Ahh April. If it weren’t for filing taxes and being known sometimes as the mud month around here, April might be delightful, but it’s just those annoying things that keep it a bit tarnished. The good news is I flew to Portland, Oregon, over last weekend to meet up with a couple of old friends who were there to attend the AWP Conference, which I joined in on. (See the lovely cherry trees in bloom along Portland’s waterfront, at left.) I didn’t know about AWP before, but the acronym stands for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, which has an annual three-day conference each year that is huge and takes up an entire convention center. Many small publishers and university presses were there amid a large book fair, and there were also numerous panels going on per hour on such things as poetry and fiction writing, as well as nonfiction writing, and author readings.
I haven’t seen so many poets together in my life! The AWP Conference was quite a cool experience regarding fiction books too. I listened to a reading and conversation among authors: Cheryl Strayed, Ariel Levy, and Danzy Senna, and went to one fiction panel about female protagonists that included Mira Jacob and Kirstin Chen, and another panel on research methods for historical fiction with Dominic Smith and Robin Oliveira that was excellent. Still I missed some other big name authors who attended, such as: Lisa Ko, Tayari Jones, Paul Beatty, Rebecca Makkai, and Colson Whitehead because we were sampling a few poetry panels and only went two out of the three days. All in all, AWP was great fun and Portland has a lot to offer: we especially liked the Art Museum, Blue Star Donuts (!), and a few neat restaurants (including the Multnomah Whiskey Library pictured above). Wow, what more do you want?! And now I’ll leave you with a preview of what’s coming out in April.
It seems there’s so much good fiction out this month, it took me a long while to decide which five I wanted to read and highlight. Such well-known authors as Ali Smith, Stewart O’Nan, Ian McEwan, T.C. Boyle, Ann Beattie, and Miriam Toews have new novels coming out that look good. Despite the fact that I usually like their books, I have chosen a few others instead that have piqued my interest.
First off, Angie Kim’s debut novel “Miracle Creek” is getting huge buzz and is said to be one of the It Books of the Year, so what are we waiting for. The novel is said to be about a fatal explosion that happens at an unusual treatment facility in Virginia that is owned by an immigrant Korean family and the ensuing trial that follows, which “uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night.” Uh-oh.
Nylon calls “Miracle Creek” “both an utterly engrossing, nail-biter of a courtroom drama and a sensitive, incisive look into the experiences of immigrant families in America.” Moreover author/lawyer Scott Turow calls it a “terrific courtroom thriller” and Laura Lippman says it’s a “marvel” and a “perfect novel for these chaotic times in which we live.” That sounds good enough for me. Now I just need to get my hands on a copy of it.
Next up, I’m curious about Irish author Sally Rooney’s sophomore novel “Normal People,” which is just coming out in North America. The author has received so much buzz ever since her 2017 debut novel “Conversations With Friends” was published. I’d like to read both. Her new one “Normal People” is a coming-of-age love story that recently won the Costa Novel Award, making Sally Rooney the youngest winner ever at age 27, for the award that honors writers based in the U.K. and Ireland. Rooney is said to be the real deal who creates great dialogue.
Apparently “Normal People” follows two 20-somethings (Connell and Marianne) who grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland before becoming students at Trinity College in Dublin. They get together and split up a couple times … but you have to read it to find out how they fare in the end. The Wall Street Journal says it’s a novel that “explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance.” So count me in.
Next is Lydia Fitzpatrick’s debut novel “Lights All Night Long” about two Russian brothers — one (Ilya) is a 15-year-old who arrives in the U.S. as an exchange student in Louisiana while the older one (Vladimir) winds up in a prison in their Russian hometown for murder. The story moves between the two places as Ilya worries about his imprisoned brother and works to prove his innocence, piecing together enough clues online to eventually lead him to a shocking discovery.
Esquire says “Lights All Night Long” is a “vivid coming-of-age novel that spools out an engrossing mystery amid a tender story about family ties and adopted homes.” From all I’ve read, it looks to be a heartbreaking and affecting tale, which has received a lot of praise on Goodreads and is one that is said to be hard to put down. What more do you want?
Then there’s Susan Choi’s new novel “Trust Exercise,” which I’m interested to get to as well. It’s one of those stories where apparently the second half of the novel upends everything you thought you knew before, calling into question the truth of the original narrative. Uh-oh it’s crazy when that happens. What begins as an obsessive relationship between two high school drama students in the early 1980s twists into something darker as it reintroduces the characters in the second half a dozen years later.
Hmm. I’m not sure what to think, but it sounds like the novel includes a narrative twist within it that is pretty startling. Sometimes such an unreliable story component works for me and other times it doesn’t, but there’s enough buzz surrounding this book that I must check it out. As Booklist says about “Trust Exercise”: “literary deception rarely reads this well.”
Lastly in books for April, I’ll pick John Burnham Schwartz’s new historical novel “The Red Daughter” about the defection of Joseph Stalin’s only daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva to the United States in 1967. Are you kidding me, from the premise alone I must see this through. The daughter’s life seemed so complicated and fraught by her father’s infamous legacy — as author Nancy Horan says the novel tells a “powerful tale of one daughter’s struggle to free herself and rewrite her own history.”
Filled with both historical details and fictionalized elements, the novel is said to capture the emotion and strain of Alliluyeva’s second life in the U.S., so says Publishers Weekly. It’s also been hailed by the likes of authors David Benioff, Jennifer Egan and Lauren Groff along the way. So count me in.
As for movies in April, nothing initially caught my eye except for the documentary “Amazing Grace,” which features Aretha Franklin recording her live album “Amazing Grace” over two nights in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Apparently the late Sydney Pollack captured it on film but was unable to finish it because the sound and picture could not be synchronized due to him not using a so-called clapperboard before each take. But here it is now all these years later and wow the trailer for it is awesome and inspiring. It is Aretha singing in all her glory.
Other than that there’s some scary stuff releasing, with a new version of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary” and a sci-fi flick called “High Life” about a group of death-row convicts who enlist for a mission into deep space to investigate an energy source and find out they are being used for something much more sinister. Uh-oh I hate when that happens. Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche star in the film, which is said to be meditative and sexually graphic. So beware if you are seeing it on a first date, or with your elderly relative, it could be just a bit awkward.
Also the movie “Little Woods,” set in the fracking country of North Dakota, looks to be rough and gritty, about two estranged sisters who reunite after their mother dies and come to work outside the law to better their lives. Tessa Thompson and Lily James (without her British accent) star in this crime drama, with both receiving some high praise for their bleak roles. It appears with this one actress Lily James has certainly left her Downton Abbey days behind. Check out these movies if you get a chance, or wait for them to stream at home.
Lastly in album releases for April, there’s new ones by such music notables as Norah Jones, Glen Hansard, Bruce Hornsby, and Sara Bareilles among others. I’m also looking to check out a piano retrospective album by American singer-songwriter Lissie and an album by British singer-songwriter Jade Bird. Wow Jade Bird, she’s young — only 21, but appears to be the real deal. I first heard her on Canadian radio, singing a song called “Lottery,” which I liked. Check it out here. So Jade Bird it is this month with her self-titled debut album. Go girl.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you looking forward to this month?
I have been to that other huge book fair, can’t remember the name right now, but never AWP. There is something awesome about being with so many book people. People on Twitter seemed to be having great times there and so did you. Cool that you got to go.
I for sure want to read the Susan Choi novel. I have read two of hers before and was quite impressed. I just picked up the new Charlie Jane Anders because I loved her first novel. Some of the ones you mention look good to me also.
Can’t wait to see the Aretha movie. I saw some clips a while back and it gave me chills.
Hope your mud dries up soon!
Hi Judy, thanks. Yeah the mud has mostly dried up now. We’ve had warm temps for early April. The AWP was an interesting time. I’m glad I went. Thx for letting me know about Anders. Her book from February looks to be a gripping read. I’m about to start the Choi novel. Hope you have a great April.
I am looking forward to April’s warmer weather.
The AWP conference sounded great. I love such literary events. It can be a problem that when there are many programs that one missed authors and presentations because things are running simultaneously.
All the books that you mentioned look good. I wish that there was more time to read them.
Yeah Brian, there was so much at AWP that it was hard to see everything. But still it was pretty great to be there. I am also struggling with finding enough time to read at the moment. So many books, too little time. Enjoy your month.
Thanks goodness our snow has finally disappeared 🙂 I can’t wait to read Normal People – high on my list.
Good Diane. You might get to Normal People before I do, so I look forward to hearing what you think. Hope your spring is underway there!
Cool about the AWP Conference. So you got a good outing and literature to boot…not bad! I’ve heard good things about Miracle Creek and Normal People, especially the latter, which Sarah @ Sarah’s Book Shelves finished and liked a great deal. I have the autobiography of Stalin’s Daughter on my TBR; in fact, that’s the title of the book. I’ll be reading The Night Tiger, or some release from last year, for this month of April, as soon as I finish The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova, which has taken me a month to read. Movie-wise, there’s not much I’m interested in. When I saw Lily James in Mamma Mia 2, which she carried off flawlessly–all the more because she stepped into the role of Meryl Streep’s character, Donna, as her younger self–I noticed that it was a pity she didn’t tackle roles in “contemporary settings” more often, as opposed to historical ones, because she can be a lot of fun.
Hi Carmen: The Shadow Land is long right? I read her first one The Historian which is super long but pretty good. I’ll be curious to hear what you think of Shadow Land. I agree with you about Lily James — she was good in Guernsey Literary Society too — she has a lot of talent but I’ve never seen her in anything gritty like this new one. Hmm. The autobiography of Stalin’s Daughter seems like it would be fascinating. I’m curious what she thought about.
First off, I love the Portland area. We actually almost moved there about 11 years ago. I was going to work at one of the universities and my hub was going to transfer there. We even looked at homes but in the end, we ended up staying in So Cal. I LOVED the area though. We were focused on Lake Oswego.
I just added Miracle Creek to my want list. I have heard nothing about it except for what you shared here. An explosion? Fatalities? A trial? So my thing.
On a whim I picked up A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson. I love her on Facebook. She is so funny but had not read any of her books. Well, this was a winner in my book and and I have new one coming to me and a bunch to read while I wait.
Also reading Tomorrow There Will Be Sun but I am waiting for the “vacation gone wrong” part because at 30% in, nothing has gone wrong.
SO anxious for the McEwan book but I was declined for it. I did get the new O’Nan book though.
Hi Ti, great update. I looked at the McEwan book but not sure it’s going to be great so I passed on it for now. I think you’ll like Miracle Creek; it’s going to be big I think. Glad you liked the Joshilyn Jackson’s book, I’ll look for your review. I agree with you about Portland — it seems a wonderful place, really liked it and I already want to go back. A progressive place! Hope you like the O’Nan book.
Sounds like you had an amazing time in Portland… the Pacific NW is on my list of places to visit. April is a big month for new releases – looking forward to Normal People (already on the library hold list) and Susan Choi’s novel sounds promising, too. Didn’t realize Ian McEwan had a new one coming. Must investigate!
Hi JoAnn: Yes Portland was fantastic and spring was in bloom right as we got there. Perfect timing. We could see the peaks of Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood in all their glory. You’ll have to check out the NW sometime. You might get to Normal People before I do, but I’m on the list for it as well. See what you think about the McEwan novel.
That conference sounds great – I wish we had things like that in my neck of the woods!
Hi Rachel: you’d like AWP! Next year apparently the conference will be in San Antonio. I think they move it around. I’d consider whether to go again.
It’s been a while since I’ve been at your blog, but I wanted to say hi and hopefully get back to reading it. I now have you in my feed reader so hopefully that will help. I think we initially discovered each other through the Sunday Salon, which is now back and up running both on Facebook and on a blog. So anyway, about this post: I think I saw someone else mention AWP (or maybe it was you) on Instagram, but I didn’t know what the acronym stood for. Thanks for clearing that up. I would have gone to the poetry panels as I wrote poetry back in college. That Areatha Franklin documentary looks amazing. I can’t remember but I want to say it’s streaming on one of the platforms for free. Little Woods? Hmmm. Now that sounds intriguing. On the music front, I’m looking forward to Vampire Weekend’s new album, which I think comes out this month and am enjoying listening to Weyes Blood’s new album Titanic Rising.
Hi Bryan, it’s great that you are back. Thanks for returning to my blog and I will catch up with yours soon as well. It’s been awhile but you always had good book & music suggestions. I agree with you on Vampire Weekend’s new album — though it might come out in May — I will recheck that but I must get it. I don’t know Weyes Blood but I will check her music out – thanks for letting me know about her. Will see what you’ve been up to soon on your blog. Cheers.
So many tempting books. I love the work of Ann Beattie, Ian McEwan, and Stewart O’Nan.
Normal People also looks very good.
Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
Hi Laurel: There are a lot of notable novels this month …. I’m having trouble keeping up with them all! I’m on the library wait list for Normal People but so is everyone else. We will see when I get to it. Cheers.
Isn’t Portland fabulous?! That’s where we want to retire. Absolutely love it.
You have some great April picks. I had not heard anything about Miracle creek but now I’m seeing it everywhere!
I think you’ll like Normal People. It’s almost 5 stars for me. I can’t say the same for Trust Exercises…yet. The structure is unusual and makes for dense reading. I’m close to DNFing. I won’t say anymore about that, but I’m still in the high school years so you’ve piqued my interest on what happens later.
Hi Catherine: Wow Portland was fabulous, I’d like to go there more now. Neat City. I’m glad you let me know about Normal People, and we must get to Miracle Creek pronto. I’m also 100 pages into Trust Exercise now and don’t know what to think; it seems quite odd. But I hope to make it through. Maybe it will improve?