What We’re Reading

JOE

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
As soon as we opened yesterday, I received a copy of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. It’s been ten years since Gaiman has delivered a novel geared towards adult audiences and looking at the thin tome I was somewhat disgruntled. However, now that I’ve knocked out the bulk of the book (I’ve got about 30 pages left), I can say with confidence that he’s delivered a heck of a novella. Channeling Robert Aikman and his past work in The Sandman,  The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is a book that sits squarely between Gaiman’s two major styles; it has the concentration and darkness that permeates his best short stories yet has the expansiveness that defines his longer works. At 178 pages it’s tough to talk about the plot without giving much away so I’ll just say that if you love Gaiman’s work or if you love tales about childhood and the power of storytelling and myth, then you will love this addition to the Neil Gaiman canon.

MEG

Battleborn by Clare Vaye Watkins
This collection of short stories has been all the rage among BookPeople’s book people. I’m only two stories in, but it’s clear the praise is well deserved. The first story is about Manson in California and the progeny left from that free love murder movement. With a character named Razor Blade Baby what’s not to love? Clare Vaye Watkins’ writing is both surprising and beautiful, possessing a mystery I can’t wait to explore.

BookPeople will be on hand selling copies of Battleborn at Tesseract, June 20 7:30 – 10, a new multimedia series co-presented by AMOA-Arthouse and Austin-based small press, A Strange Object. Author Claire Vaye Watkins will kick off the festivities with a selection from this award-winning story collection.

FLIPPO

Let the Games Begin by Niccolo Ammaniti & Kylee Doust
This book is just so good. It follows two interconnected stories, the life of a playboy writer type and a fledgling satanic group. Set in Rome- Fabrizio, the writer, is invited to the party to end all parties. There is to be three hunts, an English fox hunt, an Indian tiger hunt, and an African tiger hunt. Things quickly get out of hand and mayhem ensues. All the while the satanic group is plotting to kidnap a party goer to sacrifice. If that’s not enough a group of subterranean athletes emerge to thicken the plot. Really well written and totally off the wall, Let the Games Begin is a book to look forward to

Let the Games Begin will be released August 6, 2013, it is now available for pre-order.

MERRILEE

Staying Alive by Jefferson R. Cowie
Staying Alive is all about how working-class America hit the rocks in the political and economic upheavals of the 1970s. I thought this book was going to be a lot more about pop culture, but it’s major references are ones that reflect the working-class like Rocky Balboa and John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. I’m a really big history nerd as everyone knows, so I’m really enjoying this book. I remember the miner strikes in the 70’s and the union standoffs- this is a great account of that period.
Join Merrilee and Cindy to discuss Staying Alive with their Stranger Than Fiction book club tonight 6/19 at 7P.M.