Sunday Salon: literary excitement

Happy Sunday! Despite the unseasonably hot weather (I am not a fan of having the air conditioning on in October!), I am starting to feel the anticipation of fall I adore so much. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming in a few months, and I adore both holidays. But first, the next two weeks are filled with literary excitement. 

1. The Marriage Plot comes out Tuesday, October 11. Since I read The Virgin Suicides in high school, I've been a fan of Jeffrey Eugenides. Somehow I've never gotten around to reading Middlesex (I know, I know), but I'm eagerly awaiting The Marriage Plot. I've pre-ordered it for my Kindle, and I'm planning to wake up early Tuesday and get a head start on it before work. I'm fascinated with stories of academia and marriage, so the plot of this book coupled with its author makes it one of the fall releases I'm most excited to read. I'm carefully planning my reading to coincide with its release, so I'll be spending this afternoon and tomorrow night finishing up Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch.

2. The National Book Award finalists are announced Wednesday, October 12. You know you're awards-obsessed when you plan your lunch hour around their announcements. The announcement is coming at 11:06 Des Moines time, and I'll be ready. The field is wide open this year, and I'm eager to see what fiction titles will make the list. Last year brought numerous surprises, and I won't be making predictions. There are a few authors I'm hoping get some NBA love, but I also love discovering new authors with prize lists, so I'll find happiness either way, I'm sure.

3. Zone One comes out next Tuesday, October 18. Although I haven't read any of Colson Whitehead's earlier novels (for shame, I know), I love literary fiction writers switching to genre. The description of this novel is intriguing enough, but I'm curious to see where a writer of Whitehead's quality can take it. I've pre-ordered it for my Kindle too and plan another early morning reading session next Tuesday. 

4. The Booker Prize winner will be announced next Tuesday, October 18 too. I'll finish Jamrach's Menagerie tomorrow if all goes as planned. I plan to squeeze in the last of the shortlisted books, Half-Blood Blues after I finish The Marriage Plot. I certainly had my doubts that I'd be able to finish the shortlist this year, so it's quite affirming to be so close to completing the goal. I'll weigh in with my final thoughts before the winner is announced.

5. Dewey's Read-a-thon is Saturday, October 22 - Sunday, October 23. I haven't been able to participate the last few read-a-thons, so I'm excited to be at least a partial participant this year. I've been stocking up on graphic novels (a read-a-thon favorite), novellas, short story collections, Newbery winners, mysteries and a few carefully chosen young adult novels. I like variety during read-a-thons, and I will have plenty of it. I aim to get up for the starting point at 6 a.m. and read for at least twelve hours. I'll probably bow out around dinner time. I greatly admire those who can read for twenty-four hours (or even eighteen), but it tends to stop being enjoyable for me around hour twelve. Want to join the fun in reading for up to 24 hours? You can sign up here.

Now tell me, what are your literary excitements in the coming weeks?


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