Working in a library, I try to read a wide variety of books -- romance books, graphic novels, memoirs, young adult fiction, fantasy and popular nonfiction titles. But my one true love is contemporary literary fiction. A coworker once remarked to me that I didn't like reading novels by authors who weren't alive. Yep. Give me Jhumpa Lahiri over Jane Austen any day.
But I assume like a lot of readers I get stuck in a rut and go long periods of time without being excited about the fiction I am reading. This fall might be the answer to all my book desires. Four of my top ten favorite authors have new books coming out!
Michael Chabon wrote one of my all-time favorites and former One Book One Bloomington title, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. His newest, Telegraph Avenue is out this week. It tells the tale of a used record shop and the two friends who are co-owners. Spouses and children complicate the story as well as a mega-store moving in down the street. Set in Northern California in 2004, Chabon explores parenthood, family, music, and the American Dream.