Italian Folktales, Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino, Translated by George Martin

A highly enjoyable (and scholarly) collection of folktales retold by the inimitable Italo Calvino. As there are 200 tales – my strategy has been to read a few stories between reading other books. As with any collection of folktales – there are plenty of kings, princesses, beheadings and maiming – morbid but almost always with a happy ending. Each story is preceeded by a brief description of the story’s sources, influences and an explaination as to how Calvino decided to synthesize various regional versions in his transcription. Some note worthy titles: “Quack, Quack Stick to My Back”, “The Chicken Laundress” and “Three Tales by Three Sons of Three Merchants”.

You can read some excerpts on Google Books.

The Cheese Monkeys & The Learners
by Chip Kidd

Fun reading – especially for anyone who has ever been to art school or worked in advertising. Not often you encounter a passage on time sheets, billable and non-billable hours, or a pitch in a novel…

My Last Sigh (The Autobiography of Luis Bunuel).
Translated by Abigail Israel

I’m actually re-reading this excellent book, having read it for the first time long ago. It’s a testament to my good manners that I gave the book back to the friend I’d borrowed it from – I’d enjoyed reading it so much that I knew I regret giving it up.

More about Bunuel at Wikipedia

Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell

This book has been in the queue for a for few years now – there’s nothing to make be avoid reading a book than having it recommended it to me. Perverse of me, I know. If you’re unaware of the book’s structure, the first section’s content and pace might weaken your resolve. Well worth your perseverance.

Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano

The Savage Detectives: A Novel
by Roberto Bolaño

An excellent book by Roberto Bolaño – who’s work I only know from short stories published in the New Yorker. Not to be mistaken for your average crime or detective fiction – although there is an element of mystery. As a translation this book’s all the more impressive. The term Visceral Realists makes smile.

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

A new book from Thomas Pynchon. I’m not sure what I think so far – except that it’s strange. Here’s a recent review from The New Yorker which seems to be as ambivalent as I am about it.

Much, much later:

I read about pre-release book teasers or trailers in a NY Times article, and the article referred to teaser made for this very book, scripted by Pynchon and narrated by Pynchon. The trailer was pitch perfect – and Pynchon makes a credible ‘Doc. My first and last video embed – I swear!

Wartime Writings: 1943-1949 by Marguerite Duras

Notebooks containing early drafts and sketches of works like The Lover and The War. Probably not of much interest for the casual Duras reader, but it’s certainly of interest if you happen to have ready everything else by Duras.