Constant Reader discussion

So here we are ... just waiting for your thoughts about your current reading. Do remember to post longer reviews or even to start a separate thread for the books that are worthy of it!

Thanks Larry for taking this thread over. Much appreciated.

Yes, I appreciate your doing this Larry. :)

I'm just over halfway through Trollope's The Small House at Allington (listening to Timothy West's narration), not feeling much sympathy for Lily Dale's having been jilted; Trollope seems to regularly have characters who "failed" at love once, and that's it ... fated to be single ever after.

Crescendo by Deborah Ledford is the title I am cruising through. It is the third title I have read by her, her first 2 being Staccato and Snare, which were very good as well. This title is actually even better and given that I have already given a 4 & 5 star rating to the first two titles, I am wishing there was a 6 for Crescendo because of just how much emotion, suspense and action has been written into this book. I would highly recommend this title by what I've read so far.

Started A Thread of Grace today. I'm hoping its as awesome as The Sparrow (my bff is never wrong about a book so I'm looking forward to digging into this one).

I just finished A Moveable Feast this morning and am looking forward to the discussion! So then I went back to Wise Man's Fear, which has begun to seem never ending. Next up: The Paris Wife. Then, if my husband has finished it, The Cuckoo's Calling. And after that Kate Atkinson. Whew! I've got a lot to get to. I should get off the internet and get reading!

Shawn wrote: "Started A Thread of Grace today. I'm hoping its as awesome as The Sparrow (my bff is never wrong about a book so I'm looking forward to digging into this one)."

Shawn, my wife and I both thought that Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace was a great book. I found that it moved slowly for me, but never in a tedious way. The tension just built and built. For those who are not familiar with the book, it's all about how many Italians, including the Italian army, worked hard to save as many Jews from the Nazis as they could. In the end, they saved more than 40,000. Great fictional representation of this true story, with some wonderful characters in the book. Not all are equally heroic.

Beth wrote: "I just finished A Moveable Feast this morning and am looking forward to the discussion! So then I went back to Wise Man's Fear, which has begun to seem never ending. Next up: The Paris Wife. Then, ..."

Beth, I have both of the Patrick Rothfuss Kingkiller Chronicles in my TBR pile. I thought I might wait until he published the third book before I started, but I understand it is such a good series that I probably should just start. Any series that has "Kingkiller" in it seems be written and published at a very slow pace. ;-)

I'm still working on Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America and on Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad
This month I'm planning to read The Far Shore
Eclipse of the Crescent Moon
and The Wandering Unicorn.

Replying to a post in the JULY thread
Cateline wrote: "BC, if you want to read an interesting book re Bellevue, I'd recommend Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital. ..."

Thank you for the recommendation!

Finished Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis – 4****
I really enjoyed this balanced biography of Charles M Schulz and his iconic life’s work – the Peanuts comic strip. Michaelis was given full access to archives, records, personal papers and photos, and able to interview many of Schulz’s friends and acquaintances from his early career.
Link to my full review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I'm starting Daniel Silva's latest, The English Girl, just about finished A Moveable Feast--great, in the middle of The Raphael Affair (fun art mystery), and rereading Walk the Blue Fields: Stories, Irish short stories, with GR friends. Whew! busy but so much fun.

Started Lord Byron's Foot, a book of poems by George Green--great stuff. Won the New Criterion prize.

I finished The Black Tower - an early-ish Adam Dalgliesh mystery by PD James. Not my favorite (like Dalgliesh, I'm not keen on the odd nursing-home-pretending-to-be-a-monastery setting), but James writes it very well.

I just began That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. I loved his Empire Falls and, IIRC, liked his Bridge of Sighs a lot. I gather this one is not quite as good as those, but the beginning has hooked me.

I'm not normally a fan of memoirs, but I liked Still Points North: Surviving the World's Greatest Alaskan Childhood by Leigh Newman.
Newman’s candor moves this memoir beyond the ordinary. Her experience as a child of divorce—shuttled between the “Great Alaskan Father”, a surgeon, pilot and avid outdoorsman and her city, art and museum loving mother who assuages her depressions with spending sprees that, among other things, leave Newman unable to buy school shoes—results in a woman incapable of making commitments or being able to assess her own emotional baggage. As a travel writer, Newman is footloose, a life that suits her on the surface, but also leaves her lonely and unfulfilled. Her struggle to unite with her husband and work to overcome her fears of abandonment are presented in a forthright acknowledgement that while possible, this will never be easy. One leaves this accounting wishing Newman luck.

Read Through a Glass Darkly then discovered it has a prequel, Dark Angels so now I'm reading that, along with Testimony of Two Men .

Larry wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just finished A Moveable Feast this morning and am looking forward to the discussion! So then I went back to Wise Man's Fear, which has begun to seem never ending. Next up: The Paris..."

I enjoyed the first and am enjoying the second, although in places I want things to move along a little more quickly. That said, the story is compelling and the main character is fascinating. I drop in to the Rothfussians group on Goodreads from time to time, and rumor has it the third book is due sometime in 2014 or 2015 (at the latest.) So you might as well get started now :-)

Mary Ellen wrote: "I finished The Black Tower - an early-ish Adam Dalgliesh mystery by PD James. Not my favorite (like Dalgliesh, I'm not keen on the odd nursing-home-pretending-to-be-a-monastery setting), but James..."

Mary Ellen, I loved That Old Cape Magic. It's one of those books that I just had to keep reading.

Book Concierge wrote: "Replying to a post in the JULY thread
Cateline wrote: "BC, if you want to read an interesting book re Bellevue, I'd recommend Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital. ..."

Thank you f..."

You're quite welcome, hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)

Still reading mostly research for the third book. Just revisited a pile of biographies I read last year for the Fifties stuff. Also reading the Father Brown stories fr the first time. Fun!

Joan wrote: "I'm not normally a fan of memoirs, but I liked Still Points North: Surviving the World's Greatest Alaskan Childhood by Leigh Newman.
Newman’s candor moves this memoir beyond the ordinary. Her exper..."

I read a good review of this someplace.

Beth wrote: "Larry wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just finished A Moveable Feast this morning and am looking forward to the discussion! So then I went back to Wise Man's Fear, which has begun to seem never ending. Next..."

Beth, one aspect of novels always make me think and that is how much time is covered. I know that the two Rothfuss novels each supposedly cover one day each. That is not a plus or a minus ... it's how an author handles it. I do remember years ago, having thoroughly enjoyed James Clavell's Shōgun, being concerned when I read the reviews of Clavell's Noble House that the book mainly dealt with just a few days. I was worried that Clavell wouldn't be able to sustain my interest over 800(?) pages when he devoted so many pages such a short time span. I was totally wrong, and I enjoyed the book immensely. I'll try to start The Name of the Wind soon.

I just startedThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Larry,
I loved all the Clavell books. That man knew how to tell a story!

Ann wrote: "Larry,
I loved all the Clavell books. That man knew how to tell a story!"

Ann, I have to confess that I loved his novels also, but I still have never read the last two: Whirlwind or Gai-Jin.

Larry

Larry wrote: "Beth wrote: "Larry wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just finished A Moveable Feast this morning and am looking forward to the discussion! So then I went back to Wise Man's Fear, which has begun to seem never..."

Larry, it's both true and not that they cover two days. While the framing action happens in two days, there's a story within the story that spans several years. So there's plenty to hold the interest--I just wonder if *all* of the episodes are necessary to the overall story. Since there's still a third book, I'm hoping that it all comes together in the end. But the books are well-written and imaginative. And Rothfuss has a way of drawing the reader in--it's been a wild ride!

I am thoroughly enjoyingThe Professor's House. It doesn't read feel dated. I like how she lets you know the professor' s core. He is a man of integrity trying to fix many lives . He is not too fond of his daughters choices of husbands , so I want to see how he resolves this dilemma.

Sharon wrote: "I just startedThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein"

I have to confess I hated this book. I'm interested in your opinion of it.

At the moment I am reading Bless Me, Ultimaand hope to finish it soon. So far I am not very into it, but it is still manageable. I hope to read The Cuckoo's Callingwhen I can and read The Fault in Our Starsand City of Bones based on friend recommendations.

Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe.

I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. He’s wondering about me, how I’m breathing, am I breathing, how I’m reacting, If I am safe traveling with him as he pilots his boat across dark water and then returns. In addition to being an anesthesiologist, Pasco is a poet and it shows in his beautiful writing. This is a fascinating, gulp it down in one read and then read it again little book.

Deniz wrote: "At the moment I am reading Bless Me, Ultimaand hope to finish it soon. So far I am not very into it, but it is still manageable. I hope to read The Cuckoo's Callingwhen I can and read The Fault in..."

I loved Bless Me Ultima. It took me a bit to get into it too, but then suddenly I was submerged in it and very happy that I had continued.

Joan wrote: "Deniz wrote: "At the moment I am reading Bless Me, Ultimaand hope to finish it soon. So far I am not very into it, but it is still manageable. I hope to read The Cuckoo's Callingwhen I can and rea..."

I loved it also.

Ruth wrote: "Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe.

I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. He’s wonderin..."

Ruth, I had brain surgery at Johns Hopkins about three years ago. A few weeks after the surgery, I was telling my internist about it. I mentioned to her that my anesthesiologost had told me that they were going to use propofol on me to put me under, just like they had used on Michael Jackson. I laughed for about two seconds and then I was out. My internist explained that anesthesiologosts often try to make the surgical patients laugh ... it opens your throat and helps with the intubation. Maybe a different joke was in order .. it didn't bother me, but my wife was a bit horrified to hear about it after the surgery.

I'll look for Breathing for Two.

Larry

P.S. My neurosurgeon, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, has a wonderful book out himself. It's Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farm Worker to Brain Surgeon.

My husband did have a cocktail of propofol and another drug. He didn't wake up for almost 48 hrs. Never again.

Ruth wrote: "Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe.

I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. He’s wonderin..."

I've been considering this book since you first mentioned it. It's going on my wishlist now. I've had a number of surgeries and even agreed to be a teaching "tool" for residents learning about nerve blocks prior to an arm surgery. I have great regard for all who do this work.

Larry wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe.

I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. ..."

I had brain surgery about 15 years ago. Scared the bejesus out of me.

Sue wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe.

I never before wondered about what the anesthesiologist was doing while I was undergoing surgery. Now I know. ..."

In the interest of full disclosure, I know the guy that wrote the book we were in a poetry class together for several years. But I didn't give it a rave review because I like him. It really is an excellent little book.

Ruth wrote: "I had brain surgery about 15 years ago. Scared the bejesus out of me. ..."

Everything happened so fast that I didn't have a chance to be scared. I had a pituitary tumor that we had been tracking with MRIs that all of a sudden started growing. My neurosurgeon suggested on a Wednesday that operating soon would be good, got a call from his scheduler the next day, and I was in the operating room the next Tuesday. There are some advantages. I've been able to say once or twice to someone, "Since I have regular brain MRIs, at least I can prove I have a brain." ;-)

"Ruth wrote: "Getting caught up. Last month I read Breathing for Two by Wolf Pascoe." In the interest of full disclosure, I know the guy that wrote the book we were in a poetry class together for several years. But I didn't give it a rave review because I like him. It really is an excellent little book. "

Just bought the Kindle version of the book.

I just finished Ken Liu's short story "Paper Menagerie." The link follows, which contains a legal reprint of the story itself. As the link says (before the story), it "just became the first work of fiction to win all three of SF's major awards: the Hugo, the Nebula and the World Fantasy Award."

http://io9.com/5958919/read-ken-lius-...

Larry wrote: "I just finished Ken Liu's short story "Paper Menagerie." The link follows, which contains a legal reprint of the story itself. As the link says (before the story), it "just became the first work of..."

Thanks for posting, it is a beautiful story.

Finished Food for the Fishes, light reading, a Marcus Corvinus mystery in ancient Roman days.
Started The Illusion of Separateness, beautifully written.

I am almost done with The Professor's House. I must say I like her books. There is a timelessness about them. Change the setting to today's world, and the story pretty much stays the same. Mid-life crisis ,and finding a way to justify your existance here on earth. After this book I am going to switch it up to an odd mystery,A Novel Bookstore

Carol wrote: "I am almost done with The Professor's House. I must say I like her books. There is a timelessness about them. Change the setting to today's world, and the story pretty much stays the same. Mid-life..."

I'm looking forward to reading more of Cather too, Carol, and I have this other book on my list also so I'll be interested in what you think.

I finished SWANN'S WAY--I was under the impression this had been discussed in the CR reading groups but the only thread I can find seems to be on the final volume of the series. Is there someone who can steer me toward it? Or was there never such a discussion?

If there was, it wasn't archived. I can't find it either.

Carol wrote: "I am almost done with The Professor's House. I must say I like her books. There is a timelessness about them. Change the setting to today's world, and the story pretty much stays the same. "

Carol, so true.

Kat wrote: "I finished SWANN'S WAY--I was under the impression this had been discussed in the CR reading groups but the only thread I can find seems to be on the final volume of the series. Is there someone wh..."

Kat, I was part of that discussion and it happened before we came to goodreads on the Classics conference. I don't think that any of those discussions got archived like the Reading List ones did. I copied a lot of the discussions and saved them as Word documents but lost them when my old computer crashed. Unfortunately, I'm not good about backing up the contents of my computers. Dottie and Dash were also part of that group. I'll message them and see if either of them saved it. We read all of the books in Remembrance of Things Past. It took us more than a year and I think we were all very glad that we did it.

What did you think of it? Swann's Way and Time Regained were my two favorite volumes.

Just finished The Illusion of Separateness, beautifully written, profound in few words.
Have started The Wandering Unicorn and The Kingmaking, the latter King Arthur without the fantasy elements