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June Reads | 52 Books 2013

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With work to round-off in the first two weeks of June and EIFF in full swing in the final fortnight, June is never much of a reading month for me. Despite that, I did manage to finish a handful of books, so have at it…

 

#31. The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
★★★★★ – A fantastic debut novel. Very well written, great 1930s setting for all you Gatsby fans. One of the most unreliable narrators I’ve ever read – and all of it expertly drawn. Cutting remarks, observant prose, and plenty of mystery make this a compelling read. It does lull at points, but they’re made up with an insane ending.

 

#32. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
★★★★★ – Part diary, part rumination on writing and running, Murakami tracks his course to the 2005 New York City Marathon. Fantastic stuff and a great read for any aspiring readers and runners.

 

#33. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
★★★★★ – A cute, quick read – but not quite one of those children’s cross-over novels. People I know have a lot of love for Neil Gaiman, but it might be time to admit that, when it comes to his style and stories, it just isn’t for me.

 

#34. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
★★★★★ – I love a good, short, short story. These are of that type – but why is it that collections of stories about love have to be so depressing? Great stuff, and I loved the simple prose and repetitive style, but at times this was kind of a slog.

Interview: Zal Batmanglij on The East

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I caught up with Zal Batmanlij to discuss his new release, The East, during Edinburgh International Film Festival.“The film is about a conservative, religious young woman who works in a corporation as a private intelligence officer,” said Batmanglij. “She remakes herself as the exact opposite of who she is in order to infiltrate a group of eco-warriors who are attacking corporations using an eye-for-an-eye justice, giving big pharma and big oil and other corporations a proverbial and literal taste of their own medicine.”

Batmanglij worked with fast friend and star of Another Earth, Brit Marling, another Sundance Film Festival favourite. “It’s fun to work with Brit Marling because it’s fun to evolve with someone who has been your partner for a long time, and to see each other grow creatively,” he said.

But why is it called The East? “It’s called The East for many reasons. One is that Frank Baum, when he was writing The Wizard of Oz stories, made the wicked witch the Wicked Witch of the East because he thought Washington DC was screwing over Kansas, and Washington is east of Kansas.

“So I liked that as a metaphor, the idea of powerful, snobby, elite Washington and the whole east coast. I also liked how “The East” means “the other” – the Middle East, or the Far East. I thought it was interesting to have east coast kids who turn away from the west and face the other. They’re literally biting the hand that feeds them. It’s the anti-Gossip Girl.”

Otherness is a big theme in the film, with contrasts drawn between opponents. A few years ago, Batmanglij and Marling spent time “off-the-grid,” buying nothing and squatting with collectives in inner cities – personal experiences which feature in the film. “We felt that our generation was very frustrated, and the frustrations of our generation were seen very much in the corporate space and in the exact opposite space, which was the living off-the-grid space… We wanted to contrast the frustrations we had with the frustrations the corporate base had and so an infiltrator seemed a natural fit.”

Batmanglij’s mode of storytelling is also a natural fit with his activism. He hopes that telling the story through fiction will address important issues. “I think fiction is a great way to make you think. Not necessarily make you change, but make you think. Start asking questions. I always say this should be the film you should watch with someone you are sleeping with, so as you can wake up in the morning and start talking about it.”

“I hope it’ll spark discussions about the situation around the world, but also what’s going on here in Edinburgh. I’m sure that not far from here there’s fracking happening and all sorts of stuff. We live in a strange and interesting time – none of us are free from being responsible for what’s happening. We’re all responsible, and I think the only way to start taking accountability, both societally and environmentally, is to start talking about these issues and asking these questions. So I hope that this will spark discussion amongst the people of Edinburgh.”

The East is now on general release in the UK.

May Reads | 52 Books 2013

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It’s time for another monthly wrap-up!

I finished 11 books this month, thanks to several slim volumes and a holiday. What did you read this month?

 

#20. The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
★★★★★ – Not for me. Full review(s) – video and podcast – here.

 

#21. Wallflower at the Orgy by Nora Ephron
★★★★★ – A selection of Nora Ephron’s articles from 1968-9. While the subject matter of a few didn’t interest me, overall this is another great collection of her work. Mush, a seething piece on bestselling romances of the time was a joy, along with a take-down of Ayn Rand and a somewhat uppity article on the ubiquity of the Frommer’s guide. Fantastic.

 

#22. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani
★★★★★ – Although it’s set in the 1930s, this probably fits into the New Adult genre. I was expecting a boarding school novel and got an undercooked, naval-gazing family drama that’s part romance novel. Full review here.

 

#23. The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
★★★★★ – A retelling of the Japanese fable, set in modern-day England. Many of Ness’ strengths are on display here: his great ear for dialogue, good characters and character development, and a lively tone. However as the story worn on this began to wane.

 

#24. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
★★★★★ – Excellent, award-winning middle-grade fiction. Lovely characters, good storytelling, but a bit saccharine for my taste. I appreciated this one more than I enjoyed it.

 

#25. Let’s Discuss Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
★★★★★ – Perhaps my favourite collection of Sedaris’ personal essays yet. Language, travel, and family are the key topics here in an array of hilarious and at times visceral “real life” stories. A brilliant read.

 

#26. The Reader by Bernard Schlink
★★★★★ – An accomplished novel – a tad predictable but makes great use of undercut tension, understanding characters actions and emotions and actions that follow. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in fantastic use of metaphor and in raising ethical questions on a personal level. Despite a few reservations, it’s a great, short read.

 

#27. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
★★★★★ – A novel in two parts, the first of which outshines the second. Great characters, fantastic dialogue. I really enjoyed the voices here, despite having reservations about the narrative style. At times it wanders into the technical, and the ending wraps up a little too neatly. Nonetheless a well-constructed first novel.

 

#28. For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander
★★★★★ – For the relief of finishing a discarded short story collection, more like. Good stuff from Englander, if a little one-note subject-wise. I much preferred What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, but I’ll definitely pick up his novel soon.

 

#29. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
★★★★★ – Brilliant storytelling in second-person narration. World-wise and affecting. Full review here.

 

#30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
★★★★★ – I don’t know. I just couldn’t get into it. It picked up considerably for me towards the end, so I was very late to the party in more ways than one. Maybe I’ll read it again someday.