If things have seemed slow here, it's because they are moving fast, even as I try to make sure that I keep the interviews and reviews of the highest quality. In the hopper I have about 15 interviews and reviews. But to keep you a bit ahead of the game, here's a look at the near future.
To my mind, these are probablymore books worth erading coming out than the average human can hope to read. But, tastes vary, so I've tried to include some of the variety I've seen of late. Some of these books and authors have been seen before here and some are new; some are first novels, some are from seasoned veterans. But all are definitely Worth Your Valuable Reading Time.
I trust that readers will be patient, as yesterday I had outpatient surgery on my left index finger, which makes my already terrible typing worse and painful. That said, let's look at the inbox.
Gary McMahon is new to me, but Earthling Publications is not. Coming in October 2013, look for 'The Bones of You' (Earthling Publications ; October 2013 ; $45), a short novel / novella that is as haunting as the cover image by Les Edwards. Broken marriages, abandoned houses, serial killers, crime in the past and present, all tied together with a gnarly remnant. With books like this and Ivy Pochoda's outstanding 'Visitation Street,' this appears to be a banner year for the unearthly.
Joyce Maynard's 'After Her' (William Morrow / Harper Collins ; $25.99) unfolds thirty years ago as the Sunset Killer leaves a trail of bodies in hills. Rachel and Patty play in those hills, and their father is tasked with finding the killer. Thirty years later, things or Rachel are not much better. The book is based on the infamous "Trailside Killer" case, which took place in Maynard's backyard.
Naomi Novik should be familiar to readers of this column; we were there on the spot when her first novel, 'His Majesty's Dragon' was released. You can hear our conversation about the novel here. The eighth book in series 'Blood of Tyrants' (Del Rey / Random House ; August 13, 2013 ; $26) find Laurence in Japan without his memory, while Napoleon looks to make good on a conquer Europe promise. There is but one book to go, so it's safe to start reading now, and hopefully, by the time you finish, Peter Jackson will have got round to the first.
Expect Tartarus Press to bring you the unexpected. In this case, 'Darkscapes' (Tartarus Press ; August 2013; £35) a collection of stories from Anne-Sylvie Salzman, who vision tends towards dark and darker. The book is divided into fours sections, offering short stories, novellas and themes that range from "Lost Girls" to "Crucifixions." Likely to sell out fast and become tremendously scarce. Gorgeously put together.
And finally, a wild, intricate and beautiful first novel by Hanya Yanagihara, 'The People in the Trees' (Doubleday / Random House ; August 13, 2013 ; $25.95). A Micronesian island, a lost tribe, an illness that offers an irresistible chance, and the unforeseen consequences of exploration add up to an immersive and haunting story.
If you were looking for books Worth Your Valuable Reading Time, this list should give you some ideas — and memories.
07-22-13:Brendan I. Koerner Declares 'The Skies Belong to Us
Flight to a New You
We like to think that America is the heart of the re-invented self. Upward mobility is our mantra and motto; with grit, guts and persistence, we can bootstrap ourselves into a better life. But it's not just American society and economics that keeps this dream in the otherworld. It's all too possible to go about re-inventing yourself, only to find out that you are not really capable of change.
Brendan I. Koerner's 'The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking' is a true-life crime story of re-invention, set against the backdrop of a decade-long crime spree that is today almost unimaginable. Koerner's terse, tense narrative tells the story of Roger Holder and Cathy Kerkow, who hijacked a Western Airlines flight with transformative consequences for both, told against the larger story of a nation in transformation. Koerner captures the emotional arcs of Holder and Kerkow, a ragged process of accelerated maturation, with humor, understanding and pathos in a book that is impossible to put down and packs an undeniable punch. History, writ large and small, has never been so engaging.
At the heart of this story are Kerkow and Holder. Kerkow was once a gorgeous runner and athlete in high school. Holder was a Vietnam vet who had fought heroically, but not dealt with the stress well. Upon his return, they met, and it was not too long before Holder decided he was going to hijack a plane. Koerner offers readers a love story shot through with tragedy, on a very personal level but as well on a national level. One cannot help but think (hope) that the government treats today's veterans differently. Holder is quite intelligent, almost a nerd; from his childhood onward, he enjoys building model trains. Kerkow is bit more of a party girl. But once they step aboard Western Airlines Flight 701, their lives are to change forever.
Interwoven with the story of Holder, Kerkow and their hijacking are dozens of other stories about air travel in the 1960's and early 1970's. Some are frightening, some are absurd (the Congressional hearings on the matter), some are funny, and some are just plain weird. Koerner is a master of telling story at three levels; the big national and international picture; the single-serving anecdote and the involving crime and love story that dominates the book. The result is a rich and rewarding reading experience.
In the light of today's security measures, it's odd that hijacking seems both quaint and beyond extreme, but reading about what happened aboard the Holder-Kerkow flight makes it clear how high the stakes were, how hard the fights were. Holder and Kerkow both saw the hijacking as a means making a difference, a statement and of literally transporting themselves to a new life. But life only lets us go as far as we are prepared to go. We can escape from the lives we are leading, from the traps that surround us only to step into the same set of steel jaws again and again.
New to the Agony Column
09-18-15: Commentary : William T. Vollman Amidst 'The Dying Grass' : An Epic Exploration of Simultaneity
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with William T. Vollman : "...a lot of long words that in our language are sentences..."
09-05-15: Commentary : Susan Casey Listens to 'Voices in the Ocean' : Science, Empathy and Self
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Susan Casey : "...the reporting for this book was emotionally difficult at times..."
08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]
Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]
07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."
04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It
