Who's Reading What this Summer? Episode 7 - Steven Beattie

On tonight's action-packed episode of Summer Readings of People You May or May Not Have Heard of, I present book reviewer and writer Steven Beattie.

Steven is a reviewer for Quill & Quire, a publication which covers all aspects of the Canadian publishing industry. Plus, in addition to his immaculate credentials and probing reviews, he's a swell guy, and the first person outside of my editor and immediate family to review Shelf Monkey. Needless to say, he was bowled over by my wit and style. That's the way I remember it, anyways. And if his last review is any indication, he's a real fan of Kenneth J. Harvey, and if goes without saying, so should you all.

So what's on your plate for the next few months, Steven?

I always get somewhat agitated by those newspaper and magazine lists of “suggested summer reading,” which invariably include copious amounts of chick lit, drugstore romances, and thrillers. It’s the same mentality that plagues Hollywood, with its spate of “tentpole” pictures in the summer months: comic book movies, remakes of ‘60s TV series, and sequels. For some reason, our cultural arbiters seem to think that our brains shut down when the temperature starts to climb.

Perhaps as a reaction to this, I’ve decided to reread Joyce’s Ulysses this summer. I attempt a reread of this novel every five years or so, secure in the knowledge that I’ll have a different experience with it each time, and that I’ll not come any closer to a complete understanding of it. It’s so protean and alive, it really is like reading a different book with each pass.

Also on tap is Bill Gaston’s new novel, The Order of Good Cheer. Gaston is one of my favourite authors, and when I first heard that he had written an historical novel, I must admit I reacted with some dread. However, I’m excited to find that the historical aspect only accounts for half the narrative, and I’m always happy to follow where Gaston takes me, regardless.

Finally, I hope to catch up on some stuff I’ve missed in the last ten months or so:

• Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
  
• Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas
• The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño
• Zeroville by Steve Erickson.

Those, plus the stuff I have to read for work, should keep me going during the dog days.

Merci beaucoup, Steven. And again, pick up any Kenneth J. Harvey you can find, and look for a review of his latest novel Blackstrap Hawco on this blog sometime in the near future.

Who's reading What this Summer? Episode 6 - Mark Rayner

Next up to the plate: Canadian author and website guru Mark Rayner. Mark was my professor in a website architecture course, but he's also an accomplished satirist and novelist, with a twisted take on the world and a love of a good pun. Mark is the author of The Amadeus Net, a deeply warped sci-fi/fantasy that's easy to love, and even easier to promote. He's also a founding member in the Emily Chesney Reading Circle, a brilliantly funny faux-history of the writings of one of Canada's first speculative fantasists.

From Mark's Bio:

Mark was born in the Atomic Age, and is still pleasantly surprised that he was not vaporized in the mid-80s.

Early in life he wanted to be a pirate. He was disappointed to learn that since the Age of Sail, piracy has mostly been the vocation of lawyers and corporate accountants, so he set his sights on the exciting new career of explorer.

Then he turned six. Since then, his range of careers has been nothing short of spectacular, something from the Age of Exaggeration:

mountain climber
astronaut
bartender
singing telegram delivery man (freelance gigolo)
journalist (indentured gigolo)
evil marketing genius (slave gigolo)
positive thinker.
Throughout these varied and most interesting careers, Mark has maintained his love of storytelling. (Even when his Mom told him to "stop it, for the love of God, stop with the stories!" --sorry Mom.)

His own tale is currently set in London, Ontario (Canada), where he shares a home in Old South with his partner, Heather, and their two furry faux-progeny: Mr. Magoo (handsome heavyweight cat) and Ceilidh (goofy giant white doggy).

And on Mark's night-table?

I've finally gotten into my summer reading, so here's the rundown on what's happening with the pile. I've recently finished:
A fictional history, Roma, by Stephen Saylor, which is a great read, especially if you're into the whole Rome thing. (It takes you from the time of legends up until Augustus.)
Then I read a collection of short stories about the consummate poltroon, Sir Harry Flashman, VC, called Flashman and the Tiger. I love the character created by George McDonald Fraser, but this book was a bit disappointing compared to the novels. (Still, McDonald Fraser's disappointing is still entertaining.)
Next on my list of things to read is Theodore Rex, the second volume in Edmund Morris's masterful biography of Theodore Roosevelt. Right now I'm about two-thirds through the first volume, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Morris won the Pulitzer in 1980 for the bio, which reads like a well-paced novel, and crackles with wit.
The rest of the pile looks like this:
Martin Amis -- House of Meetings
Michael Chabon -- The Yiddish Policeman's Union
Neil Gaiman -- Fragile Things
Richard Kaempfer - $everance - "A scathing satire about the current state of the consolidated mainstream broadcast media, an insight into the way the political parties have converted broadcasting into a partisan screech-fest, and a spotlight on who and what really runs the media."
This is published by ENC Press, who published my first novel, The Amadeus Net. I've read a number of the other authors that Olga has published, and I've enjoyed every one immensely, though I have to say my favourite so far is fellow Canadian Craig Forgrave's Devil Jazz, in which the Devil recruits the souls of Hitler, Marylin Monroe and Van Gogh to bring about the end of days.

Who's Reading What This Summer? Episode 5 - Nick DiChario

Episode 5 already? It seems like only yesterday that it was episode 4. Two days ago, tops.

This episode's star contributor: acclaimed science-fiction novelist Nick DiChario. Nick is the author of two of my favourite sci-fi novels - scratch that, two of my favourite novels, all genres - over the last few years, A Small and Remarkable Life and Valley of Day-Glo.

From Nick's bio:

I began writing when I was just a kid. I would write and draw my own comic books, make up all the characters and stories, sketch out the panels and color them with crayons. I always wanted to be a writer.
When I graduated college, I began submitting stories to science fiction magazines. One of my first short stories, "The Winterberry," was nominated for a Hugo Award and a World Fantasy Award. Since then, I've been published in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and mainstream publications in the United States and abroad, and I've been very fortunate to see some of these stories reprinted in The Year’s Best Science Fiction, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, and The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century, among others.
Since 1992 I've taught creative writing workshops for people of all ages and backgrounds at Writers & Books, one of the largest non-profit literary centers in the United States. I have also been a writing professor at St. John Fisher College and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and I've appeared as a guest lecturer, panelist, speaker, and reader at many schools, seminars, and conventions, including the University of South Florida, the University of Limerick in Ireland, and numerous World Science Fiction Conventions around the world.

And what does this talented writer have in store for himself over the lazy hazy crazy days of summer?

Identity Theft, by Robert J. Sawyer: A short story collection from one of science fiction's best authors. Sawyer has won the Hugo and Nebula awards and several Aurora's, among many other honors. He says he's not going to be writing many more short stories as he concentrates on longer works. This is a hefty collection of 17 very accessible stories that is sure to delight, even if you are not a science fiction reader.

The Silver Swan, by Benjamin Black: If you're a fan of noir, like me, with angst-ridden protagonists and messy crimes, try Black. This is his second book in the series. You might also want to pick up the first, Christine Falls. The writing is a true pleasure. (Black is the pen name of John Banville, Booker Prize winner in 2005 for the highly-acclaimed novel The Sea.)

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris: Humorist, satirist, all-around hysterically funny essayist -- no one can better pick apart the human condition with such razor-sharp insight and make you laugh harder with black humor. This is a new collection, but if you've never had the pleasure of reading Sedaris, pick up everything you can get your hands on!

Shelf Monkey, by Corey Redekop: This is NOT shameless promotion! How can a book-lover resist a book about books? I had a chance to meet Corey at the Canadian Book Expo in Toronto earlier this year, and I'm looking forward to reading his award-winning novel (Gold Medal for Best Popular Fiction Novel at the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards).

Thanks, Nick, and your cheque is in the mail!

Who's Reading What This Summer? Episode 4 - Jim Hall

Today's entry in the cavalcade of summer literary pleasures is brought to you by interviewer and book enthusiast Jim Hall.

Jim is the host of Cult Pop, a Michigan-based cable program (available online) devoted to lengthy and in-depth interviews with some of the more fascinating figures in genre fiction, including Jeff Vandermeer, Karl Schroeder, and Elizabeth Bear. And yes, I include myself as being among the 'fascinating' figures. Have you ever met me? Hell, I'm downright spectacular.

Jim's current 2008 summer picks:

I am reading Baltimore by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.
I am just finishing Sly Mongoose by Tobias Buckell, and I just love it.
At the City's Edge by Marcus Sakey.
Corrupted Science by John Grant and I am looking forward to Brad Meltzer's new novel[The Book of Lies].

Cult Pop is a terrific program, and really opens your eyes to some novels you might otherwise not have heard about. Based on Jim's interview with Lauren Groff, I picked up a copy of her debut novel The Monsters of Templeton, and order all of you to do the same. It is an astonishing feat of imagination. Damn but she can write good.

Who's Reading What This Summer? Episode 3 - Jim Munroe

While I lick my wounds and hang my head at not making the shortlist for this year's Relit Award - side note: I'm tired of being unappreciated in my lifetime - I thought I'd better present the next chapter in my ongoing series on the book-reading habits of people who interest me.

Today's participant: Canadian novelist (Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask, An Opening Act of Unspeakable Evil) and darling of the independent publishing world Jim Munroe. 

Jim's Bio:

Jim Munroe, 35, is a “pop culture provocateur” according to the Austin Chronicle, and Time Out Chicago dubbed him an “independent press icon”. After leaving HarperCollins for political reasons, he founded No Media Kings and published five books, the most recent one a post-Rapture graphic novel called Therefore Repent! He also started The Perpetual Motion Roadshow, an indie touring circuit that sent 100 artists on the road between 2003-2007, and currently he is running the Artsy Games Incubator, a writer’s-circle style group helping creators without programming skills make videogames. He lives in Toronto with a crafty ladyscientist and their bafflingly attractive baby.

Jim is also a heckuva nice guy, and his site is filled with useful info on all aspects of getting your book published with minimal outside help. And if you haven't read Flyboy yet, shame on you.

Jim's summer readings:

Two books I heard about at Wiscon that I've just started:

Wit's End, Karen Joy Fowler
One of the main characters is a mystery writer, and I'm interested in the genre -- and esp. Fowler's take on it as she's a genre-jumper.

Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly
This came up during one of the panels about parenting and SF/fantasy, about a couple who're asked to kill a dragon. While it's got a dead-boring by the numbers cover, the first chapter has got a nice balance of realistic character and world detail, defusing the myths of yore without an obvious satiric approach.

Who's reading what this summer? Episode 2 - Rod Lott

It's part 2 of my ongoing series of summer reading lists of the rich and powerf...I mean, the talented and the willing to respond to my emails.

Today's list comes courtesy of Rod Lott. Rod is the editor of Bookgasm.com, a book review site that...well, here's how Rod puts it:

Hey, have you read the new Nora Roberts?
Are you a member of Oprah’s Book Club?
Do you enjoy stories about the struggles of the disenfranchised in our society?
If you answered “no” to all those questions, we’d like to welcome you to BOOKGASM, the site dedicated to READING MATERIAL TO GET EXCITED ABOUT.
That includes all kinds of genre fiction, from horror and sci-fi to mystery and suspense. It also includes graphic novels, trashy paperbacks, cheap magazines and other things that much of America pretends to be ashamed of, for no good reason.
At BOOKGASM, we celebrate these escapist efforts, through daily news, reviews, interviews and other things that don’t end in “-ews.” Think of it as a community; we encourage your posts via the comments section under each item.

Based in Oklahoma City, Rod Lott spends his days as the assistant editor of Oklahoma’s largest alternative weekly newspaper. In his “spare time,” he is the editor of Hitch Magazine: The Journal of Pop Culture Absurdity, and some of his humor essays have appeared in the anthologies 101 Damnations (St. Martin’s Press), More Mirth of a Nation (HarperCollins) and May Contain Nuts (HarperCollins). He also adapts classic short stories to comic book form for the ongoing Graphic Classic series of graphic novels from Eureka Publishing.

Rod's a terrific fella with great taste in books, and is a fearless promoter of novels that sometimes fly under the radar (hint, hint). Bookgasm should be placed on everyone's Netvibes list immediately.

And what is Rod planning to read this summer?

Here's what I hope to get to this summer (limited to things actually coming out between now and Aug. 31). You'll be able to judge how much I accomplish by seeing how many pop up as reviews on Bookgasm:

• Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
• The Shadow of Reichenback Falls by John R. King
• Old Devil Moon by Christopher Fowler
• Halloween and Other Seasons by Al Sarrantonio
• The X-Files: I Want to Believe by Max Allan Collins
• Who Can Save Us Now? edited by Owen King and John McNally
• The Mammoth Book of Crime Comics edited by Paul Gravett
• The Darker Mask edited by Gary Phillips and Christopher Chambers
• The Sandman Presents The Dead Boy Detectives by Ed Brubaker
• The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
• Tigerheart by Peter David
• Just Do It by Douglas Brown
• Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
• Why You Should Read Kafka Before You Waste Your Life by James Hawes
• Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich
• The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending by Jon Land

That is a huge list. Rod's a dedicated reviewer, so I have no doubt he will get through the list expediently.

Who's reading what this summer? Episode one - Andrew Pyper

I am please to announce the first in what I hope to be an ongoing series of blog entries regarding the 2008 summer reading habits of authors, bloggers, and critics I have across on my travels. In other words, I'm getting not much done on the writing front, so this might make me feel like I'm getting something done. I kid. I hope that the series will remind you (and myself) of some of the fantastic literature that's available, as well as draw attention to some works you might not have considered before.

Our first participant is the award-winning Canadian author Andrew Pyper. Andrew is on the cusp of releasing his fourth novel The Killing Circle, which I am currently reading and currently loving. It is a fantastic thriller, and a biting look at literary types to boot. Don't miss this one, I'm serious.

From Andrew's website:

Andrew Pyper was born in Stratford, Ontario, in 1968. He received a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a law degree from the University of Toronto. Although called to the bar in 1996, he has never practiced.
His first novel, Lost Girls, was a national bestseller in Canada and a Globe and Mail Notable Book selection in 1999 as well as a Notable Book selection in the New York Times Book Review (2000) and the London Evening Standard (2000). The novel won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel and is an Otto Penzler pick on Amazon.com. Andrew is attached as screenwriter for a feature film adaptation of Lost Girls, working with producer Steven Hoban (Ginger Snaps, Oscar-winner Ryan, Splice).
Andrew's second novel, The Trade Mission, was selected by The Toronto Star as one of the Ten Best Books of the Year. His third novel, The Wildfire Season, was a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and has been published to acclaim in the U.K., Canada, U.S. and Holland. The Wildfire Season is currently in development for feature film with L.A.-based producer Chris Moore (Good Will Hunting, American Pie).
He lives in Toronto.

And here's what Andrew has to say about his upcoming summer choices:

Here's what having a 21-month-old daughter (and the shortened hours that has come with her arrival) has done to my reading strategies: (almost) no more magazines (and definitely no texty ones, ie. The New Yorker, Harpers, etc.), an even greater liberty to quit books that don't get off the ground in the first 50 to 100 pages, a newfound appreciation of mass market paperbacks (they can fit in the pockets of my shorts), a fiercer-then-ever aversion to the "duty read." The result has been a more focused - but more pleasurable - reading life. We're going away to a cabin in Quebec for a couple weeks, and though our daughter will be with us, I am hoping for stolen naptimes for books. The pile, at the moment, includes:

The Elementary Particles, by Michel Houellebecq

The Lay of the Land, by Richard Ford

Christine Falls, by Benjamin Black

The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon

The Several Lives of Joseph Conrad, by John Stape

Thanks, Andrew! I've been meaning to pick up the Chabon, I think I'll put that on my TBR Summer list.