2017 books from authors I love

I am not feeling particularly optimistic about the year 2017 (read my previous post if you wonder why I) but luckily there are some good things coming my way, to keep me from sinking into gloom.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: April 2016

This month sees the 100th awarding of the Pulitzer prizes, with the first prizes having been awarded in June 1917. There have only been 76 fiction prizes awarded, however, since the Board does not always agree on a book to award.

Among the many interesting books to be published in April, Chris Cleave’s new novel Everyone Brave Is Forgiven is the one I most look forward to. But as mentioned there is plenty on offer. Jenni Fagan’s apocalyptic The Sunlight Pilgrims sound fascinating, as does Marie NDiaye’s Ladivine. And fans of Trainspotting will be excited by Irvine Welsh’s new novel The Blade Artistist.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: March 2016

Among the highlights of the March awards are no less than four awards for children’s/YA fiction and science fiction awards on both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile festivals and fairs celebrate literature on four continents.

There are many interesting books being published this month, among them the latest installment in Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle series. Some other books worth exploring are A. Igoni Barrett’s story of a Nigerian man who turns white,  Karan Mahajan’s story of terrorism and its effects on both the victim’s and the terrorists, as well as Ali Shaw’s tale of an apocalypse by way of an enchanted forest that takes over the world.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: February 2016

February is not the most interesting month for awards but the festival calendar is shaping up and there is no shortage of books being published. As a fan of good crime fiction I am delighted that Sophie Hannah is bringing out another psychological thriller but we can also look forward to books by Yann Martel and Howard Jacobson among others. And for those who are looking for a genre-bending adventure The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray should be a good choice.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: January 2016

January begins with the announcement of the Costa Book Awards category winners and towards the end of the month we find out who is the overall winner. There are a few other interesting prize announcements to look forward to as well.

As usual the festival calendar is short this early in the year but who would not mind flying over to Palm Beach for some poetry in the sun?

A Bookworms Month Ahead: November 2015

In November the winners of several exciting awards are announced, among them the Canadian Sotiabank Giller Prize and the US National Book Award, and there is no shortage of literary events. But, as is usual in November, the pace of book publishing slows down as the month wears on. We do have new novels from Umberto Eco and John Irving and short story collections from Michael Cunnigham and Stephen King, so we can’t complain.

The small things in life

There are days that life just seems drab and meaningless. What is the point of all this struggle? All my life I had one dream – to be a writer. I did not particularly want money. I did not want children. I just wanted to write a novel. Now I am almost 35 and the dream seems further away than ever. I organise events about economy for a living. I have a boyfriend who is going through a bad patch for the last 5 years. My dog does not want hugs and cuddles, he only wants to play fetch. Life feels exhausting.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: October 2015

I am writing from a train on my way back from Paris where I have been since Thursday, first organising a conference and then visiting a friend. That is why I am late yet again with this update on the world of literature.

October is the month of big literary awards, with the winners of the Man Booker, Nobel and Neustadt awards announced, but there are also plenty of fairs and festivals to keep literature enthusiasts busy. On the publishing front I am particularly excited by the arrival of another David Mitchell novel merely a year after the last one. This little novel grew out of a twitter story he wrote.

A Bookworms Month Ahead: September 2015

My apologies for getting this edition out so late. I have been extremely busy at work with a big conference looming and if that was not enough my internet has been acting up. Well I am happy to finally bring you an update on all that is happening in the world of literature in September, because it starts, (or rather started) with a bang.