CRP's Blog

Audiobooks, podcasts, articles on the internet, and yes, even words printed on paper. They’re all here in this week’s roundup of what we’ve been reading. If you have questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments or on Twitter. #CRPreads

I’m about two years behind, but I’m making my way through the audiobook of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt right now. Two weeks of listening down and I’m still only a third of the way through but very much enjoying being in the thick of it right now.  —Caitlin Eck, publicity manager

I’m reading Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Hush. Also, thanks to a recommendation from Lindsey, I’ve been devouring the podcast You Must Remember This (which also means I’ve had the song “As Time Goes By” stuck in my head for many weeks now).  —Ellen Hornor, project editor

My friends bought me Men & Cats so I’ve been browsing through that. Very entertaining. And for a completely different read, I’m enjoying Raymond Carver’s Cathedral on my commute.  —Emily Lewis, editorial and marketing assistant

Working on one of our upcoming titles, Algren: A Life by Mary Wisniewski (October) piqued my curiosity about Nelson Algren. I’m not a native Chicagoan and had never heard of him before. I thought I’d give The Man with the Golden Arm a try. I’m really glad I did, because the writing has blown me away. The dialogue and description are astounding—not only beautiful but also achingly clever. It’s absolutely crammed with great, highly quotable lines. I might need to start carrying a highlighter around with me to keep track of them all. It seems impossible that there are 330 dense pages of this writing. While reading it, you can’t help but picture Algren sitting at his typewriter, the words just pouring out of him. The only issue for me is that I’ve grown accustomed to speed-reading when I read for recreation. For this, at 140 pages in, there’s not much of a big plot arc. Instead, there’s a Rear Window voyeurism about it—spying on all these down-and-out denizens scoring booze and drugs, lamenting their lots in life, arguing, and playing cards as the el train clamors past their windows. And the densely woven writing means I have to really take my time. It’s slow-going and a little exhausting but so fantastic. —Lindsey Schauer, project editor

I’ve been really digging the audiobook for Daniel José Older’s urban fantasy novel Shadowshaper, which is rich in Caribbean folklore. Older’s words and Anika Noni Rose’s narration make the story—set in Brooklyn, which is almost a living, changing character—come alive (much like the Shadowshapers in the book help the spirits take form). On the opposite end of the spectrum, I just started Victoria Fedden’s This Is Not My Beautiful Life: A Memoir. Victoria was 36 years old, nine months pregnant, and temporarily living with her parents when the DEA came knocking at the door. I’m only 10 or so pages in, but I’m already hooked. —Mary Kravenas, marketing manager

I just started reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which is a heartbreaking and stark look at the realities, struggles, and demands of both tenants and landlords in the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee. Between that and the Atlantic article everyone’s talking about, I’m considering what light fiction to tackle next. —Meaghan Miller, senior publicist and social media coordinator

-compiled by Emily Lewis