Reading Meme for All

A fellow Perth short story writer, Laurie Steed, sent me a meme. I'm not going to add specific names - I'm happy to hear everyone's thoughts on reading.

What are you reading right now?

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

Dangerous Women an anthology ed. by Geroge RR Martin and Gardner Dozois
The Neanderthals Rediscovered: How Modern Science is Rewriting Their Story by Dimitra Papgianni & Michale A. Morse

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?

The Pure Gold Baby by Margaret Drabble for my book club and then Falconer by John Cheever.

What five books have you always wanted to read but haven’t got round to?

There’s hundreds on my random 'must-read' shelves. I suppose the extended 'five' whose numbers I’ve always wanted to come up of late are:  

The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Great Apes by Will Self
The Iron Heel by Jack London

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan 

 Tallula Rising by Glen Duncan 

Assymetry by Throraiya Dyer  

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez  
Dr Rat by William Kotzwinkle 
Yellowcake Springs by Guy Salvidge
George Saunders' Pastoralia
The Australian Movement by George Megalogenis. 

I’ll confess that Karen Russell and George RR Martin are two writers whose work leapfrogs the random reading list everytime.

What magazines do you have in your bathroom/ lounge right now?

I currently subscribe to Overland Literary Journal, One Story (a great concept) and Meanjin. 

I also have a myriad of other literary journals lying around or on the shelves. These include many from: Griffith Review, The New Yorker, Tin House, Zoetrope: All Story, Granta, Island Magazine, Southerly and Ploughshares. And for the genre binge I’ve got a few Magazine of F &SF, ASIM and old print editions of Aurealis Magazine. These are all a wonderful byproduct of mad buying and very generous writerly friends.  

I always have National Geographic and an Australian Geographic lying about too. 

 National Geographic and Overland Literary Journal are the actual two on the coffee table at present. 

I have to admit that I'm dismayed by the rise of electronic fiction. I understand that it's complicated and relates to business prophet margins but as soon as a journal goes solely electronic, I stop reading it - whether it's quality fiction or not.

What’s the worst book you’ve ever read?

It's only been over the past few years that I’ve learned to surrender books which I really dislike. Worst that I’ve read to completion recently has to be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I know, I know, super popular. How could you?!

It just plateaus completely for me. When I say 'plateau', I mean like leveled concrete, same colour too.

What book seemed really popular but you didn’t like?

As just mentioned The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Didn’t finish Love in a Cold Climate either…

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?

 

So many! One is a strange concept:

Let's see for a classic American novel: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle. If you don’t mind comedy and political incorrectness.

The Song of Ice and Fire Series (Game of Thrones) by George RR Martin,  if you want a fantastic, epic story. 

LOTR by JRR Tolkien, simply because it’s superb in its richness, world building and uniqueness.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for a rich, comical, literary masterpiece. 

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson for a great Victorian novella.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Wonderful work.

 
Freedom and Death by Nikos Kazantzakis, a much forgotten and seriously underrated writer at his best here. When Albert Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize he proclaimed that Kazantzakis deserved it more.

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. Simply outstanding.

Captain Correlli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières for a novel that has it all in terms of narrative.

Bluebeard, Timequake, and God Bless You, Mr Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut (along with many others)

Short stories:

 The Locus Awards: Thirty Years of the Best in Science Fiction & Fantasy ed. Jonathan Strahan & Charles N. Brown

Almost anything and everything by Richard Yates, John Cheever, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Karen Russell.

Joyce Carol Oates for a lesson in narrative craft

Will Self  if you’re after OTT ostentatious satire

Where do you usually get your books?

Love supporting independent stores. The following Perth bookstores may confuse interstate and overseas readers: I think I'm the backbone for sales at Northside Books on William St and Planet Books on Beaufort. Crow Books, if I’m in the area, and New Edition in Freo. Stefen's Books also does very well out of me. White Dwarf and Oxford Books too. 

When you were little, did you have any particular reading habits?

The laboratory/dunny/toilet, bed, sofa, dining table, you name the place, even managed the shower once or twice...

Never really read during school hours though.

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was too good to put down?

Always George RR Martin. Stayed up with Burial Rites by Hannah Kent too.

Have you ever “faked” reading a book?

Think I fake-finished a couple to impress when I was younger. Don’t see the point now.

Have you ever bought a book just because you liked the cover?

 As a teen, binging on fantasy? Of course

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

How much space do we have here? Tolkien’s The Hobbit and LOTR were fab. I adored Roald Dahl’s novels too. Asterix comics too - what a Gaul!

What book changed your life?

Wish I could say that they did. I suppose I dreamed of mountainous sword adventures in primary school? 

Hang on a tic, I’m a writer, so if I really take ‘reflection’ to an extreme, I’d say that they all have and still do. 

What is your favourite passage from a book?

It’s like asking you to choose a favourite member of the family.

Who are your top five favourite authors?

 ATM, this is my long five…

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Graham Greene

JRR Tolkien

George RR Martin

Karen Russell

Richard Yates

Joyce Carol Oates (short stories)

Kurt Vonnegut

John Cheever

What book has no one heard about but should read?

Depends on your hearing. 

Think that in Australian Independent Spec-Fic there are some great collections and anthologies from Ticonderoga Publications, Twelfth Planet Press and Fablecroft -  all Publishing Houses that are deservedly getting some real notice from elite level critics as well as winning (or being finalists for) The Aurealis Awards on a regular basis. 

What books are you an ‘evangelist’ for?

Anything on the favourite list. 

What are your favourite books by a first time author?

A Confederacy of Dunces. From recollection, John Kennedy Toole's first and only novel was published posthumously

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Beautiful debut.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. As long as you forget about the icicle scene. 

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell as a novel, and her collection, St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Girls is incredible. One of my all time favourites.

What is your favourite classic book?

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stephenson

Five other notable mentions?

Not classics, just mentions in general. I’m a rule breaker: 

Seahearts by Margo Lanagan

The Quiet American and The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (as well as a host of others by Greene)

The Road by Cormac McArthy

Adult short stories of Ursula Le Guin .

Tobias Wolf

Roald Dahl’s twists are often seen as dated but I still love them, same applies for Kurt Vonnegut

Sherman Alexie

George Saunders.

Michael Swanwick’s short stories

Nalo Hopkinson’s short work too. Looking forward to reading her longer work.

I've read two short stories now by the Australian writer, Ryan O’Neil: “Four Letter Words” and “R and L" and I’ve been impressed.

And in Australian spec-fic, Margo Lanagan aside, the few stories that I’ve read by Lisa L. Hannett, Deborah Biancotti and Angela Slatter have been fabulous. I’m also looking forward to reading more from Faith Mudge, who has a real talent for fluid storytelling so it will be interesting following her writing journey.

I’d add my writing group here too… All are doing very well at present but that just seems in poor taste and they know who they are.