Well, the arrival of those Cannongate myth volumes in my home has proven to be serendipitous. The lovely Bellezza and the equally lovely Col will be hosting a group read of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad at the end of this month - reading May 23-28 and reviews and discussion on Monday, May 30. Less than 200 pages of a small volume with large type, even the busiest amongst us should be able to make a little room for Penelope and the possibility of hidden depths to the customarily boringly faithful wife of the goddess seducing Odysseus. Read more here and let Bellezza know of your interest?
Richard is hosting a summer group read of all three volumes of Your Face Tomorrow by Javier Marias - June through August with schedule and edifying remarks found here. Now this is not a slight read coming in at over 1,000 pages for the set, but it is commonly held to be one of the most important works in Spanish literature in recent memory. Espionage and love and loss - you can spin this into the stuff of prime summer reading material. Currently, I am the only female signed up for the event. Kind of sweet in the often estrogen infused world of book blogging.
And as for my other reading plans for August besides the third volume of Your Face Tomorrow? Well, I have found myself in a conversation about something vaguely ridiculous and so infinitely appealing to me that I am a little giddy with excitement about the challenge. The details are not set yet, but I hope to share them with you soon. And convince a few of you to be ridiculous with me.
Today, I am reading both China Mieville's excellent romp, Kraken, and Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. My first Mieville read is a blast and more than I hoped for when I picked the book up on a whim. And my re-read of Ripley for book group at work is equally satisfying as I deviate from the more overt comparisons to The Ambassadors by Henry James that occupied me on a previous read, and turn my attention to the Gatsby-esque qualities mentioned by a friend who shares my Gatsby love. Am becoming a bit obsessive now about the connections to the Fitzgerald work, and fear that I might be a real bore at book group. Stifling may once again be in order.
What are you reading this Sunday?