Constant Reader discussion

A new month ... with slightly warmer weather here in the Washington, DC area ... and with growing piles of unread books. Both make me happy.

Finishing up the latest in a series of Nikola Tesla biographies I've read over the years, and this is the first one that A) actually seemed to understand the science and B) made Tesla seem like a real human being rather than the wizard who was thwarted from giving us the future. With "Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age," W. Bernard Carlson may not have the smoothest style, but he does understand his subject extremely well. Tesla's plan to broadcast wireless power is still floating around the twenty-something counterculture that fueled the Occupy movement a couple of years ago, along with a considerable mishmash of ideas (most of which they don't really understand as anything other than "what should have happened / be happening.") Carlson shows that Tesla was pursuing a dream more than real science, but along the way, he made important discoveries. Fascinating man, and a grounded biography that finally does him justice.

I've just finished reading The Last Word by Hanif Kureishi. It is funny and at the same time very sad. Kureishi pokes fun at aging authors looking to revive their career and young would be novelist having to become biographers or ghost writers in order to survive. At the same time it is sad because of the desperation of keeping up appearances and having to settle for second best in relationships. No one is really in control, however much they like to be. Bittersweet but engaging and yes enjoyable, but it makes you fear for humanity. Well, any good literary book gives you something to take away with you and Kureishi definitely succeeds in doing that.

I just completed Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and other than the last 20 pages which were very contrived I enjoyed this one. It was surely out of my norm and the novel was not what I had anticipated when I purchased the book but I looked forward to reading about the comings and goings in this school in Australia.

Pirriwee Public is, in many ways, its own little world. The children are well cared for, their academic progress and creativity encouraged to flourish. The parents are mostly middle class, albeit across the income spectrum, and highly engaged in their children's lives--in fact, sometimes too engaged, hovering over their children and becoming involved in every perceived slight or risk.

A young single mom, Jane, moves to town, enrolling her young son at Pirriwee Public,and gets off to a bad start when one of the influential mothers mistakes Jane for a nanny. However Madeline, one of the more irreverent and confident mothers, strikes up a friendship with Jane. Soon, Madeline introduces Jane around time, and Jane is even included in a friendship with Celeste, whose twin sons attend Pirriwee Public.

When Jane's son is accused of bullying before school even formally begins, schisms and battle lines rapidly appear between the mothers that rule the school, the new mom and her friends, and other parents. The story raises questions about how involved parents should be in the school lives of their children, and the fine line between ensuring your child is safe and helping them become independent and able to face adversity.

Even though I was surprised I picked Big Little Lies I'm so happy I did and now I will start reading a very serious and what I expect to be a gut wrenching novel A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. From what I have heard of A Little Life there might be times when I wish I had Big Little Lies back on my lap instead.

I have been reading Remember Me Like This, about a family whose 15 year old son is found after he was kidnapped at the age of 11. This book got good reviews and I feel like I "should" have liked it better, but it was a library book and I bailed about half way through. Not enough action, too much rumination in each character's mind. Also, I did not find the mom character realistic.

Ann wrote: "I have been reading Remember Me Like This, about a family whose 15 year old son is found after he was kidnapped at the age of 11. This book got good reviews and I feel like I "shoul..."

I'm rereading The Great Night, which includes an adult character who was abducted for some years as a boy...by the fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream, who live in Buena Vista Park in San Francisco. I love this very explicit but not erotic novel which is filled with compassion for the foolish mortals we all are.

I just finished This Land Is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation by Barbara Ehrenreich, I love Barbara Ehrenreich - she gives our corrupt politicians and CEOs hell for enjoying the high life while all around them, people are mired in poverty. She is also funny and the best satirist I've ever heard. This is one of her earlier books (an audiobook for me) and she skews Bush and all his bumbling decisions. So much fun.

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme – 4****
A delicious memoir. I really got a sense for the determination with which Julia mastered the art of French cooking, and for the enthusiasm with which she set out to impart that love of French cooking to the rest of the world. I liked the photos that were included, but wish that more of them had actual captions. Flo Salent Greenberg does a fine job of the audio, but be sure to get the unabridged version.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Frank wrote: "I just completed Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and other than the last 20 pages which were very contrived I enjoyed this one. It was surely out of my norm and the novel was not what I had anti..."

I agree, this book was a surprise to me too. Some weighty themes under a frothy surface. Great characterisation too.

I was on the wait list for 3 library books, and they all came in at once: We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas, Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar, and The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. Unless I give up my day job, I don't think I'm going to get them read before they have to go back
I had also started Winter of the World by Ken Follett, which I own, so that one will wait a bit.

Just did a light read, Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion by Derek Hough. Even though Dancing with The Stars wise I'm more of a Maks fan, I do love Derek's choreography, so this was a nice glimpse into his background.

I recently finished Kevin and I in India by Frank Kusy. Kusy has apparently written quite a few travel books and this was his first, an account of four months traveling around India and Nepal on the cheap in the 1980s. A free Kindle book. I enjoyed learning a bit more about India - especially the natural beauty. But his depiction of Indians is stereotyped - at best, they amuse him; more often, they annoy him - and he must have recorded every misspelling and grammatical error he read in English during his four months there, and then felt he had to share it in this book.

Station Eleven I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic, time-jumping fiction, but this book is so beautifully written and realistic that I am zipping through it. The fact that the main group of survivors is composed of actors presenting Shakespeare accompanied by musicians known only as their instruments was all I needed to get hooked.

To those of you who suggested I read Isabel Allende's Zorro, thank you very much. I enjoyed it, a fun romp through history and fantasy.

Mary wrote: "To those of you who suggested I read Isabel Allende's Zorro, thank you very much. I enjoyed it, a fun romp through history and fantasy."

Glad you liked it.

Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – 4****
In her debut collection of short stories, Divakaruni explores the ways in which women raised with traditional values try to balance the realities of a new existence in America. I love short stories and there are some really great ones in this collection. The women may be different form one another, and very different from me, but I was able to connect to each and every one of them. We share the struggle between living up to others’ expectations and following our own dreams.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Book Concierge wrote: " Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – 4****
In her debut collection of short stories, Divakaruni explores the ways in which women raised..."
Maybe I should try another of hers. I started The Mistress of Spices years ago. It didn't set with me and I left it unfinished.

I just finished Fatima Bhutto'sThe Shadow of the Crescent Moon set in NW Pakistan's Waziristan province as the lives of oen family wind headlong into a chasm caused by war and fundamentalism over the course of one morning that changes their lives. I though she build the tension well over a series of short timed chapters, although I felt the end lack a little clarity.

And then I picked up A Darker Shade: 17 Swedish Stories of Murder, Mystery and Suspenseedited by John-Henri Holmberg. I've just read the introduction and the first story so far. The first is one by Tove Alsterdal entitled Reunion and for me it had tinges of Louise Eldrich, so have great expectations of the others, many in English for the first time.

Just finished In Open Spaces by Russell Rowland. A good old-fashioned page-turner which follows a Montana ranching family from 1916-1946. Solidly written, but few moments of shining prose.

I'm reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed! Would love to see movie too ☺

The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – 3***
I hardly know what to write. In many respects the book is as mysterious and unbelievable as the dictatorship that is North Korea. Johnson’s nonlinear timeline and use of obfuscation, lies, half-truths and prevarications keeps the reader complete off balance – obviously mimicking what the citizens of North Korea must endure. And yet … I found it compelling and fascinating. Tim Kang, Josiah D Lee and James Kyson Lee do a wonderful job narrating the audio book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World. Oh my gosh, it is so good! The author tells fascinating historical stories in very readable and accessible layman's vocabulary (he does not get technical at all, and does not need to to make his points). I'm well versed in science generally, but there was much in this book that I did not know.

The greatest feat of this book, however, is in how the author shows how all of what we think of as everyday modern reality rests on these simple innovations, and shows how intertwined human advances are to each other. This is so much more interesting than learning of seemingly separate inventions.

My favorite part of the book is actually the introduction, where he quotes an artist friend as saying that because he is not a scientist he can better appreciate natural beauty, for instance the beauty of a rose. I have encountered this type of thinking a lot, which I think of as possibly a bit of a defense mechanism (and in some cases a fear of science). I love his answer, which I endorse, that the beauty is just as easily seen by any person open to it, but understanding all the layers of what light is, what plants are and their evolution, what is involved in human visual perception, etc., these understandings just add, only add to the amazement one feels about the natural universe! Recently I heard someone say that they didn't need to understand what light was to flip on a light switch, and no they don't, but what amazing appreciation it adds!

That sounds good, Lyn. I'm going to put it on my TBR library list.

Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish. One of the best books I have read in years. This story of Zou Lei, an illegal Chinese immigrant and Skinner, a disturbed vet, wounded in body and soul in Iraq is gripping, Lish’s writing is extraordinary in its raw power. Alas, Robert Stone has died, but Atticus Lish lives—and his unforgettable novel “Preparation For the Next Life” makes his reputation if he never writes another.

Lyn wrote: "I just finished How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World. Oh my gosh, it is so good! The author tells fascinating historical stories in very readable and acce..."

We saw the TV series. Didn't realize it was a book.

Just ordered it on the strength of your recommendation, backed up by the other reviews.

Book Concierge wrote: " The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – 3***
I hardly know what to write. In many respects the book is as mysterious and unbelievable as the dicta..."

Sounds very intriguing and I was even more surprised to find it in my local Library collection, so have added it to my to be read list. Tx

Sheila wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – 3***
I hardly know what to write. In many respects the book is as mysterious and un..."

When you finish why don't you read our discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I finished the book, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. This was a funny book at times, if you like dry British humor. It's also a charming love story between 2 people whose spouses have died. They have been acquaintances for many years in a small village in England. People are overly class and race conscious in this village. But the Major is retired soldier and he falls in love with a woman who is Pakistani in heritage but born and raised in England. It's her heritage that people in the town have always looked down on. I love the contrasts in the characters. Because the Major discovers that she, Jasmina, is actually an intelligent, refined, and elegant woman. He enjoys her 58 year old beauty. He is 68 years old. This is a well written and enjoyable story.

On the heels of that wonderful book I am reading the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic, The Great Gatsby. I am reading for a book club. And guess what, I have never read it! It's prose is gorgeous. I am enjoying it more than I expected. We won't meet on it for a month so I might read it at least 2 more times before then. It is multi layered and there is so much more there than you think at first. I think it is interesting to read this book after Major Pettigrew because Gatsby is a book full of overly class conscious people. Shallow, materialistic, people who live on the surface of life. This is also a theme running through Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare – 3.5***
Twins separated by a shipwreck; a woman disguised as a man; a Duke who loves a Countess, who falls for the messenger (really the woman in disguise). Eventually this comedy will be sorted out and the various pairs of lovers united as they should be. Great fun to watch it being performed; reasonably entertaining as an audio book (performed by a full cast).
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sherry wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – 3***
I hardly know what to write. In many respects the book is as my..."

Thanks for pointing me to the discussion thread, Sherry. Some really great points made there.

recue by n. sparks

Halfway through reading my library copy of Donald Hall's Essays After Eighty, I bought it for my Kindle. I wanted a copy of it after I returned it to the library and I thought that my wife would enjoy this book. Hall provides a lot of stories about the good and the bad, especially the indignities, of aging. Nope, it's not poetry ... just great prose ... and his thoughts (in just a few short passages) alone about which poets come into favor and then fall from favor is worth reading it.

I'm also almost finished with reading This Is NPR: The First Forty Years, by Noah Adams and David Folkenflik. It's a very good look at how NPR radio (and shows, including the news shows) have changed and evolved since the beginning of NPR. Maybe it's too anecdotal, but that's true if you're looking for an authoritative history of NPR. I'm not sure that authoritative history even exists, and I do know that this is a very enjoyable book. You'll understand much better how and why MORNING EDITION, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and a number of other shows evolved over time after you read this book. I'm actually borrowing this book to read on my Kindle as a KINDLE UNLIMITED book. I would definitely buy it, if I couldn't borrow it.

Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile – 3***
In her debut work Baszile explores one woman’s efforts to find herself by returning to her family’s roots – a sugar cane farm in southern Louisiana. It’s a good premise but an uneven effort. I liked Charley, but wanted more about her relationships. Thought her brother was an unnecessary distraction for most of the book. And the ending was a little abrupt. An okay debut.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Larry wrote: "Halfway through reading my library copy of Donald Hall's Essays After Eighty, I bought it for my Kindle. I wanted a copy of it after I returned it to the library and I thought that ..."

Just ordered it.

Sherry wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson – 3***
I hardly know what to write. In many respects the book is as my..."

Tx Sherry

Portia wrote: "Station Eleven I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic, time-jumping fiction, but this book is so beautifully written and realistic that I am zipping through it. The fact that the main ..."

Yes! Thank you, Portia! I just finished it and loved it also. It was so comforting the know that after the Fall of Civilization we won't become (a) Vikings; (b) Vampires or Zombies; or (c) Slaves of Aliens.

The emotional and psychological aspects of the story, how people clung to memories and yet created a new normal, oh, I admired it so. I'm so glad you mentioned it. I think the last thing this novel was was "dystopic." (Normally, I say or write "dystopic," count to 10, and break out in hives. This is not a dystopic novel.)

Reading William Trevor, reading Lives of Others, trying to keep up with all the articles from Arts and Letters Daily, and links from links to those.

Ellen wrote: " trying to keep up with all the articles from Arts and Letters Daily, and links from links to those. ..."

Some of my favorite reading every day begins with the links from Arts and Letters Daily ... and with those links cited in the daily offering of The Browser. (Well worth paying the subscription for the latter.)

Guys, just one question. Does anybody here use "Skoob"? Its an app about literature also

Felipe wrote: "Guys, just one question. Does anybody here use "Skoob"? Its an app about literature also"

First I've heard of it, but I just read about it on wikipedia--the Brazilian network? sounds interesting.

I recently finished Aquarium by David Vann, the story of a 12 year old girl and her mother, living in Seattle. Her mother is in a dead end job. Caitlin escapes to the city Aquarium every day after school to visit the fish. There is so much power of observation and emotion here---how children live with and through the adults around them, are affected by them over generations. Excellent writing. I will read more of his work.

I also read an ARC of Elizabeth Alexander's memoir on the death of her husband, The Light of the World: A Memoir. This was truly excellent. Highly recommended. She writes beautifully as would be expected given her credentials, but also is able to express so much of the emotion of the love of her life, much joy along with the terrible grief.

Just finished Easy Riders, Raging Bulls -- Peter Biskind's incredibly well-researched history of the New Hollywood of the late Sixties/Seventies. A solid, and equally impressive, follow-up read to Mark Harris' Scenes from a Revolution, which concerned 1967. Both of these should be required reading for anybody wanting to understand American cinema of the last half-century. I wish I'd written both of them.

There are some very fast readers in CR. I'm a slowpoke. However, on Monday I finished a reread of THE GREAT NIGHT, by Chris Adrian, and tonight I finished Elena Ferrante's Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. Am continuing with The Blazing World, which I find fascinating but not fast, it's a book to ponder as you read. And have started We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler--such a compelling voice.

I am doing a reread of REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier for a casual book group I belong to. I think I remember the basic premise - more from the movie than the book - but I am still drawn in by the novel. I remember loving Du Maurier when I was young.

Anne, I loved Du Maurier when I was younger. Recently I reread Rebecca and found myself losing patience with the main character, wishing she would show more gumption!

I was obsessed with Du Maurier when I was an early teen.

Kat wrote: "Am continuing with The Blazing World..."

I just started this today to make a change from all morning with the Iliad, and already I am finding it super exciting. I had seen some mixed reactions, so I'm very pleased to be liking it so much.

Donna wrote: "Anne, I loved Du Maurier when I was younger. Recently I reread Rebecca and found myself losing patience with the main character, wishing she would show more gumption!"

Donna, I lost patience with her too. But I did rent the movie and plan to see it this week, so it still has a hold on me.

Gina,
Let me know what you think of the movie. Joan Fontaine was absolutely gorgeous. I don't have that picture at all of the girl in the book.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – 5*****
This is a modern fable; a story of faith, moral courage, destiny and friendship. Covering the period from 1953 to the late 1980s, Irving uses the narrator – Johnny Wheelwright – to comment on the politics of the day, social mores, the role of faith and religion in our communities, and the miracle of enduring friendship. I loved Owen Meany almost as much as Johnny did. He could be exasperating, but there was something so mature and wise and loving about him that simply drew me in. Joe Barrett does a fine job performing the audio version. His unique voice for Owen Meanty is very effective.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It's interesting what several of you said about Rebecca. I read it at 16 years old and thought it was the best book I ever read. Perhaps, being closer to the age of the narrator, I could understand her better. I also think that Du Maurier is a master of setting. I thought it then and when I tried to reread it last year, I thought that again. When she describes a place she can write so gorgeously. But this time, I couldn't stand the narrator so I abandoned ship...