Today’s topic: What are some of our favorite books of 2012 so far? Or what books are we looking forward to reading that are being promoted at BEA this week?
When I first started writing this post, there were only two books that I was looking forward to reading later on in the year. But after reading today’s Shelf Awareness, my tbr list has grown. So here’s the books that I’m looking forward to reading that are being promoted at BEA:
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Dίaz. Publication Date: September 2012 by Riverhead.
I’m not a bad guy. I know how that sounds—defensive, unscrupulous—but it’s true. I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good. Magdalena disagrees. She considers me a typical Dominican man: a sucio, an asshole.
Make Believe by Diana Athill. Reissued by Granta Books. Publication Date: October 5, 2012. In Make Believe, Athill tells readers about her relationship with Hakim Jamal, a follower of Malcolm X, whom she met in the late 1960s.
Once he raised his head to look down on me and I opened my eyes. It was not very dark so I could see him fairy clearly, and the shape and poise of his head and the grave tenderness of his expression made me shut my eyes again quickly. For an instant I had felt piercingly something which I suppose men to feel more often than women: the alarming power of beauty. It was a physical sensation, as though a floor under my heart had given way and it was about to drop into a gulf of excruciatingly intense longing for this magical creature. Once my eyelids shut the image out, the feeling stopped.
I’m also looking forward to reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. (July by Random House). The book is being called a “love story in reverse”. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (November, Free Press) is another book I’ve added to my reading list.
To find more books to add to your reading list, I suggest reading today’s Shelf Awareness newsletter and downloading BEA Buzz Books: Excerpts from over 30 Top Fall 2012 Titles from NetGalley.
So that’s what I’m looking forward to reading this year. What about you?
Love that cover to Harold Fry!
Here’s my Armchair BEA Best of 2012 post and my giveaway post for today!
Isn’t it a great cover?! I forgot to tell you that your blog is so beautiful!
I love both of those covers! So very different, but both so beautiful.
Yes, Carrie! How often do we see older women on the cover of books?
The books are all new to me, although Diana Anthill is not. Wait, I meant Athill. Sorry!
I guess you can tell she and I don’t see eye to eye with that Freudian slip. Still, I appreciate how you bring such diverse literature to my attention.
Ha ha ha! I love that little slip!
Oooo… I was originally only looking forward to the new books from Barbara Kingsolver and Zadie Smith, but now I also want to read the new Junot Diaz book and the book by Diana Athill.
After reading your latest post, now I want to read the new Kingsolver and Smith books!
I watched Diaz this morning on the Live Streaming page. He was really good and made me want to read his new book. I’ll have to download those excerpts. Thanks for mentioning them.
Diaz is such a cutie!
I confess, all I’m looking forward to are the sequels to The Passage and A Discovery of Witches.
I forgot about those! I’m already on hold for both of them.
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I adore Athill!
I just read a fantastic review of Harold Fry on someone’s blog. Of course, I can’t quite remember whose. I was on the fence before that, but now I’m sure it’s a must read!
It’s funny how fast all of us decide to read this book! Hopefully, it won’t disappoint.
I loved “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”, so I’m looking forward to his new book. Part of me is afraid to read it though because I found “Oscar” so magical- in the way that I found Prayer for Owen Meany magical. I noticed that a lot of times it feels like a let down to read the author’s next book because of the weight of your expectations.
Yes! You are so right! There are a few authors whose books I’ve loved so much but haven’t read anything else by them. I’m scared that their subsequent works won’t live up to my expectations. Oscar Wao was such a great book. It was pretty magical.
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they both look like really interesting books!
Chelle
Fantastic post – I hadn’t actually heard of those books but they do look really quite intriguing. I’ll be checking them out.
New to your blog!
Stephanie @ Stepping Out of the Page
That cover of Harold Fry.. It looks amazing! I have one of Díaz previous books on my TBR, I think I had better read that first before wishing for more
Interesting picks though, I hope you get to read them soon.
The cover of Harold Fry is amazing! I love a great cover.
Diaz’s Oscar Wao is a great book plus I’ve read a lot of positive things about his short story collection, Drown, so I think you’re in for a treat.
I hadn’t heard of any of these until but they all look interesting! A book described as a love story in reverse….I’m sold! Thanks for sharing about these
That description sold me too!
Both Harold Fry and Brain on Fire were featured at the editor’s buzz panel, and both of them sounded awesome. I didn’t get a copy of Harold Fry, but do have Brain on Fire (and I can’t wait to read it).
And I can’t wait to read your thoughts on it!
I met the author of Brain on Fire at BEA (by chance! she just happened to be standing there when I picked up a galley) and we had such a nice chat and then again on Twitter. I’ve already started reading the book and it is amazing. I really recommend it.
I’m jealous! I can’t wait to read this! Glad to hear that it’s a great read.
There are only two books I’m looking forward to reading this year, too: Shadow of Night and Enshadowed. They have weirdly similar titles.
I forgot about Shadow of the Night! Did you request it from NetGalley yet?
Yes! I’m very excited to read it.