Howdy! Itās been a month. Iāve been busy since I recently moved. The weekend before last, I felt like I needed to get out of the apartment to do something I love. So, I went to a coffee shop to write a little bit and get some other work done while drinking a coffee that I didnāt make myself, and then I went to the next-door used bookstore to browse. I promised myself I would just look; I wouldnāt buy unless I saw a book Iāve been wanting for forever. But of course, once I got in there, I proceeded to buy six books to add to my already long TBR.Ā
It definitely wasnāt my best job thrifting, as I spent $45 on 6 books, and I usually like to spend less than that on more books, but it was still less than paying full price for new books. And Iām super excited about all the books I bought. Naturally, itās mostly literary fiction, because who am I to stray out of my comfort zone, but I also got a short story collection and a poetry collection.
The Books
The Short Stories of Anton Tchekov, compiled by Robert Linscott
Iāve read some of Chekovās works before for a Russian Literature course in college, but I think Iāve only read one included in this anthology: āKashtanka.ā Iām curious to see how deeply I understand the short stories without my professorās guidance and teachings about Russian culture. Weāll see. But Chekov (Iām used to spelling Tchekov without the T at the beginning) is renowned for his mastery in short story telling.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Iāve only read one book by Ian McEwan, Atonement, and I absolutely loved it. I forget where I saw this book recommended recently, but when I recognized it in the bookstore, I grabbed it. I actually didnāt know what it was about until I brought it home and looked the book up on goodreads.
Itās set in 1962, and itās about two newlyweds fretting over their wedding night and feeling the pressure of their future weighing on that single night.
The Red Thread by Ann Hood
This is honestly one of those books where the spine drew me in. I was picking up books whose spines caught my eye, and Jodi Picoultās review, āIs there anyone who can write about the connections between ordinary people as well as Ann Hood does?ā made me buy it.Ā
And the lady who was checking me out said that Ann Hood writes good books, so fingers crossed that I agree.
Itās about an adoption agency that places Chinese girls with American families. It entwines the stories of Chinese mothers who had to give up their daughters and the stories of American parents seeking to adopt.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Iāve read The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver, and I have complicated feelings about it if you want to check out my review. But long story short, I LOVED the majority of the novel so much that it was on the track to my favorites list, so I decided it was a good idea to read more of her. The Bean Trees was Kingsolverās first novel, and Iāve heard that it isnāt as good as The Poisonwood Bible, but itās still really good.
Itās about a young Kentuckian who wants to leave her hometown and never look back, and she wants to avoid getting pregnant. She heads out west, but finds herself with custody of a three-year-old child named Turtle. She has to learn how to navigate spontaneous motherhood and to settle down.
Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Lee Smith was a visiting writer at my high school, so Iāve technically been in the same room as her and heard her speak, and I also read a snippet of her memoir for a class before she arrived. I remember being so impressed by that one chapter, and I remember resolving then that I would read more of Lee Smith. But Iāve just never gotten around to it. It probably would have slipped my mind if a friend hadnāt reminded me of her recently.
There were actually a lot of Lee Smithās books in the bookstore, since Lee Smith is from my state originally and does signings in my area. But I chose Fair and Tender Ladies because it was the most recognizable to me, so I thought it might be a good place to start.
Itās about Ivy, whose talent as a writer is recognized early on in her life, but before she can go north to school, she faces unwed pregnancy and scandal. She marries a childhood friend and goes back home, hoping for happiness someday.
The Path to Fairview: New and Selected Poems by Julia Randall
I scoured the poetry section for contemporary poets Iāve seen recommended, since Iāve been trying to get into contemporary poetry recently, but couldnāt find any. All the rest seemed to be poets writing modern poetry that I donāt really consider poetry because Iām a gatekeeper and have really high standards for poetry. BUT I flipped through this one, and the poet actually seemed to be thoughtful about structure and diction and not just writing prose with line breaks, so I picked her up. Hopefully Iām not disappointed, because I really, really, really want to find one contemporary poet I like.
