Right now I'm reading two different books.
Both are newly published novels by authors I have never read before. Both books I heard about online.
Lately, at one place and time in my days, I'm reading - slowly - Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. I'm reading it as a first edition, in hardback, and signed by the author, a luxury I hardly ever splurge on. But the author has a Pulitzer (impressive); the review I read (I forget where) was so enthusiastic; the cover design is so charming (I'm actually babying a dust cover, which I rarely bother with); and the characters, settings, and language are so delicious; that I visit the novel daily in the same way that I ration out a box of fine chocolate bonbons. I savor wonderful flavor and try to make the delight last.
Its Italy is beautiful. Not all that much is happening at Villa Coco, but I've met fascinating characters and I've learned about olive harvesting. Autumn is advancing in lovely description - as the main character says, "I am not the first to comment on the poignant beauty of autumn, or the gold-edged pages of its days."
Highly reccomend.
The second book is different in every way I can think of off hand; I'm enjoying it just as much, but differently. Phantom Signals is, I understand, the first fantasy novel in a series called Code and Stone by M. P. Moorland, an IT engineer who (classic motivation!) wrote the book he wanted to read. I heard about it online. If I'm honest, this may be the only time I have ever had my curiousity roused to the point of actually buying the book by an author's pitch and a book website with a sample chapter. Out of amazement, as much as anything, I bought the ebook to tryout. I'm enjoying it!
A mix of IT and magic? aliens? mysterious weirdness? This modern London seems to be suffering from bugs in its oldest operating program. So far the story is, for me, a compulsive read that kept me up until 2:00 am last night.
In feeling it reminds me very much of Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, although the more I poke at that comparison, the more differences I see. I'm only about halfway through my read. I can't allow myself to start again today until I finish a few other things, because I know now I won't be able to stop until I finish the book. (High praise! I love a page-turner.) So this book, for me, is another sort of chocolate experience... something compulsive, like M&Ms maybe? Something to binge on.
Recommend! I hope this first novel is just the first in a loooong successful series.
I also recommend this kind of book juggling.
If you have the mental bandwidth - life can be too hectic for this - it's really satisfying to have a book at hand to suit your mood of the moment. Not just stories either. A thick non-fiction tome or an art book sitting by your armchair to wander through in an idle moment is wonderful too. Over time those moments add up: you may find that you absorbed more of a serious topic than you would have predicted.
My non-fiction go-to at the moment is An Atlas of Imagined Islands, edited by Huw Lewis-Jones. This gorgeously illustrated survey of places that don't exist starts with an illustration of a sky-island by Chris Riddell and a quote from Shakespeare:
I think he will carry this island home in his pocket
and give it to his son for an apple.
And sowing the kernels of it in the sea,
bring forth more islands.
It's been a very rich reading year for me so far...
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