so much to look forward to!

There are three books coming out that I cannot wait to read. I already have a huge stack of things I need to read, but I'll move these to the top of the pile. Doesn't it always work that way? When you have eight billion things to read, there's always one more to add to the heap. When you're at a loss for what to read next, when you're wandering around the bookstore for hours at a time, there are no good books to be found.

"May We Be Forgiven," A.M. Homes 

 I believe this began as a short story. I read it in an anthology a few years back, and I think I've reread it at least a dozen times since. The story is a painful, lovely, eerie tale of marriage and trust and family and holidays and infidelity. And it's violent and sexy and really perfect. I can't frigging wait to read the entire novel. My friend William finished it already and gave it a thumbs up.

"This is How You Lose Her," Junot Diaz

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Please, yes. I've read two recent stories of his in the New Yorker (although I'm unsure if "Monstro"- my favorite: the apocalypse is nigh and the protagonist can't stop thinking about his sweetheart- is included in this collection), and I'm very stoked.

"NW," Zadie Smith

I waited on Zadie Smith once and she was so unbelievably pleasant and polite and I wasn't surprised at all. You can feel that warm, light touch in her writing. She has a generous eye and she's so smart and so talented and I love her. She and David Foster Wallace (and I think maybe Stephen King) are the writers I would like to invite over for dinner. With beer. And dessert. And whiskey. There would definitely be some "I-know-it's-late-but-one-more-bourbon" drinking as the night winds down and the used dinner plates remain on the table.