Posted by Melody on Tuesday, Jan 27, 2015
Roz Chast's graphic memoir of taking care of her ailing parents has captured a lot of hearts in 2014. Can't We Talking About Something More Pleasant? spent 20 weeks on the NPR Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list, and made Maureen Corrigan's Favorite Books of 2014. Here at the library, we could barely keep the book on the shelf and saw a surge in interest just after the New Year.
If you itching for more Chast, I have two books for you. 101 Two-Letter Words is a collaboration she did with Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields fame. Her expressive illustrations accompany the poems Merritt wrote to honor the 101 two-letter words allowed in Scrabble. With Chast's illustrations and Merritt's clever songwriting abilities, the book is sure to bring a ton of smiles.
Also consider I Only Read It for the Cartoons: The New Yorker's Most Brilliantly Twisted Artists by Richard Gehr. This book collects the profiles of 11 cartoonists and one "Editor with a Horn" (Lee Lorenz). The profile on Roz Chast ("The Exurban Everymom: Roz Chast") elaborates on some of the biographical facts she illustrates in her memoir, as well as describes some very entertaining tidbits of what has shaped her life as a cartoonist. The details present a delightfully earnest look into the autobiographical elements that make her cartoons so relatable. It's a must-read for Chast fans.
Chast also earned the honor of illustrating a Mark Strand poem the 2015 National Poetry Month poster. (Hat tip to Paul Ingram at Prairie Lights for sharing online.)
About the Author
I've been at the library for more than 10 years now, and I still find joy when choosing the best books for our readers. My current reading journey is taking me book by book through different genres. I'm challenging myself to find books that are enough outside my wheelhouse that I'd pass them by on first glance. The genre I'm looking forward to... more
I really enjoyed Alicia Thompson's Love in a Cold World, finding it clever, funny, and tender. I listened to the audiobook for that one, and for her new novel, I picked up the paperback. This is a similar enemies-to-lovers workplace romance, and I found it had just the right amount of tension to keep me reading. There are some heavy topics involved, like the emotional and mental health needs following the suicide of a loved one. I guess emotional heaviness in romance is my thing? But it's kinda the best when those big, hurt feelings find their light and space to breathe--there's freedom in figuring out one's feelings! And I love it when the characters find that joy and lightness for themselves. For a sports romance book, I enjoyed getting a sense of what traveling baseball players might experience. There's some sex in it but it doesn't overwhelm the plot. I'd give it a 1 out of a 5 Hot Chili Pepper rating. Not very spicy. -Melody