Reading Log

2021

SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward (F) novel* re-read
HAMNET & JUDITH by Maggie O’Farrell (F) novel*
HOW TO PRONOUNCE KNIFE by Souvankgham Thammavongsa (F) shorts
SEVERAL SHORT SENTENCES ABOUT WRITING by Verlyn Klinkenborg (NF) craft book*
TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW FOR SURE by Dorothy Allison (NF) memoir
CZECH TECHNO by Mark Anthony Jarman (F) shorts chapbook
INDIANS ON VACATION by Thomas King

2020

WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan (F) novel
THE PARTY by Elizabeth Day (F) novel
WOMEN TALKING by Miriam Toews (F) short novel
IN A LONELY PLACE by Dorothy B. Hughes (F) (Noir) short novel
THE DAMNED by Nathan Greenfield (NF)
HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD by Ottessa Moshfegh (F) shorts*
FIVE DAYS GONE by Laura Cumming (CNF)
THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn (F) novel
WHAT WE ALL LONG FOR by Dionne Brand (F) novel
AGAINST DEATH (anthology) edited by Elee K. Gardiner (NF) essays 1/2 read
THE LONDON TRAIN by Tessa Hadley (F) novel in 2 parts
LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson (F) novel in pieces*
GOD IN RUINS by Kate Atkinson (F) novel
TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson (F) mystery novel
BINA by Anakana Schofield (F) novel in warnings (i don’t need to read anymore of this series, i really don’t #gettingonmynerves
GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER by Bernardine Evaristo (F) novel*
LIT by Mary Karr (NF) memoir
CITY OF FIRE by Garth Hellburg (F) fucking long novel that i will finish if it fucking kills me. PS i still haven’t finished it. gah. i will never finish it. defeated.
HALF-BLOOD BLUES by Esi Eduygan (F) novel (re-read)
SERVANTS OF THE MAP by Andrea Barrett (F) shorts; but long shorts with a historic/scientific bent
OUTLINE by Rachel Cusk (F) short novel re-read
TRANSIT by Rachel Cusk (F) short novel*
THE ART OF MEMOIR by Mary Karr (NF) (Craft)*
KUDOS by Rachel Cusk (F) short novel
RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles (F) novel*
WHEN EVERYTHING FEELS LIKE THE MOVIES by Raziel Reid (F) short novel
SHUT UP YOU’RE PRETTY by Tea Mutonji (F) shorts
THE PLAGUE by Kevin Chong (F) novel
HOW TO MURDER YOUR LIFE by Cat Marnell (NF) (memoir) audiobook
THE BOOK OF SALT by Monique Truong (F) audiobook 1/3 read. the narrator wasn’t great
THE WHITES by Richard Price (F) novel
RED AT THE BONE by Jacqueline Woodson (F) novel
THIS IS THE NIGHT OUR HOUSE WILL CATCH FIRE by Nick Flynn (CNF) memoir
NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney (F) short novel
ANATOMY OF STORY by John Truby (NF) craft
WIRED FOR STORY by Lisa Cron (NF) craft
SQUARE HAUNTING by Francesca Wade (NF)*
THE TOPEKA SCHOOL by Ben Lerner (F) novel
BUNNY by Mona Awad (F) novel*
NIGHT BOAT TO TANGIER by Kevin Barry (F) novel*
THE SPLENDID THINGS WE PLANNED by Blake Bailey (NF) memoir
THE YELLOW HOUSE by Sarah L. Broom (NF) memoir
LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF THE FATHERLESS GIRLS (memoir) by T. Kira Madden*
VERMIN by Lori Hahnel (F) shorts

2019

ON WRITING by Stephen King (craft) re-read
THE RECOVERY: INTOXICATION AND IT’S AFTERMATH by Leslie Jamieson (NF + CNF)
JOHNNY APPLESEED by Joshua Whitehead (F) novel X 2
HOW FICTION WORKS by James Wood (craft)* re-read
HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL IN 90 DAYS by Alan Watts (craft)* X 2
CATARACT CITY by Craig Davidson (F) novel (bro book)
THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER by Lidia Yuknavitch (memoir)
THE LAST NUDE by Ellis Avery (F) novel
ZEPPLIN NIGHTS by Jerry White (NF) history of WW1 X2
SEARCH FOR TERRY PUNCHOUT by Tyler Hellard (F) novel
THE LIAR’S CLUB by Mary Karr (NF + memoir)
NEVER MIND by Edward St. Aubyn (F) novel*
GREAT WAR LETTERS by The Times (NF) X 2
AQUA VIVA by Clarice Lispector (F) novella
GLORY IN A LINE: A LIFE OF FOUJITA by Phyllis Birbaum (NF)
FACES OF WAR by Andrew Bamji (NF) re-read
THE PIANO SHOP ON THE LEFT BANK by TE Carhart (NF)
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE by Lucy Grealy (memoir)
FALLING AWAKE by Alice Oswald (poetry)
A LUCKY MAN by Jamel Brinkley (F) shorts
UNDER MY SKIN by Doris Lessing (memoir)
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles (N) mystery/suspense
THE RISE AND FALL OF GREAT POWERS by Tom Rachman (F) novel
TRUTH & BEAUTY by Ann Patchett (memoir) X 2 (audiobook + book)
DEGREES OF NAKEDNESS by Lisa Moore (F) short stories*
TINY LIGHTS FOR TRAVELLERS by Naomi K. Lewis (memoir)*
SPEEDBOAT by Renata Adler (F) a novel in fragments
UNDER THE BRIDGE: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk by Rebecca Godfrey (NF)
THE EMPRESS OF IDAHO by Todd Babiak (F) novel
BETTYVILLE by George Hodgman (NF) memoir*
BASIC BLACK WITH PEARLS by Helen Weinzweig (F) short novel
BELOVED by Toni Morrison (F) short novel*
THE WESTERN ALIENATION MERIT BADGE by Nancy Jo Cullen (F) short novel
THERE, THERE by Tommy Orange (F) novel*
THEORY by Dionne Brand (F) short novel
BOTH WAYS IS THE ONLY WAY I WANT IT by Maile Meloy (F) short stories*
CALGARY THROUGH THE EYES OF WRITERS by Shaun Hunter (NF) anthology reread
AN HONEST WOMAN by JoAnn McCaig (F) short novel
LIARS AND SAINTS by Maile Meloy (F) novel
A FAMILY DAUGHTER by Maile Meloy (F) novel
SEASON OF FURY AND WONDER by Sharon Butala (F) short stories*
THE BODY OF THE BEASTS by Audree Wilhelmy (F) short novel
STET by Diana Athill (NF) memoir*
THE INCENDIARIES, A NOVEL by R.O. Kwon (F) short novel*
A HOUSE FOR MR. BISWAS by V. S. Naipaul (F) novel 1/3 read
AIR SALT by Ian Kinney (poetry)*
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot (NF)
HOT MILK by Deborah Levy (F) short novel*

2018

FACES OF WAR by Andrew Bamji (NF) X 2
THE SYMPATHIZER by Viet Thanh Nyugen (F) novel ½ read
SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward (F) novel
MOTHER’S AND OTHER STRANGERS by Gina Sorell (F) novel
FLOATING CITY by Kerri Sakamoto (F) novel
JOURNEY PRIZE ANTHOLOGY #29 (F) shorts
DROPOUT by Leslie Gavel (NF) memoir
DARWIN’S MOVING by Taylor Lambert (NF) memoir
SCOGGY’S WAR by Howard Brenton (play)
THE CONJOINED by Jen Sookfong Lee (F) novel
JESUS ON THE DASHBOARD by Lisa Murphy-Lamb (F)(YA) novella
CATALINA by Liska Jacobs (F) novel
DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY? by Bill Clegg (F) novel*
TOBY’S ROOM by Pat Barker (F) novel re-read
NOONDAY by Pat Barker (F) novel re-read
FOLLOWING THE RIVER by Lorri Neilson Glenn (CNF) ½ read
THAT TINY LIFE by Erin Frances Fisher (F) shorts ½ read
THE ITALIAN TEACHER by Tom Rachman (F) novel*
THE CONCUBINE’S DAUGHTER by Denise Chong (NF) memoir
LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders (F) novel*
THE FINANCIAL LIVES OF POETS by Jess Walter (F) novel
PRIESTDADDY by Patricia Lockwood (CNF) essays
THE FIGGS by Ali Bryan (F) novel
THE DAUGHTERS OF MARS by Thomas Kineally (HF) novel
HOW TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL by Alexander Chee (NF) essays*
SWING TIME by Zadie Smith (F) novel
WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys (F) novel re-read
THE SUN ALSO RISES by Hemingway (F) novel re-read
MANUEL FOR CLEANING WOMEN by Lucia Berlin (F) shorts
BROTHER by David Chariandy (F) novel*
THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT by Robert Goolrick (NF) memoir
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque (F) novel
EILEEN by Ottessa Moshfegh (F) novel*
ISADORA by Amelia Gray (CNF) novel
THEY TOLD ME THERE’D BE CAKE by Sloane Crosley (NF) essays ½ read
OUTLINE by Rachel Cusk (F) novel*
UNDERMAJORDOMO MINOR by Patrick de Witt (F) novel
THE REAL LOLITA by Sarah Weinman (NF but a weird combo of crime + literary investigation)*
IT STARTS WITH THE BODY by Hana Shafi (P)
FLAWED by Andrea Dorfman (CNF) adult picture book
NO GOOD ASKING by Fran Kimmel (F) (YA) novel
THE ONLY STORY by Julian Barnes (F) novel
THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY by Patricia Highsmith (F) novel
GALVESTON by Paul Quarrington (F) novel
THE FACT OF A BODY by Alexandrian Marzano-Lesnevich (CNF—crime + memoir)*
LESS by Andrew Sean Greer (F) novel*
CALGARY THROUGH THE EYES OF A WRITER by Shaun Hunter (NF) anthology
SOFIE AND CECILIA by Katherine Ashenburg (historical F) novel
WAITING ANTHOLOGY edited by Rona Altrows + Julie Sedivy (NF) ½ read
HOW IT ENDED by Jay McInerney (F) shorts
WE’LL ALL BE BURNT IN OUR BED SOME NIGHT by Joel Thomas Hynes (F) novel
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG by Peter Carey (F) novel
THE SELECTED STORIES OF GORDON LISH by Gordon Lish (F) shorts
WHEN WE WERE BIRDS by Maria Mutch (F) shorts