Books on the Nightstand discussion

I'm visiting my sister in Michigan, surprised that I'm able to pick up the internet (thank you Cathy's neighbor) and just realized that since it's after midnight, it's September...

So here's the new thread for the month.

I'm hoping to finish all 3 active books I'm working on this weekend. I'm listening to , I'm reading , and (that one is mine and going to the book sale as soon as I'm finished with it - part of my attempt to read 12 books out of my house this year.)

I'm just about to start three books that I'll be picking up from the library (on hold for me there) next week: "In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: a Memoir" by Neil White; The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," by Rachel Joyce; and the audio book version of Sue Wilson's "One Good Dog." I'm moving away from the library in June 2013 and so I'm using it TO THE MAX while I'm still near.

Jan wrote: "I'm moving away from the library in June 2013..."

: > (

i'm currently in the middle of reading The Star Machine and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. planning to read The Way She Looks Tonight: Five Women Of Style, The Snowman {audio} and MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search For A New Best Friend.

Message in a Bottle is one of my favorite books! have a great weekend, ladies. :)

Listening to Anansi Boys, to be followed by Summerland. Reading The Monk.

Trying to get some books from the Santa Cruz Booktopia list finished: South with the Sun (why do people DO things like that?), The Baker's Daughter (at least my 4th WWII/Nazi book this year), plus a couple of enjoyable reads to keep things moving The Age of Miracles and The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I like to juggle lots of books!

I just started book #3 in The Cousins War

I'm almost done with The Dog Stars, which has definitely lived up to its hype so far. The middle of the book got kind of iffy in style and plot, but I think it will still be one of the best new books I've read this year.

I'm SUPER excited forNW by Zadie Smith to come out in just TWO DAYS! I'm hoping to be one of the first to get it from the library.

I've still got to get through Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, which I set aside to start The Dog Stars.

I'm reading Jeanettte Winterson's Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
and Mission to Paris by Alan Furst. Next up: Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal, also by Jeanette Winterson.
Still working on my Santa Cruz retreat books... need to
read South with the Sun, Swim Back to Me and Girlchild.

I'm starting September with my book group choice for September, Let's Pretend This Never Happened. Then I'll be reading Broken Harbor, which I finally got from the library and counts for my 12 published in 2012 challenge! Then on to my 2 TBR challenge books for the month: The Trouble With Being God: A Philosophical Thriller as one of the 12 oldest on my TBR Goodreads bookshelf and Don't You Forget About Me as one of the oldest TBR on my physical bookshelf. Then I'm hoping to get through most of the newest books from the authors who will be at the Santa Cruz Booktopia: Silver Sparrow, Murder at the Lanterne Rouge, Girlchild, The Orphan Master's Son, Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Swim Back to Me, and South with the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery South with the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery. I also hope to finish up the Audible recording of The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson.

I'll also be working on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team for my MBA class.

After finally finishing the physical book and audio book I have been plodding through for three weeks today...I get to move on to two books I have been really excited about. I am physically reading Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend and listening to Heft.

Happy Reading all!

Completed The Monk, and the audioversion of Anansi Boys. Halfway through the audioversion of Summerland. Started reading Villette today.

I just finished Gone Girl and have started The Night Circus

Read Happy!

Just finished and over the holiday weekend. Nearly done with which I'm finding amazingly moving. And onward with and .

Still reading Kushiel's Dart and Eisenhower in War and Peace, both of which I intend to give more time to this week. I've also read Faith for book club, which I enjoyed much more than I thought I would.

I'm listening to Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed, which is still good, although I've been distracted by podcasts on my drive home lately.

I don't seem to be living very firmly in the 21st century. On the 1st I finished Bert Leston Taylor's 1911 comic poetry collection A Line-o'-Verse or Two and reviewed Sinclair Lewis's 1919 novel Free Air. Next came a coffee-table book based on a Norman Rockwell museum exhibition, plus one of the only two Terry Pratchett novels I hadn't read, Johnny and the Dead. (Still haven't gotten [U.S]—or got [U.K.]—my hands on either the original version of The Carpet People or Pratchett's much later rewrite.)

At present I'm plugging away at Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend and John Leonard's posthumous review collection Reading for My Life: Writings, 1958-2008. Next up: Winifred Watson's 1938 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, a 1980s poetry compilation, and the new biography The Astaires: Fred & Adele.

Just finished by Geraldine Brooks, and started by Hilary Mantel.

While on vacation I finished The Submission: A Novel for book club and as a family we listened to Flush as an audiobook. I am reading The End of Your Life Book Club . On the way home we listened to To Kill a Mockingbird read by Sissy Spacek. It was wonderful!

Finished and liked Honolulu. But did not love it as expected. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I finished reading and listening to . I give each 4 stars.

Started reading on Kindle and listening to The American Presidencyfrom Theodore Roosevelt To Ronald Reagan.

Recently finished both and on audio. And I read an adorable little thing last night: .

Somehow I didn't get my Robertson Davies in this year (it's a summer tradition) so I'll pick up next. Although I also need to get started on Turgenev for when book group starts up again...

Just finished The Last Brother, a Holocaust story, only 164 pages. Very interesting. It was translated from French, published by Graywolf Press, and in the back of the book are a list of their "Lannan Translation Series" with recommended books translated from Greek, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Norwegian, Basque, even Serbian. Interesting reminder that there is some value in exploring worldwide literature once in a while; I don't do it nearly enough! One of my new goals is to read at least 2 - 3 translated novels each year.

I haven't posted in a while, partly due to a vacation, and am not sure what titles I listed last time, so I'll just list the most recent. Over the vacation I read "Elantris," a fantasy standalone by Brian Sanderson. He's written others that are part of one or more series, so eventually I'll take a look at those too. I finished that on the plane going home and began reading an old copy of "Charlotte's Web" as part of my 2012 goal of rereading some children's books. I was almost finished by the time we got home but have been sidetracked from reading by all of the post-vacation chores and getting back to work.

Before leaving, I read a book of short stories by authors who had been inspired by the late Ray Bradbury, called "Shadow Show." Many of them were quite imaginative, and I'm eager now to read some of Bradbury's stories. I've read several of his novels but don't think I've sought out the stories before.

On audio, I listened to a fantasy novel called "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman, the story a young musician who is the daughter of a human and a dragon who assumed human form—a match that's forbidden in her world, where dragons and humans have reached an uneasy alliance. She has concealed the dragon part of her heritage from all but her family, but the dangerous secret is difficult to keep when tensions rise and someone like her, with a foot in both worlds, could be in a unique position to help. An excellent debut novel.

After that, I zipped through a short book called "The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs" by Jack Gantos. I'd put that on my list so long ago I had no inkling of what it was about and was startled, but not upset or bothered, by the plot involving the "love curse," in which children develop an overwhelming obsession with their mothers that leads to the breaking of a number of taboos. It was quite the gothic novel, and an enjoyable, offbeat book.

Next up is "The Spellman Files' by Lisa Lutz. In print, I'm going to read Tana French's "Broken Harbor." It's due at the library in a couple of days, and I'm sure I won't be able to renew it, but I'd rather keep it a few extra days and pay the minimal fine than return it and get my name back on the waiting list.

I am reading In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson. I am enjoying it but it is taking a long time to read . Is anyone else reading it? I also have Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Divergent to read next.

I recently finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. I'm working on finishing Heidi, Adam Bede by George Eliot, and also Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark. Just starting A Singular Hostage by Thalassa Ali, the first of a series of which I started reading the second book before the first, so it feels a little weird.

i forgot to add that I read Salvage the Bones as well. I wasn't as ipressed with it as I thought I would be.

I just finished two books that have joined the ranks of my favorite reads of all time.... Heft and Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. I will be starting Gold and Tallgrassnext.

Have a great weekend!

I am listening to Gone Girl. I don't find the protagonists very likable. Also reading The House at Riverton. I have enjoyed Morton's other books and like this one too.

Liked, but did not love Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. Gave it 3 stars. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Started The Fifth Witness on audio. Fun to be back in Haller's world.

Just finishedAwait Your Reply, great fast paced read. Someone on the back wrote the ultimate "identity theft novel", very true. . . something kind of different, highly recommended. I am listening to The Song of Achilles on audio, am enjoying it so far.

I struggled with Waiting for Columbus until about half way through. . . very slow, meandering, didn't buy the nurse falling in love with her crazy patient. So I went on goodreads and read the reviews, I guess I was looking for permission to stop. . . even though I was over Simon (of The Readers podcast) 50 page rule. Anyway, it was interesting b/c there were equal parts 1-2 star "totally lame" reviews and 4-5 star "moved to tears, epic..." reviews. But even the epic reviews said it was slow to get going. . . so I gave up. . . oh well. . .

Please Look After Mom is waiting for me at the library. There was an interesting NY Times article about the author within the last few days if people are interested. . . I work with a lot of Koreans in Southern California and I'm excited to read a book about the culture. . .

Currently reading "Shout Her Lovely Name". Fantastic collection of short stories.

Still listening to , finally on the last part. This book is fantastic. Starting to get into and my wife is still struggling through on her Kindle. Got my books lined up for our cruise at the end of the month though. 4 should be good for two weeks I hope.

Tonya, I quite liked the first two-thirds of "In the Garden of the Beasts" but was very disappointed in the last third so I can't recommend it.

Last week was a great reading week with Christopher Tighlman's Mason's Retreat and Sheila Kohler's The Bay of Foxes (the protagonist is an Ethiopian seeking asylum in Paris who meets a mysterious older woman who is a renown novelist). Kohler, by the way, was born in South Africa and at least two of her novels are set there, the wonderful Love Child and "Cracks."

Just now I am reading Annie Dillard's The Living and it is deeply affecting.

Will do, Elissa.

I am finishing up W.G. Sebald's AusterlitzAusterlitz, and waiting on a copy from Amazon of Vancouver Special Vancouver Special, by Charles Demers.

i'm not sure which thread i've been posting on (since there's two), but i finished up which i really liked.

now i'm reading which is greece in a different time period.

I am reading A Word Child by Iris Murdoch. About half way through and the writing is excellent. It's a little painful to read, as it's a character driven novel about a pretty dysfunctional guy and his immediate circle. I'm enjoying it enough to finish and I have no idea yet how I'll feel about the whole book.

Kat wrote: "Tonya, I quite liked the first two-thirds of "In the Garden of the Beasts" but was very disappointed in the last third so I can't recommend it.

Last week was a great reading week with Christopher ..."

thanks I did finally finish it was a very slow read.

A dark and gritty adventure story with fascinating characters. This book will no doubt cause endless discussion. I loved it! 5 stars.

"The Sisters Brothers" was a great read for me, too.

Eli Sisters, our narrator, is an overweight hired killer in the Old West of 1851. But he's looking for more life satisfaction than the cards he's been dealt afford him. His brother and partner in crime, Charlie, is more in tune with their lives' shared vocation. Charlie has an ambition for the power wielded by the crime boss they work for. But Charlie has a drinking problem.

The boys set out from Oregon City as the behest of their boss, the Commodore, to eliminate a prospector who has the unlikely name of Hermann Kermit Warm. After several stops along their picaresque journey, they meet their ultimate destiny in Warm.

The novel is touching and funny. Touching in the way our expectations are upset by unexpectedly emotional and poignant turnarounds. Funny in the manner of Don Quixote's violent and sometimes deadly slapstick. There are some powerful scenes of wistful longing and human connection. Eli Sisters is one of the most unexpectedly sympathetic narrators to come out of fiction in a long time.

great review eric. i found myself rooting for eli to find something meaningful in his life.

This is sooo cool. I just got done listening to the audio version of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend and I decided to trade it at a book trading site I belong to. I needed some additional information to list it so I went to Amazon (otherwise I never go there...yeah right) and this is what was written about the author, Matthew Dicks.


MATTHEW DICKS is a writer and elementary school teacher. His articles have been published in the Hartford Courant and he has been a featured author at the Books on the Nightstand retreat. He is the author of two previous novels, Something Missing and Unexpectedly Milo. Dicks lives in Newington, Connecticut, with his wife, Elysha, and their daughter, Clara

Looks like being a BOTNS author is a sign of prestige!

I just started

A clever, but ultimately hollow, exploration of the boundaries of human sexuality.

Myra Breckinridge shows up on the doorstep of an acting school owned by faded western movie star Buck Loner. She claims to be the widow of his nephew, Myron, and thereby entitled to half of his business and properties.

Myra is interested in conquest and power, both of the temporal and sexual varieties.

I liked the narrative voice, which alternates between excerpts from Myra's journal and transcripts of dictation by Buck. Myra, the wicked, witty narrator reminded me of Humbert Humbert in .

In the end, though, this book has a lot less to offer than Nabokov's great book. I don't think we ever really understand Myra's motivations. Some claim this book is a key to understanding a more open view of sexuality, where the divide between heterosexual and homosexual is not so clear cut. If that was indeed the point of the book, why not make that point with a more sympathetic narrator? Myra is petty, violent, and vengeful, and we're never sure exactly what she's supposed to be avenging.

One of Robert Heinlein's "lesser" books, , also dealt with the plasticity of human sexuality. Heinlein is generally regarded as a great idea man, but a poor writer. But in the book mentioned above, I think he did a better job explicating the human sexual psyche than Vidal, who is generally regarded as a much better writer than he.

I'm going to have to read Myra's sequel, Myron, and see if my view of Myra changes in retrospect.

I just got done reading Girlchild: A Novel and I loved parts of it, parts of it were heartbreaking and there were parts I just didn't get.

Now I need help...I have been in Okinawa a month now and we are about to go through our second typhoon this weekend. We will most definitely be stuck in the house for quite awhile and since none of my stuff is here yet, I plan on making one last trip to the library tomorrow morning before everything is shut down to get some 'curl up on the couch during the typhoon' books and I need any and all suggestions on what I should get!!

So far , and , oh and finished

I am currently reading , I was worried that I would not be able to remember who everyone was from book 1 but I have jumped right in!! Reading this much quicker than my other September read- , I was disappointed & it dragged on for me...
Up next will be &

I finally started NW by Zadie Smith. I'm less than half through, but I already like it more than White Teeth.

I have two books to read by Tuesday, one for my book discussion and the other an e-book that's due and has a long wait list . . What to my wondering eyes was waiting for me when I went to the library today (to work on the book sale)? .

I got antsy waiting for my or the library's copy (they ordered it on my insistence) so it came in through interlibrary loan. I hate to put it off until Tuesday, but I must.

In case Matthew is reading this, I ordered my copy, but asked for "green" delivery which means it won't come until J.K. Rowling's new book is out at the end of the month