Books
I feel even more sick today than I did yesterday. But I already used that excuse!
So let's talk about books.
My reading "style" changed dramatically upon the birth of K. I did not stop reading entirely by any means, in fact, the newborn days were spent with many lovely hours where he would nurse contentedly and without being distracted while I happily read. Sometimes this was at two, three, or four in the morning, and sometimes the fact that I had something I was looking forward to reading was what really got me through those late night nursing sessions. But my attention span has changed. My willingness to be challenged in a certain way has been (hopefully) temporarily suspended. Although I used to love reading Dickens and Hardy and Eliot, I've given up on trying since K. was born. I have no stamina. I tried for over a month to read Martin Chuzzlewit but gave up, maybe for good. (too satirical! no sympathetic characters!) Weeks upon weeks have been spent reading nothing but the New Yorker, or crime novels given handed over by my husband.
A recommendation of good contemporary fiction is the best thing anyone could give me right now. (So if anyone wants to comment on this, please recommend away.)
That said, there are three books I've read since K. was born that I want to recommend.
1. Brookland by Emily Barton. This is sort of an odd cross between historical fiction and magical realism about three eighteenth century sisters living in early Brooklyn, running a gin distillery and trying to build a bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. If I remember correctly, it was a bit hard to get into, but once I did, I loved it, since the author created such a richly observed world. This was mostly read during late-night nursings and I always looked forward to it.
2. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I love graphic novels, when they are well done, in general. And though I haven't read it in years, I used to be a fan of Dykes to Watch Out For, so I was excited to read Bechdel's first novel/memoir. It is a deeply personal and touching account of a very difficult parent/child relationship.
3. His Dark Materials (the entire trilogy, since I read it in one volume) by Philip Pullman. This is supposedly children's fiction but I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind. It might be one of my favorite books ever. So rich and imaginative while sharply allegorical - and critical of organized religion, particularly the judeo-christian kind. I was sad when I finished it and immediately went back and read parts of it over again.
So let's talk about books.
My reading "style" changed dramatically upon the birth of K. I did not stop reading entirely by any means, in fact, the newborn days were spent with many lovely hours where he would nurse contentedly and without being distracted while I happily read. Sometimes this was at two, three, or four in the morning, and sometimes the fact that I had something I was looking forward to reading was what really got me through those late night nursing sessions. But my attention span has changed. My willingness to be challenged in a certain way has been (hopefully) temporarily suspended. Although I used to love reading Dickens and Hardy and Eliot, I've given up on trying since K. was born. I have no stamina. I tried for over a month to read Martin Chuzzlewit but gave up, maybe for good. (too satirical! no sympathetic characters!) Weeks upon weeks have been spent reading nothing but the New Yorker, or crime novels given handed over by my husband.
A recommendation of good contemporary fiction is the best thing anyone could give me right now. (So if anyone wants to comment on this, please recommend away.)
That said, there are three books I've read since K. was born that I want to recommend.
1. Brookland by Emily Barton. This is sort of an odd cross between historical fiction and magical realism about three eighteenth century sisters living in early Brooklyn, running a gin distillery and trying to build a bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. If I remember correctly, it was a bit hard to get into, but once I did, I loved it, since the author created such a richly observed world. This was mostly read during late-night nursings and I always looked forward to it.
2. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I love graphic novels, when they are well done, in general. And though I haven't read it in years, I used to be a fan of Dykes to Watch Out For, so I was excited to read Bechdel's first novel/memoir. It is a deeply personal and touching account of a very difficult parent/child relationship.
3. His Dark Materials (the entire trilogy, since I read it in one volume) by Philip Pullman. This is supposedly children's fiction but I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind. It might be one of my favorite books ever. So rich and imaginative while sharply allegorical - and critical of organized religion, particularly the judeo-christian kind. I was sad when I finished it and immediately went back and read parts of it over again.
posted by Melissa at 1:32 PM
2 Comments:
With all of the late night nursing/wakefulness, my brain is so fried that I cannot even stomach anything as "hard" as a People Magazine. Someday, someday I keep telling myself.
I read the last two, also. His Dark Materials is a top favorite of mine, too.
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