Oscars for Books, Korean Writers, Translators

I'm not terribly interested in the Oscars as I haven't seen most of the films nominated, but what if they gave Oscars to books?

If They Gave Oscars to Books, Our 2017 Nominees

I still enjoy Scandi Noir, but looks like Scandinavian authors may have some competition soon:

The New Scandi Noir?  Korean Writers Reinventing the Thriller

And an interesting connection,  a well-deserved prize for the translators who make so many of the books we enjoy available in our language.  Although I frequently read books that have been translated, I haven't read any of the books on the list.  Have you?

Quick guide

The 2018 TA first translation prize shortlist

Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi

A novel, translated from the French by Jeffrey Zuckerman, and edited by Cécile Menon and Angeline Rothermundt at Les Fugitives.

Notes on a Thesis by Tiphaine Rivière

A graphic novel, translated from the French by Francesca Barrie, and edited by Clare Bullock at Jonathan Cape.

Second-Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich

An oral history, translated from the Russian by Bela Shayevich and edited by Jacques Testard at Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Swallowing Mercury by Wioletta Greg

A novel, translated from the Polish by Eliza Marciniak, and edited by Max Porter and Ka Bradley at Portobello Books.

The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon

A short story collection, translated from the Thai by Mui Poopoksakul, and edited by Deborah Smith at Tilted Axis Press.

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz

A novel, translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette, and edited by Sal Robinson, Taylor Sperry and Željka Marošević at Melville House.

On Books and Reading

The Right Book Will Always Keep You Company  

https://ebookfriendly.com/ads-for-books-bookstores-libraries/

I love the quote, of course.

Interesting articles about books and reading:

Lionel Shriver says, "politically correct censorship is damaging fiction"

Why Books and Reading Are More Important than Ever by Will Schwalbe

I use all of the reasons to read that Schwalbe mentions. 

 To relieve stress, general avoidance, anxiety, etc.

Stop Reading Books that You Don't Actually Enjoy  by Nick Douglas

Sometimes I keep reading because I don't have a back up, but usually, 

I add books I'm not enjoying to the DNF  list.

Your Favorite Book Characters Are as Real as You Feel They Are by Claire Fallon
 "A new study performed by The Guardian and researchers from Durham University suggests that they are, in a way. The study found that, for 19 percent of readers surveyed, “the voices of fictional characters stayed with them even when they weren’t reading.” This included readers having thoughts in the voice of specific characters, experiencing narration of their life by a character, or simply having their own thoughts influenced by the tone or perspective of a character. " (from above link)

And, of course, because books are so influential, there is the idea of book banning or censorship.  Blume's quote follows on the ideas that Shriver puts forth in the first link.

It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

–Judy Blume

Miscellaneous and The Great Passage

 Finally, I'm cutting back on my reading.  This year--because of anxiety, perhaps--I've been reading like a maniac.  May has seen a cut back in reading and a return to doing a little embroidery while binge watching Drama Fever and Netflix.  Since I need to keep my hands busy, I make tiny "whatevers" to work on as I watch.

Some books that I enjoyed in April and have scheduled for closer to publication:

The Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima
The Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow
The Black Painting by Neil Olson
Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo

All of the above are advanced reader galleys from NetGalley.

My favorite book so far in May is The Great Passage by Shion Miura, which was a pleasure.  Not action-packed, but the details of making a Japanese dictionary are not the stuff of action.  The book is, however, the stuff of delight for anyone who loves words.  And quirky characters.  And dictionaries.  

The problems faced by the dedicated team of lexicographers include etymology, choosing what to include, choosing appropriate and accurate definitions and examples, choosing the perfect thinness of paper and more.  A little romance, very little, but important, is also worked into this short novel.

I've always been amused by Samuel Johnson's Dictionary (1755).  At the conclusion of his long preface, he says,  "I have protracted my work till most of those whom I wished to please, have sunk into the grave..."  That remark would have been appreciated by Mituma Majime and his colleagues.  

Kindle First.  

Fiction. 2011; 2017.  Print length:  224 pages.

Digressions on Dictionaries

From Johnson's Dictionary:

lexicographer:  a writer of dictionaries; a harmless dredge

patron: commonly a wretch who supports with insolence and is paid with flattery

oats: a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

And what about  Ambrose Bierce's (1911) Devil's Dictionary.  Love my copy.
Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.
Egotist, n. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than me.
Love, n.  A temporary insanity cured by marriage.
Malefactor,  n. The chief factor in the progress of the human race.
Marriage, n. The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress and two slaves, making in all two.

On Cats.  Lucy loves the fountain.  

 Unfortunately, She also loves lizards, which she enjoys delivering to me.  Sometimes, I'm quick enough for a rescue, but sometimes not.  I happen to love these tiny chameleons, and it bothers me a great deal that Lucy and Edgar find them enticing in another way entirely.

Green anole lizard -- Source

How has May been for you?  Reading? Gardening?

Saturday Thoughts

I'm still reading, but so many of the NetGalley books are not being published until 2017.  At present, I have 12 reviews scheduled through April of next year.  My last library books proved to be poor choices, but hopefully, this batch will be better.  And I have a stack of ARCs that arrived in the mail.  

My crafty and mail art activities continue, although those are mostly posted on my other blog.  My studio is complete chaos--even worse than usual and beginning to wear me down.  When I attempt to clean and organize, something turns up that I need to try, and I get distracted, start something new, and get more paste, paint, thread, and fabric all over me and my work area. 

One current obsession is making small collages and collaged tags, but collage is  a technique that seems to be impossible to keep corralled.  If I worked on only one project at a time maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but I rarely work on only one thing at a time.  Every work surface is covered with stuff for different projects--even my ironing board has become a work surface. 

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When the world seems to be going to hell in a hand-basket, it helps to look at the positives.

I'm watching the Dakota Pipeline stories with interest...and hope.  

 Another hopeful development is a possible new treatment for AD.   Too late for Terry Pratchett and my father, but may be a saving grace for many others.

A study suggesting that "... men do not enjoy the debauchery or the “extreme shaming, humiliation, and deviance” that are part and parcel of most modern stag dos."  Another example of the way peer pressure can go wrong and this can be an element for women, too.

Girl Power!  (gallery)



God, I love these girls!  

That's all, folks

Source