So excited that you're planning to delve more into the nature/science/memoir genre...it is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I hope we'll get to read one together at some point! I'm due for a re-read of Gathering Moss and perhaps I'll take notes this time around, though, unsurprisingly (because of how well Kimmerer writes), many of the moss facts have stuck with me.
The more nature memoirs I read, the more inspired I am to start some little writing practice of my own. Of course, I haven't done it yet! I'll just keep thinking about it for now lol. Something about the genre makes writing feel so accessible...be in nature, observe, learn about a plant/animal/fungi, notice your place in everything, reflect on life. Sounds like it would be cliche, but the talented writers really pull it off, and with so much warmth. And these memoirs usually avoid drifting into the realm of individualism and adopting an "all about me" style, which are traits that usually cause me to steer clear from a lot of other memoirs.
I was absolutely thinking of you when I wrote that - you've given us so many great recs recently! We should organise a buddy read, perhaps a summery one for the next few months.
I agree I don't tend to get on with other memoirs I think for the reasons you mention. Something about the inclusion of nature or even just any more general topic I suppose tends to elevate a work for me. And needless to say I'd love to read anything you write. But equally just writing for yourself and starting a personal practise can be rewarding I think (nudge of encouragement ;))
Thanks so much for the mention, Jess and I’m so glad you liked River Spirit in the end! It’s the kind of book that has so much going on and so many strands that it could so easily just not work but Leila Aboulela handled it so well. So great to read your thoughts on the other books as well. I haven’t read most of them so I really appreciated how you discussed them in such depth! Definitely need to bump the Erdrich up the list…
Have you read any other Aboulela? I'm wondering which of hers I should read next! Just looking her up and River Spirit seems a bit of a departure for her more generally in being an older historical period... which I think makes it even more impressive! Not an easy transition. And yes would love to hear your thoughts on the Erdrich!
Such a meaty round-up! I read Pedro Páramo a few years ago now in its original Spanish and really enjoyed it. I hadn't seen an English translation of it up until now. I can imagine how hard it must have been to translate Rulfo's prose into another language! It's really not a straight forward read at all. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I must admit I took a long break from reading War and Peace. I only made it around 250 pages in and I needed a break from all the battle scenes. I'll pick it back up at some point, but I'm certainly in no rush. I fear I'll be slightly disappointed and that this will pale in comparison to Anna Karenina...
What great months! I’ve been dying to read ‘Pedro Páramo’ for a while so I’m loving reading how much you loved it!! I will absolutely try and get hold of that specific translation. I also love the look of ‘The Last Report on the Miracles of Little No Horse’ - I’ve never read any Erdrich, would this be a good place to start?
I enjoyed the Vonnegut review too. I had a similar experience of adoring one book of his and then reading another and absolutely hating it. I loved ‘Mother Night’ and picked up ‘The Sirens of Titan’ and just could not follow it for the life of me. Similar to some comments you made - issues of tackling really philosophical and thought provoking themes in a way that just didn’t hit right. I’ve always wanted to read ‘Slaughterhouse Five’ though and feel rest assured that that is good 😅
I look forward to hearing about what you read in May!
Very interested to hear what you make of Pedro Páramo!
As for Erdrich she’s written so much I know I haven’t got a good grasp of her work as a whole yet. I need to read more of the Love Medicine series that The Last Report is a part of to see whether it’s an ideal starting place, but even though I liked The Night Watchman less overall I do wonder if it’s a better introduction. A bit more recent and straightforward, and a standalone. I think you can get a good feel for her style from it. But I wouldn’t stop you from starting with The Last Report… it’s such an intriguing novel!
Slaughterhouse-Five was really a fantastic read. A great blend of literary, sci fi and historical fiction. It’s been a while and I need to return to it really! I don’t think I’ve ever had such a contrasting experience with a singular author and will definitely be more wary now that you mention feeling similarly! Will put Mother Night on my list, thank you!!
So excited that you're planning to delve more into the nature/science/memoir genre...it is quickly becoming one of my favorites! I hope we'll get to read one together at some point! I'm due for a re-read of Gathering Moss and perhaps I'll take notes this time around, though, unsurprisingly (because of how well Kimmerer writes), many of the moss facts have stuck with me.
The more nature memoirs I read, the more inspired I am to start some little writing practice of my own. Of course, I haven't done it yet! I'll just keep thinking about it for now lol. Something about the genre makes writing feel so accessible...be in nature, observe, learn about a plant/animal/fungi, notice your place in everything, reflect on life. Sounds like it would be cliche, but the talented writers really pull it off, and with so much warmth. And these memoirs usually avoid drifting into the realm of individualism and adopting an "all about me" style, which are traits that usually cause me to steer clear from a lot of other memoirs.
I was absolutely thinking of you when I wrote that - you've given us so many great recs recently! We should organise a buddy read, perhaps a summery one for the next few months.
I agree I don't tend to get on with other memoirs I think for the reasons you mention. Something about the inclusion of nature or even just any more general topic I suppose tends to elevate a work for me. And needless to say I'd love to read anything you write. But equally just writing for yourself and starting a personal practise can be rewarding I think (nudge of encouragement ;))
Thanks so much for the mention, Jess and I’m so glad you liked River Spirit in the end! It’s the kind of book that has so much going on and so many strands that it could so easily just not work but Leila Aboulela handled it so well. So great to read your thoughts on the other books as well. I haven’t read most of them so I really appreciated how you discussed them in such depth! Definitely need to bump the Erdrich up the list…
Have you read any other Aboulela? I'm wondering which of hers I should read next! Just looking her up and River Spirit seems a bit of a departure for her more generally in being an older historical period... which I think makes it even more impressive! Not an easy transition. And yes would love to hear your thoughts on the Erdrich!
Such a meaty round-up! I read Pedro Páramo a few years ago now in its original Spanish and really enjoyed it. I hadn't seen an English translation of it up until now. I can imagine how hard it must have been to translate Rulfo's prose into another language! It's really not a straight forward read at all. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I must admit I took a long break from reading War and Peace. I only made it around 250 pages in and I needed a break from all the battle scenes. I'll pick it back up at some point, but I'm certainly in no rush. I fear I'll be slightly disappointed and that this will pale in comparison to Anna Karenina...
What great months! I’ve been dying to read ‘Pedro Páramo’ for a while so I’m loving reading how much you loved it!! I will absolutely try and get hold of that specific translation. I also love the look of ‘The Last Report on the Miracles of Little No Horse’ - I’ve never read any Erdrich, would this be a good place to start?
I enjoyed the Vonnegut review too. I had a similar experience of adoring one book of his and then reading another and absolutely hating it. I loved ‘Mother Night’ and picked up ‘The Sirens of Titan’ and just could not follow it for the life of me. Similar to some comments you made - issues of tackling really philosophical and thought provoking themes in a way that just didn’t hit right. I’ve always wanted to read ‘Slaughterhouse Five’ though and feel rest assured that that is good 😅
I look forward to hearing about what you read in May!
Very interested to hear what you make of Pedro Páramo!
As for Erdrich she’s written so much I know I haven’t got a good grasp of her work as a whole yet. I need to read more of the Love Medicine series that The Last Report is a part of to see whether it’s an ideal starting place, but even though I liked The Night Watchman less overall I do wonder if it’s a better introduction. A bit more recent and straightforward, and a standalone. I think you can get a good feel for her style from it. But I wouldn’t stop you from starting with The Last Report… it’s such an intriguing novel!
Slaughterhouse-Five was really a fantastic read. A great blend of literary, sci fi and historical fiction. It’s been a while and I need to return to it really! I don’t think I’ve ever had such a contrasting experience with a singular author and will definitely be more wary now that you mention feeling similarly! Will put Mother Night on my list, thank you!!