Constant Reader discussion

It's hard to believe the end of the year is at hand.

Two books I requested just came in at the library: The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo, and NW by Zadie Smith. Something to do while eating Christmas Cookies.

The Redbreast is fabulous. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A friend of mine recently told me she liked NW best of all Zadie Smith's novels. Let us know what you think.

I'm reading This Grand and Magnificent Place. It's a history of the White Mountains

I am reading Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, by Andrew Solomon. Intense, fascinating...and long!

Kat wrote: "A friend of mine recently told me she liked NW best of all Zadie Smith's novels. Let us know what you think."

Oh good! I was the one who nominated it for the Reading List here.

Susan_T. wrote: "I am reading Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, by Andrew Solomon. Intense, fascinating...and long!"

This looks very good, Susan! How readable is it?

Very, Barb. Solomon includes stories of many families, and those parts are especially readable.

Right now I'm reading Cold in the Light, by Charles Gramlich on my kindle. I do happen to have it in paperback as well. It's an interesting rather twisty science fiction story. It doesn't have a lot in the way of "fantastical/fantasy", unless you count another, unknown species living here, on Earth. Seemingly unknown to the general public. That is how I like my sci-fi, realistically presented, as though it really could happen......

I'm about half way through and really caring about the characters, and wondering what the heck will come of all of it!

Just finished A Ghost In The Machine I loved the earlier Midsomer Murder mysteries by Graham, but this one dragged a bit, the plot was unconvincing, and the saving grace was Graham's caustic rendition of her characters particularly the narcissistic Polly.

Recently finished The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. Here's the review I posted.

I expected a war novel, full of action and blood, one reason I almost didn’t read this, that kind of book not exactly being my kind of cuppa. A book like that has to be really good in order for me to like it. So much for expectations. Although there is blood, this book is more a kind of meditation than an action novel. It’s beautifully written. I kept thinking it was more of an extended poem than a novel. Or maybe a series of long, linked poems. It came as a surprise, when in the author biography at the end I learned that he is indeed a poet.

Another recently finished book, The Art Forger by B. A. Schapiro. Here's my review:

Built upon the famous burglary of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, in which several priceless paintings were stolen and never recovered, this was a page turner. The writing is adequate, albeit a bit clumsy at times, the characters a little thin, and as an artist myself, I found shadows of the usual clichés about art and artists. Yet somehow it all pulls together into a story it’s hard to put down.

I didn't associate the two, Ann. Thanks! I don't think I read A Stone Boat but remember the discussion.

I started this, The Boy In The Suitcase a while back. Nice mystery for a cloudy day.

I thought that name sounded familiar. That was a fascinating book. If anyone is interested, here is a link to our discussion:
http://constantreader.com/discussions...

I'm reading A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel by Jennifer Dubois. I'm sure someone here recommended it, but I don't remember who. It's beautifully written.

Yes, I remember reading A STONE BOAT. I also remember saying something somewhat derogatory about the author and the book, and, lo and behold, he chimed in. I was really embarrassed.

I had to take a break from Far from the Tree today (will return to it shortly), so I'm reading Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi: My Humble Quest to Heal My Colitis, Calm My ADD, and Find the Key to Happiness, which is funny.

Ruth,
I recently read and recommended A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel, but Tina read it and recommended it last summer.

I thought you would appreciate the writing.

Susan,
Are you a practitioner of yoga? That book sounds interesting.

Susan_T. wrote: "I am reading Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, by Andrew Solomon. Intense, fascinating...and long!"

I listened to a New York Times Book Review podcast tonight and they did an interview with Solomon about this book. I am even more interested in reading it now. It sounds right down my alley, but I'm trying to decide when I will have time for it...the age old question.

Ruth wrote: "Recently finished The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. Here's the review I posted.

I expected a war novel, full of action and blood, one reason I almost didn’t read this, that kind of book not exact..."

I am so glad that you posted this review, Ruth. I have been avoiding it for the same reasons, but now I will put it on my TBR list.

Started Motion Studies, poems by Brad Richard. Excellent stuff so far.

Bought The Orphan Master's Son after seeing Adam Johnson on a panel this weekend at the Faulkner Society festival. Looking forward to reading it.

A few more stories into the William Trevor stories, and I'm more and more impressed. He's a genius.

I've got to read more William Trevor. I read Felicia's Journey a few months ago and was very impressed by the subtlety of his writing.
I'm still working on The Origin of the Brunists, which is dense and intellectually engaging, but not much fun.

Ann wrote: "Susan,
Are you a practitioner of yoga? That book sounds interesting."

Ann, I am a yoga wannabe, i.e., I talk about taking a yoga class and yet haven't yet done it. I have read & enjoyed some good yoga memoirs! And yes I did like Eat Pray Love, too. I'd also like to try meditation. One day.

The Garden State Yogi book was interesting. Occasionally TMI about the "coliltis" part of the subtitle but all in all humorous & entertaining. And sort of strange. I mean that as a compliment!

Finished Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl yesterday. Really excellent in its plotting, but unsatisfying for me in the end. I guess it's just that I want at least one character to be somewhat likeable.

Started Jo Nesbo's THE BAT today. This is the first Harry Hole novel, and is set in Australia not Norway. A Norwegian woman has been killed in Sydney and Harry Hole is sent to assist the Sydney police in their investigation.

I took a break from my never-ending read of 1Q84 to gobble down Book 14 of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, Cold Days. This is one of the few series' that gets better as it goes - the only other one I can think of is Stephen King's Dark Tower books. It's nothing but pure storytelling, what I aspire to most as a writer. I am in awe of his ability to foreshadow; Cold Days has call backs to books 8 and 3. I saw him speak a few years ago, and he said he has the whole epic story mapped out into 21 or 22 books.

Why, yes, I may be a fangirl. Why do you ask???

A Christmas Memory, One Christmas and The Thanksgiving Visitor -Truman Capote
5*****

Capote’s writing is never so brilliant as when he is mining his childhood for stories such as these. The emotion is evident and genuine. His descriptions are gloriously vivid without overwhelming the story. The lessons learned – about kindness, tolerance, family, love and forgiveness –ring loud and clear.

Larry, I was disappointed by The Bat. I can see why they didn't publish it sooner. Book 3 on are very addictive, though. I wonder what I'll think of The Cockroaches when it's translated.

Barbara wrote: "Kat wrote: "A friend of mine recently told me she liked NW best of all Zadie Smith's novels. Let us know what you think."

Oh good! I was the one who nominated it for the Reading List here."

Great, I’m looking forward to reading Zadie Smith’s NW as well.

Yulia wrote: "Larry, I was disappointed by The Bat. I can see why they didn't publish it sooner. Book 3 on are very addictive, though. I wonder what I'll think of The Cockroaches when it's translated."

It isn't as good as the later Harry Hole books. But is is good to see him at an earlier stage in his life. I'm half-way through it now and am enjoying it. But I'm not enthralled as I was with the other books.

After enjoying Cheryl Strayed's Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, I'm reading another of hers, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar, which I'm finding to be excellent.

Lyn, I liked both of those books a lot! I plan to re-read Tiny Beautiful Things.

Susan_T. wrote: "Lyn, I liked both of those books a lot! I plan to re-read Tiny Beautiful Things."

I absolutely loved Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar--it really got into my bones in such a good way.

Those who liked Tiny Beautiful Things--do you read The Rumpus regularly? Just curious.

The Dog Lived is a wonderful memoir by Teresa Rhyne. The writer and her dog, Seamus battle cancer together. Well written with ample doses of humor.

Kat wrote: "Those who liked Tiny Beautiful Things--do you read The Rumpus regularly? Just curious."

Not regularly. I drop in sometimes.

I have been reading a pretty heavy dose of history, including Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by John Meacham and The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed. The Jefferson book is very readable and I am enjoying it.

The Hemingses were the mixed-race slave family which were personal servants to Jefferson and worked in his house in Monticello. It included his father-in-law's mistress and the half-brothers and sisters of Jefferson's wife. Sally Hemings, one of the half-sisters, was Jefferson's ong-time mistress and the mother of six of his children. This book is serious history, but it is really fascinating. The author is African American and, of course, points out the ugliness of slavery, but she also makes an attempt to genuinely understand all the actors in this family drama.

As a break, I also read Michael Connelly'sThe Scarecrow, about a journalist tracking down a serial sex murderer. Pretty good, but not great.

I have also started A Drop of the Hard Stuff, which was recommended here.

I just finished SWEET TOOTH, the latest book by Ian McEwen, one of my favorite authors. Somewhat different from his previous books. A reader in another group said it had more postmodern winkie-winks than prior, a couple of which were dated and annoying. But I liked it, and it has a nice surprising twist.

In the book McEwen has as the background England during the 1970s which I didn't know much about, but am going to read more about that era. In his bibliography, he gives a couple of nonfiction books, I've put on my list: WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT; BRITAIN IN THE SEVENTIES by Andy Beckett, and STATE OF EMERGENCY; THE WAY WE WERE, BRITAIN 1970-1974 by Dominic Sandbrook. It also made me want to read more about the Irish Republican Army, so want to read Richard English’s ARMED STRUGGLE; HISTORY OF THE IRA.

Marge

Sara wrote: "Kat wrote: "Those who liked Tiny Beautiful Things--do you read The Rumpus regularly? Just curious."

Not regularly. I drop in sometimes."

That describes my Rumpus visits as well.

Marjorie wrote: "I just finished SWEET TOOTH, the latest book by Ian McEwen, one of my favorite authors. Somewhat different from his previous books...."

I'm also a fan of McEwan. I loved both Saturday and Atonement.

Just finished Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms
3.5***
I've read and liked other works by Hemingway, but this one just didn't quite do it for me. There are scenes that give the reader the sense of the horrors of the situation, the terror of being attacked, the bone-weary exhaustion of days spent trudging through rain-soaked terrain without adequate shelter, food or rest; but, for me, the telling lacks a certain emotional punch. This is especially true for the love story. I never really connected to the central characters. I don’t really feel love between them.

I am on page 100 of The Casual Vacancy - I just had to see what the fuss is all about. It's amazing how similar the writing style is to her Potter books. Although I didn't read them except the most of the first one. So far it is all about introducing the characters. Feels like this could go on forever - does anyone know if this is going to be a series?

BC,
I agree about A Farewell to Arms. I think Hemingway had trouble with female characters.

Ann wrote: "BC,
I agree about A Farewell to Arms. I think Hemingway had trouble with female characters."

I tried to read it. I think I only managed about 30 pages or so. It seemed awfully dry to me. Is that typical Hemingway?

I'm not a big Hemingway fan in general, but I think his short story "Hills Like White Elephants" is superb.

Cateline wrote: "I tried to read it. I think I only managed about 30 pages or so. It seemed awfully dry to me. Is that typical Hemingway?..."

Hemingway's style tends toward the simple declarative sentence. It can seem quite dry. There are sections in the book that do come to life, however. It's one of his earlier works and I'm not sure he had perfected his style yet. I read A Moveable Feast in the last year or so and really enjoyed it.

Kat wrote: "Those who liked Tiny Beautiful Things--do you read The Rumpus regularly? Just curious."

No, I just check in once in a while. I like so many blogs & literary sites, but don't have time to read them all regularly.

Book Concierge wrote: "Hemingway's style tends toward the simple declarative sentence. It can seem quite dry. There are sections in the book that do come to life, however. It's one of his earlier works and I'm not sure he had perfected his style yet. I read A Moveable Feast in the last year or so and really enjoyed it.
"

Thanks for that. :) I'll try it.

At the moment I'm reading Oliver North's latest Heroes Proved and enjoying it. He has a direct and interesting style.

We went to an author's signing of his last week, and found him to be an extremely lovely and charming person. His schedule was daunting, to say the least but he managed to engage each person he encountered.

Re: Hemingway: I taught the story "Soldier's Home" today in my English V class; I think that one's quite good.