Chronicle Books Blog

Every month a Chronicle editor is sharing the list of books he or she is currently reading. This month we hear from Kate Woodrow, a senior editor in Art.

I feel like I’m in a good book cycle right now – you know how it ebbs and flows? – so am excited to share some of the most recent things I’ve read that are piled up at my house.

The best book I’ve read this year was Alice Munro’s newest short story collection Dear Life (currently on loan to my editor pal Laura Lee Mattingly—there’s such a good book sharing and discussing culture at Chronicle). My favorite novels are stories about the ordinary, told very plainly but powerfully. And Munro is the master of this in her short stories, with a graceful economy of words. What a talent. The stories in this collection each hang around a turning point in someone’s life, a departure or arrival, maybe something unexpected like an accident or a spontaneous affair. They left such an impression on me (and what a gorgeous cover! hot coral type set over an impressionist oil painting) and now I want to read everything by Munro. So I’ve just started her 2001 stories Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.

Dear Life sent me into a short story spiral, in the best possible way. I quickly read George Saunders’ Tenth of December. Upon publication reviewers were somehow calling this the best book of 2013, which I thought was maybe a little presumptuous for January?? But they’re on to something. Saunders is hysterically sharp. Like Munro, he also tells a story simply, but with such twisted wit. These stories are definitely dark, but they’re not depressing. They’re wry and surreal (literally supernatural) and often laugh-out-loud funny. A friend was reading it at the same time I was and we just kept texting each other, “WHOA…whoa! WHOA!!!”

From there I read one more short story collection, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower (isn’t that a great name?). Someone at the Booksmith on Haight Street, one of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco, recommended it and I never would have found it without her tip that if I liked Munro, I might like Wells. Indeed, ordinary lives drawn bare. This time an expose of American misfits.

This month I also read The Dinner by Herman Koch. This novel, translated from Dutch, has been billed as “the European Gone Girl.” Well, I devoured Gone Girl on the beach last summer along with the rest of America, so naturally wanted to see what this one was all about. I didn’t find it had the same maniacal twists as GG, but the characters were loathsome and their moral compasses did waver around an unsavory crime. I was impressed the author managed to set the entire novel at a single dinner table without it feeling claustrophobic. It was a good juicy read, but if you haven’t read Gone Girl, I would just start there!

The last two books still hanging around my nightstand couldn’t be more different from one another: Nicholson Baker’s A Box of Matches and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Baker’s novel, recommended to me by another editor friend at work, is a quiet wintery book, good to read by the fire in a cabin (I read most of this in Tahoe doing just that). The narrator, up before dawn and everyone else, lights a fire in his wood stove each morning and observes everything he sees and in his mind in hyper detail. It’s about nothing (paper towels, a hole in a sock, coffee grounds), and really everything (relationships, domesticity, grief). This is a good palate cleansing book. And then of course Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln and the rivals he chose to make up his cabinet is a different thing entirely. One of my dad’s favorite books, I was determined to read this last fall. I managed to finish just in time to see the movie Lincoln, which made it all come to life. He is indeed a political genius—I found myself trying to adopt some of his strategies at work! And I loved getting to talk to my dad about it.

After all, the best part about books is getting to discuss them with the people who love them as much as you do.

Thanks for reading!

Every month a Chronicle editor is sharing the list of books he or she is currently reading. This month we hear from Claire Fletcher, Assistant Managing Editor.

Just finished…
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Why I read it: I read this book for the YA book club here at Chronicle.
What I liked: I like fantasy in general, especially when paired with a strong female lead (as this book is). I have never been specifically drawn to books that focus on dragons, but this book had a fresh take, which I found compelling. I also liked the focus on the power of music.
Opening lines: “I remember being born. In fact, I remember a time before that.”

Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl
Why I read it: I read Prisoners in the Palace (another book by this author), so I was looking forward to reading her next novel.
What I liked: I liked learning about a figure in history I had never heard of. Based on the true life of Beryl Markham, this book made me want to learn more about the woman who lived through a lion attack, trained horses, and was the first pilot to fly solo from England to North America.
Line from Chapter 20: “I hang above the earth on hope and a motionless propeller.”

Next book I will read…
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Why I’m interested: This is the third book in the Chaos Walking series. A mix of western and sci-fi, these books feature Todd, one of my favorite protagonists in recent memory. I’m looking forward to leaping back into this world, but I’m also a little weary since each of these books is a rough ride.
Opening line from Knife of Never Letting Go (the first book in the series): “The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.”

In my book queue…
The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
Why I’m interested: I started this book way back when, but then got swept away by the other books in my life. A friend recently read it and recommended it, so I thought I should give it another try, especially since Nancy’s family history is so interesting, and this book is based on her eccentric family.
Line from Chapter 1 (I underlined a couple of lines during my first attempt, and this was one of them): “My uncle Matthew had four magnificent bloodhounds, with which he used to hunt his children.”

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Why I’m interested: I read The Road, which I liked, but it left some haunting scenes in my head that I would rather forget. Cormac McCarthy’s writing style is fresh and unique, so I want to read another book by him, even if it means more bad dreams. Poetry in general is not my thing, but there is something poetic and sparse about his writing style that appeals to me.
Lines from the opening passage: “They say eyes are the windows to the soul. I don’t know what them eyes was the windows to and I guess I’d as soon not know.”

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Why I’m interested: Since I just purchased this beautiful copy of Pride and Prejudice, I figured it was a good excuse to read this book all over again. Jane Austen’s insight into her characters is always so sharp and amusing. I can’t wait to hang out with Elizabeth Bennett and to fall in love with Mr. Darcy all over again.
Opening line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Other books on my reading list…
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

Every month a Chronicle editor is sharing the list of books he or she is currently reading. This month we hear from Laura Lee Mattingly, an Editor in Lifestyle.

The books on my nightstand fall into three categories: books I’m reading, books I want to read, and books I dip into daily or weekly and need to keep close.

At the top of the pile is Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I just started it and am hooked. It was originally recommended to me by my friend Dan. I bought it at one of my favorite bookstores, Stinson Beach Books, and started it out at the beach over the weekend. I love the writing. And all the characters are so deliciously self-centered!

Under Freedom is Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I just devoured Gone Girl by the same author – holy moly, was that a fun read. I met Gillian’s agent in New York last week, and after I finished my hopeless gushing over Gone Girl, they kindly gave me a copy of Sharp Objects, her first novel. It’s supposed to be even darker than Gone Girl and I can’t wait to dive in.

Over to the right, we have One Line a Day. This is a Chronicle journal that I started this year – the idea is to write one line each day for five years.

I admit it is tough for me to write just one line. I go between writing what I did that day to scribbling a random thought or quote. Sometimes I just say hello to my future self, which is super dorky. It will be fun when I get to 2013 and can work back through the journal and see what I wrote on that day the year before.

Under that is Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed (author of the uber-seller and recent Oprah pick Wild). This book has become my personal bible. It is a compilation of Strayed’s Dear Sugar column for The Rumpus, and packed with gems of wisdom and advice. If it were normal to hug books, I would hug this one often. (I write more about the book here.)

Another book that falls into the “dip into daily” category is A Year with Rilke. This was given to me by a dear friend. We were both deeply inspired by Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet back in our English major days when we were convinced we were destined to be famous writers. (Anyone who wants to be a writer should read Letters to a Young Poet cover to cover, many times.) This 365 Rilke book has a passage from Rilke for each day of the year. I usually just pick a random page to read when I need some clarity or inspiration, or want to tap back into that good old college idealism.

Under that is Paris, Paris by David Downie. Downie, a San Francisco native (holler!) bought a one-way ticket to Paris and this is a collection of his essays about being an outsider in the City of Light. Ever since working on Paris in Color, I’ve been obsessed with Paris and am dead-set on going there in the next year or so. This book keeps me focused on that goal, and is just a fantastic read.

Near the bottom, we have Joan Didion’s Blue Nights. I don’t know if I could love Joan Didion more. A Year of Magical Thinking was a life-changing book for me. I read Blue Nights already (sad, poignant, true) and I want to read it again. And I just cherish her, so it gets to stay on the nightstand.

And at the bottom is Hemingway’s Boat, a Christmas gift from my dad. I’m a Hemingway fan and this biography promises to show the writer through a new lens, but it is also pretty long and dense so it keeps getting moved to the bottom of the pile (sad!). But I know I will read it. My dad has introduced me to some of my favorite books and authors, and encouraged my love of literature since I was a little girl. Talking about books and giving books to each other is a big bonding thing for us. So, I keep this one close.

Thanks for visiting my nightstand. Happy reading!

Every month a Chronicle editor is sharing the list of books he or she is currently reading. This month we hear from Becca Cohen, Associate Managing Editor.

“You read how much?” my friends commonly ask me. “Wait, let me get this straight… you read all day for work and then you read for pleasure in your free time?” Bitten by the reading bug at the age of four, I cherish the time I spend lost in fantastical worlds filled with fuzzy-toed hobbits and bone-chilling White Walkers.

Those darling fuzzy-toed hobbits actually caused me to miss my train stop on the way to work one morning. Have you ever just gotten so lost in a book that the real world around you fades into a complete new reality? The Hobbit created that magical new reality for me. I just started reading the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. As you can see, I have been on kind of a fantasy kick lately. It is still early in the book, but I can feel myself getting pulled right back into the Shire with promises of sorcery, danger, and adventure ahead.

I was introduced to the fantasy genre not too long ago with the Outlander series. Filled with romance, time-travel, adventure, and amazing characters, the series automatically drew me in. At once a beautiful romance between the two wonderfully developed characters Jamie and Claire, as well as a historical fiction set in 18th-century Scotland and a magical story of time travel, this series honestly has something for everyone.

My love of the fantasy genre is a pretty recent discovery. I grew up liking more reality-based authors like Judy Blume and later Ruth Reichl. While Judy Blume has become a household name, Reichl is not as well known. Once a NY Times food critic, Reichl writes about her life in disguise on the NY restaurant scene. She chronicles her experiences as a food critic in one of the most highly respected and competitive food scenes in the world. While dressed like a well-to-do stylish young lady, she is given nothing less than the best service in the house. However, when donned as an older, frumpy, seemingly frugal patron, she is treated far less favorably. It is this mix of social commentary and personal accounts that I enjoy most about memoirs.

On a much heavier note, I recently found myself in 1930s Nazi-occupied Berlin. In Erik Larson’s narrative nonfiction In the Garden of Beasts, William Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany. He moves to Berlin with his wife, son, and daughter completely unaware of the dangers and dilemmas he and his family are about to confront. Filled with personal accounts, dialogue, and narratives, Beasts brings you into a time and place in such a close and personal way, I gained completely new insight and perspective on an era I often wonder about. How could Hitler and the Nazis gain so much power and momentum? Why did people follow him? Beasts sheds light on these questions and many more.

Finally, my nightstand topples over with Italy travel books. My wedding day is fast approaching—September 29th, and my fiancé and I are honeymooning in Italy. While many people scour the Internet for suggestions and ideas on places to stay and things to do, my love of books comes up yet again as I have buried my nose in every book from the popular Rick Steves’ Travel Guide to the classic Frommer’s to the edgier Time Out series.

As a perpetual list maker, the following books are waiting for me oh, so patiently on my nightstand: Life of Pi, The Weight of Water, The Barrack’s Thief, The Magicians.

Should I continue onto the second book in the Outlander series, or the second book in The Lord of the Ring series? One of my most cherished pleasures in life is getting hooked on a fabulous series, getting involved in the characters’ lives, immersing myself in locations across the globe, knowing the whole time that I have many more pages in which I can remain a part of that lovely world, be it Middle-Earth, 18th-century Scotland, 1930s Berlin, or maybe just a table at a NY restaurant.

Every month a Chronicle editor is sharing the list of books he or she is currently reading. This month we hear from Sarah Billingsley, Associate Editor in Food & Drink.

Below is a very murky picture of my nightstand, the true-to-life murk of my late, late reading hour. (See also: eyeglasses. They are strong. “This is not enough light for reading,” my husband admonishes. But I enjoy the warm glow of that feeble spotlight on each new page.)

Witness, in the background, pictures of a tiny person. This is my daughter. She is not-quite two years old. Her nightstand is piled much higher than mine, but she’s not yet capable of blogging about it.

All day long, as an editor, I’m immersed in food-related nonfiction. Strong feelings of maternal protectiveness and love have moved me away from the weird books I used to love, dark novels about apocalypse, drug and alcohol abuse, the Beats, crime, creatures of the night. Not in the mood for these now; I treat my books like movies, as escape hatches. Nowadays I like a good novel or memoir. Here’s what’s on my nightstand: a collection of recommendations, obligations and even one book I’ve been warned off.

But first, a Confession: I removed the books on potty training from this pile before taking the photograph.

The Hare with Amber Eyes: This book was recommended to me by T at Christopher’s Books in Potrero Hill. I am so lucky to live near a great neighborhood bookstore, and T’s knack is recommending the books I’d never gravitate toward on my own, but can’t imagine living without once I’ve read them. This elegant memoir/history by ceramicist Edmund de Waal is as absorbing and well-written as a Kate Atkinson mystery. De Waal inherits a collection of more than 200 netsuke—tiny Japanese carvings—and traces the history of the collection through generations of his wealthy Jewish banking family, the Ephrussi of Odessa, Paris, and Vienna.

A Place of Greater Safety: Ack—this book has lived on my nightstand for more than a year. I devoured Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and needed this book to bridge the gap until Bringing up the Bodies hit our shores. But I couldn’t get into it… until after I read Bringing Up the Bodies—too quickly!—and needed another Mantel fix. I loved it, it’s a much chewier read, and now it’s my favorite of these three Mantel novels. It might live on the nightstand forever because I keep picking it up to reread passages.

Farewell, My Queen: This fictional look at Marie-Antoinette’s court through the eyes of one of her lady’s maids is my French Revolution follow-up to A Place of Greater Safety, from the royalist rather than the revolutionary perspective. And now there’s a film adaptation, so I’m eager to read this one.

Levels of the Game: My husband loves tennis. I appreciate it enough to read about the game when the writing is done by the master of creative nonfiction, John McPhee.

Cutting for Stone: Another Christopher’s staff rec—I haven’t cracked this one yet, though everyone raves about it.

Gone, Girl: I was intrigued by The New York Times review of this book, and super-excited to read it until a friend told me it would change the way I think about my marriage. Now I’m afraid to read it.

If On a Winter’s Night A Traveler: Here’s another long-term resident of the nightstand pile, aka Book of Shame. I have an ongoing obsession with David Mitchell, and a similarly obsessed bookstore clerk told me that if I loved Mitchell, I needed to read this book. I’ve started it 4 times already, and not gotten far in. I think I need to let it go… with apologies to David Mitchell and all ardent fans of this novel.

Tunneling to the Center of the Earth: The Family Fang was one of my favorite reads this year, and I’m hoping Wilson’s collection of short stories contains the same dark humor and fleshy characters.

Good times ahead! If only I had more time to make a dent in my nightstand reading pile.

Sarah