This week in books was all about Harper Lee, never mind that Ta-Nehisi Coates' amazing Between the World and Me also came out. Last week we asked you about Harper Lee. Then this week, you heard about nothing else. So, if only to suggest taking a break from Watchman-ia, this week, we asked you this:
Is now a good time to be a fiction fanatic?
Are new novelists (like those in our Fall 2015 Anticipated Debuts feature) writing amazing new books these days? Are people reading them? Is now a great time to be obsessed with all kinds of fiction?
The answer was, generally, yes, with a bit of ambivalence. That bad news and click bait filling our feeds and bookstores has some readers, like this one, feeling down, and reading is a dependable consolation:
- It depends....the Grey series is barely literature (and I am feeling generous today) but there are many good novels out there. -Annette Jackson, Facebook
One reader was mostly grateful not to have to respond to another post about Harper Lee:
- Those are the best words I've heard all day: let's take a break from talking about Harper Lee. I'm a historical fiction fanatic and love reading my favorite genre anytime, all the time. -Diana Capurro, Facebook
Another reader responded to the graphic that went with the article, which features Eimear McBride's challenging recent novel:
- I finished "A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing" yesterday. It was the most difficult read in quite some time (the entire narrative is stream-of-consciousness) but well worth it. -James Tiberius Gillespie, Facebook
And, of course, there are those readers for whom reading is always its own reward:
- I believe any time for reading is a great time. -Darlene McKay, Facebook
Hope to hear from you again next week!
