Yet another week has gone by with no end in sight for the pandemic. Being able to distinguish weeks became a challenge months ago, so no surprises there. But the weather is getting colder and winter is coming (hopefully not Martin's winter - we had enough of that this year already). I used to love winter, I used to look forward to it. But for the past few years, it has tended to be a very gloomy season. I'm usually just looking forward to it ending. So, this year, it's going to be harder to get through the season, especially since we are all still mostly at home. Mind you, I don't mind the restrictions as they do have a useful purpose, but wish more people followed them well and that we had done a better job when the weather was warmer to keep the virus at bay so that it didn't have to last this long. But that argument probably won't stick anyways, as many countries are now facing second waves. At the end of the day, we really need a vaccine but I hope that isn…
Did you hear about the movie adaptation of Lisa See's book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan? I read this book last year and loved it so much, so I'm really excited about it. Here's the trailer if you're interested in it. It looks good, doesn't it? I'm confused by the modernity that I see in it. Maybe that's reflective of the present, in which the protagonist, Lily is narrating the story, but this story is set in the 19th century and even when Lily is 80 years old, it can't have been the late 20th century, right? Unless China advanced pretty early.
Did you see the Orange Prize long list? There are few titles there that I'm really excited about.
- Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
- Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch
- Room by Emma Donoghue
- The Pleasure Seekers by Tishani Doshi
- Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty
- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
- The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
- The London Train by Tessa Hadley
- Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson
- The Seas by Samantha Hunt
- The Birth of Love by Joanna Kavenna
- Great House by Nicole Krauss
- The Road to Wanting by Wendy Law-Yone
- The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
- The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
- Repeat it Today with Tears by Anne Peile
- Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
- The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
- The Swimmer by Roma Tearne
- Annabel by Kathleen Winter
I know some of you read books on the long and short lists in anticipation of the awards, so I'd like to hear if you are considering it? I can probably live vicariously through you.
Comments
I have read a few from the Orange Prize longlist and added the rest to my TBR.
I think I only have heard of Room by Emma Donoghue. I keep seeing it at the bookstore.
I haven't read Lisa See yet. I hope to read the book and/or watch the movie.