continue reading Random YA Fantasy

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Double. Translated by Ronald Wilks. 2009. (As always possibly spoilers.) It's strange how differently certain things seem during a pandemic. I suppose this is true of any event on your mind. Masks and masquerades are an important theme in The Double, as a metaphor for truth and identity and authenticity etc., but … Continue reading Masks?

Kristiina Ehin, Viimane Monogaamlane: Jutud. 2011 Ma üldse ei tea, kuidas kirjeldada Viimast Monogaamlast. Esiteks tuleb öelda, et ma luuletusi ei lugenud. Viimasel Monogaamlasel on kaks osa: Jutud ja Luuletused. Jutud olid igatahes piisavalt rasked, keelest rääkides. Ma üritasin lugeda mõnesid luuletusi aga ausalt ei viitsinud. See ei tähenda, et ma ei ole huvitatud (aga … Continue reading Magiline Realism Eesti Keeles

Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles, 2011. I imagine Madeline Miller understands the ancient Greek world better than most classicists. I have only a BA in Classics, and she certainly does better than I do. I read her second book Circe before I read this. I think I read it after I started my blog, … Continue reading Madeline Miller

Kate Hope Day, If, Then. 2019. If, Then is another book I'm reading as I submit my own manuscript. It's not the kind of thing I would normally read--that may mean it's not a great analog of my own book, which means maybe I ought not to be pursuing this one. But this is beside … Continue reading Counterfactuals

Eno Raud, Naksitrallid, 1984. Eno Raua kirjutamine nii sügav kui oma naise kirjutamine ei ole. Ma ei ole kindel, mispärast see on sellepärast, et ma ei tea seda, kuidas Aino Perviku kirjutamine nii peeneks ja põhjalikuks sai. Aga Nakstrallid on küll armas erinevates mõtetes. Esiteks on süžee. Raud seab süžee sündmuste ühendusi nii-öelda juhuslikult, nii … Continue reading Naksitrallid

Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita, trans. Pevear and Volokhonsky. The first thing to say is how glorious the magic is. Just when you think Master has gone mad enough, Bulgakov manages to take it firing off into greater insanity. I loved the chaos and creativity than runs in and around it. As I say … Continue reading It’s Definitely More Than Soviet Satire

Edward E. Baptist, The Half has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism. For obvious reasons, racism is on everyone's mind. Like many people, I wanted to read more about black history, so I chose this to start. I wouldn't say The Half is the greatest work of history I've ever read, … Continue reading Slavery Capitalism

Hiro Arikawa, The Traveling Cat Chronicles, translated by Philip Gabriel. Traveling Cat is about a cat (naturally) whose owner is trying to find him a new home. Nana, the cat, is too clever for this, and manages to find ways to make this impossible. I won't spoil why the man wants to get rid of … Continue reading A Traveling Cat

Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus. Again I'm going to be really quick with this one, because I'm just cruising through as much contemporary magical realism as I can for the sake of my own publishing. My brother recommended Night Circus and mentioned how beautiful he thought Morgenstern's writing was. And it is--she has a knack … Continue reading The Night Circus