So I like to read. Before 2011, I had been doing a shabby job at actually finishing books. In 2010, I thought I was doing an okay job, until I realized I’d only managed to finish 15 or 16 books. Seriously, if GW Busch can manage to read 110 books while president, what’s my excuse?
So, in years since, I've committed to the Goodreads reading challenges, but haven't found time to read as much as I'd hoped. I've ready 35-40 books in years past, but this year, I’ve signed up for the Goodreads 2013 Challenge with a goal of only 28 books, mostly to allow for some dazzlingly long reads without worrying about my books-read-count dwindling.
Of those books, I’m going to try to keep a pretty equal count on men and women authors. I’ve given up on my effort to read a fair number of non-fiction books, much preferring fiction, but I'll try to read a few books written by people of other races, ethnicities, and nationalities, as well as books outside of my comfort zone (about war, for example). We’ll see how I do.
For your convenience, if you are so inclined, you can find my hasty comments about what I’ve read or have been reading here. If you have any suggestions on something I should read, feel free to leave a comment below.
Hi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you describe yourself as a 'Fervent Feminist' and a 'Lazy Buddhist'. Perhaps my book might be up your alley (after all Buddhism is derived from Hinduism, right? :)
The unpublished MS of my book "Tell A Thousand Lies," was shortlisted for the 2012 TiborJones South Asia prize?
Here's the blurb:
In a land where skin colour can determine one's destiny, fraternal twins PULLAMMA and LATA are about to embark on a journey that will
tear their lives apart.
Dark skinned Pullamma dreams of being a wife. With three girls in her family, the sixteen year old is aware there isn't enough dowry to
secure suitable husbands for them all. But a girl can hope. She's well versed in cooking, pickle making, cow washing -- you name it. She's
also obliged her old-fashioned grandmother by not doing well in school.
Fair skinned and pretty, her twin sister Lata would rather study medicine than get married. Unable to grasp the depth of Lata's desire,
the twins' Grandmother formalizes a wedding alliance for the girl. Distraught, Lata rebels, with devastating consequences.
As Pullamma helps ready the house for her older sister Malli's bride viewing, she prays for a positive outcome to the event. What happens
next is so inconceivable that it will shape Pullamma's future in ways she couldn't have foreseen.
TELL A THOUSAND LIES is a sometimes wry, sometimes sad, but ultimately realistic look at how superstition and the colour of a girl's skin
rules India's hinterlands.
Should you choose to review this book, I'd be happy to generate an ebook in the format of your choice.
Regards,
Rasana Atreya
rasana@RasanaAtreya.com
http://rasanaatreya.com
Dear Kat,
ReplyDeleteI am an indie author, just published my first novel. I wanted to contact you and see if you'd be interested in reviewing my novel and/or interviewing me for your website. Here's a brief synopsis of Dream Brother: A Novel (literary fiction)
After Jacob Gavel, a fledgling sculptor, leaves a failed marriage and returns home to San Francisco, he discovers a family secret. He had a twin brother who died in the womb right next to him. In an attempt to rebuild his life, he takes a low-paying job as a mental health case manager, but with all the dot-com money flooding the city, his childhood friend, Paul, has a better idea.
His fresh start spoils. Events trigger his dreams, and his dreams resurrect childhood memories, propelling him forward on a sleep-deprived, speed-fueled mission to find recognition, love, and revenge.
To learn more about me and my work, please visit www.brianmarggraf.com or email me directly at brianmarggraf@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brian Marggraf
Recovering JD, as in lawyer? Don't I know it...
ReplyDeleteAwesome bio. Really loved it. Wanted to offer you an ARC of Billy Tabbs. www.darrowknows.com
Let me know if it piques your lazy, feminist, cat-owning self (and who are we kidding, nobody truly 'owns a cat').
-MPM
Curious about relationships? How about one with a very likeable woman and a man sixteen years younger? Valerie’s someone most women can relate to. Oh sure, she robs a bank with her boyfriend’s help. You might forgive her when you read about her traumatic childhood.
ReplyDeleteRobbing the bank gets her out of one predicament but lands her in another. Valerie and Franco run to another country where they open a new business, are happily in love, and constantly worrying about being caught and extradited.
I hope that Valerie’s Retreat fits your expectations for a book review. Please let me know how you feel.
Thank you,
Joseph M. Rinaldo
I work for Ghost Light Publishing and we recently published a debut novel by Louisiana author Benjamin Boucvalt called THE RIVER ROAD. This debut novel is a psychological thriller set in the Antebellum South that deals with the inescapability of the past, chains both physical and emotional, and the power of human connection. I know that you like to read literary fiction, so I think this book will be something that you will really enjoy delving into.
ReplyDeleteWe would love to send you a copy if you are interested. If you are, let me know if you would prefer an ebook (I know you are a Kindle fan) or a paperback copy; if you would like to accompany the text with the audiobook, we can send that as well.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Valerie Boucvalt
Marketing & PR Manager/Editor
Ghost Light Publishing
New Orleans, LA
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ReplyDelete