It's taken me way too long to finally pick this one up. Renewing my pursuit to finish all of Murakami's work. "Spending plenty of time on something can be the most sophisticated form of revenge." p.s. These old covers were the best.

This week's haul. Yeah. In my defense, a few are gifts. #gotaproblem

Brilliant. Where one might have seen the mundane, John Williams saw significance. This novel follows the life of a professor named Stoner. He serves as more of an observer than a true participant to family life, work life, wars, economic shifts, and everything else that shaped America during the earlier part of the 20th century. His story is a journey through the existential, and it offers a view of how a person can find meaning in life.

"When he had thought of death before, he had thought of it as a literary event or as the slow, quiet attrition of time against imperfect flesh."

Hanging with my holiday favorites. #hereforthebooks #swingtime #themothers #frantumaglia #gentlemaninmoscow #reputations #upstream #youcanttouchmyhair

A young woman, recently and secretly separated from her husband, ventures out to Greece in search of him. The hope: find some closure, and request a formal end to their relationship. The reality: a search, both literally and metaphorically, for the man our protagonist has known as husband. The complexity of emotions that come with loving another are put on display in Kitamura's Riverhead debut.

Cora's journey takes many turns as she seeks freedom. Over the course of her travels through the Underground Railroad, the true heart of America is propped up against Whitehead's assessment of the American Imperative, and it's stunning. We feel the heartbreaks, we experience the rise of hope, and we ride into the darkness of this novel, keeping an eye out for the light. Reality is framed here, and it's our duty to face it.

An utter delight. This has a Monty Python type of humor that flows with the witty writing. Lionel Savage, a renowned Victorian poet, concludes he's sold his wife to the devil. Now it's time to do something about it. Cool illustrations also included. This is exactly the kind of book I love for a fun summer read.

This book can't come soon enough. Zadie is back! November 2016, #swingtime

"Here was the true Great Spirit, the divine thread connecting all human endeavor--if you can keep it, it is yours."

Every page of this = loved by me. Brilliant writer alert. I want all of my hip/cool/literary/scifi friends to read this, and love it as much as I do. In the face of an impending doom, Ron Currie creates a story that explores what it takes to trust the people you care about most in life. This is a world filled with baseball, love, comets, science, drugs, and more. Great dialogue, fresh descriptions, and just oh so good.

My Harry Potter passion is alive and energized! While "The Cursed Child" doesn't hold a candle to the true series, it was still a worthwhile read for the chance to spend more time in Rowling's richly imagined wizard world. I've heard the read here compared to fanfic, and I must say that assessment doesn't feel wrong to me. Happy to have read this, and I'm still very much on board with HP. #thecursedchild #harrypotter

This novel is another that proves Zadie is worth every bit of the amazing reputation she has built. In dance class, two brown girls become friends and the story blossoms from there. The book feels introspective in many ways as the narrative dives into subjects like race, poverty, celebrity, politics, and more. Pretty timely, right? Swing Time by Zadie Smith--not to be missed!

As Nora navigates her tumultuous relationship to estranged husband Ned, she must also explore her connection to the voices (and Nora isn't the only one who has heard them). Nora's paranoia & curiosity become our own, and it keeps the pages turning. Fun read and quick.

The best memoirs are just as much histories as they are stories of people. Collins explores the languages of French and English, and the the transition of growing up in America to living in Europe. Fantastic non-fiction from a longtime New Yorker staff writer.