Constant Reader discussion

I've been reading Ross Thomas's The Backup Men the last few days. It's a suspense novel set in Washington, DC, and it's fun. Ross Thomas wrote suspense novels from the mid-1960s until 1994, and he really hit his stride in the mid-1970s. The ones from the mid-1970s until 1994 are highly intelligent, full of suspense, and often very witty. They pay re-reading. This one is from before he really came into his prime, but it still is very enjoyable.

If anyone has Who Is Martha? on their radar, I found the writing quality high and would read more from the author.

These days, I'm listening to Bettyville, story of a middle-aged gay son coming back to his hometown in rural Missouri from New York to look after his mother, whose dementia is steadily worsening.

Both books are ones I think Constant Readers would appreciate.

Things to Things to Make and Break by May-Lan Tan is a punchy short story collection. Often focussing doomed relationships with a strong lesbian element, May-Lan Tan creates powerful though uncomfortable stories yet that make you want to read on. Not an easy read for the beach but a powerful thought-provoking collection.

Sweet. It's less about the "funny girl" than it is about the men who are grouped about her in personal and professional capacities. She's a magnet and a catalyst, and the men are far more interesting than she, although she's bright and courageous and talented. And while she's more or less a constant, the men shift, change, take on different roles, and I found it a fascinating technique for structuring a novel. I've sort of made it sound like "Well, yeah, it's about Henry VIII, but it's really about the women around him." No, that's not what I meant. No one's beheaded or sent back to Cleeves. The other characters in the book, the main ones all men, are each distinctly drawn, clear, each heart-wrenching in their respective way. London in the 1960's. Just full of hope and humanity and failings and forgiveness and disappointments and no small amount of satisfaction. It's my first Nick Hornby, and I admired it. And it was light enough, although its themes are sometimes on the dark side, to give me a break from some of the blacker tomes I've been leafing through lately.

Okay, in Message 133 in June I sounded a bit more absolute than I would if I were writing it today. Oh, well, it's now history...

I recently read a short, interesting novel called The Tusk That Did the Damage, by Tania James. Set in India, it takes a look at elephant poaching through a specific set of characters. It has some awkwardness about it and could have treated things in more depth, I think, but it's interesting material and it doesn't over-simplify.

I’ve just started reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald again. I know it has won prizes but the fact that an author I greatly admire, Laura Del-Rivo, highly recommended it to me was the reason I bought it. I began reading it a while ago but then I was inundated with manuscripts and they always come first. H for Hawk is a bit unknown territory for me, it’s strictly speaking not a novel and it has lots of ‘nature’ in it. I’m very much a city girl so it will be interesting to see how we (the Hawk and I ) get on.

Bernadette wrote: "I’ve just started reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald again. I know it has won prizes but the fact that an author I greatly admire, Laura Del-Rivo, highly recommended it to me ..."
Lots of interest generated by H is for Hawk here as she is local. I saw an interesting TV interview with her when she spoke about her loss and how she took up with the hawk but I can't find a url for it. It reminded me of just how powerful a connection with nature can be and of the film Kes . I've always thought there was something very powerful and old when seeing a hawker with his bird.

Currently listening to David Crystal's The Story of English in 100 Words - a very different read for me and most interesting approach to the history of language. He takes specific words and looks at their origins, thus making it not sound too academic.

Bernadette wrote: "I’ve just started reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald again. I know it has won prizes but the fact that an author I greatly admire, Laura Del-Rivo, highly recommended it to me ..."

I've been interested in this book since I saw the first review. I think it was in the NYTimes Book Review. I've been waiting for it to be published in paperback but my local bookstore says that it is so popular that they don't see that happening any time soon.

Barbara wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "I’ve just started reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald again. I know it has won prizes but the fact that an author I greatly admire, Laura Del-Rivo, highly re..."

I'm actually reading the paperback, so I hope they publish it soon in the US. I'm really getting into it now.

Sheila wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "I’ve just started reading H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald again. I know it has won prizes but the fact that an author I greatly admire, Laura Del-Rivo, highly re..."

Something in a very different line about hawking is Marion Zimmer Bradley's science fiction novel Hawkmistress!, which is one of her Darkover novels.

Ellen,
I reserved Funny Girl by Nick Hornby at the library after you posted about it. I am always a Hornby fan.

If you need something lighter to intersperse with more "serious" fiction like I do, I would recommend Nina Stibbe"s two books: MANN AT THE HELM and LOVE, NINA. They both made me laugh out loud. I read them on my KIndle.

Have finished a Louise Penney, a Chief Inspector Gamache novel, The Long Way Home. She has finally ended the horrible conflict between a couple of the main characters in this book...thankfully. I'd resolved not to read anymore of the series because of that long running "thing", but a kindle sale is a powerful incentive. :) Although a bit drawn out, it was satisfying.

I'm going a bit out of my comfort range to read The Legacy of Heorotby Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Although I've read Lucifer's Hammer by the authors before and enjoyed it. Apocalyptic genre, well done.

The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners by Margaret Visser.

Didn't make it past page 30 of this dull repetitive book.

Ruth wrote: "The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners by Margaret Visser.

Didn't make it past page 30 of this dull repetitive book."

Even the title sounds dull.

In light of the fact that my recently-finished MS of poems is centered on the idea of food I thought this would be interesting. Food involves so much--culture, religion, taste, traditions, sensuality...

Just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Really enjoyed it, and several parts had me literally laughing out loud!

I loved the visit to the topiary garden, as well as the fixation on the harpoon swizzle stick.

Just started what will be an epic audio to get me through this unusual heat we are having here Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian which I had on my list from someone's recommendation

Cateline wrote: "I'm going a bit out of my comfort range to read The Legacy of Heorotby Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Although I've read Lucifer's Hammer by the authors before and enjoyed it. Apocalyptic genre, well done. ...."

I really liked these classics SF novels by Niven and Pournelle. I thought that they both were at the top of their game when they wrote them.

I'm reading Stephen Witt's How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy about the development of the mp3 technology and format and how its "release into the marketplace" destroyed much of the financial value of the record companies. It's written from the perspective of the developers of the technology, the record companies, and two individuals in a small town in North Carolina who released a large part of the pirated mp3 content into the Internet.

I'm also reading the latest Philip Kerr novel in his Bernie Gunther series, The Lady from Zagreb. Gunther is a detective in Nazi Germany, who deals with the monsters around him and tries to stay alive while he serves the evil that was the Third Reich. This is the 10th in this darkest of the dark crime noir series. (Needless to say, Bernie still is concealing the fact that he's part Jewish. That truly is only a minimal spoiler in this series.)

Larry wrote: " I really liked these classics SF novels by Niven and Pournelle. I thought that they both were at the top of their game when they wrote them.
"

I really enjoyed Lucifer's Hammer, but the other one while well written, was so horrifically brutal to the animals I just couldn't finish it.

I'm starting The Bone Clocks now.

Ann wrote: "Ellen,
I reserved Funny Girl by Nick Hornby at the library after you posted about it. I am always a Hornby fan.

If you need something lighter to intersperse with more..."

Ann, thank you! I'll put them on my list. I do tend to read the sort of books, one after another, that eventually make you want to walk out in traffic. I need recommendations like this!

Cateline wrote: "I'm starting The Bone Clocks now. ."

I started it a few days ago, am loving it. You may enjoy this interview (which conveniently includes "a surely incomplete accounting of where Mitchell's characters keep popping up"): http://www.vulture.com/2014/08/david-...

Tonya wrote: "Cateline wrote: "I'm starting The Bone Clocks now. ."

I started it a few days ago, am loving it. You may enjoy this interview (which conveniently includes "a surely incomplete accounting of where ..."

Great article, thanks for sharing!

I'm into the second section and hate to put it down. :)

Larry, I read Phillip Kerr's March Violets and found it enjoyable (except for his obsession with clever similies). I'm guessing that the adventures of Bernie Gunther don't need to be read in order...... no?

I've discovered the fiction of Willie Vlautin, a rock singer who can write. His Motel Life is quite good-- a very good indie movie as well.

Tonya,
What a fascinating article. I am half way through. Not at all familiar with VULTURE, a happy discovery. Thanks for posting.

For those who like memoir as a genre, I found Bettyville a book Constant Readers should consider: middle aged gay son (only child) returns home to care for his mother with creeping dementia (though still does okay for 92!). Well paced telling of her story, his story, and the story of them as a family.

Cateline wrote: "Have finished a Louise Penney, a Chief Inspector Gamache novel, The Long Way Home. She has finally ended the horrible conflict between a couple of the main characters in this book...."

I'm a great fan of Louise Penney. Glad you were able to find your way back.

Cateline wrote: "Tonya wrote: "Cateline wrote: "I'm starting The Bone Clocks now. ."

I started it a few days ago, am loving it. You may enjoy this interview (which conveniently includes "a surely incomplete accoun..."

I started The Bone Clocks last fall and had to put it down (life rules reading time, AGAIN). Time to return, skim, pick up where I left off.

Kenneth P. wrote: "Larry, I read Phillip Kerr's March Violets and found it enjoyable (except for his obsession with clever similies). I'm guessing that the adventures of Bernie Gunther don't need to be read in order..."

Kenneth, it does help a bit if the Bernie Gunther novels are read in order. I read the first three because I had them as a trade paperback that included all three. But some of the recent ones jump ahead into the post-war years so that the order of publication differs from the chronological order of the events in the novels. I think any of them could be read as standalone novels but I also think that the best way is to read them in order of publication.

Speaking of rock musicians who can write, have you read Keith Richards' Life. I'm not a huge Stones fan, but this was the best autobiography of a musician that I have ever read.

Cateline wrote: "I'm into the second section and hate to put it down. :)"

Loved this, pg. 192-- "...love is the fusion in the sun's core. Love is a blurring of pronouns. Love is subject and object. the difference between its presence and its absence is the difference between life and death."

He almost had me convinced. Some guy, that Hugo Lamb!

Larry wrote: "Kenneth P. wrote: "Larry, I read Phillip Kerr's March Violets and found it enjoyable (except for his obsession with clever similies). I'm guessing that the adventures of Bernie Gunther don't need ..."

Thanks Larry. Yes I read the Keith Richards book and found it surprisingly good in spite of a few areas that seemed to stretch the truth. There was the weekend in NYC when Ursula Andress was supposedly stalking Keith. Ursula wanted desperately to jump his bones but the squirrelly rock star was in hiding.

Kenneth P. wrote: "Yes I read the Keith Richards book and found it surprisingly good in spite of a few areas that seemed to stretch the truth. There was the weekend in NYC when Ursula Andress was supposedly stalking Keith. Ursula wanted desperately to jump his bones but the squirrelly rock star was in hiding...."

When you get through all the sex and drugs (which is actually not uninteresting), you get fascinating details about the relations between the Stones and the Beatles ... and the great historical details about the birth of the Stones sound out of the blues, and some R&B, and some other rock music ... and then even great stories about people like Hoagy Carmichael. I know it's really of limited interest to most readers, but his passages about guitar tunings were great ... I would love to hear a conversation between him and Joni Mitchell on this matter.

Oh, of course, Ursula Andress, in her prime, could have broken him in two. Discretion was the better part of any amorous valor in this case.

Sabriel by Garth Nix – 4****
What an extraordinary fantasy adventure! I love that Nix chose for the hero a young woman – Sabriel – who is smart, resourceful, courageous and determined, if inexperienced and sometimes rash. The plotting is wonderfully complex and full of danger. I don’t know if I’ll read any more in the series (this kind of fantasy is just not my genre of choice), but I’m glad I read this one. Tim Curry is nothing short of fantastic performing the audio version.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've started the Joshua Ferris for our upcoming discussion, and so far, I think I am enjoying it. My favorite part so far is how he handles dialogue between his first person narrator and one of his staff members, Mrs. Convoy. There is a sequence on page 23 of my edition that I particularly enjoyed.

I am reading a book by a Japanese author called The Waiting Years. It is an interesting portrayal of the plight of women living in a system of concubinage. It reveals how it affects the wife and the concubine as well as the entire family.

I just read and thoroughly enjoyed Penelope Fitzgerald's The Gate of Angels. It's full of English wit and satire of academia and social constraints. I'm sure I got it because of an Amazon sale, but the price has gone up now. I will have to search for more of her books at the library.

Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo – 4****
This is a gut-wrenching tale of brotherhood, loyalty, duty, love, courage and forgiveness set during World War I. I loved the close bond between the brothers, and applauded their mother’s moral courage in the face of adversity. I was familiar with the horrors of trench warfare and the brutal realities of a long siege, but I still cringed with fear and anxiety as I read about these young men (hardly older than boys) and what they faced. My heart about broke for Tommo and Charlie; I certainly didn’t see that end coming.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm reading A God in Ruins. I love the way Kate Atkinson writes. The book was featured on the NPR book club last month. http://www.npr.org/2015/06/16/4146696...

Thanks for the NPR link, Mary Anne. I have this loaded on my Kindle and I am looking forward to reading it soon.

Finished The Distant Hours last night by Kate Morton. I kept reading the book because I wanted to know the ending. However, it was too long and I never felt I really knew the characters. But of course, how could I? Each of them had so many secrets learned only at the book's end.

Ann wrote: "I just read and thoroughly enjoyed Penelope Fitzgerald's The Gate of Angels. It's full of English wit and satire of academia and social constraints. I'm sure I got it because of an Am..."

I love Fitzgerald's work, Ann, though I haven't read this one. My favorites of the ones I've read are Offshore and The Beginning of Spring.

Ann and Kat, Penelope Fitzgerald. Yes! I've read two of her books (The Bookshop and Gate of Angels) and MUST get back to her. Marvelous writer.

Just finished The Sympathizer. Still trying to get my thoughts together about it. Started The Day the Falls Stood Still tonight and I'm breezing through it. Very enjoyable, light historical fiction.

Mary Anne wrote: "I'm reading A God in Ruins. I love the way Kate Atkinson writes. The book was featured on the NPR book club last month. http://www.npr.org/2015/06/16/4146696......"

I have that on my kindle, too. Will probably start it after I finish the Ferris. I'm not getting as much reading done in France as I thought I would. Too much to look at.

Bonita Avenue I can feel what he wanted the book to be, but it seems to be plodding....

Love and Lies: An Essay on Truthfulness, Deceit, and the Growth and Care of Erotic Love Hmm....

Also studying Yeats' "The Cloak, the Boat, and the Shoes."

Thanks for the Fitzgerald recommendations.

Listened to Society's Child: My Autobiography. After tape #5, I just quit caring. I always liked Janis Ian's music and bought two of her old songs, but the autobiography was not that interesting. Yawn. Yawn.

Mary Anne wrote: "I'm reading A God in Ruins. I love the way Kate Atkinson writes. The book was featured on the NPR book club last month. http://www.npr.org/2015/06/16/4146696......"

I'm waiting for this one from the library. I'm generally a big Atkinson fan but I was nervous for some reason about this one. Thanks for the link.