Constant Reader discussion

Please let us know what you're reading or just finished here.

I'm reading Night Train to Lisbon and I LOVE IT. I would even call it exciting. A long-time teacher of ancient languages in Bern Switzerland has a brief encounter (no, not that kind) with a Portuguese woman that causes him to leave his job in the middle of a class and take a train to Portugal. He is at the same time laboriously translating a self-published work by a Portuguese author that causes him to experience life completely differently than he has in the past. I'm only about 75 pages in, but I'm a fan.

I’m reading “Waverley or Tis Sixty Years Since” by Walter Scott and wondering what tense is used in the phrase below:

“...antiquity so great as to have become venerable...”

Throwing that "to" in there complicates things a little, doesn't it? But I think it's still just the present perfect. However, I'm no grammarian.

Just enjoyed Jo Spain's entertaining mystery about a murder and a gated neighbourhood of suspects, all with Dirty Little Secrets. A good read!
Link to my review

Mango Elephants In the Sun – Susana Herrera – 3.5***
Subtitle: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin. This is a memoir of the time the author spent as a Peace Corps volunteer teacher in Cameroon. I was interested and engaged in the experiences Herrera related, but somewhat appalled by how she lacked even basic understanding of the differences in culture before she arrived at her assignment. She relays some very interesting insights she gained from the women she befriended in the village.
LINK to my review

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The Swiss Family Robinson – Johann David Wyss – 3***
Originally published in 1812, this is a classic adventure tale of a mother, father and four sons who are shipwrecked on an unnamed (and apparently uncharted) tropical island in the South Seas. I had never read the book, though I had seen the Disney movie back in the ‘60s. My adult self recognizes the glaringly implausible (and, frankly, impossible) scenarios but the adventure still captures the imagination.
LINK to my review

Finished Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter for my f to f book group. It's a bad sign when you start skimming about 20 pages in. However, I persevered and it picked up in the middle before becoming DOA for the last section.

Don't know how accurate it is, but if it is accurate, this was a damned disgrace. Simply awful.

Not a particularly riveting read, though.

Oh that’s too bad Ruth. That’s a book I have planned on reading eventually.

i heard the author of the Rosemary Kennedy book interviewed after it was published. I decided that the interview gave me as much information as I could stomach. Sad, sad story about a woefully misinformed family.

Esi Edugyan’s WASHINGTON BLACK, narrated by Dion Graham. I am conflicted about this book. There were aspects I loved - the character of Washington Black, the thrilling adventure of the plot, the depiction of places in which the narrative takes place. On the other hand, there were aspects of the story that seemed so unlikely to me as to defy credulity, and I neither understood nor liked the ending. I gave it 3 stars but I wish I had the option to give it 3-1/2. It frequently seemed to have such great potential but then it, for me, it kept missing the mark.

Barbara wrote: "i heard the author of the Rosemary Kennedy book interviewed after it was published. I decided that the interview gave me as much information as I could stomach. Sad, sad story about a woefully misi..."

If memory serves, there were two books about Rosemary Kennedy that both came out with a couple of months of each other.

Okay ... I had to go check ....

The Missing Kennedy: Rosemary Kennedy and the Secret Bonds of Four Women by Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff was first published in Aug 27, 2015 as a Kindle e-book; it was released as a hardcover in Oct 2015.

Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson was first published Oct 6, 2015.

Incidentally ... I used to sometimes drive past St Coletta's when I'd be coming back to Milwaukee from Madison. Especially in the Summer and Fall, I'd take the back roads scenic route which took me right past there. I knew about Rosemary Kennedy and always thought about her when I drove past.

Daytona to Dakar! This is one that car racing fans will buy for their kids because they really want it for themselves. : )
Fast Forward by Adam Skinner covers major tracks, drivers, cars, and even incidents around the world.
Link to my review (with lots of pictures)

A good read! The Wife by Alafair Burke is a whodunnit where The Wife is caught between loyalty and the need for secrecy as her husband's life unravels.
Link to my review

The Alice Network – Kate Quinn – 3***
Based on the real stories of women who served as spies during World War I, Quinn has crafted an interesting, engaging story of wartime heroines and the price they paid for their service. She uses a dual timeline, moving back and forth between 1947 and 1915. I was much more interested in Eve’s story; I found Charlie irritatingly immature. I thought the ending, especially that final confrontation, was somewhat rushed and implausible. Still, it held my attention and I was glad to learn something about the brave women who served.
LINK to my review

I just finished this month's Reading List book Warlight by Michael Ondaatje. I urge you all to read this. Make sure you do it in one large gulp without any other books in the way. I really need to reread it, but I won't. It's really good.

Agreed, Sherry. I read it earlier in the year - it’s excellent.

I haven’t got it yet. Amazon Prime has failed me.

I have started it.

Did this bug you: Olive Lawrence~Laurence Olivier? Every time she is mentioned I fight a distraction blip!

I hope to get to Warlight soon but not sure I can finish it by the 15th. I hope to begin by Saturday. Hearing good things about makes me more determined.

I am reading Warlight now.

I plan to pick up Warlight at my Wisconsin library when I get up there next Wednesday, so I won't be starting until then. I'll catch up on the discussion once I finish reading.

Tonya wrote: "I have started it.

Did this bug you: Olive Lawrence~Laurence Olivier? Every time she is mentioned I fight a distraction blip!"

I know what you mean.

I finished Nnedi Okorafor’s BINTI trilogy. The 2nd novella is HOME and the 3rd is THE NIGHT MASQUERADE. Inventive. Thoughtful. A pleasure to read and ponder. I don’t read a lot of science fiction so I’m delighted I didn’t miss these books. They are fresh, almost playful and well-crafted. .

My Brilliant Friend – Elena Ferrara – 3.5***
This is the first of four books in the “Neapolitan Series” by Ferrante. I loved the way this friendship between Elena and Lila was portrayed, and the strength of these two girls as they faced the challenges of growing up. I also really appreciated how the landscape and culture were practically a character in the novel. I felt immersed in 1950s Naples. I could not help but be reminded of my BFF when I was growing up. Like these characters, we hardly breathed without consulting one another, and shared every secret, every joy, every heartache, every dream, every disappointment, every triumph.
LINK to my review

Lynn wrote: "I plan to pick up Warlight at my Wisconsin library when I get up there next Wednesday, so I won't be starting until then. I'll catch up on the discussion once I finish reading."

My copy came yesterday. I’ve dug in. It’s good.

I just loved these early adventures of the exuberant child (who grew up to become the dashing Sir Robert Carey in his mystery series) in a couple of wonderful introductory works (free!) by P.F. Chisholm aka Patricia Finney.
A Pest of a Boy and A Boy in Trouble.

4.5★ Link to my review of A Pest of a Boy

5★ Link to my review of A Boy in Trouble

Beautiful! More than a picture book, it's a poignant story of a little girl in wartime. Captain Rosalie by Timothée de Fombelle and Isabelle Arsenault (illustrator) is out in June and still available on NetGalley.
5★ Link to my review with pictures

If you have not yet read Night, the 60-year old autobiographical account of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's time in Auschwitz (followed by a lifetime of teaching and the Nobel Peace Prize), it's time.

Ignorance and silence are still responsible for killing people.
5★ (of course) Link to my comments

Patty, I picked up Sadie and the Silver Shoes, a children's picture book by Jane Godwin, illustrations by Anna Walker, at the library the other day for my granddaughter. Both Godwin and Walker are Australian and I wondered if I had first heard about it from you but I think I just found it on the shelf. It's a lovely book.

Enjoyed listening to Bill Bryson narrate his book, IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. Travelogue cum bits of Australian history with periodic laugh-out-loud moments of Bryson humor.

Mary, that's one of my top 5 favorite audio books. I've listened to it twice.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "If you have not yet read Night, the 60-year old autobiographical account of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's time in Auschwitz (followed by a lifetime of teaching and the ..."

I so agree. I've read the trilogy: Night, Dawn and Day. Everyone should read Wiesel.

Mary wrote: "Enjoyed listening to Bill Bryson narrate his book, IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. Travelogue cum bits of Australian history with periodic laugh-out-loud moments of Bryson humor."

Bryson is a great reader, too.

Barbara wrote: "Mary, that's one of my top 5 favorite audio books. I've listened to it twice."

Listened to it on your advice, Barb, and it is wonderful.

David Bowie. Whether this makes you think of Major Tom or Ziggy Stardust, you've got to admit he was an artist like no other. Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara's colourful addition to the "little people BIG DREAMS" series will introduce him to kids today. (And she explains his eyes.)
5★ Link to my review with pictures

If only the world would learn the lessons of the late Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and renowned teacher and peace activist. Ariel Burger was his student and friend, now a teacher himself. His Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom is a must-read.
5★ Link to my review

Madeline Miller’s CIRCE, narrated by Perdita Weeks. I decided to read this book because Ms. Miller was scheduled to speak as part of our local library’s visiting author series. I was worried I would not get to the top of the hold list in time. Lo and behold! The audio download arrived the night before her scheduled talk. The next day I listened to the first 6 chapters - just enough to be hooked. I enjoyed this novel very much and I was captivated by the author. If you ever get a chance to hear her, don’t hesitate for a moment. She views her mythological creations as totally consistent with the tradition of oral story-telling. In the retelling of tales, bards changed plots, further developed characters, and enhanced or embellished details. Not only does Ms. Miller write enchanting stories, she tells them with passion and drama, using her knowledge and love of classical literature and mythology along with the story-telling skills she said she learned from directing Shakespearean dramas.

Mary wrote: "Madeline Miller’s CIRCE, narrated by Perdita Weeks. I decided to read this book because Ms. Miller was scheduled to speak as part of our local library’s visiting author series. I was worried I woul..."

That would be fun, getting started on a book and then seeing the author! It makes the whole reading experience much more personal, I think.

Coffin Road is a pretty grim address, but in this case, it's the only starting point a man with amnesia has in the mystery by Peter May. Outer Hebrides, Scotland! Storms, lighthouses, murder!
Link to my review

I really like Peter May, Patty, and feel his best work is to be found in The Lewis Trilogy which I highly recommend.

Mary wrote: "Madeline Miller’s CIRCE"
I read this several months ago, and the experience was that unusual deal where I enjoyed it as I read, sometimes a little, sometimes very much. But after I finished, as more time goes by, I like it more and more. Every time it is mentioned, I like it more. I've thought I'd like to reread it soon.

A friend recommended Circe, and I'm on hold for it at the library.

Sue wrote: "I really like Peter May, Patty, and feel his best work is to be found in The Lewis Trilogy which I highly recommend."

Thanks for the recommendation, Sue. A few people have mentioned that to me, so I've added them to my toppling pile!

I started listening to an interview with author Jojo Moyes about her popular Me Before You, and the interviewer warned me to go make a cup of tea if I didn't want to hear spoilers. I decided, better than that, I'll read the book first! And very glad I did, too! I enjoyed both the book and the interview.
4.5★ Link to my review and BBC author interview

Patty, the Moyes book has had so much press that I had pretty much written it off my list. I tend to be contrarian that way. Now you will get me wondering!

And I don’t think you can go wrong with The Lewis Trilogy.

I’ll have to rethink it too. For some reason, I had decided not to read it.

All This I Will Give to You a free kindle book for International book day. A car accident turns into something more sinister, when an author Manual finds out his husband is landed gentry with billions of Euros and a Title to boot. Its’s about deceit , betrayal , murder and how he comes to terms with it .

Just finished The Girl He Used to Know. I read some good reviews by GR friends, but it just wasn't my kind of book. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Yay! You're Gay! Now What?: A Gay Boy's Guide to Life is just what it says and lot more entertaining than I'd guessed.

Riyadh Khalaf is a popular YouTube activist, a colourful guy who's put all the facts and fears in this one, well-illustrated book. Celebrities, photos, cartoons!
5★ Link to my review with many pictures