Devon Book Club discussion

I finished Knausgaard, read The Serial Killer’s Daughter in a day yesterday and am now on The Wife's Tale: A Personal History

Karen wrote: "DrMama wrote: "Ian wrote: "DrMama wrote: "Karen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Tale for the Time Being Not only is it a good story, but it's really interesting, and makes you think..."
Thanks, Karen! Yes you are right, that is the one. Six days on from your post and not only am I 'only just' replying to say 'thanks', but I am also trying to tally up how many books I have read this year!
I vowed to myself, at New Year, that in 2022 I would finally make the effort to record all the books I read, who they were by and what my opinions were. Looking over the comments and replies on here, today, I realised that I had hardly noted any of the books that I've read.
So... I've just spent an hour or so going through all my scribbled notes... checking the piles of books scattered on sundry tables around the house (that 'should' be on my shelves...) and cruising my 'book records' on the 'Libraries Unlimited' website! (Thanks all that is for Devon Libs = 'LU'!!)
Apparently, I've read 58 books... although 'Read' is a tad generous, as some of them I have no recollection of (probably one of the ones I started and loathed), others I had to return unfinished as I'd been slow to start and they were recalled before I'd finished... However, I think there are a solid 45 in there, so I will try to add comments about them over the next few weeks... while still reading the six - or so - I currently have to hand!!
So far, I think favourites were: Our Mutual Friend, An Officer and a Spy, The Bone Clocks, by David Mitchell and Elif Shafak's '10 Mins and ? seconds'... which the 'GoodReads' booksearch says does not exist! More notes and comments... anon!!!!!!!!!!

DrMama wrote: "Karen wrote: "DrMama wrote: "Ian wrote: "DrMama wrote: "Karen wrote: "I'm currently reading A Tale for the Time Being Not only is it a good story, but it's really interesting, and m..."

Great choices Carol - Elif Shafak's book is on here - this is the link 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World I loved this one but then I love most of her work

I'm currently reading שיבה Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Not very far into it yet, but not sure... The sequential, different - yet all, so awful - stories are moving and horrific, even when books detailing this butchered and colonised continent's history abound. Yet, somehow... I'm just watching, reading. Maybe it's me, not the book, but it seems too 'told'... Will persevere.

what a shame. I loved it, although I listened on audio book so maybe that was different

Ian wrote: "what a shame. I loved it, although I listened on audio book so maybe that was different"
Interesting! We had our Rdg Grp discussion yesterday and I think the audio listeners were - possibly - the most enthusiastic. I have tried listening to recorded books, but I don't - cannot - concentrate! Maybe it's age, or just a love of actual paper books, but they just don't work for me. I am a bad sleeper, and when I wake in the middle of the night I tend to read something from my kindle. The main reason being that I will fall asleep in minutes... seconds: plus, if I've arranged the kindle properly, it falls over, onto the mattress, and turns itself off!

Haha - I know that feeling but I do love audio books too. I remember listening to Shuggie Bain and I think that the narration added a dimension in terms of dialect etc that I may not have got from reading it directly.

About to start reading the latest Kate Atkinson - Shrines of Gaiety - thanks to 'beloved' Devon Libraries - the wonderful 'Kingsbridge Branch' especially. The last time I looked online, Devon Iibraries had about 30+ copies of the book and all of them were out on loan. I reserved it, and it has arrived so quickly - I don't know if they bought more copies, but I had expected to be waiting for eons. I will buy the paperback when it comes out, but now I am just delighted - as always - to support Devon Libraries by paying for reservations. They are a charity, so please do support them ... and happy reading whatever you are all ploughing through!

DrMama wrote: "About to start reading the latest Kate Atkinson - Shrines of Gaiety - thanks to 'beloved' Devon Libraries - the wonderful 'Kingsbridge Branch' especially. The last time I looked online, Devon Iibra..."

Thanks Carol and agree all those sentiments. Let us know what you think of Shrines of Gaiety. I'm taking a short break from The Executioner's Song (fabulous book, if very long) to read The Queen's Gambit for my other book club meeting this wednesday

The Queen's Gambit is a great book, I was pleased to see how well the series stuck to the plot.

Ley wrote: "The Queen's Gambit is a great book, I was pleased to see how well the series stuck to the plot."

I enjoyed it as did most of my reading group - although there was a view that if you took out the chess it was a bit thin and could have been developed more character wise

currently reading Sepulchre by Kate Mosse. plus My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart. with all the stuff that's going on I felt the need of something undemanding.

I'm currently re-reading Kate Atkinson's Shrines of Gaiety, as there is quite a lot of background/period info that may prove useful links for some research I'm involved in. As you might expect from K.A. it is enjoyable, well-written, well-researched and easily digested (so long as you are not squeamish ... tho' to be honest, I don't think it's at all 'squeam-inducing' but some friends have found it so).. However, I don't think it's a patch on Life After Life or A God in Ruins

Ley wrote: "currently reading Sepulchre by Kate Mosse. plus My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart. with all the stuff that's going on I felt the need of something undemanding."

she's such a pacy story-teller. Great books

DrMama wrote: "I'm currently re-reading Kate Atkinson's Shrines of Gaiety, as there is quite a lot of background/period info that may prove useful links for some research I'm involved in. As you m..."

I actually don't think I've read any of her work. Not sure why

She's quite varied, but I always find her work eminently readable, intelligent and often quirky/cliffhanging, though some works are more challenging. Shrines of Gaiety is a fairly easy read - about 'underworld, post-WWI life in London' - but with a wide range of characters and situations, so I needed to scribble some notes at first. The Jackson Brodie books are about police investigations, while others range far and wide. Life After Life, is my favourite, but quite complex and also heartbreaking. KA is definitely one of my present-day writing 'stars': up there with George Eliot and Joseph Conrad!

I read a couple of the Jackson Brodie ones and rather liked them, although crime isn't my usual taste, the advantage of a book group. I read Life after Life too. Wonderful book.

I own a copy of Transcription by KA, but I have not - yet - read it. I think I was last like this when studying George Eliot at University, in that I didn't want to read Daniel Deronda - my last, unread GE novel - because I didn't want there to be no more GE's left to read!! Even allowing for the fact that there is so much variety in Kate Atkinson's oeuvre, I still think she 'walks on water' ... along with GE and Conrad.

I'm staying with friends in Lanzarote at present and have just been given a copy of La Sombra Del Viento ( Shadow of The Wind) in Spanish. That's my challenge for this winter

Ian wrote: "I'm staying with friends in Lanzarote at present and have just been given a copy of La Sombra Del Viento ( Shadow of The Wind) in Spanish. That's my challenge for this winter"

Do you speak Spanish? I aim to learn... and did an evening course (remember those?) about 6 years ago. Then, a small offshoot group, from the class, found a wonderful teacher to give us sessions in the house of one of the group. However, since she had to stop teaching us, and some of the Group were lost, it has all rather faded into he background. I must make myself read some easy works.

I'm learning on Duolingo so going to be a challenge for me but fun

Let us know how you get on. I don't know much about Duolingo, but if it's good maybe I can try it and get back into the swing of Spanish, again.

PS I'm currently reading The Potter's Hand by A.N. Wilson, partly as I come from the Potteries, so I love to mentally drift back to places that I knew, but also because most of my family worked in Potteries (or mines) so it's all a part of my heritage (there but for the 11 Plus...). I also wanted to read something by A.N.W. before I read his biography. I finished (and reread) Shrines of Gaiety; I still think it's wonderful, even though a relatively easy read (but detailed and dense) ... but still not a patch on 'Life After Life'. Tried some Denis Johnson stories The Laughing Monsters, but just did not find it engaging, though I loved Train Dreams. Not sure what next. Good luck with the Spanish - I must retry!

DrMama wrote: "Let us know how you get on. I don't know much about Duolingo, but if it's good maybe I can try it and get back into the swing of Spanish, again."

Hi, I am replying to the comment re Duolingo. I have had 708 lessons at Duolingo and I STUDY French, German and Swedish. I find it very interesting and at night set about my studies. At first I found it very hard to remember anything let along a phase or sentence, but now, as you can see, I study three languages.
I began with German and decided I wanted to continue with my French of my youth and now I have a reasonable accent and can converse on a basis level. Swedish it relatively new but my German is quite advances. I love languages and am happy to continue with them Carole Lane

Carole wrote: "Hi, I am replying to the comment re Duolingo. I have had 708 lessons at Duolingo and I STUDY French, German and Swedish. I find it very interesting and at night set about my studies. At first I fou..."Thanks, sounds promising. I may look it up and dig out my various 'Spanish' texts and novels.

DrMama wrote: "Let us know how you get on. I don't know much about Duolingo, but if it's good maybe I can try it and get back into the swing of Spanish, again."

I think its pretty good - I understand quite a bit now

DrMama wrote: "PS I'm currently reading The Potter's Hand by A.N. Wilson, partly as I come from the Potteries, so I love to mentally drift back to places that I knew, but also because most of my f..."

Not read any of those. Ah a Potteries girl eh

Carole wrote: "Hi, I am replying to the comment re Duolingo. I have had 708 lessons at Duolingo and I STUDY French, German and Swedish. I find it very interesting and at night set about my studies. At first I fou..."

That's great Carole - tackled any books in those languages yet?

I’m halfway through Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox’. I’ve long been a fan of O’Farrell’s work and am not disappointed with this one.

From the first page, I was enamored by her quirky style writing. The story has no chapters; and drifts from one character’s thoughts to another, from present to past, sometimes without a break in the text. We learn about the heart-breaking life of Esme Lennox and why she has been incarcerated in a mental asylum for over sixty years.

I will definitely be awarding this title five stars and recommending it to others.

Many thanks to ‘Always Happiest Reading’ and Elizabeth Ducie for their good reviews , following the giveaway of my second novel ‘Mango Bay’.
It’s always heartening to learn that readers have enjoyed a book which you’ve spent a lot of time writing. I look forward to reading the review from the third recipient of the ‘Giveaway’. Thank you, Cynthea.

Just finished Sandpaper for the Soul

Loved it.

So much I could unpack from this book, I loved it so much.

The story has a simple thread running through it. Two women, continents apart, stumble into a relationship through exchanging letters and, with the arrival of the internet, e-mails. Two women from different cultures but who find common cause as they journey through life. Who become sisters.

The story is compelling in its own right. The characters engaged me and I cared about them and their families. I lived their hopes and joys and their pain. I laughed quietly and shed a few tears for them too.

But this is a book about so much more than the narrative. Typical of Lorna's writing there is a weave of spirituality and humanity throughout. It is thought-provoking and honest. As the women meet their respective challenges and celebrate their good fortune when it arrives, their experiences are shared with honesty and do not shirk from some very hard truths.

The book has a thread of sadness and tragedy but I read it with optimism and hope for the way we can address the trials that we meet throughout our lives. It spoek to my experience but also gave me insight into the themes it explores. I won't talk about them here as I don't want to add any spoilers.

But, if you like a book that is written with insight, quiet humanity and humility; if you love to explore relationships and the way our life view shapes the way we live our best life; if you enjoy a heartwarming but also unsettling story, then this is for you.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Im currently reading Ben Okro's The Famished Road- wonderfully lyrical and imaginative - its been on my TBR for 10 years - no idea why it's taken until now for me to read it.

I'd love to hear what others thought when they read it

Oh Dear! I read it when it first came out - and loved it. However, I have to admit that I cannot - now - remember much about it, I think this means that it will be added to the 'tbrr' list (= 'to be reread'.
However, it will have to get in the queue behind my current re-read... 'Cloud Atlas', not to mention a couple of Jenny Erpenbecks that I have lined up ... Oh, and the biography 'Metamorphoses: In Search of Franz Kafka' by Karolina Watroba. At least I know what I will be doing all summer.

DrMama wrote: "Oh Dear! I read it when it first came out - and loved it. However, I have to admit that I cannot - now - remember much about it, I think this means that it will be added to the 'tbrr' list (= 'to b..."

That sounds like a great line-up. The Famished Road is very hard to pin down - full of magical realism. It sits somewhere between poetry and prose and is a very singular book. At times it is hard ot hold on to the thread of a core narrative but you just have to go with its exuberance.