Two weeks ago, I was in Atlanta visiting my dear friend Sarah, and--surprise, surprise--we started talking books. I mentioned how it can be difficult to find really good contemporary books and worthwhile new authors, to know what's worth reading vs. what's just hip. Currently, my primary sources for new fiction include sites like The New York Times or Powell's as well as family recommendations or gifts; for example, my brother Brian recently passed along Roberto Bolano's epic last work, 2666, and a few Christmases ago my book-lovin' Aunt Lorin gifted me Stephanie Kallos' Broken For You, which I now read at least once a year! Add a few oops-I-should-have-read-this-sooner-after-all-I-was-an-English-major-for-pete's-sake classics, and that tends to comprise my reading list. While the above sources are undeniably fantastic and have done me well, I'm always looking for new avenues for finding great reads. I think part of it is this question of whether we as readers can sift through all that's being published today to determine what might be lasting, what could make it into the canon and remain relevant 100 years from now...In a way, determining what books might have lasting resonance is an exercise in determining how our current times will be summarized for future generations. For example, Virginia Woolf's novels certainly have great relevance today, but she is also widely read (and taught) because of how artfully works like To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway depict the time in which they are set: how poignantly they portray issues of solipsism in the modern era, how eloquently they explore individuals still reeling from the world war and the ensuing societal shifts.
But back to the point: other sources for uncovering new fiction! My conversation with Sarah (who, by the by, you can learn more about on her always charming lifestyle blog, The World is my Oyster) instigated a search for new sources. Obvi, the first idea was to start this blog and get you, my lovely readers, to offer up suggestions for what's worth reading (please!!), but I've also come across some good outside sources, one of which I'll share with you now:
Okay folks, this is pretty cool. Go to this site to find a series of spectrums (happy::sad; funny::serious; larger than life::down to earth, etc.) that you can set to mirror your current tastes. For example, if I say I'm in the mood for a semi-sad, very funny, rather unpredictable, and absolutely beautiful book, I can get a series of recommendations that fit the bill, such as The Elegance of the Hedgehog (which we know from my previous posting I adored, and if you have read I think you'll agree it does meet the above criteria) and Paper: The Dreams of a Scribe, by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, which is now officially on my reading list. I mean, come on--it's like a mood ring for books! Each recommendation includes a brief reader comment, an excerpt from the book, and several "parallels," which are lists of similar books. FYI-rather than using the qualitative spectrums I just described, there's also an option for defining interests in character, plot, and setting. Either way, you can provide focused specifications to find book recommendations that fit your interests.
You've learned where I get my book recommendations, but how about you? What sources do you use? Which friends or family members do you ask?
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