Reading the 20th Century discussion

Roman Clodia wrote: "Let's put A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor into March.

And Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann into April?"


Works for me.

I would definitely read more Wilt, possibly others suggested, but I will see. I have struggled this year as work has been so busy and I have the Detectives books too. I definitely want to read more personal reads next year.

Susan wrote: "I definitely want to read more personal reads next year."

We both say this every year 😉

I've definitely cut down on ARCs but still get drawn in to hyped new books.

But I've also been introduced to some marvellous writers via buddies that I'd never have picked up on my own: Celia Fremlin, PG Wodehouse, Patrick Hamilton - what a loss if I hadn't discovered them!

Roman Clodia wrote:



"But I've also been introduced to some marvellous writers via buddies that I'd never have picked up on my own: Celia Fremlin, PG Wodehouse, Patrick Hamilton - what a loss if I hadn't discovered them!"

And there's the rub

Striking a balance is the thing

Yes, definitely - and, in my case, ignoring that inner judgy voice that has already decided some books are not for me. I thought that about Fremlin, Hamilton and Blandings - and couldn't have been more wrong!

Yes, I do like to join in when I can and I agree that I discover so many great books and authors. The History Man has been a novel I have come across for years but had no idea how much I would love it.

I wanted to reread Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, Slaughterhouse 5 to see whether it is in fact a masterpiece, to see how I read it differently now than when I read it as a teen, and because I seem to be reading quite a lot about the Second World War from different perspectives lately, and this fits right in.

Does anyone want to join me?

Ben wrote: "I wanted to reread Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, Slaughterhouse 5 to see whether it is in fact a masterpiece, to see how I read it differently now than when I read it as a teen, and because ..."

I read Slaughterhouse 5 right after we read Mother Night, and I certainly thought it was a masterpiece. I won't re-read, but would love to follow the thread if you have a buddy read. I'll be reading Cat’s Cradle with another group next month--this is a great time for Vonnegut reading.

Ben wrote: "I wanted to reread Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, Slaughterhouse 5"

Despite not being a fan of Mother Night, I checked out the blurb of this... until I came to the words 'alien abductee' and shuddered! Vonnegut just isn't for me. Sorry, fans.

I wouldn't let that aspect put you off, RC. This one is very much grounded in Planet Earth. I've read the first 15% so far and I'm very impressed.

I just read Cats Cradle and I didn't like it as much as I had remembered. (Yes, I know I'm not making my case well with RC, but so it goes.). But I'd love to follow the discussion. What group is that, Kathleen?

Ben wrote: "I wouldn't let that aspect put you off, RC. This one is very much grounded in Planet Earth. I've read the first 15% so far and I'm very impressed.

I just read Cats Cradle and I didn'..."

Thanks for this--it's a good idea for me to rein in my expectations, after I had such success with the first two. It's the Catching up on Classics group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show_...

It’s bloody good. I read it too recently to want to reread it just yet


So it goes

Kathleen wrote: "It's the Catching up on Classics group."

Great. I'm a member but I haven't been active there lately. I'll be there for Cats Cradle though.

I think we totally forgot that we had planned to read Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders before the new one is out in early April. Are we still planning to read them?

I'd still love to re-read them. I think we scheduled them for December and January, did we?

The TV Moonflower is starting soon too - I loved the TV Magpie.

Crosss-posting

I'd set up threads for December and January but can move them back to January and February if that's what we want to do, I'm happy whichever we choose.

I always look at the list of current and forthcoming books and they are not in there, so perhaps Nigeyb can update that as he did so previously?

It's fine to leave them for December/January. I am behind but striving to catch up!

Having enjoyed a fantastic book talk at Foyles yesterday with Lawrence, Will Hodgkinson and Jarvis Cocker for Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence: 'One of the great Pop biographies' SUNDAY TIMES I am hoping we can organise some music themed buddy reads next year.

Maybe something general, rather than about a particular group, such as:
Hope I Get Old Before I Die: How Rock’s Greatest Generation Kept Going to the End
Paper Cuts or
Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, or, You Love that Guitar More than You Love Me
My Family and Other Rock Stars
Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars

Other suggestions welcome...

I've updated the list


Have we got a title for the Magpie Murders book and a date to read it?

I'll have a think about the music buddy reads idea

I have so many unread music books

I do have a copy of Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars so am definitely up for that one. Just name a date that suits you.

I have read Paper Cuts which I enjoyed

I don't know if this counts as a music book but I still want to read Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids.

Also Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon - and the Journey of a Generation, and Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine.

I've read two of those - Patti and Viv - but not Girls Like Us which, to be honest, I'm less interested in

How about Feb for Exit Stage Left? If that is OK, I can set up a thread.

I guess I was thinking of general books more than memoirs.

Let me know what unread music books you might read, Nigeyb. If we have crossovers it would be fun.

Feb works. Thanks



I now realise I have already read Exit, but no worries, I’ll reread it

I’ll list my unread music books when I get a chance

OK, great. I will post it in the music thread too.

Nigeyb, when you have a second, could you add Proust to our 2025 reading list please:

January-February: Vol 1 - The Way by Swann's
March-April: Vol 2 - In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower
May-June: Vol 3 - The Guermantes Way
July-August: Vol 4 - Sodom and Gomorrah
September - October: Vol 5 - The Prisoner and the Fugitive
November-December: Vol 6 - Finding Time Again

I've used the Penguin titles but these should be easy to match with other translations.

Closer to each volume, I'll add a note on the thread for where we'll separate each month's reading.

We can cancel Exit from the list, Nigeyb. I don't think anyone else said they were reading it.

I’ll aim to update the list tomorrow

I will remove the thread for Exit.

Exit removed from forthcoming reads and from our bookshelf

Roman Clodia wrote:


"Nigeyb, when you have a second, could you add Proust to our 2025 reading list please"

Done

Just to say that the mods have done a bit of juggling of the dates of buddy reads as we seem to have gone a little overboard with books we're keen to read!

So Moonflower Murders will be moved to February, and The Russian Interpreter to March. The individual book threads reflect the new dates and Nigeyb will update the listings post with his usual efficiency.

Thanks, I think that will be useful.

I don't see the buddy read of Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family in the master list. Being relatively new, I'm not sure what the procedure is for getting it added.

Judging by the Nov. 4 comments, I think we decided to go with April for this.

I’ll add it now G

It’s hard keeping track worth so much enthusiasm for buddy reads


It’s what keeps this group so interesting and vibrant

Nigeyb wrote: "I’ll add it now G"

Thanks!

Here ya go G

Nigeyb wrote: "Here ya go G"

Thank you. Whatever GR has done to its platform, it is now very difficult to impossible to find threads if they haven't been active in the last day.

A pleasure


I just went to the group’s home page and looked in the Buddy Reads section until I found it on page two

Here’s the RTTC home page…..

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

I've never read Walter Benjamin, and a lovely novel I am reading now (The Book of Collateral Damage) is the latest in a series of reading encounters that persuades me I need to change that.

Anybody up for a buddy read of Benjamin later this year? Not before July; thereafter I'm flexible.

I was thinking of Berlin Childhood around 1900, but I'm open to other ideas. On the Concept of History is another title I'd like to read.

Underneath the group menu at top right, there's a search box just for the group. You can put in, say, a book title and then search by all post mentions or a thread title only.

Sorry I've been a bit quiet - v. Busy at work at the moment.

G wrote: "I've never read Walter Benjamin, and a lovely novel I am reading now (The Book of Collateral Damage) is the latest in a series of reading encounters that persuades me I need to chan..."

I would join you for a read of Berlin Childhood, G.

I have also been hectic at work and have an old knee injury which has flared up and left me hobbling around Nothing serious, but extremely painful. I may have to abandon January and move onto Feb's books.

Ouch, sorry to hear that, Susan. I hope you are feeling better soon.

Oh no. Must be v painful to get in the way of you and reading


Get well soon

Yes, get well soon.

Sorry to hear that, Susan, and hope it calms down soon.

And still over two weeks of January left so hopefully you’ll recover in time to read one or two of our January reads

It really isn't anything serious - it happens now and then. It has meant I am so busy thinking about logistics and getting from A to B that I have not been able to concentrate though, plus - as RC knows - busy time of year in HE.

Another injury for West Ham . Seriously Susan , hoping for a speedy recovery . These days I could do with my own physio .