A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan, in case you haven't already read it.
The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman, written by an evil genius of a 25 year old.
Enough About Love, by Herve Le Tellier. Given to the FB by EF. And the translation is good!
Ordinary Thunderstorms, by William Boyd. For fans of Restless who need a smart, literary thriller.
In a Strange Room, by Damon Galgut. Exquisite minimalism.
Fugitive Pieces, by Anne Michaels, in case you've never read her and you need a poet's fiction.
And right now, the FB is reading The Privileges, by Jonathan Dee, and Beer in the Snooker Club, by Waguih Ghali.
This list compilation is to keep her mind off the fact that she has to go to a memorial service for her friend's father later today. Which, in other words, means she is incapable of keeping her mind off it. That and the fact that the FB woke up today with a raging headache, the result of too much wine first at dinner with wonderful pal D, who was briefly in town from London, then with the HD, who joined them at the restaurant, Les Enfants Perdus, off the Canal St. Martin.
Yes, the HD was finally introduced to one of the FB's dearest friends. D speaks pretty good French and the HD used his minimal English, and they seemed to manage to communicate. The FB spent the entire time glancing anxiously from one to the other, hoping they liked each other. In other words, she regressed back to being a 12 year old. As she has found herself reverting to this age several times in the past month, she no longer finds it so debilitating. Still, the FB is a confident, independent, and opinionated so-and-so, which makes the contrast between that and a 12 year old somewhat perturbing. At times like this, she feels rudderless.
But that is better than sinking.
Cairo, April 2010
Thank you for the list. Thinking is better than sinking. Sinking in champagne is not bad at all. I value the fact that the FB is a confident, independent, and opinionated.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely better! And thank you.
ReplyDelete