August’s snapshot includes the same short story collection I was reading last month, an account of art thievery by a young aesthete, keen to differentiate himself from common crooks, and a novel about time travelling historical figures.
The short story collection I’m (still) reading is Tessa Hadley’s After the Funeral thanks to Andrew O’Hagan’s thumping great chunkster, Caledonian Road, soaking up a lot of my reading time. I’m enjoying these beautifully crafted miniature character studies too much to want to rush them.
The non-fiction book I’m reading is Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief which follows the astonishing career of Stéphane Breitwieser in the 1990s. I’m not far in but I’m fascinated as to how he managed to stuff the small bedroom he shared with his partner in crime, Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus, full to bursting with priceless treasures.
What about you? What are you reading?
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The Bradley isn’t my usual sort of read either but it sounds a lot of fun!
Hadley I can always be persuaded by 🙂
I’ve not read The Art Thief but I remember the story – it really is extraordinary!
I’m loving it but wondering if things may be going to take a dark turn!
It’s quite a story, isn’t it. Presumably they’re going to overstep the mark at some stage.
I loved The Ministry of Time so I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I thought it was funny, and clever but at the same time I found Gore’s story quite moving.
Thanks, Cathy. I’d not expected it to make me laugh although I suspect things will become darker.
I loved The Art Thief – fascinating stuff – hope you are enjoying it!
I’m amazed at their gumption although obviously that runs out. It’s a great story.
Time travelling doesn’t work for me sorry
I wasn’t convinced it would for me but somehow this one does.
I tore through The Art Thief – proof that truth is stranger than fiction!
It’s extraordinary! Such nerve, and dedication.
I want to try your last title.
#WWWWednesday
Last #book I finished: The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth, by #ZoëSchlanger
#Amreading: Stories of First Contact: Humanity’s Encounters with Alien Intelligence, by #SinišaKomlen
#Amlistening to: Sur les chemins du doute, by #VictoireSentenac
#TBR Reading next: Les Doigts rouges, by #KeigoHigashino
I’m really enjoying it. Thanks for your current reads – quite a list.
A varied list! I’m not usually up for time travel, but that one does sound fun. I’m reading Brontë, Boyd and PD James, so pretty varied too!
Indeed! I’ve been racing through The Ministry of Time and now close to the end. It’s getting me through the heatwave.
I’m also not a time travel reader, but I did enjoy Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis. This one sounds like it might have similar qualities. I’m reading Elizabeth Bowen’s Death of the Heart, and also just started Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, which will take me light years to finish.
Not a name I know. I’ll look her up. Thanks! You’ll need something to balance such a sober read, I imagine.
I enjoyed The Ministry of Time, but it felt very much like a first novel – she’d tossed SO much into it and the ending was especially unconvincing. As a SF reader, I was surprised that what I found myself enjoying most was the romance!
I felt The Art Thief would have been (and indeed started life as) a great long essay, but I wasn’t convinced by it as a book.
As a non-SF reader, that’s the thread I’m slightly annoyed by! Still enjoying the Finkel but I’m not far enough in to judge. I’m a slow non-fiction reader.
No I agree, the time travel thread is not well done at all.
I really enjoyed The Art Thief and have Tessa Hadley’s short stories in my TBR (so glad you’re loving them; I’ve been looking forward to them very much!). I was reading one set of books and then the heatwave came along and I’ve swapped to a set where I don’t need to chew…..
I know what you mean. One of the things that’s saved me is the unusually low level of humidity, and the ceiling fan, of course!
I am currently reading Katie Kitamura’s Audition, and I am not being blown away by it, despite all the hype around it since last year. We have been touring Sligo and Donegal for a week so my reading pace has been slow. I did buy a book of WB Yeats poetry which I am dipping into. And I am reading the sublime Claire Keegan’s short stories book Antartica. The title story is superb.
That sounds like a lovely trip, Lucy. I hope you’ve not had to contend with the temperatures we’ve had here. I’ll probably read Audition but I’m in no rush. Glad the Keegan’s making up for it.