People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading

I've noticed a trend in the books I've been reading lately: The novels are made up of intertwining stories that don't really all come together until the end. I'm sure it started before the Quentin Tarantino movie, but it's still the Pulp-Fiction-style novel to me. Don't get me wrong; this can be an effective way to tell a story. I think it worked particularly well for Await Your Reply, which had an element of mystery to it but was mostly a dark look at what "creating yourself" can ultimately mean.

I think it worked less well for A Visit From the Goon Squad, which used the same technique to tell related stories but each chapter felt a little stand-alone. (And, much like epilogues, I hated the futuristic chapter -- it was definitely the weakest part of the book for me.) In the end, I still enjoyed both books because, whatever their narrative style, their writing was unquestionably good. Now, however, I'd like to read a book with a more linear narrative. So I'm going with Swamplandia! I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've voluntarily read a book with an exclamation point in the title, but I'm rolling with it. Change is good.