Hi. I hope everyone is hanging in there. I know the news seems mostly terrible these days with the pandemic, but hang on. My husband and I are fine and still holed up at home, except for dog walks and a couple of bike rides over the weekend out near the deserted foothills, pictured at left.
It was warm enough last week with temps close to the 50s, but this week winter is back and today it’s only 15F with snowflakes. I kid you not. It’s pretty easy to isolate or hibernate under such conditions. Eventually April will bring more spring-like weather and it will all melt away. Though what a strange desolate April it will be. Still we have our books, movies, and music … so try to stay positive despite everything and let’s discuss what’s new and coming out.
In fiction, April seems fairly loaded with new novels by such well-known authors as Anne Tyler, Stephen King, Lawrence Wright, Veronica Roth, and Sue Monk Kidd among others. Lawrence Wright even had the foresight to write a novel (“The End of October”) about a virus pandemic releasing this month … though do we really want to read that now? It’s way too much and we’d likely never get to sleep then. Instead I’m looking at five other choices that look pretty good this month. In fact, I had trouble keeping my list to just five.
First off, I’m game to read Julia Alvarez’s new novel “Afterlife” (out April 7), which tells the story of an immigrant writer and recently bereaved widow who takes in a pregnant and undocumented teenager from Mexico she finds hiding in her garage.
It sounds good to me and somehow I have not read Alvarez before, but in 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts for her past novels and storytelling, which I need to seek out. And now she is back with her first adult novel in 15 years. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Alvarez moved to the U.S. when she was 10 and has made quite a career and following for herself through her writings.
I’m also curious about Afia Atakora’s debut novel “Conjure Women” (out April 7), which follows the lives and bonds of a local folk healer Mae Belle and her daughter Rue — slaves on a Southern plantation — before and following the Civil War … along with their master’s daughter Varina.
The novel sounds quite powerful and seems to illuminate the lives of those who are in bondage and then gain freedom in the immediate aftermath of emancipation. I often enjoy debut novels, and this is one I’m eager to get to. Apparently it’s based partly on narratives of formerly enslaved people gathered by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.
Another winning debut novel looks to be C Pam Zhang’s book “How Much of These Hills Is Gold” (due out April 7) — about two orphaned siblings Lucy and Sam of immigrant parents, who come to be on the run in an unforgiving landscape during the America Gold Rush.
Author Emma Donoghue calls it a “ravishingly written revisionist story of the making of the West,” and Library Journal says it’s “a moving tale of family, gold, and freedom that rings with a truth that defies rosy preconceptions.” Hmm, I’m not sure exactly what to expect, but it’s received a lot of praise and hype — and as a Californian I’m game to read a different perspective of the Gold Rush days, so count me in.
Next up is Peter Geye’s new novel “Northernmost” (due out April 25), which is a tale with two parallel narratives — one set in 1897 that follows the family and life of Norwegian fisherman Odd Einar Eide, who makes a treacherous Arctic expedition that causes his family to think he’s dead — and the other a century more later of Greta Nansen, a descendant of the Eides in Minnesota, who travels to Norway and tries to piece together her family’s complex past.
Ohhh I usually like these kinds of tales that tie various generations together, especially one with an Arctic survival adventure to it, which this one seems to have. Apparently author Peter Geye can write about frozen landscapes like no other, so if you ready to escape to the Great North check this novel out.
Lastly I’m curious to read Amity Gaige’s new novel “Sea Wife” (due out April 28) — about a young family who escape suburbia for a year-long sailing trip around the Caribbean that upends all of their lives. This one sounds like a survival at sea kind of story about two parents who are novice sailors who take their two young kids on an excursion that goes terribly awry and that is also fraught with their marriage being on the rocks.
What more do you want? It’s told in dual perspectives — one from Julia, the wife’s account, and one from her husband Michael’s. They already seem crazy to me, but I’ll weather the storm to find out just how far-gone they might be.
In honorable mentions this month are Anne Tyler’s slim novel “Redhead by the Side of the Road” (due out April 7) and Rufi Thorpe’s new novel “The Knockout Queen” (due out April 28). Both of these authors are usually awesome so it’s hard to relegate their new books to honorable mentions, but if I can get to them, I will.
In movies for April, there’s nothing — judging by the trailers — that I’m dying to see. Though perhaps the most noticeable one is the British-Australian western film “True History of the Kelly Gang” (coming out April 24), based on Peter Carey’s novel, which won the Booker Prize in 2001. It looks pretty violent and follows the story of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang as they flee from authorities during the 1870s.
Still it stars some fresh young talent in George MacKay as Ned Kelly (who was compelling in “1917”) as well as Charlie Hunnam (who I liked in “The Lost City of Z”), and Thomasin McKenzie (who was great in “Jojo Rabbit”) — so I’ll probably check it out. Quite a few new movies these days are streaming on TV services instead of at the theater due to the pandemic. Have you noticed?
Which reminds me, we just got around to seeing the movies “Richard Jewell” with the excellent Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates, and “Marriage Story” with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. The Jewell story drags a little in the middle and Marriage Story seemed a bit overly long, but both were worth seeing. If you’re fragile to divorce-custody kinds of stories, just be forewarned about Marriage Story. It’s potent and might increase your blood pressure in that regard.
Last but not least, there’s a lot of notable new albums coming out this month, including those by Lady Gaga, the Strokes, Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne, and Rufus Wainwright among others. But I’ll pick Lucinda Williams’s new one “Good Souls Better Angels” (coming out April 24) because she’s a singing-songwriting icon who I’ve been lucky enough to see in concert quite a few times and whose music I’ve loved in the past.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to this month? Stay well and let me know how you’re faring.
All the books sound great!
Love Lucinda Williams.
Still waiting for all those Oscar nom movies from Netflix.
But I am reading, reading, reading, and we are having some warmer temps and sunshine.
It is getting a bit scary in Los Angeles right now. Stay tuned.
Thanks Judy. I will stay tuned to how you’re doing there. I have brother who’s in LA too. He lives in Pasadena and works in LA but I think he’s working mostly from home now. I hope you stay reading & don’t go out. We’ve been ordering groceries online and it has worked well! Play some Lucinda this month. 🙂
I am glad to hear that you are doing well. We are also mostly sticking to the house. Hopefully this will pass as quickly as possible.
Julia Alvarez’s Afterlife sounds good. I was thinking of reading it myself.
Hey Brian : good to hear from you. I’m glad you & your wife are well & staying home. NYC is sounding so bleak these days …. and I hope it doesn’t get that bad in your area on Long Island. I’ll guess we’ll have to distract ourselves with good reads whenever possible.
All of those books on your reading list for April sound great and I would hope to read them all at some point. I’m also impatiently awaiting Anne Tyler’s newest. She’s one of my favorite writers. And I can only second your thumbs up for Lucinda Williams. She’s wonderful!
Hi Dorothy, glad you like Lucinda too. So many great albums over the years. I still listen to her older stuff pretty often. & of course Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, oh yeah! The new Anne Tyler novel is apparently under 200 pages so you could polish that one off quickly … I’ll probably get to it too. Her sensibility is always spot-on. Stay well this month.
It’s a scary time. It’s cooled off here, too – I’d packed away my fleece but had to pull it back out this morning.
I can’t believe I haven’t read one of Geye’s books yet.
Hi Kathy: we both need to read Peter Geye. His novels sound quite excellent. I’m going to see if I can get to his new one this month and will let you know. And maybe, hopefully next week it will warm up. It must.
We’re also at home all the time now… except for daily walks/runs or bike rides. Groceries are being delivered, so there’s not much need to go anywhere. Such a strange time! After not being able to concentrate on books last month, I’m cautiously optimistic about getting my groove back this week. You have so many interesting new books here, but I’m reading from my shelves and kindle for the time being – and listening to audiobooks, of course! Tudor England has captured my attention for the time being. Just read the first two of Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens historical fiction series and am contemplating a reread of Wolf Hall.
Sounds good JoAnn. I’m glad you’re getting back in the groove and that your family is healthy & safe. The Tudors will keep you busy. Mantel’s books do take quite a while to read. I only read Book 2 Bringing Up the Bodies …. which I liked but wasn’t quick reading. Alison Weir’s books sound perhaps more fun. take care.
I was declined for Geye’s novel which was surprising since I was on the Indie Lit panel that kind of discovered him when he wrote his first book. I am jealous.
Sea Wife looks very readable. I thought I had a copy but I do not.
Today it is not that warm but over 60. Much warmer than where you are. We are just making do. I am working all day and then we watch stupid TV. I am reading again. Finally got the mojo back to do so.
Hi Ti, just to be clear …. I don’t have copies of these novels yet but I plan to seek them out. Too bad you didn’t get an advance copy of the Geye book … it looks good and I might try for an e-book of it thru the library. I’m glad you are getting your reading mojo back & that your kids are safe & back home. Your work sounds busy right now, good luck with everything! Let me know when you get to Just Mercy …. as I might read it too then.
I’m glad you are doing well. We are doing well, too, though we had a bit of a scare this week when my grandson had a cough and a small fever. It looks like he is getting better, so that’s a relief.
I’m on the waiting list at my library for Afterlife and for the new Anne Tyler. I wonder how long I will have to wait.
I hope you are able to continue to stay well.
thanks Deb, glad you are well and that your grandson is getting better. It’s a bit scary even when you feel like you have a cold or headache. You wonder: is this it? Who knows. Just got to stay vigilant about staying in & isolated etc. It’s hard to say about the library wait lists … print books seem on hold for now … but e-books still are moving as well as audios. Hold on & stay well during April.
Spring is in full force here in the south. You have some really pretty books on your list. See what I’ve read at Girl Who Reads
Hi Donna: thanks for stopping by! I will definitely check out your site. I think the novels Sea Wife and Afterlife posted above especially have enticing, pretty covers. They make me want to get them.
I’m looking forward to reading Afterlife later this week 🙂 Feels good to know whatever else happens, I don’t expect to run out of reading material any time soon. Take care of you and yours!
Thanks Becki — nice of you to stop by. I’ll be interested to hear how you like Afterlife and will stop by your site. Like you, I have so many piles to read at the moment. Stay well.
That looks like a lovely, if cold place to go walking. Afterlife looks good to me.
Wishing you a great reading week and good health
Thanks Shelleyrae: we all need to stay vigilant to not get or spread the virus, so my hub and I are trying our best to uphold the rules now and the cold weather seems to be helping about staying in. I hope to get to Afterlife soon. Enjoy your reads there.
Hi Susan. I’ve been away from the internet for awhile. Hope you’re doing OK at home. I’ve been driving my mom to work because she is still at it, and watching lots of movies. I haven’t had much luck with this year’s book ARCs. All have been 3* thus far, and the only near 5* was not written this year. Our local movie theater is closed, so no new movies, but I’m catching up big time with last year’s crop. I looooved Knives Out. Liked Jojo Rabbit a great deal. Motherless Brooklyn was nearly very good. Dark Waters and The Goldfinch were just so-so; I wasn’t a fan of the latter’s narrative style. If you are into Bruce Springsteen, I recommend you watch Western Skies–his latest effort. A concert he recorded in a barn he owns; I liked it very much. I also saw Light of My Life, starring Casey Affleck, an apocalyptic tale that is much too close for comfort right now.
Hey Carmen, so glad you’re okay there! Great to hear from you. I agree with the movies you’ve seen. We saw those ones and have also being working on last year’s crop. We also just saw The Irishman and Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which were okay. We recently saw a Springsteen biographical movie called “In His Own Words” which was good! I’ll have to see the Western Stars movie sometime. I’m a fan. The Light of My Life movie looks spooky for these times, haven’t seen it before. Glad you are helping your mom out …. Hope you both stay well.
I really enjoy Julie Alvarez’ books so I’m excited for her new one. I picked up one of her books recently on the Kindle. Marriage Story was well acted and overall I enjoyed it but yeah way too long.
I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy this week!
Thanks Heather, for stopping by. Yes I’ve never read Alvarez before so glad you let me know. I think her new one is fairly short at 272 pages. But I haven’t picked it up just yet; will be eager to hear what you think of it. So far staying safe & holed up here, hope you are well too.
Northernmost and Sea Wife appeal to me most – it’s that sea adventure calling to me. I’ve heard a lot lately, it seems, of families going on sailing trips around the world together. I don’t think I could do it – for one thing because I like walking too much. There’s nowhere to walk on a sailboat!
Hey Naomi, yeah one could feel pent up on a boat. I could see where such sailing excursions could bring trouble to a family. Though my husband & I have taken one week sailing trips which have been really neat. Keep it short! I too want to get to Northernmost.