Three Books From The Last Three Years- Guest Blogger Jason Gordon

Read these page-turners and discover for yourself some of the best fiction of the past three years.

Conflict is what drives drama and these three works suggested contain plenty of narrative-driven suspense. Get ready to immerse yourself into a study of the human condition that is fast-paced and thought-provoking with these works.

1. The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

This modern day tale of family intrigue, the life of striving, money, and inheritance both familial and monetary is a hilarious take on modern life in upscale, educated Manhattan. Published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2016 to stellar reviews, The Nest rose to become a New York Times bestseller and was named a Best Book of 2016 by the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, People, Refinery29, and NPR. Told in the alternating voices of the various family members involved in the internecine battle over the inheritance or nest egg, affectionately shortened to "the nest," these individuals battle to come into their own flight of true autonomy while maintaining their connection to one another.

2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Hawkins’ protagonist, 32-year-old Rachel Watson, is an unemployed alcoholic staggering under the pressure of a failed marriage. She crafts fantasies about a golden couple whom she spots from the vantage point of her daily train ride into London under the pretense that she still has a job. When the wife disappears under suspicious circumstances, Rachel thinks she may have knowledge about the disappearance. But is she really sure of her memories? Does the baggage of loneliness, drink, desperation, and desire cloud her images of that night? When the victim's body is uncovered in a field, suspects, all of them collected to Rachel and that dimly remembered night, surface. Published by Riverhead Books, The Girl on the Train travels the tracks of the New York Times bestseller list and recommendations by the Kirkus Review and Goodreads. The fast-paced plotting and surprise ending will have readers mesmerized. The book made its way to the silver, as the 2016 film starring Emily Blunt pulled in $172 globally at the box office.

3. The Whites by Richard Price (under the pseudonym Harry Brant)

With a clever allusion to Melville's great white, this novel is a study of how the past informs and drives the present. Fast-paced and hard-driven, it weaves the stories of Sgt. Billy Graves and Detective Milton Ramos as their lives merge and converge to a startling conclusion. Published in 2015 by Picador, this New York Time's bestseller is a witty and gritty crime novel that depicts the needs for both closure and protection. More than a police procedural, this is a novel that studies what we carry with us and how we keep moving through life with the burdens that we shoulder and the ghosts that goad us forward. It's also an authentic look at the hard job of policing one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

For more information and writings by Jason Gordon, visit The USS Sports Machine. 

Welcome To Malvern Books

Malvern Books is the bookstore blog of a bookstore that does not yet exist. Confused? Pull up a comfy chair and please allow me to explain…

Once upon a time—1987, to be precise—a couple of literary enthusiasts from Austin, Texas, founded a company called Host Publications. Host specialized in publishing literature in translation, and their catalog quickly grew to resemble the reading list of a United Nations book club: there was poetry from Chile and Serbia; short story collections from Italy and Mexico; novels from Brazil and Switzerland. Introducing these international voices to an American audience was fun and frustrating in equal measure. Fun, because what book nerd wouldn't relish the chance to acquaint people with amazing stuff they'd never heard of? And frustrating, because finding a home for your beloved small press babies is hard. Really hard. Independent bookstores were having a tough time—hello giant retail chains, e-books, and the recession—and previously adventurous booksellers began to retreat to their safe place: maybe if I replace my Obscure European Poetry section with a life-size cardboard cutout of Christian Grey, everything will be okay? The good people at Host tried every marketing trick in the book (including, but not limited to, free cookies), but they kept hearing the same thing: looks good, but it's not for us.

So what's a small press enthusiast to do? Give up on indie publications and start sifting through the slush pile for a touching memoir about a psychic Labradoodle? As they say in Texas: nu-uh! In the spirit of “I MUST BE DAFT,” one of Host's founders, Joe W. Bratcher III, decided to take the exciting but fiscally whimsical step of opening his very own bookstore. It had been a longtime dream, and one that I'm sure is familiar to many of us book lovers. (In my I-own-a-bookstore dream, there's a marmalade cat asleep on an overstuffed armchair in the corner, and I'm hanging out behind the counter making small talk with a curmudgeonly regular—I call him Mr. Peabody, and he has very definite views about the weather—and the whole place smells of new books and fresh coffee and… tranquility?) Joe wanted to open a store that thumbed its nose at Fifty Shades and instead stocked only the very best poetry, fiction, and journals from small, independent, utterly awesome presses. And he also wanted to provide a welcoming community space for literary enthusiasts—a venue for nightly readings and performances. And thus, buoyed by the cheering news that many independent bookstores have been experiencing increased sales of late, Malvern Books was born, and a brand spanking new bookstore will soon be opening its doors to Austinites…

But not yet. Not quite yet. Because it turns out opening a bookstore takes time. There's a site to find, a lease to sign, shelves to stock, and horrifying accounting software to delete in a fit of rage master. (And presumably you have to go to the shelter and pick out an appropriately orange cat to adopt, right, Joe?) And that's where the Malvern Books blog comes in—because every good bookstore deserves blog!  

My name is Tracey, and I'm the lucky so-and-so that has the job of writing for Malvern Books, our irreverent internet presence. (The briefest of back-stories: I used to work for Host Publications, and have a background as a writer and editor. And I'm originally from New Zealand, which means you'll have to forgive my incomprehensible slang and my fondness for Vegemite.) We wanted to get the blog up and running as soon as possible, because we thought people might be interested in hearing more about the process of setting up a new bookstore. And, because I am a somewhat random human being, I also thought lit-geeks might be interested in reading about embarrassing library visits, a teenage crush on Kafka, and my penchant for crying in art galleries. 

Yes sirree, we cover a wide range of topics on the Malvern Books blog. My brief was blessedly vague—“write about arty stuff, and don't be dull!”—and I'm happy to run with that. We write about books, movies, TV, and art. We write about the horrors of the book conference and the wonders of Janet Frame. And we even have a heavy metal correspondent, Joe's son Adam, who really knows his Megadeth from his Mastodon. Once the store has its grand opening in September, the blog will also be the place to go for event listings, special offers, local literary happenings, and bookstore gossip (so if you plop your leaking coffee cup down on top of a fresh stack of Smartish Pace journals, well, you can expect to be publicly shamed).

We hope you'll stop by and say hello—first at the blog, and then at the bookstore. We really look forward to meeting all you lovely book people. And though the prospect of launching Malvern Books might make some people as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (I told you we was Texas), we're not-so-quietly confident that the Austin literary scene will welcome a little new energy and a big new venue (1900 square feet!), and that the blogosphere will make room for one more voice—even if it does have a peculiar Kiwi/Lone Star twang. 

Those able to write well are shaping the present and future.

Guest Post: This post was written by Solveigh Soderman.

The resource I created --English Degrees in the 21st Century: The Role, Importance and Power of Words -- discusses how the landscape of language today is unprecedented due largely to the egalitarian nature of the Internet and how, as a result, those able to write well are shaping the present and future. Webster University and Dickinson State University, among others, have listed the project as a resource link for their students.

Does Getting a Graduate Degree Help You Become a Better Writer?

Guest Post: This post was written by professional writer and researcher, Brooke Folliot. 

Students traditionally seek to earn a graduate degree in order to ensure career advancement. As the Internet is also offering more and more graduate education, taking online graduate courses can also be a means of obtaining a degree.  For writers, though, the educational path is not as clear. Writers improve by practicing their craft. This can be achieved independently, through writers groups, in a formal writing program, or any combination of the three. Is a graduate degree necessary for writers to succeed?

According to college guide Peterson’s, the typical graduate tuition is $50,000 for two years, with programs requiring anywhere from two to seven years to complete. Online programs can be a more economical option. Southern New Hampshire University offers several online creative writing master of arts degrees. Tuition is $1,827 per course (as of Spring 2012), with a total of less than $22,000 for the curriculum.

The University of New Orleans (UNO) offers a low-residency master of fine arts in creative writing. The Huffington Post listed UNO’s graduate writing degree as one of its 25 underrated MFA programs, stating that “there's no reason not to leap” at the low-residency option, especially since many students can get full funding.

Writers enroll in graduate school with the goal of improving their skills as writers. But, are graduate programs designed to accomplish this goal? While any writing-intensive graduate program will strengthen writing skills, a writing program in your desired discipline – either journalism or creative writing -  will benefit you in the long run according to some experts.

A writing program can serve as a sort of modern-day writer’s salon, according to the University of Florida’s MFA website. Collaborating and studying with other writers can expose you to ideas and thoughts you might otherwise never consider. Making professional connections can also be a benefit of graduate writing programs.

Some successful authors have proven that an advanced writing degree isn’t essential. Michael Crichton’s medical degree and science background helped him immensely when he wrote Jurassic Park and created the hit TV show ER. Chick Lit author Emily Giffin practiced law for several years before pursuing her writing career. She has gone on to write several popular books such as the Something Borrowed series, which was recently made into a movie and features a lawyer as the protagonist.

Not everyone believes that graduate programs are necessary, however. According to blogger and career coach Penelope Trunk, any non-science graduate degree is a waste of time and money. While her blog post doesn’t discuss writing careers in particular, instead focusing on business degrees, she makes several applicable points, notably that the money and time wasted in graduate school would be better spent gaining life experience.

Forbes contributing writer Frances Bridges echoes many of Trunk’s points in her article “Why You Shouldn’t Go to Grad School”. Bridges bartended for a few years after she earned her undergraduate degree instead of attending graduate school. She writes that “in the same amount of time it would’ve taken me to get a master’s I worked, made money, and now work for publications writers would give fingers to work for.”

The benefits of a graduate program might be worth the costs if you plan on writing in an area that requires in-depth research and analysis, such as the sciences or law. Otherwise, writers might find it more worthwhile to take the money that would be spent on tuition and instead travel or live abroad. It worked for Hemingway.

Creativity Flows Like Gin

Guest Post: This post was written by freelance, professional writer and researcher, Imogen Reed. 

Creativity Flows Like Gin
Writing and Alcohol. They can’t live with each other; they can’t live without each other. If you take a cursory glance along your bookshelf right this moment you’ll probably come across more books than you can comfortably count that were written by writers who were dependent on drink or could only write if they were under the influence. Does alcohol really equal creativity, or is just an excuse used by drunken old sops that are afraid to put pen to paper without the aid of Mother Dutch Courage?

“An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do” said Dylan Thomas.

Thomas was one of the most celebrated writers and poets of his time, and also one of the most notorious drunks, according to his wife, Caitlin - “The bar was [our] altar” throughout the stormy marriage of the couple. Thomas died short of his fortieth birthday but in his short life was responsible for some of the most moving poetry ever seen before or after.

Why Alcohol?
Hundreds of years ago, writers had unbridled joy and pleasure in the taking of opium and laudanum to sustain and form their creativity. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his epic poem “Kubla Khan” under the influence of both of the drugs. He took them so he could go into some sort of trance which would enhance his creativity. As the fashion for taking opium waned when the corner was turned into the twentieth century, it seemed writers needed something else to take its place. Alcohol seemed to fit the bill – after all it was (unless you lived in Prohibition America) legal, cheap and available more or less everywhere. It seemed like the next logical step – especially if you were a poor writer on the make. An easily achievable high or low that would last until the next time you poured a shot from the gin or whisky bottle.

Strangely so, even during times of prohibition writers like F Scott Fitzgerald managed to procure enough alcohol to lower themselves into a stupor. Fitzgerald regularly getting himself into the newspapers with his alcohol fuelled exploits rather than for his outstanding writing. He louchely commented: “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” – This was coming from the man who wrote “The Great Gatsby” the book that many critics would say is the greatest novel of the twentieth century. Brilliance of his writing aside he, just like the other authors mentioned probably would have benefited from the help of alcohol addiction treatment centres.

Why Do It?
What makes writers turn to drink? Why do it? Well, here are a few ideas. Firstly, most writing is fiction, and runs on flights of fantasy or whim – alcohol is something that supports this and bolsters fantasy. Secondly, if you scratch the surface and look at the psychological make up of writers, you might find underneath they are shy, retiring, lacking in confidence. One thing alcohol does is foster and garner confidence (well, in some people). Thirdly, writing is for the most part a lonely profession and writers are lonely people - alcohol blots out the feelings of loneliness. Last but by no means least – writers are tense, and alcohol acts as a relaxant, in fact it was Norman Mailer who said: “Drink has killed a lot of my brain cells and I think I would have been a better writer without it, but it would be one less way to relax.” So in a lot of ways it’s easy to see why many of the greats fell for the charms of lady liquor.

What’s the Flipside?
Are there any writers out there who cleaned themselves up and continued a serious literary career? What effect did not drinking have on their creativity and productivity? Probably the best example we have of it comes in the shape of John Cheever. Cheever was born in 1912 and was perhaps more noted for his short story writing, though he did, during the 1960s write three notable novels. Described as a difficult man, neurotic, self centred and destructive he spent much of his adult life and literary career drinking to excess. The drinking caused major health problems and after a near death experience and treatment with Alcoholics Anonymous he produced what, at the time critics called his best work – a novel called “Falconer”. Not drinking, he said “changed him violently” and he could see clearly to work for the first time.

Cheever was an author who WAS alcoholic, but overcame it and found new love for his art.

What about authors who never drank or were/are famously teetotal? One of the most well known writers who never so much as touched a drop of alcohol was, surprisingly enough Fantasy and Science Fiction novelist HP Lovecraft – which, when you think of the rationale given for authors turning to drink is quite a strange notion. Lovecraft however had had a very dark personal life – both parents had spent time in the same psychiatric hospital – indeed his Mother had actually died in there. He had been greatly affected by mental traumas of his own – the death of his Grandfather had shaken him greatly and caused a psychological breakdown. It was this, many believe that spurred his flights of fantasy and vivid imaginings in his writing – for a great many years while his mother was alive he lived life as a recluse, indeed, the only other human he spoke to for five years was his mother. Lovecraft was troubled by nightmares – nightmares which influenced his writing. In the same way that Samuel Taylor Coleridge used opium to create dream like states or induce a trance, Lovecraft’s own fertile imagination and anxious states helped him to write. He just did it without stimulants.

While there is a direct correlation between creativity and alcohol, writers like Fitzgerald, Thomas, Mailer and latterly Truman Capote – producing what critics hail as their best works whilst under the influence of liquor, there is also a link between creativity and mental trauma as seen in the case of Lovecraft, who never touched a drop – relying on his nightmares and mental torment to fuel his works. To be a great writer does not necessarily depend on being a drunk. To be a great writer is inherently inside of you – it’s how you choose to channel the energy within and use your life experience that count.

How to Start Your Own Book Club

Guest Post: This post was written by freelance, professional writer and researcher, Imogen Reed. 

If You Can’t Find a Good Book Club, Start Your Own

If you live in area where there isn’t a local book club and the online ones available aren’t working out for you, consider starting your own. Yes, there are plenty of big name book clubs that feature countrywide but they’re nowhere near as enjoyable as your own little group comprised of local community members all with a common interest: reading. Starting your own book club doesn’t need to cost you a fortune and you won’t need to look for 0% balance transfer credit cards to fund it, in fact it could cost as little as a some ink from your printer and a couple of phone calls.

Where to Begin

The first step to keep in mind before even starting your book club is double checking nowhere in the area runs one that’d work for you. If you check out the local library you may find that they have a club that fits the bill and then you’ll be able to save all your time and effort. However, if you’re a natural organiser than this additional hobby could be just up your street.

The next step you need to consider is how you’re going to find members. There are plenty ways to go about this from posting on online forums and social networks to posting up leaflets and flyers in your library. You might already have a close knit group of friends who you know would love to get involved or it could mean finding a whole new group of like minded people. Once you’ve got some people together you need to find an appropriate place to meet. If you’ve got the space your own home is a great option for personal convenience or perhaps you can rotate around members’ homes? If not consider your library, community centre or town hall, most of whom will allow you to use their space free of charge.

Getting down to it

Now you’ve got the people and the place sorted, it’s time to get down to the guidelines and ins and outs of your club. It can be helpful to wait until your first meeting so all the members can have some input. It is worth decided some basics such as how often you’ll meet, remember just because you can read a book a week doesn’t mean everyone can. Most book clubs meet on a fortnightly or monthly basis but it’s an entirely personal decision what you do with yours.

The most important and probably most exciting thing that your group will do is choose a method for picking books. Maybe each member can take it in turns or you can choose to read books from a particular bestsellers list. It’s entirely up to you and your group. It can be fun to allow each member to choose as it means you may discover a new author or genre who would never have been on your horizon otherwise.

Can I really do it?

You may be thinking that all this sounds like a lot of work and whether it’s really worth it, well it certainly is. Yes, it takes some real organisation and some dedication from both you and the other group numbers but within a few short months, everything will fall into place and you’ll feel comfortable as a group to make decisions. Just because you decided to create the group doesn’t mean you have to be a standout figurehead or group leader and you can quite easily sit back and enjoy it within a relatively short time you can be just one of the guys. You might even find someone in the group who naturally commands attention and makes a great leader.

If you live in a rural area or are new to a community it can be a great way of making some new friends and sharing a common interest. Plenty of people love reading and despite their varying tastes, can all come together and enjoy the shared pleasure of reading. So, even though you may never have considered reading a good old Western before, your new reading buddies could be just the people to show you the merits of a well written adventure story and of course, vice versa.

Entering the World of Book Clubs

Guest Post: This post was written by avid book-reader, Ella Davidson. Davidson regularly contributes to the couponing website, Coupons.org. "http://www.coupons.org/" strives to provide consumers with all the necessary money-saving tools.

What is more satisfying than finishing a good book and having a great friend who you can talk about it with? This feeling is the one that inspires many book-lovers to join book clubs. Some book club members feel the urge to join because they just can't seem to finish a book they start, no matter how much they've been enjoying it; having a group of people to check-in and discuss the book with helps many readers see a book all the way through. Whatever your reason for joining, being part of a book club can be an incredibly rewarding experience that helps you engage more with the literature you enjoy, and also introduce you to a new group of friends. 

A book club, essentially, is a group of readers who all decide to read one book at the same time. Often meeting once a week – or less often, depending on the group members' schedules – they determine a set number of chapters to read before the next meeting. Then, at the next meeting, the members discuss the major issues and plot developments that have taken place since they last met. Many groups follow a predetermined list of questions, though others simply let group members bring up any major plot point they wish to discuss. Readers can ask questions about passages they didn't understand, and everyone can discuss what motivations or circumstances caused a character to behave in a certain way.

For many book club members, the friendly community atmosphere created by their group enhances their enjoyment of literature. However, these groups – because of their tightly bonded nature – can seem difficult to break into. If you're interested in becoming part of a book club, consider some of these basic tips for starting out.

You basically have two options for becoming part of a book club: join an existing group or form your own. If you have a circle of friends you can interest in forming a book club with you – go for it! There are no strict rules on numbers or what kinds of books should be read; you and your group members can figure out what works for you. If you need to find a group to join, however, look for information provided by community organizations: your public library is a good place to start, but also check with your park district, local book stores, and community centers like the YMCA. These more public book clubs will more receptive to new members and have procedures for getting you involved with the group.

Once you've chosen a group to join, it's time to get started reading! Remember, book clubs are supposed to be fun, so don't feel pressured to completely understand or analyze every passage of the assigned reading. Instead, take notes as you go, either in a notebook or in the margins of your book. That way, if you have any questions or came across a major insight, you'll have them prepared for the group at the next meeting. By asking questions, you can often spark some engaging group discussions; maybe others were equally confused, or maybe everyone has a different interpretation of a particular scene. There are no right and wrong answers, and most group members are eager to hear how the book impacted you.

Speaking of “no right and wrong answers”, there is a certain amount of book club etiquette that must be practiced in order for the experience to be positive for all members. Keeping an open mind to every group member is absolutely essential; having a lively discussion with other group members who disagrees with your interpretation can be fun and informative, but being combative and telling someone their thoughts are invalid is completely unacceptable. Book clubs are not about winning or “getting it” the most. Express your opinions, and let your club-mates express theirs.

Some book club members have the opposite problem of bring too timid to express an opinion. Don't make the other members do all the work! The enjoyment of book clubs for most members is not just getting to share their own thoughts, but getting to hear everyone else's as well. What makes book clubs so special is the amalgamation of many voices and ideas. An idea you have that you think is either bad or stupid, might be just the one to spark everyone else's interest and begin a great discussion. Participation is absolutely necessary for being a positive member of a book club.

Being in a book club can be a hugely rewarding experience, so if you're interested – get out there and join! You'll come out with some great books under your belt and, most likely, some good friends too.