Post-TOB Reading

What do you folks like to read once the Tourney is over? Personally, I need a break from contemporary literary fiction after binging on it for the past 4 months. I typically turn to nonfiction, graphic novels, and maybe a classic in April.

I'm currently most of the way through Step Aside, Pops and will soon start Strangers Drowning. I've been madly catching up with podcasts instead of listening to audiobooks, but I happen to have The Soul of an Octopus, mentioned in the comments yesterday, ready to go in the mp3 player.

Yeah... my plan is to get through a couple of the ToB books that I missed reading - Oreo's first up. But yeah, I agree - I'm wanting to get away from contemporary litfic stuff, and that means some graphic novels / manga and some older fiction people have been pushing at me.

I'm looking at The Poisonwood Bible for things that have been around for a while, as well as Lucky Penny and Barakamon. And then, once it manages to get here in a couple of weeks, Tell the Wind and Fire, the new Sarah Rees Brennan book - looking forward to some good YA stuff, too. ^_^

I'm reading non-fiction and crime novels. It's a palate cleanser, but I'll be digging into the interesting new books soon enough.

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz is a fantastic crime novel that I'm enjoying more than I did Gone Girl. Her previous novel, How to Start a Fire, was on the longlist, but didn't make the competition. And Evicted by Matthew Desmond is an eye-opening look at what life is like for people on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Shockingly, there is often a nominal difference in the rental price between a run-down apartment in a dangerous neighborhood, and a luxury apartment in some exclusive development. And I just finished Negroland, a memoir by Margo Jefferson, about life as an affluent African American beginning in the 1950s and continuing into the present.

I didn't read any of the competitors this year! Bats of the Republic is on my radar, but it looks like one I'll have to buy in hardcover to appreciate. I've enjoyed Chris Adrian before, so I might read The New World. (Man, the touchstone for that one is way off--what is up with touchstones lately?)

Other than that, I imagine A Little Life is going to get shortlisted for or win a prize or two, so I'll probably read it sooner or later, despite its massive length. Any others I should put on my personal shortlist?

Right now, I'm focusing on award winners/shortlists for various genres, including Bailey's, and I'm reading through the ALA Reading List selections/shortlist in the genres I like. This is helping me focus on discovering recent quality fiction in the genres I most enjoy. I'm open to recommendations.

From this year's competitors? I mean, people have different feelings, and I didn't get to all of them, but if you're good with linked short stories, The Tsar of Love and Techno is definitely worth the time.

>5 WinterFox: I like linked stories better than collections, so I'll put that one on my wishlist. Thanks!

>4 sturlington: I really liked Our Souls at Night and The Story of My Teeth - both short, peculiar, emotionally-compelling reads (in very different ways).

I'm switching to nonfiction and graphic novels for a while too. Michael DeForge's Ant Colony is next up, if I can take it on the streetcar without causing bodily harm, followed by Trillium (can't link) by Jeff Lemire. Been meaning to check out Jillian Tamaki's latest stuff too, and I think she has a new YA one out.

I was thinking The Hippest Trip in America would be a good non-fic followup to The Sellout.

>8 McDirk: For the Tamaki: do you mean This One Summer, or the SuperMutant Magic Academy? I liked This One Summer a bunch, but the latter, I found more hit and miss.

I've been listening to books from the 2016 YA & Fiction Audies nominees (The Sellout is one of them!) for a project with some other bloggers (#ArmchairAudies). And reading any number of things - lots of romance, Faces in the Crowd, Cinnamon and Gunpowder.

Capfox, I love the poisonwood bible - may be time for a reread for me!

Ridgeway Girl, thanks for the reminder about The Passenger; I always enjoy Lutz.

>9 WinterFox: I meant This One Summer and Saving Montgomery Sole. Didn't know about SuperMutant Magic Academy. Might be worth a look?

>11 McDirk: It's worth a look; it's just a different sort of story than her other work. It's less a coherent narrative and more a collection of comics that tell a story across them. It probably works fine if you come at it with the right expectations.

Post-ToB I'm still working on getting all of my pre-2016 TBR pile read (I'm down to 7 owned-but-unread novels at this point) but am also fitting in a few Star Wars EU novels for some light, popcorn-read fun. No complex feelings to grapple with, just ACTION and DUTY and HONOR and EXPLOSIONS. :D

I'm also working on getting ahold of The Queen of the Night + My Name is Lucy Barton and a couple of other 2017-ToB-possibles. I read Mr Splitfoot over the weekend and was blown away; I'd love to see it compete next year if only so I'd have people to discuss all of its layers and interpretations with!

I'm completely into crime novels and non-fiction right now. Binging on some C. J. Box books and just finished The Secret Life of the American Musical which I loved!

Just working on some CAT and other challenges. I read The Bluest Eye and recently finished Gardens of the Moon and started Shards of Honor. Oh, I am also reading Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk my face to face bookclub read for this month and I am struggling with that one. About 50 pages into it so far.

>15 Kristelh: Man, those Steven Erikson books. They're well done, but so bleak - I should take another crack at them, though. I bought like books 3-8 after I read Deadhouse Gates, but I haven't been able to get through the start to book 3. Bujold's Vorkosigan books were definitely more fun.