so if the pictures below (which hopefully actually posted, i haven't actually checked yet) haven't indicated--i had an awesome day yesterday! besides hitting the lush store, getting neil gaiman's signature, and attending some awesome sessions, i also won a 100 dollar gift certificate to barnes and noble! oh, ala, i love you.
i also have read a couple books:
juliana baggott's girl talk
despite its title and bright pink cover, this first novel by baggott isn't chick lit. baggott (who i believe teaches creative writing at fsu) tells a beautifully written story about a young woman whose father left for a summer, and the impact that summer has had on the rest of her life. it's a riveting novel about families and love--and according to the reader's guide in the back, baggott is also a poet, whcih explains her powerful imagery (especially about water).
heather o'neill's lullabies for little criminals
yay advance copies!! this comes out in the fall and i think you all should read it. o'neill is apparently a contributer to this american life, but she's also an excellent novelist. her story focuses on a twelve year old girl living with her junkie father, who was only 15 when she was born. the novel never descends into melodrama despite its occasional squalor--the narrative voice is really well done. i really liked this book.
ETA: my pictures didn't post! i'll stick them up now. grr.
i love juliana baggott! it's been years since i read her book the miss america family, but i actually still think about it regularly. i have that new book that she wrote with the candyfreak guy, just waiting to be read.
ReplyDeleteoh cool, i'll try to read the miss american one--let me know how the new one is! i'm not always a steve almond fan (sometimes like his essays, usually don't like his short stories) so i've hesitated on picking it up.
ReplyDelete