May Book Round Up

On the heels of my busy and packed April reading habits, May came in a little quieter, but I’m ok with that. I only read three books, but all were fantastic and two were part of getting ready for our Scotland trip. You see, we’ll be living in Edinburgh during the festival season and one of those, is the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I bought tickets to a few Front Line talks (like key note speakers) and wanted to read books by those authors in particular. I also am making an effort to specifically read novels that have won the Booker Prize or the International Booker Prize, just as a personal goal.

1. The first of these was The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. This is one of the authors for whom I have a ticket to her Ed Book Fest talk and her novel has also won the Booker Prize. I have to be honest, this one I never felt like I really got into it in the way I usually do with literary fiction, but it was still fantastically written and it approached a sort of common theme (colonial/post-colonial, coming of age) uniquely. It has made me a bit hesitant to pick up more by her, but I will endeavor to try.
2. The second book I read I fell into fast and hard and just was short on time to listen, so it took me longer than I’d have preferred. Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things is one of my favorite books ever (and has won the Booker Prize!) and I had no idea she was coming out with an autobiography. After reading The Ministry of Utmost Happiness I lamented that she hadn’t written anything else for me to read, given how much I loved her prose. What I didn’t know until picking up Mother Mary Comes to Me was just how much Roy has written, but not fiction. Hearing her tell her story was moving. Roy is a fierce advocate, feminist, and philanthropist and I have the collection of her essays and political writings. My Seditious Heart, on my list.
3. Last but not least for May was another new author to me, Douglas Stuart. Stuart is also giving a front line talk at the Ed Book fest AND this book won the Booker Prize, AND he is Scottish! He was born and raised in Glasgow and his novel Shuggie Bain is said to be slightly autobiographical, pulling in a lot of his own childhood experiences. It was lot, but not in a bad way. I really really love coming of age stories and the kind of story that follows a character from childhood into young adulthood isn’t unique but Stuart really captured something here in Shuggie. I immediately picked up his newest novel, John of John (which may be my number 1 for the year) as my first June read. John of John is Booker Prize eligible and although it’s up against other incredible works, I hope it wins. Also, Shuggie Bain has one of the vibiest adult spanking startles that is not sexy or weird, that I have ever read. It caught me off guard but was SO good. There is a second moment that caught my attention too. If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think!

I am currently reading 44 Scotland Street, the first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s series of the same name. I am loving it and am a little overwhelmed by how many novels Smith has written, given I now want to read them all! But he’s also Scottish and also speaking at the book festival. What are you reading? Do you have a recommendation for me?

-M