Lots of great books have sat in my hands this year, both books for adults and books for wee ones. Decadent, lovely journals and magazines have also held my attention. I have manipulated text and paper to create some unique items. But for all that paper and ink satisfaction, I feel more inclined to look at what is ahead of me rather than re-travel the road I have already traversed. So these are the books I am looking forward to in 2010.
Above is Art of McSweeney's from Chronicle Books. I cannot wait to see this! This is item number one on my current wish list being a huge fan of the whole McSweeney's design aesthetic. Books bound by magnets? Genius. Irresistible. So much to appeal to a print junkie.
Nox by Anne Carson. Carson’s first book of poetry in five years comes as an accordion-fold-out “book in a box”, a facsimile of a handmade book Anne Carson wrote and created after the death of her brother. The poem describes coming to terms with his loss through the lens of her translation of Poem 101 by Catallus “for his brother who died in the Troad.” Carson pasted old letters, family photos, collages, and sketches on pages. Coming from New Directions who have a load of stuff I want to read from that new 2010 catalog including new Bolano translations. But this is at the top of that list. Gorgeous. Inventive. Inspiring.
The new Yann Martel novel, Beatrice and Virgil. "A famous author receives a mysterious letter from a man who is a struggling writer but also turns out to be a taxidermist, an eccentric and fascinating character who does not kill animals but preserves them as they lived, with skill and dedication — among them a howler monkey named Virgil and a donkey named Beatrice...." Have heard mention of Holocaust them but don't know the whole story. So curious to see how he follows up Life of Pi.
The Unspoken Truth by Angelica Garnett. "Intense, delicate and evocative, a quartet of autobiographical stories by the daughter of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. A sharp observer of the colourful social milieu and the vibrant characters that populate it, these are stories about family and friendships, yet also curdled relationships and small betrayals. Delicate and keenly felt, Angelica Garnett paints a picture of a life lived through literature and art among a world of painters and poets. Here too is a portrait of a woman seeking an understanding and acceptance of her past, and struggling to emerge from a formidable legacy." It's that Woolf train from which I cannot seem to disembark. Am on the endless circuit I think.
Just a few. I could go on. But won't. What books are you looking forward to in 2010?