On The Same Page discussion

Somehow I missed this thread! So: here I am.

Read so far this year (it was too challenging to put into order by month--from now on I'll update more accurately)

1) Decreation: Poetry, Essays, Opera by Anne Carson: very difficult but equally rewarding; especially her discussion of Simone Weil
2) The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For and Believe byRichard Rohr: he's a tremendous hero of mine, a Catholic priest who combines contemplation with social activism and an inclusive view of spirituality and people
3) Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang: loved this one--a somewhat autistic woman, who is a physician, first generation Chinese American (her Mom, who lives in China, comes over rather hilariously to stay with Joan's high-achieving brother
4) Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel: this one took me a long time-- information dense, fascinating. Loved it
5) Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing; Matthew Perry--Did not finish: I'm a huge Friends' fan and I particularly love Perry in it but I found this book almost unbearable (like I said, I could not finish it--I own it so maybe one day--I didn't even get up to when he was on Friends. Too much self-pity, self-hatred mixed with grandiosity
6) All about Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks: I adored this one: exuberant, full of life, funny--he reminds me of my Dad--plus the evocation of old New York City, going through the 50s & 60s which I remember (well, the 60s anyway)
7) Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian D. McLaren: some interesting ideas and responses; I found it helpful
8) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: more fun than the tv version; I loved it--even more than The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
9) The Maid by Nita Prose: took me a minute to recall this one; pretty good
10) The Ufizzi Gallery (getting ready for our trip to Italy in June)
11) Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura: very sweet
12) Everybody: A Book about Freedom by Olivia Laing--I like Laing a lot --loved The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone--this one not quite so much but some really interesting essays about what it means to be free in an unfree world and differing ideas of what freedom even is
13) Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima: mother with her young daughter, newly separated from her husband--elegant, slender book, elegiac; I liked it a lot although I found it slightly depressing
14) The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman: parts of it were very interesting but I didn't care about a lot of it
15) Essence of Prayer by Ruth Burrows: I was blown away--a Carmelite nun's look at contemplative prayer
16) A Modern Heathens Guide to Norse Paganism: The Earth-Centered Religion that Empowers Us to Embrace Our Inner Viking and Take Charge of Our Fate, Quinby C. Larson: I won this book which I requested because of my son's interest in Norse mythology not because of any interest in becoming a pseudo-Norse pagan. A few interesting pieces of information. I won't be getting on a Viking ship any time soon.

Just finished:

Black Vodka: Ten Stories by Deborah Levy scanning the reviews on this one, I guess I'm in the minority but oh well--I enjoyed this one very much and spent a happy couple of hours in its company

Currently Reading
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
The ms of m y kin by Janet Holmes erasure poetry using the already spare, almost erased itself, poetry of Emily Dickinson to protest war, specifically the U.S. war post 9/11 against Iraq
Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami by David Karashima: I won this from GR--a discussion of the various translators of Murakami's work--how they came to translate him and their strategies when doing translations. Since I love Murakami and am fascinated by the art of translation this is one is deeply interesting to me
Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles. Again, love Davis, interested in translating, also love Proust so a winner all around)

I think I hit the limit in my first post--there are lots of missing books so here's the best reconstruction I can come up with:

17) Children of the State: Stories of Survival and Hope in the Juvenile Justice System by Jeff Hobbs sad, moving, powerful

18) The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley fun, first half better paced than second half

19) Finding Me by Viola Davis amazing; well-written

20) Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing some essays were more interesting to me than others but generally well worth the read. I love Laing--The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone is a favorite of mine

21) Strangers I Know: A Novel by Claudia Durastanti strange, very interesting, novel/memoir of the daughter of two deaf parents who refuse to learn any conventional system of communication; Mom is charismatic--at least to her daughter--but very odd

22) Party Going by Henry Green doing a reread of Green--I read all his work but at least 35 years ago--still find him an interesting and skillful author

23) Our Father by Ruth Burrows Well, the title says it all--a line by line meditation on the ancient prayer

(continued)

24) What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman by Lerita Coleman Brown I won this from LibraryThing--a look at the black theologian, a leader in the Civil Right movement, a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., a passionate advocate of inclusive spirituality as well as a "spiritual activist." Made me want to read him in his own words.

25) Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett another of the strange little books with odd, reclusive women I seem drawn to at the moment.

26) Real Estate by Deborah Levy I'm thrilled to discover a new, exciting author. This is part of a trilogy of "working autobiographies" (her words) in which she explores the process of creating a new life after a divorce in her fifties, approaching 60. Loved it. New goal: read all of Levy's work.

27) Berg by Ann Quin Quin was an experimental writer, British, in the 1960s and this is apparently her most famous work. I found it well-written but unpleasant--but it definitely held my attention

28) Three also by Ann Quin enjoyed this one more than Berg--social commentary but also loved the character of the mysterious, disruptive (a "free" woman), who enters the life of an outwardly successful middle-class couple

29) Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys Along with Green, I'm doing a reread of Rhys--again, more than 35 years since I read her and I wondered if I would still find her alcoholic, desperate heroines--this one in Paris, adding to the romance of it all--would still be of interest. It is--I still love her even though I'm so emotionally, physically, and spiritually distant from the world she creates. A great writer,

30) The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy I wrote this before, but I can't find it above so maybe it was lost: I am thrilled to discover a new author (well, new to me) whose voice is exciting, her intellect, her emotional life--all resonate with me. This "working biography" is her exploration of what it means to be a woman approaching 60 years old, suddenly on her own, the trauma of divorce, daughters leaving home, as well the development of her writing career.

31)

You've been on a roll! One thing about these challenges is, they aren't going anywhere and you can drop in anytime. :)

Alondra wrote: "You've been on a roll! One thing about these challenges is, they aren't going anywhere and you can drop in anytime. :)"

It's been a very good time for my reading

:)

Finished:

Black Vodka: Ten Stories (Deborah Levy); quick reading, somewhat light reading & more vignettes than stories but I liked them a lot
Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami (David Karashima): I'm fascinated by the process of translation and I love Murakami so this was perfect for me and very interesting
All the Lovers in the Night (Mieko Kawakami) Another book I liked a lot--I seem to have an affinity for these reclusive, eccentric, single women!
Gallows View (Peter Robinson--fun police procedural--DCI Banks series--I loved the BBC series

Finished:
The ms of m y kin (Janet Holmes: exciting erasure poem -- a cry against the U.S. war on Iraq using the poems of Emily Dickinson written during the Civil War
Constructing a Nervous System: A Memoir (Margo Jefferson) Wonderful riff on race in America using writers, musicians, and performers to illuminate the author's identity

Currently reading:
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (Haruki Murakami): started reading before I saw the new film based on the stories in this collection--great stories
Blood at the Root (Peter Robinson) Continuing with the DCI Banks series
The Word Is Murder (Anthony Horowitz): just started--promising beginning!

Also reading:

Things I Don't Want to Know by Deborah Levy--I'm not loving it so I don't know if I'll finish. I'll give it another 10 pages or so

Greek Lessons by Han Kang--painfully beautiful; one of those books I wish I could memorize. That's right--the entire book

Loving The Word is Murder!

Finished:
Greek Lessons by Han Kang: loved it

Finished Things I Don't Want to Know--I ended up loving it

Three Prayers: mixed feelings--some terrific stuff, some awful. On the whole, I found it worth it and helpful but not something I'd recommend

Finished: The Word Is Murder--a lot of fun--I've started the next in the series, The Sentence is Death

Also finished Blood at the Root; I'm enjoying this series (DCI Banks)

Ellie wrote: "Finished Things I Don't Want to Know--I ended up loving it

Three Prayers: mixed feelings--some terrific stuff, some awful. On the whole, I found it worth it and hel..."

I always find it interesting when I start off struggling with a book and eventually end up really enjoying it as you seem to have done with I don't want to Know. I must see if I can get a copy. Enjoy your reading!

Finished:
After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie by After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie
Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles by Lydia Davis
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

I'm challenging myself by reading books written in French. It has been decades since I was able to do that but after reading Lydia Davis' book about learning new language (Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles) I was inspired to go back (I've been promising myself this for several years). My ultimate goal is to reread Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, at least the first and the last volume, in the original but I'm working my way up to it. I'm starting with Marguerite Duras' L'Amante anglaise and Annie Ernaux's Je ne suis pas sortie de ma nuit. I love both these writers. Ernaux's book is painful: her mother (younger than I am and extremely fit and active) fell and it seems to have brought on Alzheimer's. Her deterioration is fast and horrifying for Annie. I'm only staying with it because, I hate to admit it, it's relatively easy for me to read and understand.

Finished:
The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
It's been, literally, decades since I read this book and I didn't remember it at all. Vintage Murakami, strange happenings, distant relationships, emotionally numb men and soup. Very entertaining. I'm warming up for a reread of his The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz Not as much fun as the first two in the series but still enjoyable, especially as I've become attached to Horowitz and Hawthorne. I just borrowed the last in the series, The Twist of a Knife. I'm looking forward to it.

Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery by Catherine Gildiner Powerful case histories of people struggling to overcome horrific childhoods. I found one story almost traumatic to read

Ellie wrote: "I'm challenging myself by reading books written in French. It has been decades since I was able to do that but after reading Lydia Davis' book about learning new language ([book:Essays Two: On Prou..."

That is so awesome, Ellie!!

I am thinking about adding the Horowitz books to my tbr, they seem like fun.

They are so much fun!

I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz--I seem to be working my way through all of Horowitz's "oeuvre" (lol)--he's consistently fun

Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Refreshing my French--I still like this charming little book a lot

On my trip to Italy, I seemed to crave "comfort" reading so I reread two of my favorite mysteries by Ann Cleeves:
The Darkest Evening and
The Rising Tide (I keep rereading this with the of course completely irrational hope that it will end differently with each new reading

More escape reading:
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (I'm now watching the tv series he created, Death in Paradise--extremely light weight but entertaining when I can't concentrate on anything!)

The Twist of a Knife (another Anthony Horowitz)

You always impress me with the variety of your choices. And reading in French! Loved your pictures of Italy. It looked like an amazing trip.
I'm hoping to read a Horowitz soon. They keep popping up in various places. LOL

Italy was wonderful and Horowitz is fun. He also has a series of Sherlock Holmes

Samuel Beckett's Library (Dirk Van Hulle) Finally finished--all about Beckett's library, his maginalia, and connections with his writing. Fascinating

Ellie wrote: "I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz--I seem to be working my way through all of Horowitz's "oeuvre" (lol)--he's consist..."

I've been having trouble too. I am not officially behind yet; but I am getting there. Ugh!

Alondra wrote: "Ellie wrote: "I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz--I seem to be working my way through all of Horowitz's "oeuvre" (lol)..."

Good luck--I'm thinking of putting some of his books on "pause" and going back to him in a bit. I'm a bit saturated I think!

Finished (6/29/23): Valentino and Sagittarius: Two Novellas by Natalia Ginzburg

I've started several of Ginzburg's book but until now abandoned them because they are so bleak and leave me feeling depleted (which is odd because I certainly read many bleak and even painful narratives!). These two novellas are vivid and strong depictions of two Italian families in post-war Italy. I was absorbed in the stories but, again, felt awful when I finished. There are several Ginzburg books I want very much to read (I even bought a couple) but it may take some time before I recover enough from this one to start another.

Finished:

Foster by the Irish writer, Claire Keegan. Short but breathtakingly lovely book about a little girl left with relatives.

Started Walk The Blue Fields by Claire Keegan--another beautiful book by a wonderful writer

Also picked up again The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Finished:

The Summer Book (Tove Jansson) which is a very sweet book about a child and her grandmother

Walk the Blue Fields (Claire Keegan) I love Keegan--clean, spare, poetic

Currently reading:
Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys)--a reread (but it's been, literally, decades!) since I've reread some of her other books--a kind of fan fiction about Mr. Rochester's (from Jane Eyre) first "mad" wife from her point of view, giving her origin story

Still working on Demon Copperhead--I know this is a super-popular book but I'm finding it slow going & very depressing although equally well-written. It's not hard to read the individual pages, I'm just finding it difficult to stay with it

Also still reading Tove Ditlevsen's Copenhagen Triology--I love this one even though I'm not rushing through it

Maybe reading Jonathan Lethem's More Alive and Less Lonely: On Books and Writers--I want to like this book--I love essays about books and I love Lethem's work (2 of my favorite books of all time are The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn) but I'm having trouble getting into it. Maybe I'll abandon the first essay and sample the next one--or look through the table of contents for an author I already like--that's the good thing about essays--choices

Finished: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
What a powerful book--it broke my heart, enraged me, made me cry--so many feelings triggered by such a slim volume! Jean Rhys, whom I love as a writer, at her very best.

I've read three of Rhys' books. I can't say she's a favorite of mine, there is a grimness to her stories (at least those I've read), but she has a unique writing style and way of telling a story.

Ellie wrote: "Finished: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
What a powerful book--it broke my heart, enraged me, made me cry--so many feelings triggered by such a slim volume! Jean Rh..."

That sounds wonderful. I might actually check that out. I am on a Fantasy & Sci-Fi kick; but may need to slow up bit.

Alondra wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Finished: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
What a powerful book--it broke my heart, enraged me, made me cry--so many feelings triggered by such a slim v..."

I really recommend it. And it's not very long--but so powerful!

Finally finished Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver):

Liked but didn't love it as much as I thought I would--maybe I went into it with expectations that were too high. Well-written, well-plotted (how could it not be? It's a faithful transcription of its model), socially and politically relevant, Kingsolver gives voice to a demographic that is disregarded and even mocked.

All that being said, it made me want to reread David Copperfield

Alondra wrote: "Ellie wrote: "Finished: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
What a powerful book--it broke my heart, enraged me, made me cry--so many feelings triggered by such a slim v..."

Me too, re the Sci - Fi fantasy kick... I didn't realize I had so many on the go.

Finished:
Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg A collection of short stories; beautifully written but left me very sad

Ellie wrote: "Finished:
Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg A collection of short stories; beautifully written but left me very sad"

I love short story collections . . . but I don't need sad right now.

I understand!

I’ve had those times