Constant Reader discussion

Just finished Daniel Silva's The Heist, the latest suspense offering in the Gabriel Allon series. You'll probably like it if you like the earlier books in this series. If you haven't been reading the series, this is not the book to start with.

I'm working my way through Jean Manco's Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings. The book is interesting but has some major mistakes, e.g. a lack of awareness of the latest research about Neanderthal ancestry in European homo sapiens. It is overly technical at times even though it seems to be aimed at a more general audience. The twelve--as of today--Goodreads reviews give a good idea about the problems with the writing. But like I said, it is interesting.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – 4****
A classic of the genre, Shirley Jackson’s novel has been scaring people since 1959. Four people come to Hill House to investigate whether there is an occult presence. They get more than they bargained for, and Eleanor, a meek young woman with a past that includes a poltergeist, is particularly affected by the House. Bernadette Dunne does a marvelous job narrating the audio version. Get a bag of popcorn, turn the light low, and listen – if you dare!
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This damn book is hilarious.

Hi Leah, remember to post the title of the book when you post the cover. The cover just shows up as a black rectangle on mobile devices. And, it's even hard for some of us to figure out here.

Just bought The Haunting of Hill House on Halloween ! Can't wait to start !

Just finished The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case by Michael A. Ross. A fascinating look at Reconstruction through the lens of a famous kidnapping in 1870. Full review here..... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Cateline wrote: "Just finished The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case by Michael A. Ross. A fascinating look at Reconstruction through the lens of a famous kidnapping in 1870. Full review here..... https://www.goo..."

I'm looking forward to reading this one.

Sue wrote: "Cateline wrote: "Just finished The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case by Michael A. Ross. A fascinating look at Reconstruction through the lens of a famous kidnapping in 1870. Full review here......."
This sounds like a book I would enjoy. Another book to my want to read shelf.

Finished STONER. It will never be a favorite, but I appreciated it much more from having read the discussion thread, so thanks! I left my detailed views there.

The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier – 4****
Two men meet by chance and discover they are so identical in appearance they could pass for one another. After a night of drinking, John awakens in Jean’s pajamas, and finds that his French counterpart has stolen his identity and car. There’s nothing to do but take on the mantel of the Comte de Gue until the “practical joker” returns. Du Maurier writes wonderfully complex psychological suspense, and this is a stellar example. The way in which John muddles along as “Jean de Gue” reveals much about his doppelganger. The plot is full of twists and turns, which kept me interested and intrigued from beginning to end.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I took Jim the Boy to lunch, and since I only had about 20 pages to finish I also grabbed a book from the top of a "read soon" stack. Finished Jim. Then, imagine my surprise when I opened Room to read:

Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra.

(For those of you who have not read Jim the Boy, the opening lines are about Jim's thoughts on turning 10. I cannot quote them now since I turned the book in on the way home, but they are eerily similar.)

Anyway, Jim. It's not a bad book, really it is as good a book as it can be with nothing happening. It is about a year in a pretty ordinary boy's life in the 1930s. Early in the reading I noticed that the fact that dialogue was written in correctly spelled and properly constructed English seemed completely wrong, I would have expected "learnt" instead of "learned" and so on; Southern speak. That continued to feel wrong for at least half of this short book. All in all, this is not a book I would recommend; there is just so little there.

Tonya in rainy Tx

Oh, Tonya. I gave Jim 5 stars. Loved it.

As for the second book you mention, I hated it.

That's what makes horse races, I guess.

I've been reading some lighter books (The Rosie Project and Lisa See's very readable China Dolls, along with some history (The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan).

Now I'm reading The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri in preparation for the next Constant Reader discussion beginning on November 15. This book was a National Book Award Finalist and was shortlisted for the 2013 Booker Prize. It reminds me why I love literary fiction - beautiful language, characters with real depth and conflicts, the pleasure of being immersed in a different culture and time.

Lahiri is a wonderful writer. I hope that many of you are planning on reading this book.

I just finished The Lowland this morning, Ann, and totally agree with you. She makes it all feel so effortless and yet ties the threads together perfectly. It's definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Don't miss this one, everyone.

Barbara wrote: "I just finished The Lowland this morning, Ann, and totally agree with you. She makes it all feel so effortless and yet ties the threads together perfectly. It's definitely one of the best books I'..."

I'm having a rather hard time with the beginning. Seems so much history and not enough character for my taste. Maybe it's just my mood. A bit depressed this morning. It's not a good idea to watch the HBO Olive Kitteridge on election night.

Persevere. The character development proceeds slowly but each little piece builds on the one before. And, I'm depressed this morning too, but Lahari helped me escape. Reading about India's problems helped me get some perspective on ours. Visiting Istanbul this summer did the same thing.

Barbara wrote: "Persevere. The character development proceeds slowly but each little piece builds on the one before. And, I'm depressed this morning too, but Lahari helped me escape. Reading about India's probl..."

I will, Barb. Thanks for the lesson in perspective.

Uh-oh, I hope I didn't sound preachy.

Barbara wrote: "Uh-oh, I hope I didn't sound preachy."

Oh, god, no, Barb. I really did need that lesson in perspective. I was feeling way too depressed for my own good. I just took a long long walk (for me) around the lake. I'm exhausted (pretended I was Theresa on the Camino) but feeling much better. I will read more of the book tonight and try to settle into it.

I just finished Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings." This a historical novel set before the Civil War. The story is told through Sarah Grimke who was a real live abolitionist and Handful, the fictional character, who was a slave.

Her book is filled with rich characters and many interesting motifs.

Sarah’s path to becoming an abolitionist began at around age 3 when she witnessed the violent beating of Rosetta one of the house slaves. She sees other episodes of ferocious acts of violence throughout her life.

Handful was born a slave; some may say she was born seeking justice. She is full of action. She takes risks while becoming quite rebellious. She is protective of her mother and others.

In my opinion the character Israel Morris provides the best quote in the whole book: “To remain silent in the face of evil is a form of evil.” In one form or another this quote can be found throughout history. A search on the Internet led me to the following : JFK, Dietrich Bonhoffer, the Quran, Pope Benedict, Albert Einstein, Edmund Burke, Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman. It was very interesting to see what social ills were being addressed by these leaders.

I recently finished and reviewed Hallucinating Foucault, and picked up Assata: An Autobiography.

Ruth wrote: "Oh, Tonya. I gave Jim 5 stars. Loved it.

As for the second book you mention, I hated it.

That's what makes horse races, I guess."

Well, in spite of this warning, I read the first 30 pages of Room over lunch. Something will have to shift for this to make the 50 page "engage me" limit.

But no worries! I fetched The Lowland from the library!

Sherry wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Uh-oh, I hope I didn't sound preachy."

Oh, god, no, Barb. I really did need that lesson in perspective. I was feeling way too depressed for my own good. I just took a long long wal..."

Oh good. I occasionally go into teacher mode without thinking. But, reading about other (and worse) struggles really is my best political depression therapy. I also read books about the beginnings of the US. Reading about all of the machinations before anything got done then too is encouraging somehow.

Ruth wrote: "I just finished Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings." This a historical novel set before the Civil War. The story is told through Sarah Grimke who was a real live abolitionist and Handful, th..."

I also really enjoyed The Invention of Wings. I especially liked Handful's remark to Sarah along the lines of "You are free in body but enslaved in mind; I am enslaved in body but free in mind."

Book Concierge wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I just finished Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings." This a historical novel set before the Civil War. The story is told through Sarah Grimke who was a real live abolitionist an..."

Good quote!

Book Concierge wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I just finished Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings." This a historical novel set before the Civil War. The story is told through Sarah Grimke who was a real live abolitionist an..."

The Book Concierge shared a great quote from "The Invention of Wings." I think it has the makings of becoming a great essay.

I'm reading Carry the One by Carol Anshaw, which I'm liking a lot, and have just startedOut Stealing Horses, which my face-to-face book group is reading.

I just finished Doctored Evidence, a Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery by Donna Leon. I enjoy the series and particularly liked this one. Often she uses the stories to highlight a social problem, but this one was...simply a mystery, Brunetti's ruminations on the Seven Deadly Sins being a thread running through various subplots. And as usual, references to some really great meals.

I just got The Lowland from the library yesterday, had a bit of time to dive into it while waiting in a doctor's office, and am absorbed by it. Looking forward to our discussion!

Kat wrote: "I'm reading Carry the One by Carol Anshaw, which I'm liking a lot, and have just startedOut Stealing Horses, which my face-to-face book group is reading."

Out Stealing Horses is on my list to read again. I really was so impressed with this book and Pettersen's prose, especially in the first half (as I recall).

Larry wrote: "Just finished Daniel Silva's The Heist, the latest suspense offering in the Gabriel Allon series. You'll probably like it if you like the earlier books in this series. If you haven'..."
What book should I start with in the Gabriel Allon series?

I just started reading Peace Like A River. I hope the characters come alive.

Ruth wrote: "Larry wrote: "Just finished Daniel Silva's The Heist, the latest suspense offering in the Gabriel Allon series. You'll probably like it if you like the earlier books in this series...."

The Gabriel Allon books start with The Kill Artist. It is a good series. Recommended if you like suspense fiction.

Have finished Room. I am a little amazed at all the great reviews and that sticker, "A New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year." It feels more like a lost opportunity to me.

It is such a ripe topic for a novel, in fact since these news stories come out pretty regularly it seems like there would be a whole slew of them, but this is the first one I've read; maybe the first one that got on any lists?

Anyhow, I couple of my gripes: Jack as narrator seemed like a fine idea for the first section, after that it was just unfortunate and irritating. Most of the lost opportunities were a result of this bad choice, I think. But there were other big ones. Ma's escape plan did not work at all for me, and her first tv appearance avoided anything that might hint at reality.

Not very long ago I read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, another book which uses fiction to realistically explore an uncommon, but all too real, experience, and it succeeds very well. I think this book could have taken a lot of tips from that one.

Or maybe I am getting too crotchety in my old age.

Tonya in Tx

Tonya wrote: "Have finished Room. I am a little amazed at all the great reviews and that sticker, "A New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year." It feels more like a lost opportunity to me...."

I've never been tempted by Room, and your review seals it for me. I'm really looking forward to to We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves when it comes up in our Reading List next go-round.

Mary Ellen,
I added Doctored Evidence to my TBR list. I like that series of mysteries. Thanks for the recommendation.

Ruth, it's been awhile but I really liked Peace Like a River.

I finished Glitter and Glue which I ended up enjoying more than I ever thought I would. It has helped me slow down and appreciate my wife and five children even when they are screaming, crying and generally running amuck. I am very much our family's glitter to my wife's glue and am starting to realize every issue that arises within our family is not mine to conquer. I find it amazing that Corrigan's memoir of a mother/daughter relationship could make such a big impact on me. I try not to give out 5 stars to any and everything but this small memoir earned all 5.

I like projects so I am in the midst of reading War and Peace as well as starting to read Stephen King in chronological order first with Carrie. I also need to start the Wheel of Time series at some point.

Phryne Fisher is quite the character! I like my mysteries served up with a bite of humor and The Cocaine Blues was satisfying. This was my first Phryne mystery but it won't be the last.

Don’t Ask by Donald E Westlake – 3***
Book # 8 in the John Dortmunder series is a fun, fast, entertaining read. This time out the gang is involved in an international incident centering on an ancient religious relic. Dortmunder is a rather gentlemanly burglar; he’s a mastermind and a great planner, but his plans, however well thought out and featuring split-second timing, never quite work out. The joy comes in watching Westlake’s imaginative, convoluted scenarios unfold.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sue wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Larry wrote: "Just finished Daniel Silva's The Heist, the latest suspense offering in the Gabriel Allon series. You'll probably like it if you like the earlier books in..." The Gabriel Allon books start with The Kill Artist. It is a good series. Recommended if you like suspense fiction.


Thanks, Sue. For some series, e.g. Robert Parker's SPENSER novels, I don't think it matters much when one you start with ... although the early SPENSER novels are a lot better than the later ones. But for the Gabriel Allon series, you really should start with the first novel.

Ruth wrote: "I just started reading Peace Like A River. I hope the characters come alive."

I hope they do for you, Ruth, because I found it a very vivid book, and it's stuck with me for quite a few years!

I just finished Cutting for Stone. I initially started it mainly because it was on the "just returned/available" list for Kindle books at Library2Go. At first I was a touch impatient with the book's digressions, and skimmed them, but I became very engrossed in the main characters in not too long. It tells a story through many decades of a set of identical twins born in an Ethiopian clinic in a dramatic way and with remarkable parentage, whose parents and they themselves become doctors in Ethiopia and eventually the U.S. It was especially interesting to me because the parts describing medical conditions and surgeries were accurate and interesting (I do medical transcription), but the centerpiece is the well drawn and absorbing characters of the twins and their entire family, as well as the colorful things that take place. It is a long book, but by halfway through I never wanted to stop for the day.

Lyn wrote: "I just finished Cutting for Stone. I initially started it mainly because it was on the "just returned/available" list for Kindle books at Library2Go. At first I was a touch impatien..."

I listened to this as an audiobook, so there was no skimming. I ended up absolutely loving it, after a slow start. It took me places I have never been before.

I couldn't stick with as a audio book. Thought the writing awkward. Funny, because I liked his nonfiction books a lot.

I've just finished To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and am having a hard time deciding if the author let me down or if I am experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder. I decided to read the book for the same reason that I read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. These two books were the first by Americans nominated for the Mann Booker Prize and, as I am sure everyone is tired of hearing me say, Ms. Fowler made me question myself and my choices in life. Mr. Ferris, on the other hand, made me ask, "So, what is the blanking point of it all?" That is not a question I want to ask myself during the time of year when darkness seems to come in the middle of the afternoon.

I think I missed something essential here and am very interested in hearing what others think of this book. I may just be in a whiney mood this afternoon.

Portia wrote: "I've just finished To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and am having a hard time deciding if the author let me down or if I am experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder. I decided to rea..."

I loved your review of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, but it did come earlier in the year... No, seriously, I do hope the sun shines this week for you!

Tonya wrote: "Have finished Room. I am a little amazed at all the great reviews and that sticker, "A New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year." It feels more like a lost opportunity to me...."

Tonya, don't "crotchet" yourself just yet. I read Astray in the Summer of 2013 and enjoyed it very much. So, I decided to tryFrog Music this past Spring and was disappointed. I felt the author tried to tell too many stories at once and either should have picked one central plot and one sub or returned to the short story format.

Karlyne wrote: "Portia wrote: "I've just finished To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and am having a hard time deciding if the author let me down or if I am experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder. I..."

Your good wish made the sun come out, Karlyne. Many thanks.

Lyn,
I loved Cutting for Stone. The author Abraham Verghese, although of Indian descent, grew up in Ethiopia and is a doctor; that is why the Ethiopian parts and medical aspects of the plot rang so true. It's not often that I read a book I can't put down any more, but this was one of them.

Although very different, I also loved his non-fiction book, My Own Country: A Doctor's Story. This one is autobiographical and chronicles the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in rural Tennessee. It is written with great respect and compassion for his patients.

I also loved Cutting for Stone. It's one that I'll probably read again one day.

Ann wrote: ".Although very different, I also loved his non-fiction book, My Own Country: A Doctor's Story. This one is autobiographical and chronicles the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in rural Tennessee. It is written with great respect and compassion for his patients. .."

I also loved that one. It's why I picked up Cutting.