Constant Reader discussion

Post all of your new reading posts here.

Happy reading in 2021!

I will read THE NORTH WATER then BRING UP THE BODIES. I only recently read WOLF HALL, but I loved it. (It demanded too much attention to read it on a plane, so it had to wait till I had more time.)

I have just read Akwaeke Emezi's first novel Freshwater. A novel steeped in the cultural cosmology of the Igbo poeple of Nigeria and addrssing how a young woman deals with the aftermath of abuse, how she spirals out of control at the hands of what we in the North would call multiple personalities but which the writer sees as evil spirits, ogbanje. In my opinion an incredibly ambitious first novel for the manner in which this young woman's live is told to us as readers through the voices of these ogbanje. Slightly too long, yet only 240 pages it is a very spiritual book, intriguing and memorable in its approach. Looking forward to reading more by her. My Review

I just started “My Sister the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

Will be reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for a reading group.

I'm reading "Killing Commendatore" by Haruki Murakami.

The Twenty-One Balloons – William Pène du Bois – 4****
This is a classic of children’s literature, for which du Bois was awarded the Newbery Medal. It’s a fantastical adventure story featuring Professor William Waterman Sherman, who leaves San Francisco on Aug 15, 1883, in a balloon, with the intention of going across the Pacific Ocean and enjoying some solitude. He wasn’t counting on Krakatoa’s explosive eruption, however… The illustrations (also by du Bois) provide a visual representation to go along with some of the detailed descriptions of the various inventions.
My full review HERE

Theresa wrote: "I just started “My Sister the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite."

Looking forward to seeing your review / reactions. I was surprised by this book.

Theresa wrote: "I just started “My Sister the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite."
Look forward to hearing your views on this book.
IMHO there are some truly novel writing coming out just now and this was one

My first review for the year is for the worthy Pulitzer Prize winner Beloved by Toni Morrison. It's hard to understand the kind of treatment 'former' slaves still endured after the end of the Civil War.

Technically, it's an easy read; emotionally, it's a heartbreaker.
5★ Link to my review of Beloved

My first book of 2021 was more lighthearted. We know from the title to look forward to The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home, but it's an after dark innovation suggested by author Joanna Nell that interests me. I do love a good idea.
3.5★ rounded up Link to my Great Escape From Woodlands review

The Growing Season – Sarah Frey – 3***
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: How I built a New Life – and Saved an American Farm. Frey grew up on the family’s Southern Illinois farmstead, where she learned the value of hard work and determination. Wanting to leave the poverty behind, she was ready to move on, until she faced the imminent foreclosure on the family land, and decided she just couldn’t let it go. She’s a savvy businesswoman and a principled leader. Her story is interesting, but I found it somewhat repetitive.
My full review HERE

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "My first review for the year is for the worthy Pulitzer Prize winner Beloved by Toni Morrison. It's hard to understand the kind of treatment 'former' slaves still endured ..."

BELOVED is probably my favorite book. It's certainly in the top five. I think it's a very difficult one if one understands all the symbolism. I've read it several times, and I don't think I understand it all yet. Maybe I'm just stupid. LOL

Kiki wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "My first review for the year is for the worthy Pulitzer Prize winner Beloved by Toni Morrison. It's hard to understand the kind of treatment 'form...

BELOVED is probably my favorite book. It's certainly in the top five. I think it's a very difficult one if one understands all the symbolism. I've read it several times, and I don't think I understand it all yet. Maybe I'm just stupid. LOL"

Kiki, I'm sure I could read it several times and not get all the symbolism, but sometimes we kind of "get" it by absorbing the sense of what she's writing about. Even if we don't know exactly what a place or scene is supposed to represent exactly, we understand the beauty or the sorrow or the horror, I think.

A Clash of Spheres by P.F. Chisholm is the eighth in this favourite historical mystery series where the dashing Sir Robert Carey is always close to being assassinated! Scotland, 1592.
4.5★ rounded up Link to my Clash of Spheres review

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Kiki wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "My first review for the year is for the worthy Pulitzer Prize winner Beloved by Toni Morrison. It's hard to understand the kind of tr..."

Thank you, Patty. I do agree with you. I'm sure I couldn't sit down and write about all the symbolism in the book, though I feel I "get" it, too. Thanks for the clarification, and Happy Reading in 2021! :)

I finally finished THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO RED LIGHT THERAPY. In this book, Ari Whitten details exactly what red and NIR therapy is and why it's so good for us. He lets us know all the things it's possible to treat, and often cure and the doses to use. Things like muscle aches, wound healing, chronic pain, especially arthritic pain, muscle loss, aging, especially of the skin, and so much more. Red/NIR light therapy can even treat the heart, thyroid, eyes, etc. I thought it was just hype until I used a red/NIR light panel for about a year and saw great benefits. Now, I'm using it for more things.

Finished The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Interesting content, and a depiction of gut-wrenching poverty in the Kentucky hills that resonates long after reading. I found it to be just a bit too repetitive with how much Cussy internalized the societal view of her being ugly and shameful due to her blue skin), but it isn't hard to believe that society reacted to this difference with malice and hateful prejudice. I had already read "Giver of Stars," another book about the packhorse librarians, so this was not new to me, but this book felt much more real in terms of the poverty and pride of the hill folk.

Simon the Fiddler – Paulette Jiles – 4****
Set in Texas at the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the reconstruction period, Jiles follows Simon Boudlin and his band of iterant musicians as they try to stay alive and out of trouble, and as Simon tries to win the heart of Doris, an indentured immigrant Irish lass. Simon is a marvelous character: intelligent, quick witted, resourceful, and determined. I love the way Jiles crafts her novels. While the plot focuses on the characters and their reactions to events happening around them, the atmosphere is enhanced by her descriptions of the landscape, the food, and culture of the times.
My full review HERE

Ashfall – Mike Millens – 3.5***
As post-apocalyptic novels go, I found this one is pretty interesting, engaging and compelling. I was quickly drawn in by Alex and his situation. But the book really came alive when he meets up with Darla. I want to read more about HER!
My full review HERE

Nobody Walks by one of my favourite authors, Mick Herron, has nothing to do with driving kids to school these days. : )
Always suspenseful!
4★ Link to my Nobody Walks review

Who knew there was an in-depth, scientific (GORGEOUS!) study of international fairies?! A Natural History of Fairies by Emily Hawkins and illustrator Jessica Roux is terrific - as appealing for oldies as for kiddies!
5★ Link to my Fairies review with several beautiful illustrations

Joyce Carol Oates’ WONDERLAND, the final novel in the Wonderland Quartet. Over the past couple of years I have read all of these novels and have relished each of these works from early in JCO’s career. I think this one is one of her best novels, if not the best. I was immediately immersed in the intensely emotional and internal world she created and the characters who lived there. Periodically I surfaced for air and time to reflect. This book resonated with me in so many ways.

Finished Stories of Your Life and Others. Interesting concepts and more science then scifi usually has (I liked this a lot), but not every story was terribly compelling in execution.

Simultaneously reading Watership Down for a book club and The Queen's Gambit for me before I see the Netflix film. Finding myself too pulled by the latter to get into the journey of the rabbits very well, so am taking myself to a yurt on the rainy Oregon coast with fewer distractions this next week.

Itchy fingers? Amigurumi Crochet: Farm and Forest Animals by Kristen Rask will have you busy with these cute designs. Clear details, excellent instructions.
5★ Link to my Crochet Animals review with several pictures

I finally decided to 'review' my own 2020 on Goodreads by choosing the books I liked best. It's a strange assortment, but that's what makes reading fun for me.
5★ of course! Link to my good reads of 2020

I’m not sure how to start a new thread so I decided to post this information here.

The Russian-American Business and Cultural Council (RABCC) is hosting a zoom webinar on Saturday January 30, 12-1 CDT. It’s called CELEBRATING CHEKHOV, and will include the reading of 2 short stories. I just registered. If you love Chekhov, here’s the link.

https://rabcc.org/

Thanks, Mary. I just copied this to a new thread so it's easier for people to locate. In the future, if you want to start a new thread, go back to the Constant Reader heading and look for "New Topic" at the top right, next to the heading.

Thank you, Lynn. Thanks for the instruction. I’ve found it. It looks a little different on an iPad but I checked it out and it creates a new topic. Now if I can just remember when I need it again (ironic chuckle to myself).

Haha - I know what you mean, Mary!

George Eliot’s MIDDLEMARCH, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. I enjoyed this classic very much. I particularly liked the omniscient narrator who observed, described, and commented on character, plot and setting. Juliet Stevenson performed a wonderful narration; I think, otherwise, this very long book would have been more of a challenge than I would have wanted to take on. I agree with the Overdrive description: “... in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, reforms; betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition and disappointment. Dorothea Brooke is an outstanding heroine; Middlemarch is filled with characters that are vivid and true, comic and moving. It is one of the greatest novels in the English language.”

Mary, Juliet Stevenson is a great narrator. She’s done loads of Virginia Woolf’s books as well.

MIDDLEMARCH is one of my favorite classics.

I just finished listening to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemison. Fantasy/science fiction novels are definitely not my usual genre but I've been curious about Jemison's writing since I heard her interviewed on the New York Times Book Review podcast some time ago. Hugo Awards are for science fiction writing and Jemison won their award for best novel 3 years in a row. She also got the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2020. I've read that this simply doesn't happen.

In addition to all of this, she is Black and there seems to be a little revolution of Black women getting more and more recognition for their science fiction writing. There are some stalwarts within that community who are not happy about it but this is one of the factors that tempted me. Then, on top of all that, my extremely well read great niece (she's definitely a constant reader) loves Jemisin's books.

So, this was my first venture and it was very interesting. First, I would not recommend listening to it even though the narrator was outstanding. There were just too many characters from too many groups, all with unusual names so it was hard to keep them straight. But, I would recommend the book. The writing is good. There are some novel concepts, many of which are feminist and they also fit in the narrative. And, it was a great escape during these tumultuous times. I will probably read the next one in the series, again probably an audiobook production since I have so many print books vying for my attention. Hopefully, I will be able to keep everyone straight now since I've been introduced to them.

Barb Glad you took to Jemison I think she is a good writer and a great creator of worlds. I’ve not read this one but it is on my TBR list

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? is the first Jemisin book I read. It is a collection of short stories and I thought it was excellent. Since then I have read all 3 works in The Broken Gate Trilogy. I agree with your comments. She is inventive, a good writer, and the worlds she creates are fascinating. I plan to move on to her cities series but, Barb, I will also add the one you’ve read to my TBR. There is a story in the collection I read that intrigued me and led me to add the first book in the cities series to my Libby tag list - The City We Became.

Thanks for sharing the recommendations for Jemison. I’m going to try the short story collection. Are her novels very bleak? I often find fantasy and dystopia novels too depressing.

Joan, I didn't find The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms bleak at all. It was full of adventure and mystery. There was also some interesting spirituality in it though not in a conventional sense. I can't speak to the rest of her writing.

We are going to be reading one of her short stories on the Short Story conference here. It will be "The City Born Great" and the discussion starts on March 21st.

This is an unusual addition to the Little People BIG DREAMS series for children by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara. Louise Bourgeois was a troubled, unique artist who created disturbing sculptures.
4★ Link to my Louise Bourgeois review with illustrations and a few photos of her "Maman" spiders

Amazing Things Are Happening Here is a collection of short stories by Jacob M. Appel, a doctor who has a knack for writing stories with a twist.
3★ Link to my Amazing Things review

1. While Angels Slept (Historical Fiction Series) by Kathryn Le Veque

2. Her Little Secret (Romance) by Elle Wright

3. Even Me: An Ali Addition (Domestic Abuse) by Celeste Granger

4. Skye Fall (Fantasy/Magic) by Desiree

Daisy Jones And the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid – 3***
A book within a book, that purportedly tells the story of a famous rock band of the 1970s, told as an “oral history.” It’s a love story, a history of the 1970s rock scene, a coming of age story, and a story of how addiction steals the best parts of our lives. I didn’t like the main characters. And as for plot – it just didn’t seem to be going anywhere, or at least not anywhere I wanted to go. And then I got to the ending and my breath was taken away. Those last twenty pages made me bump the rating up from 2 to 3 stars.
My full review HERE

I really enjoyed The Crossing, the first of Aussie author B. Michael Radburn's mystery series about a park ranger escaping his grief by taking a posting in Tasmania. It's frying pan into the fire stuff, except it's so bl**dy freezing that the fire might be welcome. Good read!
4.5★ Link to my review of The Crossing

This is a great one for kids and music lovers. Elton John by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara is bright and interesting and real.
5★ Link to my Elton John review with several illustrations

Sulari Gentill's exceptional Rowland Sinclair historical mystery series takes her four Australian characters to 1930's Shanghai in Shanghai Secrets. What a terrifying place it was - but a great read!

5★ Link to my Shanghai Secrets review

Recently finished Patrick White's Voss. A challenging read for my other Zooming in person person book group. It makes an excellent book club read for groups who like to do a deep dive into the style and literary devices employed by the writer as well as the construction of storyline and development of characters. My Review

Sheila, Voss has been on my shelves for more years than I can remember, to point that it’s become nearly invisible, despite attempts (meager) to fill sizable gap in Aussie lit. Your helpful review has at least got me thinking about it again — which guarantees nothing, of course, as my reading is mostly mood-driven these days.

Tom, I know what you mean both about being modd driven at present and having a gap in Aussie lit. The in person book group for which I read Voss is doing Australian and New Zealand literature at the moment. Voss was our first of this year, the rest are
Thomas Keneally The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
Peter Carey True History of the Kelly Gang
Geraldine Brooks March
Richard Flanagan The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Graeme Simsion The Rosie Project
Katherine Mansfield The Aloe
Maurice Gee In My Father's Den
Keri Hulme The Bone People
Alan Duff Once Were Warriors

I have VOSS and WANTING both on my TBR shelves (before I moved to online books only due to lack of space). I'm anxious to read them. My experiences in Australia have been wonderful, so I really love books set in that country. (The Sydney Opera House alone is worth a visit, but I loved the Outback, too. Go, if you can and if any of us can ever travel again.)

I changed courses from the Hillary Mantel books I was planning to read and am reading SHUGGIE BAIN, but I'm finding it a little difficult to get into. I love the Glasgow setting, though.

Kiki,
as you can imagine I have Shuggie Bain to read, but it will be a bit before I get to it as term has restarted and my studies interupt reading time. I'm not Glaswegian but can probably help with any vocab if you get stuck and Google fails.