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“As human beings, we live by emotions and thoughts. We exchange them when we are in the same place at the same time, talking to each other, looking into each other’s eyes, brushing against each other’s skin. We are nourished by this network of encounters and exchanges. But, in reality, we do not need to be in the same place and time to have such exchanges. Thoughts and emotions that create bonds of attachment between us have no difficulty in crossing seas and decades, sometimes even centuries, tied to thin sheets of paper or dancing between the microchips of a computer. We are part of a network that goes far beyond the few days of our lives and the few square meters that we tread.”
~ Carlo Rovelli “The Order of Time”

Take all of the 19th-century mysteries and conspiracies swirling at the heart of Emily Brontë’s life, how so much inexplicable genius came out of a parsonage on the Yorkshire moors, haunted by premature deaths and the question of God and Nature.

Take an enigmatic Dutch writer, with her wolf-like gaze and infinite gifts of perception, whose extraordinary books in the 21st century are starting to trickle into the English language thanks to the phenomenal talent of David McKay.

Feel the detonation that takes place when a solitary artist at the height of her powers applies repeated and cyclical pressure to a cluster of Brontëan themes, with the force of the tide: sisterhood, sibling rivalry, jealousy, death and the afterlife, the ineffable, time, obsession, creativity, marriage. The mechanisms we choose to explain our lives to ourselves, the stories we choose to transmit this meaning, determinism and random chaos.

Anjet Daanje may have written the Great Novel of Quantum Physics: a love letter spanning centuries, a spellbinding work of art and poetry and imagination that feels like a living organism, 736 pages of slippery, unpredictable particles blinking like dead stars in the darkest of nights.

This novel runs the gamut, from the brambles to the bells, the rain, the buzzing of flies, the clocks, the howling wind and the blackberries.

It feels haunted and a little otherworldly.
One of the best that I have ever read.

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Vancouver: you’re pretty, but I was here for these women (and the books). The internet is a wild place, but if it also means meeting and developing friendships with incredible people like this, then I’ll gladly partake.

Shoutout to @fictionmatters for bringing us all together initially, and to @discord for the endless book threads.

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“Now and then there are readings that make the hairs on the neck, the non-existent pelt, stand on end and tremble, when every word burns and shines hard and clear and infinite and exact, like stones of fire, like points of stars in the dark.”
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Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990)
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Two scholars discover a secret passion between the Victorian poets that they have based their respective academic careers on, and set into motion an exhilarating novel filled with passion, romance, and intellect.

Possession is a literary detective adventure, an epic, unspooling in narrative that careens from the present day, to quoted poetry, to letters, to diary entries, to secret records, to dark fairy tales, without a strict adherence to one chronological timeline. Its constant shapeshifting recalls the mythical creatures that populate the epics of our central Victorian poet duo. As I covered more ground in this novel, its shape began to emerge out of a mysterious literary landscape.

Byatt’s narrative genius allows the humanity of the historical personages to shine through, brightly illuminating emotions out of dry words. It made me think she was inspiring us to feel empathy for the impetus that drives scholars to spend their lives painstakingly combing through text one word at a time in search of treasures. She allows us to participate in the hunt as the reader. At the same time she never neglects filling in vivid colors our scholars of present day, their faults and insecurities and desires flashing out in counterpoint to the historical romance they desperately chase. It was a whirlwind ride I felt vertiginously tipped into, engrossed in a sea of papers and words that buoyed me to the end.

I bought my copy 3 years ago on the compelling recommendation of @whatereads but life colluded to disrupt my reading of it at least 3 separate times. This go around I settled in for the haul and felt like I was finally able to let myself be whisked away. I always knew I’d love this book and could tell it would be an incredible experience for me, so I’m glad I finally reconnected with it at a time I could appreciate it. The right read should be read at the right time.

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Reckless book-buying bandits hit Montreal. One out of one booksellers surveyed says we have “impeccable taste.”

Genuine dream vacation this week with these buddy readers turned real-life friends. So grateful to these amazing women for the bookish conversations, bookstore browsing, and no-questions-asked quiet reading time and to @fictionmatters for bringing us together. I never imagined when I joined an online book club in the early days of the pandemic that it would turn into a meaningful source of community and spark these kinds of friendships. Can’t wait for our next trip!

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📚Nearly four years ago, I joined @fictionmatters Patreon book club and while I knew I’d read some great books, I had no idea that I’d be meeting these amazing women and, now, dear friends. We live around the world and have very different careers/daily lives, but we bonded over books. Loved meeting this group IRL to support the local economy in Montreal after daily chatting and countless Zooms.

Missed you @tarajoy90 ♥️♥️♥️

Thanks @fictionmatters for bringing us all together.
#thankssara #fictionmattersinthewild #bookclub #onlinefriendstoreallifefriends #uppermiddlebrowreading #literaryfiction

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In today’s edition of Reading in Public, I shared 20 books I hope to read this summer and how they ended up on my TBR. Here are five of those books—and you can find the full list through the link in my bio!

What’s on your summer reading list and how did you discover it??

#SummerReading #TBR #ToRead #FictionMatters

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I’m in the thick of what feels like an early midlife crisis and questioning who I am and what I want and how I fit in the world. Specifically *me* as a human person, not just mother or wife. You know, casual Wednesday afternoon thoughts…

But as my mind spins on these chaotic, overwhelming questions, I remember the “I’m a person who loves…” challenge on this here Bookstagram. I adored @a.rae.of.books’ list and through making my own, started to find myself a little bit more.

So, here I am. Swipe to see some things I love *beyond motherhood.* This is the start of who I am, unrelated to those babies I grew, as a human worthy of unearned love.

Hi, my name is Kait, I’m a bit of a mess but I’m trying. Nice to meet you 👋🏻

I tagged some friends but honestly want to see everyone’s lists. Because how great is it to have a feed filled with happy, appreciative, authentic people?!

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📝 On Writing by Stephen King
One of the few nonfiction works from one of the world’s most prolific writers. This book is unique in that it is part memoir, part technical guide to writing.

I read this as a #buddyread / #readathon with @bookforte and others this month. I don’t have any serious interest in writing, but enjoyed learning how to “read like a writer” and now find myself scrutinizing my work writing more!

Here are some practical tips from King for those thinking of writing their first novel:
✒️ Read/write 4-6 hours a day.
✒️ Aim for 10 pages or 2,000 words a day (1,000 when you’re just starting out).
✒️ At this pace, your first draft should take about 3 months to write.
✒️ Sit on your first draft for 6 weeks.
✒️ Second draft should be 10% shorter.
✒️ Write the first draft “with the door closed” (in solitude) and the second “with the door open.”
✒️ Writing consists of: narration, dialogue, and description. King does not plot.
✒️ Always use the first word that comes to mind.
✒️ Don’t tell the reader what you can show them.

I do believe this is less of a technical guide and more of just a description of King’s personal writing process. I can’t imagine these tips would work for most people. It blows my mind that he does not plot map. King describes stories as hidden fossils that exist independently and it’s the writers job to use their tools to extract them.

❓Have you ever thought of writing a book?

#onwriting #readlikeawriter #writingguide #stephenking #kingofhorror #nonfictionnovember #fallintononfiction #nonfictionbookparty #nanowrimo A copy of Stephen King’s book “On Writing” with a succulent, pen, and open notebook with handwritten notes.

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A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki was an amazing pick for August @fictionmatters book club. So excellent to discuss w all of the thoughtful book group participants. I’ve read so many good reviews and I won’t try to replicate- I’d recommend @whatereads in particular! I love Japanese fiction, and a mention in A Tale for the Time Being led me to follow it with Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri. Miri’s book tells the story of a manual laborer who toiled on various projects supporting the economy and eventually ends up homeless in the Ueno park. A striking commentary on invisibility of the homeless.

#translatedfiction #translatedliterature #yumiri #ruthozeki #fictionmatters #justread #bookrecommendations #booksbooksbooks #badassbookbabes #bibliophile #japanesefiction

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I have never been a short story reader but for some reason, I have set a personal challenge to read more stories this year and with the magic of buddy reads, I am doing it! I loved Machado’s In the Dream House, so I was excited to read her short story collection, “Her Body and Other Parties.” There were stories in this collection that I absolutely loved and some that I just didn’t. I’ve read a lot of collections by singular authors (I haven’t posted a ton of them cause I really tend to post only things I would highly recommend) and this is definitely my favorite of the lot but…. I am wondering if I should try collections with stories by multiple authors? Any recommendations my friends?

And a huge thank you to @paigeinabook1995 @whatereads @melizreads18 @a.reader.reflects @elizabeth_fisher1 for reading along with me!

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🌞 A sun-spotted tbr! 🌞

Was tagged recently by @alexaisreading for my #topninetbr and by @oana.lostinbooks for my #sixbookssoon so here’s a look at what I can’t wait to read!

Things to Do When You’re Goth in the Country —Chavisa Woods
Apple & Knife —Intan Paramaditha
The Adventures of China Iron —Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
The Seas —Samantha Hunt
The Lottery and Other Stories —Shirley Jackson
Cosmogony —Lucy Ives
Signs Preceding the End of the World —Yuri Herrera
Mr. Fox —Helen Oyeyemi
Blueberries —Ellena Savage

In other updates, I just finished The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwood and loved it despite not being convinced at the beginning! Later today I’ll (finally!) pick up Drive Your Plow by Olga Tokarczuk.

Tagged a few lovely bookstagrammers if you’d like to take part in either one of these challenges! 🌻

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookworm #booksofinstagram #bookcommunity #bookishcommunity #bookpic #bookpics #amreading #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booksarelife #bookstack #bookstacks #bookstackchallenge #bookstackchallenges #tbr #tbrpile #tbrstack

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{𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘦 𝘎𝘰 by Kazuo Ishiguro}

In 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺 , I felt grief in my eyes as they burned with tears and I felt grief in my throat as I choked on a broken heart. A broken heart for the life of an English butler, I might add, which seems like it couldn’t be further from my own life. The grief I felt after 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘦 𝘎𝘰, I felt in my organs and in my bones. I felt the fury and the sadness in my gut. Sadness for the sacrificial lives of these children growing up in a boarding school. Somehow both of these stories are un-relatable to my everyday life but familiar to my spirit as they explore a shared human experience. Both stories provide a perspective on selfless sacrifice and living a life of purpose.

Did I love this book? No, I didn't at first, much like the experience of going to therapy which is not typically something we get excited to do but a rather necessary one for exploring and examining our shared human condition. If you haven’t read it, no spoilers here- best to go in completely clueless. And there is a movie but even the trailer gives too much away in my opinion, so AVOID it. I will say that I watched several author interviews and Ishiguro says that this is not intended to be a sad story, (insert image of me wiping my eyes looking confused). He said it is intended to be a book about our mortality and how we find value, friendship and love in our short time. Such an optimist.

Kazuo Ishiguro has not been an instant-love author for me but somehow his words and stories have seeped into my soul and a precious opportunity I will never forget. His stories, so powerful and layered leave me feeling both broken and renewed, grieving and eager to LIVE.

Read this book. Let it teach you something about your life and the preciousness of others. Let it speak to you about the sacrifices people make to improve the lives of other people.

I think my favorite reading experience so far was Remains of the Day but both are spectacular.
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#AEABookreviews #remainsoftheday #KazuoIshiguro #neverletmego #favoriteauthor #favoritebooks #readthis #bookreview #bookrecommendations #lovethisbook

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