Liz Alterman is the author of The Perfect Neighborhood, He'll Be Waiting, and Sad Sacked. Her work appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney's, and other outlets. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons where she spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms. When Alterman isn't writing, she's reading.
Her new novel is The House on Cold Creek Lane.
Recently I asked Alterman about what she was reading. Her reply:
I love to jump back and forth between fiction and non-fiction and print and audiobooks.Visit Liz Alterman's website.
I just finished reading Margot Harrison's intriguing The Midnight Club, which follows four adult friends who reunite in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of their friend and classmate's death during their college days. Set in Vermont, it's very atmospheric and has a speculative element as the group uses a substance known as "sog" to travel back to the past to relive the moments right before their friend's death. I loved this unique premise and Harrison's smooth mix of pop culture and poetry references. Fans of The Secret History will enjoy this wild ride.
I also recently listened to Gary Janetti's We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay and thoroughly enjoyed every bit--right down to the acknowledgements. It's perfect summer reading/listening as it covers the pleasures and perils of travel in a fun, keenly observed way that you can't help but nod and laugh along.
I'm always hunting for books to motivate and inspire my writing and Steve Almond's Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow is a true gem. I've been recommending it to writer friends since I finished the first chapter. Almond narrates the audiobook and brings so much humor and heart to his advice that I know this is one I'll return to again and again.
On the thriller side, I listened to Tracy Sierra's Nightwatching earlier this summer and had goosebumps for the duration. The writing is fantastic and Emily Ellet's narration brings this harrowing tale to life in a way that had me glancing over my shoulder, convinced a intruder was lurking in the corner. Initially, I picked it up because (lucky for me!) Emily agreed to voice the Corey character in my novel The House on Cold Creek Lane, but after the first few minutes, I forgot all that and was completely spellbound by the story.
Q&A with Liz Alterman.
My Book, The Movie: The Perfect Neighborhood.
The Page 69 Test: The Perfect Neighborhood.
The Page 69 Test: The House on Cold Creek Lane.
My Book, The Movie: The House on Cold Creek Lane.
--Marshal Zeringue
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