My Arrested Development

My life these days is an embarrassment of riches. I have about a dozen books on the go, all of them exceptional in their own ways, and no less than another dozen on the rails dying to jump into my TBR pile.

Here's what I'm reading right now (as in have a bookmark in the middle of or have read the first few pages to wet my whistle):

Solar by Ian McEwan
I'm three-quarters of the way through McEwan's latest novel, and it's predictably excellent. His prose is dense but accessible; his character obtuse, irresponsible but brilliant; the story remains intriguing but there's something I needed to read first...

Lost River by Stephen Booth
...for work. They're [meaning elements of our marketing department] doing a B2B promotion this summer that involves a lot of in-house peeps reading and "championing" certain books. Booth was "assigned" to me. So far, I'm really enjoying it. It reminds me both of Mo Hayder and Law and Order UK. However, I had already started...

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
...a friend @Penguin had read how much I enjoyed the second book that she kindly sent me her hot-in-demand ARC of the third book. I'm about 100 pages into it and LOVING ever minute of it, but also need to move on to...

The Dead Republic by Roddy Doyle
Because A Star Called Henry is one of my top 10 all-time favourite books. I couldn't get through the second book in the series (I'm convinced it just wasn't the right time to read it) but when it landed on my desk, I couldn't help but read the first 15 pages. Right now, Henry's lungs are soaking up the air as he returns to Ireland after being away for years. Doyle's writing is just so captivating. But speaking of reading first pages...

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
...when this book landed on my desk I read the first 5 or so pages and it also caught my attention. Bohjalian is one of my favourite "weekend" authors. Every single one of his books I've devoured in one fell swoop from start to finish, taking few breaks in between, and preferably at the cottage being surrounded by warm sunshine and a cool lake. However, before I get to summer reading I need to finish...

Wolf Hall, Black Water Rising and The Lacuna
...before June 9th when the Orange Prize is announced. I'm going to try to read the shortlist, which means tracking down the other two books. Until I do that, though, I need to be sure and finish...

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
...which I started at a doctor's appointment about two weeks ago and thought was just charming.

As you can see, I'm all full of starts and not quite up to scratch with my finishes this week. This list doesn't include the pile of books I have beside my bed that includes a New Face of Fiction, a few books of poetry for April's Poetry Month, and Beatrice and Virgil, whose first chapter turned me so off the rest of the book that I'm not sure if I'll be charmed by the remaining pages.

Now, the bets are in. What will I actually finish this week. I've got to get at least ONE book read to completion so I don't feel like a complete reading failure.