Hello 2009, Nice to Meet You.

I’m writing my first post in a very long time. It’s going to be a short one as I’m mostly linking to another blog post here, one that does a really nice job summarizing some exciting books coming this year. Max at the Millions always does a fantastic job at this sort of thing. I’m looking forward particularly to Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck, and Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs. I read T.C. Boyle’s new novel The Women back in December—it’s fantastic, better than Talk, Talk. On a side note, he’ll be appearing at my store on February 11th.

Two books I’ll mention quickly. First, one of the best books I read in 2008, I didn’t read until mid-December; Philip Hensher’s Northern Clemency was the perfect ending (or nearly ending) to my 2008 reading list. The book chronicles two English families over the course of several decades beginning in 1974. There’s no straight plot, you just follow their lives. I quite enjoyed reading it. Right now, I’m in the middle of Laila Lalami’s The Secret Son. I loved Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits and so far her new novel has not disappointed me. 2009 has begun with a good start!

8 thoughts on “Hello 2009, Nice to Meet You.”

  2. LouisBranning

    So glad you enjoyed The Northern Clemency as much as I did, elated you liked the new Tom Boyle book too, and can’t wait to get to The Women. I just finished what will certainly be one of my favorite books of this new year, Lionel Shriver’s 2007 novel The Post-Birthday World, a stunning piece of work, woefully under-read and shamefully under-appreciated, and I can’t recommend it any higher.

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  4. Jason C

    I’ve ended each of the last couple of years with a new Bolano. It’s been a very satisfying and invigorating way to start the new year. I don’t know what I will do next December, unless there is a forthcoming one that I don’t know about yet. I will perhaps have to find something new and astounding for 2010.

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