This month’s snapshot includes a novel about three astronauts preparing to travel to Mars, a short story collection from an Irish national literary treasure 
The novel I’m reading is Meg Howrey’s The Wanderers which I bought having loved They’re Going to Love You, set in the 1980s New York ballet world. This one couldn’t be more different following three astronauts engaged in a simulation of a mission to Mars. Howrey is a dancer by training who clearly has an interest in space travel. There are quite a few technical details but what interests me is the psychology of Helen, Sergei and Toshi, plus their relatives, in the face of a seventeen-month simulation which they hope will lead to the real thing. I’m enjoying it but not nearly as much as her previous novel.
The short story collection I’m reading is William Trevor’s After Rain. Unsurprisingly, I’ve not come across one dud yet. Trevor’s pared back, elegant prose and thoughtful compassion are hard to beat. Insights, sometimes devastating, are often delivered in quiet epiphanies: a woman understands why her relationship has ended when she’d assumed it was happy; another recognises that a friend’s marriage trumps their friendship 
no matter how intimate. I’ve only a couple more stories to read and will be sorry to finish this one.
The non-fiction book I’m reading is Vivian Gornick’s The Odd Woman in the City, kindly sent to me by indefatigable book champion, Clare, better known on social media as Years of Reading Selfishly. I’m only twenty or so pages into Gornick’s memoir about being an elderly single woman in New York City, and her friendship with Leonard, both incapable of seeing a glass as anything but half-empty rather than half-full but given how much I enjoyed Fierce Attachments I’m pretty sure I’ll love this one, too.
What about you? What are you reading?
I only know the William Trevor from this batch. And you’re right, he doesn’t do duds. I’ve just finished Karen R’ Jones’ Beastly Britain, a look at some of the creatures that inhabit this island and how our lives interweave, even with the wildest of them. Recommended. And now I’m racing theigh Elaine Feeney’s Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way,
The Feeney’s in my sights but thanks for the Beastly Britain tip. Very much like the sound of that.
There was one thing that irritated me in the Beasts book. But I was being VERY picky.
Hmm… Might I be infuriated?
I don’t know you well enough to know. My husband wasn’t irritated, and he can be very nerdy about language.
I do have pet peeves – ‘disinterested’ for ‘bored’ tops the list.
Agreed!
I loved The Wanderers – I thought the characterisation was fantastic and I liked the dry humour. The subject-matter is also inherently fascinating to me – the idea of ‘going to Mars’ but not has definitely stayed in my head.
I’m enjoying the different characters’ psychologies but occasionally getting bogged down in technical detail. Howrey has a impressive range, though.
I eat up technical detail
It’s a snoozeathon for me!
I really want to read The Odd Woman in the City – it sounds delightful!
It ticks quite a few boxes for me. I’m sure you’d enjoy it.
I enjoyed the Vivian Gornick. I’m not sure it’s her best, but, no matter, she always engages me. I’ve read William Trevor but not this one. From what you’ve written, I’m eager to get it on my reading table.
I finished the Trevor yesterday and am sorry to have done so. Hard to follow that! I love Gornick’s writing. Which is your favourite?
Probaby Approaching Eye Level and then Fierce Attachments. Agree on her writing. That’s what will always have me reading her!
Fierce Attachments is wonderful, isn’t it. I’ll add Approaching Eye Level to my list. Thanks!
I have read some of Trevor’s books but not many of his short story collections apart from Excursions in the Real World, which is excellent. I loved Fierce Attachments so I will have to look out for this follow-up one. I have just finished the Dublin Book Award winner The Adversary by Michael Crummey. A worthy winner. It’s propulsive reading, so I really recommend it. We toured Connemara this week, lots of rain, so I started an Irish debut novel called Frogs For Watchdogs by Sean Farrell. Good so far. Also read Mary Oliver’s Upstream, collection of essays.
Thanks, Lucy. Adding all your recommendations to my list. I’ve read and enjoyed Crummey’s fiction before but hadn’t come across this one.
They all sound good, The Odd Woman in the City, especially. I’m just wrapping up a self-help title that I should be reviewing soonish and I’m also reading The President’s Hat.
I loved The President’s Hat. Hope work on the self help book has gone well.
Oh, gosh, everyone is reading The Odd Woman in the City at the moment, it seems, or has just done so! I’m reading “The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park” by Michiko Aoyama on my Kindle and “Playing Games” by Huma Qureshi upstairs, two novels but different enough (Tokyo / North London) in their settings to read at the same time!
I wonder why, although it is very good. I enjoyed Playing Games. The Healing Hippo sounds quite soothing.
I made a mistake getting Playing Games – not the book’s fault. I bought her memoir at the same time and I think I’ll get on better with that.
I’m sorry to hear that. I have heard her memoir is excellent. Hope you have better luck with it.
I could nestle into your current stack very contentedly. (Tho I’ve not read Howrey yet, but I have repeatedly picked up that ballet novel during the past few weeks… just too many new loans arriving at once from the library to bring it home right now, but it seems like just the kind of story I’m craving.)
I enjoyed The Wanderers much more than I expected but my favourite’s still They’re Going to Love You. I’m sure you’d enjoy it, Marcie.