^A somewhat older book from the voice of a transgender person is Jennifer Boylan’s “She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders”-- Boylan was a novelist before transitioning, and her writing ability really makes this an outstanding book.
Has anyone read Missoula by Jon Krakauer? I knew this was going to be a difficult read about sexual assaults on college campuses but wow, I’m only about 30 pages in and am already feeling sick about the situation.
^Haven’t read Missoula but Krakauer definitely has the capacity to upset. I still get sort of queasy remembering his book Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air was fascinating but very intense.
Yes, I’ve read Missoula. Disturbing book; I’ve had good discussions with my kids and my book groups about it. There have been some accusations that his agenda going into the writing of it prevented him from true balance, but I still think it’s worth reading. The main case has ties to the city I live in; that has been interesting.
Garland–I’ve met Jenny Boylan. Went to a lecture she gave at a local university around the time that She’s Not There was first published. Went with a friend whose daughter was in the process of transitioning. Boylan is an excellent speaker and the book is, as you say, outstanding. I just heard Boylan on public radio (show was Studio 360.org). She was interviewing novelist Richard Russo, who has a new book. They are/were? colleagues at Colby College. (Not sure if they are both still affiliated with Colby). Here’s a link to the program:
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/studio/
Thanks! I’m a fan of both of them; knew they worked together at Colby. Boylan left there; think she’s at Wesleyan now, from NYU (or vice versa.)
Just finished “Tsar of Love and Techno” by Anthony Marra. Hauntingly lyrical, extremely sad and funny at the same time. Thanks to this forum for recommending it. I looked up the author and he’s only 32. An author to watch. I am reading his first novel Constellation of Vital Phenomena now. Hope it is as good as Tsar.
I’m LOVING “Ways to Disappear”-- a literary “mystery” that’s both compact (under 300 pages) and rich; a page-turner in which you relish every sentence.
It’s by the translator of Clarice Lispector and other Portuguese/Spanish literary works. It’s about the disappearance of a Clarice Lispector-type writer and her American translator, who goes to Brazil in search of the author when she vanishes.
Different and full of pleasure; recommended for those of you who like such climates.
@ccreader, half of my reader friends liked Tsar better (me included) and half liked Constellation better. Will be curious to see which you prefer! I loved that book so much…!
I feel like the only human being in the world who did not like the Ferante books (well, book. I only tried the one). Should I keep going? So many people whose opinions I value loved them so. Hmm.
@jaylynn, I thought Constellation was wonderful, but quite harrowing. There are things that happened in that book that I’ll never, ever forget. Looking forward to reading Tsar.
I tried Ferrante’s My Beautiful Friend but disliked it so much that I abandoned it. Her writing style grated on me like fingernails on a blackboard.
Had a similarly negative experience with the beloved-by-many A Man Called Ove. Taste is such a curiously personal thing! 
Count me as another who did not like My Beautiful Friend. Everyone else in my book club loved it–to me it was tedious.
omg we must have the same taste in books @NJTheatreMOM. I could not stomach Ove either. Okay, so there is another human on the planet like me. Whew.
I disliked Ove and can’t for the life of me understand its huge appeal.
OTOH, I’m a huge fan of the Ferrante books. I read them on the kindle, then went out and bought the books just so I could look at them on my shelf, hee hee.
As NJTheaterMOM says, go figure.
No one in my book club (including me) really liked Ove.
I felt the same way, NJTM. So glad to know I wasn’t the only one.
I am rereading a pair of YA books by Beth Hilgartner. The first is the typical misfit from our world ends up in fantasy world and has to save the day. The sequel has a group from the fantasy world in our world trying to fetch her back. I’d forgotten how funny it is as they try to interpret modern America through their knowledge base.
Uh oh, I suggested the Ove book for my new book group based on the comments here…will see what everyone (including myself) thinks!
I loved it.
I enjoyed it too. I thought it was a lovely love story.
Loved Ove.
On booked 3 of the Ferrante series. Mixed on them. They could use a good editing IMO to make them more readable and less repetitious.