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Currently | Author Talks and Bookstore Visits

Around Here | It has been a long time since I managed to put together one of these life round-up posts. September was pretty hectic, but I’m not sure that’s really a good excuse. I guess life just feels full, but in a way that’s not really exceptional… it’s just life. That seems sad, but it’s really not. Onward!

Reading | I am nearly finished with Susan Orlean’s newest book, The Library Book, a look at the 1986 fire that destroyed more than 400,000 books at the Los Angeles Public Library. It’s also a really effective history of libraries as public institutions, and a portrait of life at the library today. I’m digging it — look for it on shelves October 16.

Watching | Fall television is back! As I’m drafting this post, we’re watching Dancing With the Stars, my not-so-secret reality tv love. The Good Place is an excellent as ever, Superstore and Speechless are charming, and I am enjoying a new show, Single Parents, so far too. Oh! The other show I’ve been relaxing to at night is One Day at a Time on Neftlix. It’s sweet. I’m all in for nice television right now, it appears.

Listening | Rebecca Traister’s interview on the Longform Podcast about women, anger, and her new book, Good and Mad, was such a great listen. Her book is next on my list, after some podcast prep reading.

Promoting | Nonfiction November is coming back! We’ll be kicking off the month of nonfiction discussion right here on October 29, which I think will be fun.

Visiting | This weekend I made another visit to a great Twin Cities bookstore, Moon Palace Books, with a friend who was in town for the Twin Cities Marathon. I managed to keep my shopping to one book I’ve had on my TBR for awhile, Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe by Kapra Kassabova.

Crafting | I am still working on the Spectrum shawl by Joji Locatelli, my first big knitting project. Things seemed like they were going well, and then I realized I’d messed up a section and had to rip out about a third of my work. I’m almost caught back up but… that was annoying!

Attending | Last month I went to author talks by two great nonfiction authors on back-to-back evenings. The first was Peggy Orenstein, author of a collection of essays, Don’t Call Me Princess, as well as several other books on motherhood, feminism, girls, and sexuality. She’s so smart and funny, I can’t wait to see what she does next.

The second was Eli Saslow, a Washington Post journalist who just published a book about the reformation of a young white nationalist, Rising Out of Hatred. I’m nervous about the subject, and still not entirely convinced that white nationalist thought needs any more publicity (even in a book about a man realizing that the ideology is evil). But Saslow is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, his talk on the book was really smart, and he’s the author of a favorite backlist title, Ten Letters, so I’m willing to give it a shot.

Anticipating | The weather has been pretty unpleasant and rainy lately, but I think we’re going to get some nice fall days soon — chilly but not cold, sunshine, falling leaves means it’s sweater weather! I don’t love saying goodbye to summer, but a sunny fall day outside makes it hurt a little less.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What are you reading today? 

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  • Gabby October 9, 2018, 4:23 pm

    I’m also really enjoying The Library Book! I think it’s a little disjointed but Orlean’s writing is good enough to push past that. Do you have a recommendation for fave bookstore in MSP? My husband and I are going to be there for a Vikings game later this month and I always make a point to visit a local indie bookstore when I travel!

    • Kim October 11, 2018, 4:28 pm

      Yeah, I agree, the narrative through isn’t super strong. I’ve been thinking about it more as a collection of essays, and that’s helped me not expect the story to really hold it up.

      That’s a good question! Three I love are Common Good Books, Moonpalace Books, and Magers & Quinn. They’re all a little different, but equally fun to browse.

  • iliana October 9, 2018, 8:02 pm

    I’m really curious about the Orlean book so looking forward to hearing how you end up liking it once you are done with it. And, yay for book purchases at indie bookstores!

    • Kim October 11, 2018, 4:29 pm

      It’s great! Thinking of it as a collection of essays on library life, rather than a sustained narrative book, helped me get my head around it a little better. It’s super charming, especially if you like libraries.

  • Jenny @ Reading the End October 13, 2018, 3:37 pm

    I hope you get some nice weather! This upcoming week is finally going to have highs NOT in the 90s, but of course it’s going to be rainy. I want a proper fall! Sunny and cool! When will God bless me with such a day?

    • Kim October 17, 2018, 7:49 pm

      I hope you’ll get there soon! We had snow over the weekend so… the weather is just a mess.