Vintage Tales discussion

Having very recently finished Willa Cather's O Pioneers! (my five-star review will hopefully be posted soon!), I'm following it up with another Cather novel, Shadows on the Rock. (As you can tell, I'm making up for lost time. :-) ) Set in Quebec in the late 1600s, this will be my first experience of Cather's historical fiction (one of my favorite genres), and a relatively new-to-me setting as well.

I really enjoyed Shadows on the Rock for two reasons: I like Cather's historical fiction and I love Quebec City. I've been there 6 times!

Rosemarie wrote: "I really enjoyed Shadows on the Rock for two reasons: I like Cather's historical fiction and I love Quebec City. I've been there 6 times!"

I've never been there, Rosemarie, so this book is proving to be very educational. :-)

Since I have the start of a group read coming up on Sept. 1, I wanted my next read to be a relatively quick one; so I've started The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. (I'm actually reading it in the volume The Red Badge of Courage and Selected Stories, which I own.) This is my third time reading this novella; but I've never reviewed it here, and my most recent previous read was sometime back in the 90s.

Finding myself ready for another read, and being scheduled to start a group read in a few days, as usual I turned to a short story collection to fill the interim. This time, my pick is Shadow of the Lariat: A Treasury of the Frontier. At 556 pages of story text, this is a very thick anthology that will probably come to my rescue on a good many such occasions. :-)

I'm joining in our group's read of Quo Vadis this month!

Having recently read the first novel in Robert Adams' Stairway to Forever series together, Barb and I have now embarked on a read of the sequel, Monsters and Magicians. Like our previous read, A Wizard of Earthsea, it's fantasy; but it's written for adults and, if it's like the first one, has serious content issues that the Le Guin book doesn't have. Barb enjoyed the first book in Adams' series more than I did --mostly because, since I read it aloud, she was able to experience it in a more expurgated form than I could. :-)

Decided to get back to my beloved Hemingway, so I'm currently reading For Whom the Bell Tolls

This weekend, I'd intended to write a retrospective review of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, which I'd read back around the turn of this century. But in skimming through it again, I realized that I needed to reread it before I could do it justice. With perfect timing, Barb and I were looking for our next "organically-powered audiobook," so we're now reading it together. (It's a kid's book, but one with enough depth that adults can appreciate it.)

As of yesterday, I've gotten started (barely) on Teaching Students with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia: Lessons from Teaching and Science by Virginia W. Berninger and Beverly J. Wolf. This isn't the type of thing I usually read; but one of my grandsons, who's being homeschooled, is dyslexic, and he's appealed to me to help with his reading instruction. Not having any background in special education, I've turned to this book to (hopefully) give me some kind of handle on what I'm doing.

I apparently forgot to post here earlier about the book I just finished (and haven't reviewed yet), The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill. This was a common read in another group, and at just 160 pages a pretty quick read; but it wasn't a winner for me. It's ultimately a very dark, depressing, morbid and disturbing book, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone (except, possibly, those who actually enjoy novels with those qualities).

Well, my stab at cover-to-cover reading of the Berninger/Wolf book didn't last long. It has a very dry, ponderous style which tends to leave me glassy-eyed, and much of the material isn't directly relevant to my grandson's specific needs, or relevant to a one-on-one homeschooling situation rather than a classroom. From what I did read, my main take-aways are: a.) there's no magic formula for teaching the dyslexic to read, and b.) any successful approach has to be tailored to the needs of the individual learner. So, while I still do plan to use this book as a resource, I think it will work better as a book to refer to at times.

Since this left me needing a book to read on short notice, I pulled one out of my many TBR piles: Precious Bane (1926) by British author Mary Webb. It's something of a now-neglected classic, a historical novel set in Shropshire, on the border between England and Wales, around the turn of the 19th century (one of my favorite eras for historical fiction). It's been on my radar since the early 80s, so I'm really glad for this chance to work it in.

Great, good for you! I've just gotten started reading more historical fiction lately (including Quo Vadis) and I'm really enjoying it all. Soon I hope to jump back into a historical fiction series called Poldark (Demelza, Book 2). Right now I'm finishing up an A to Z challenge of middle grade books in another group I'm in; only 5 more books to go for me! At the moment I'm in between books waiting for these books to come in from the library. I've really enjoyed reading middle grade. So lighthearted and fun!

The Bluefield Univ. library where I work has a copy of the first book of the Poldark series, and it's been on my to-read shelf for some time! (Though there are literally hundreds of other books on that shelf, so when I'll get to any of them is anybody's guess....)

Some of my best reads (even as an adult!) have been books for YA or middle grade readers. They're often better written and more wholesome than literature that's purported to be for adults.

I'm a big fan of children's literature, including older books for teens as well. I've read a lot of the older Newbery books that appeal to me. They're great comfort reading. The newer Newbery winners can be edgier and more thoughtful-really worthwhile reads.

Right now I'm reading a mystery, Strong Poison bybDorothy L. Sayers.

After that I'll be reading Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer.

Both books are from the 1930s.

I read the Poldark books in the 70s and 80s when the original series aired. I haven't watched the new series since I really liked the first one, plus I don't really watch much tv. I have so many books I want to read!

I started reading Malcolm by George MacDonald. In what appears to be an early untranslated edition I got from Project Gutenberg.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7127

Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is for my real-life book club at my local library, The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar. The book club meets the first Thursday of November, and I just got the book this Thursday. Oh well, I shall do my best. :) I really don't like reading more than one book at a time.

My wife Barb (who's an ardent lover of horses!) and I are reading Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry, a novel about the origin of the famous breed of Morgan horses (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_... ). Henry was noted for her horse-themed fiction and nonfiction (written for kids, but mostly appreciable by adults as well); Barb and I have previously read and liked three of her other books.

Because I'm expecting the arrival of a pretty thick review book later this month (and have a common read scheduled next month), I wanted my current book to be a short one. At 188 pages, Irene Hunt's 1965 novel of the Civil War home front in southern Illinois, Across Five Aprils, fits that bill. This is a reread for me; but my previous read was as a teen in the late 60s, and I've long felt that I need a refresher before I could do it justice in a review.

I really liked the Hunt book. I recently finished The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong and loved it!

Since I've learned that a review book I was expecting this month actually won't arrive until December, I have an unexpected window of opportunity to make some more headway on a series I'm reading, K. W. Jeter's Kim Oh books. So I'm currently reading the next unread installment, Real Dangerous People: A Novel. (It will also count towards a challenge I'm signed up for in another group.)

In another group, I'm taking part in a common read of a Dracula prequel, The Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing by Allen C. Kupfer. So far I'm enjoying it; and at 204 pages, I'm expecting it to be a pretty quick read.

Sounds interesting! I'll be curious to hear what you think of it. 😊

Vickie wrote: "Sounds interesting! I'll be curious to hear what you think of it. 😊"

I'll let you know, Vickie! ;-)

Werner wrote: "The Bluefield Univ. library where I work has a copy of the first book of the Poldark series, and it's been on my to-read shelf for some time! (Though there are literally hundreds of other books on ..."

Werner, the Poldark books are always on my personal TBR but they always get pushed back lately because of other buddy reads or challenges I participate in with others. I'm finished with the middle grade A-Z reading challenge now. That was so much fun and I'm glad I did it! And now I'm into other buddy reads that are fun too. YA and middle grade are some of my favorite books to read as an adult. So glad to hear you love them too! I agree, they are excellent writing!

Rosemarie wrote: "I'm a big fan of children's literature, including older books for teens as well. I've read a lot of the older Newbery books that appeal to me. They're great comfort reading. The newer Newbery winne..."

Rosemary, I love the Newbery winners too! I'm trying to read as many as I can, catching up on lost time I guess, since I didn't read these growing up (I was too busy reading the vintage Nancy Drew). I don't watch very much TV either; I have too much fun reading!

Janice wrote: "Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is for my real-life book club at my local library, [book: ..."

Janice, how did it go for you reading two books at a time? I know that's out of your comfort zone. I've always admired you for being able to read one book at a time:) I continually try for this, pondering it, but I can never seem to pull it off. Right now I'm reading three books all together, lol! I always start with one book, and before long I add another and another... Reading only one book may be beyond my control, lol!

Werner, I'm getting caught up here I guess! I have some Marguerite Henry horse books on my shelf here at home but I have yet to get to them. I'm not sure I have the one you mentioned but I have several others of hers. I love a good horse story!

Right now I'm currently reading: The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Christmas Carol and Little Women (finally!). Oh my goodness, Little Women is just wonderful!! Last night I laughed and cried reading this:)

Gia wrote: "Werner, the Poldark books are always on my personal TBR but they always get pushed back lately because of other buddy reads or challenges I participate in with others."

You mean I'm not the only one with that problem? :-)

Gia wrote: "I love a good horse story!"

You'll definitely appreciate Marguerite Henry's work, then!

I enjoy reading YA too. Yes, I feel some authors have great writing, but then there are others who do not, unfortunately. I take it with a grain of salt, though, since YA covers a decent age range so sometimes you don't get very complex, deep writing.

Up to now, I haven't read any books of poetry this year. So, having a window of opportunity, I've started on one that I've long had my eye on in the BU library: Stars Through the Clouds: The Collected Poetry of Donald T. Williams (2011). Williams teaches English at Toccoa Falls College, an evangelical liberal arts college in Georgia. This will be my first exposure to his work.

My Goodreads friend Heather Day Gilbert writes both historical fiction and mysteries. Unlike me, my wife Barb isn't into the former genre; but we're both fans of this author's mysteries. So, having read the last book in her A Murder in the Mountains series together earlier this year, we've now embarked on her Barks and Beans Cafe series with the first book, No Filter (2020). Like the other series, it's set in a small town in West Virginia, but features a different protagonist.

Last month, Goodreads independent author Liane Zane (who's also a Goodreads friend of mine) generously gave me a paperback ARC of the concluding book in her Elioud Legacy trilogy, The Draka & The Giant, and I started reading it a few days ago. So, it will be my first read of 2023! So far, it can definitely be described as gripping (it grabbed me by the throat at the outset, and hasn't released me yet :-) ).

That sounds like a really good book, Werner, when it grabs you by the throat, lol! Enjoy!

I'm currently reading The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Little Women, and Les Miserables (my goal is to read one chapter a day in this book, so I'll be reading this one throughout this entire year).

Gia wrote: "That sounds like a really good book, Werner, when it grabs you by the throat, lol! Enjoy!"

Thanks, Gia; I will! :-)

I've never read Les Miserables (though it's on my to-read shelf!). But I've read all of the Holmes canon, and Little Women; and I hope you enjoy those as much as I did!

Thanks, Werner! So far, so good, I'm definitely enjoying everything!

Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is for my real-life book club at my local l..."

It went pretty well as the book for my real-life book club. I had a deadline so I could engage in the conversation, and Jane Eyre I read at other times in the week. But, truthfully, I really do enjoy reading one book at a time and being completely immersed in that one book. Easier said than done as I will always want to read the book for my monthly club. Right now, I am rereading Middlemarch and listening to The Diary of a Provincial Lady, and will soon be starting the book for my club. Having a book to listen to certainly helps to lessen the load of reading more than one book for me. I used to read my books in bed but I find that I fall asleep and can't remember what I read when I read in the afternoon the next day. LOL :)

Gia wrote: "That sounds like a really good book, Werner, when it grabs you by the throat, lol! Enjoy!

I'm currently reading The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Little Women, and Les M..."

That's a great idea to read one chapter a day! :)

Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "That sounds like a really good book, Werner, when it grabs you by the throat, lol! Enjoy!

I'm currently reading The Greatest Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Little Wome..."

Janice, thanks! It was actually someone else's idea and I liked the idea so much that I'm going to try and do it this way too:) I'm hoping it will help keep me on track; so far so good!

Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is for my real-life book club a..."

Janice, good to hear! That does sound like a ongoing challenge. You have a really good idea there in listening to an audio book which really would lighten the load:) That's a very creative solution! And I can relate to falling asleep reading in bed and then not remembering what I read. Except that particular problem continues on with me because I continue to do some reading in bed, LOL! Maybe someday I'll stop doing that, lol!

Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is for my real-l..."

The same can be said for me concerning audiobooks if it has been a while, such as a week or so, since I last heard the book. It takes me a few moments to get used to the characters again. Maybe if I did what you do in reading one chapter a day, I might be able to read more than one book, but as it is, I like to stick to reading 30-45 minutes a day without the guilt of thinking I should be doing something else (more housework)!

The library where I work sponsors a face-to-face Book Club, which features presentations on various authors and their work. Because February is Black History Month, we want to highlight African-American writers at next month's meeting. Long story short, I'll be presenting about Octavia Butler (because I'd read and liked a couple of her short stories); so as part of my preparation, I've started reading Kindred, which has long been on my to-read shelf anyway.

I can't believe that back on Feb. 2, when I started my current read, I totally forgot to mention it here! Mea culpa! I'm reading Pride's Children : Netherworld by my Goodreads friend Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt, the second book in her Pride's Children trilogy. (It's a library check-out rather than a review copy, but she did generously donate the paperback edition to the BU library.) The first book earned five stars from me back in 2018.

I am still reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and have started listening to To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

Yesterday, I started reading a short story anthology, The Haunted Train: Creepy Tales from the Railways: Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. it's not a review copy as such; but my friend Andrew Seddon has a story included, and I'm reading it from cover to cover rather than dipping into it intermittently as I often do with short story collections.

I am rereading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and still listening to To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

In recent days, I've started on two new books, very different from each other. One I'm reading to myself, and one I'm reading to my wife.

The former is a Victorian classic, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. I'm reading this as a participant in a common read in another group; but though I didn't anticipate it in my reading plans for the year, it's been on my to-read shelf for forever, so I'm very glad to have the motivation for reading it now.

Barb and I are reading the second book in the Avenging Angels series, Avenging Angels: Sinners' Gold. The nominal "author," A.W. Hart, is a house pen name used by Wolfpack Publishing for all of the authors of books in this series (and at least one other series). In this case, the actual author (credited in the back of the book) is one who's new to both of us, Wayne D. Dundee. (We're not planning to read the whole series; but last year, we read the seventh book, Avenging Angels: The Wine of Violence just because my Goodreads friend Charles Gramlich wrote it, and we liked it so well that when I had a chance to buy this one for a modest price, I took the chance. :-) )

I am reading Dark Night of the Soul by St.John of the Cross. The edition I have is translated and edited by E. Allison Peers published in 1959. Complete and unabridged. I haven't been able to read much fiction lately.

Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "Reading two books now, which should be read by the end of this month for Victober, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Another is f..."

Janice, that makes perfect sense! And I especially like the part you said about reading without the guilt of doing more housework! Actually I failed, at that time, in the reading of one chapter a day, lol! That was a good idea that somebody else had that didn't quite work for me, even though I sincerely tried. Oh and I am actually only reading one book right now... I think that's a first for me, lol!

Werner, good ones! I haven't ever read The Moonstone, but I have it on my shelf here. Someday I'll get to it. And that's wonderful that you and your wife are reading a book together! :)

Gia wrote: "And that's wonderful that you and your wife are reading a book together! :) "

We started out doing that in our very early years of married life, and have always enjoyed it! At first we would take turns reading out loud; but Barb likes the way I do different voices for different characters, so I quickly became the official reader. :-)

Werner, that's simply outstanding! That must be so much fun for you to do and for her to listen to! Reading out loud can be very creative and immersive. I'd be with Barb and choose to listen too! :)