Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Book Notes!

Well, it's been a while (ahem! maybe a bit more) since I last posted here but hopefully you have been keeping up to date with my news on twitter. Not blogging does NOT mean not reading, of which I have been doing plenty of in the past month. The reason for not blogging is a combination unfortunately of life's pressing non-book matters, writer's block and writing-esteem issues, and perhaps a dollop of laziness. But there's nothing like the present and here are a few things I'd like to share to get BOOKFABULOUS back on the road again:

** Today the shortlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2013 was announced. The books are:

1. Kate Atkinson: Life After Life.
2. A.M. Homes: May We Be Forgiven.
3. Barbara Kingsolver: Flight Behaviour.
4. Hilary Mantel: Bring Up the Bodies.
5. Maria Semple: Where'd You Go Bernadette?
6. Zadie Smith: NW.

** This only came to my attention today and I would have posted it or commented on it sooner had I picked it up. It is concerning the dis-invitation of M. Lynx Qualey author of the blog "Arab Literature (in English)" of which I am a huge fan. Her article in the Kenyon Review blog explains everything so click HERE to find out!

** My tickets are booked for the London Literature Festival 2013 taking place in May at the Southbank Center. I am looking forward to the opening ceremony which will host a panel of ten of the best writers in the world who are all nominated for this year's Man Booker International Prize 2013. The authors will be offering up a delectable sample of their works. Can't Wait!
Also looking forward to attending the session entitled Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist Readings (see above). The shortlist which was only announced today is a very tight and promising one and to be honest I think it is one of the strongest years as I have personally enjoyed all the books. But maybe Hilary Mantel will be at it again? who knows?

** Interviewed by Dwyer Murphy for Guernica online Magazine, Eduardo Halfon said, "I just wanted to read. And a consequence of so much reading is writing. Writing is secondary. Writing is an afterthought of reading". To read the really interesting full interview, click HERE

No comments: