Five books you must read in November
At the beginning of each month, the National Post’s Paul Taunton previews the books that you’ll want to read and be seen reading over the next few weeks. Here’s what you can look forward to in November:
Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein ( Europa Editions) 400; $32; Nov. 1
Elena Ferrante’s “memoir” is already famous for its role in outing the pseudonymous author, and the discrepancies between it and her real life. But many of us assume that most memoirs ( and sometimes the memoirists themselves) are creations. So if you like Ferrante’s novels, that’s as good a reason as any to read this. Translator Ann Goldstein appears in conversation with Elizabeth Renzetti at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto on Nov. 15.
Fearless as Possible ( Under the Circumstances) by Denise Donlon ( House of Anansi Press) 352 pp; $32; Nov. 5
Denise Donlon’s remarkable career as a pioneering female media executive has included leadership positions at MuchMusic, Sony Music Canada and CBC Radio. Told with a charming and disarming wit, Donlon’s memoir shares the story of her rise amidst tumultuous times at each stop. Look for an exclusive excerpt in the Weekend Post on Saturday Nov. 5.
The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Sax (PublicAffairs) 304 pp; $33.99; Nov. 8
Vinyl music sales are growing and record-pressing plants are going back online. Silicon Valley conferences are filled with attendees scribbling in Moleskine notebooks. The popularity of board game cafés is dovetailing with new era in board game design. David Sax, author of Save the Deli and The Tastemakers, traces the roots of the analog resurgence in a new book that travels the ( real) world to show that what once was lost in the triumph of digital technology is increasingly being found — and often for the first time by today’s youngest generation.
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer ( Little, Brown and Company) 528 pp; $36.50; Nov. 8
Are you on transit? Look to your left. Now look to your right. One of you loves Twilight. Stephenie Meyer’s followup to # 1 bestseller The Host, her first adult novel, is The Chemist, a thriller about an ex- government agent on the run, falling for a man who might get her killed. And you thought Bella and Edward had dangerous chemistry. Or Bella and Jacob. Whomever you like better — the point remains.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith (Hamish Hamilton) 464 pp; $34; Nov. 15
The acclaimed author of White Teeth and On Beauty returns with Swing Time, a novel about two aspiring dancers ( only one of whom has talent) whose lives take divergent paths and open up very different worlds from where they start in northwest London. Smith appears at the Toronto Reference Library’s Appel Salon on Dec. 6.