Constant Reader discussion

Here's the new schedule for the first half of next year, including the nonfiction choice. Please let me know if you have questions or see any errors.

January
Classics: no book

Reading List (15th) – Cloudstreet by Tim Winton, nominated by Ruth (448 p.)

February
Classics (1st) –A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, nominated by Ann M. (403 p.)

Reading List (15th)- Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder, nominated by Molly (320 p.)

March
Classics (1st) – Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad, nominated by Barb (242 p.)

Reading List (15th) –The Swan's Nest by Laura McNeal, nominated by Jane (320 p.)

April
Classics (1st) – Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, nominated by spoko (501 p.)

Reading List (15th) – Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosely, nominated by spoko (263 p.)

May
Classics: Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev, Nicolas Pasternak Slater, et al, nominated by Barb (225 p.)

Reading List (15th) – The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, nominated by Justin (656 p.)

June
Nonfiction (1st) – Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer, nominated by spoko (544 p.)

Reading List (15th) – I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger, nominated by Lynn I. (336 p.)

FYI - for those who don't mind reading on a Kindle, Amazon has the Kindle version of Cloudstreet available for $2.99 right now. Even better, I had some digital credits that made it almost free.

Thanks Lynn. Got the deal!

Hooray! The deal was still there today. I had some credits as well and did get it for free. Thank you for posting the alert, Lynn.

Thanks, Lynn! I got it too.

I saw the Australian miniseries on Acorn TV a while back and it looks like the book will be a great story. Fortunately :-), I don't remember much of the miniseries, so the differences between the book and the filmed version won't really bother me.

The State Library of Michigan just chose I Cheerfully Refuse as one of Michigan's Notable Books for 2024. Though Leif Enger is from Minnesota, I am assuming it was chosen because the main character is sailing Lake Superior and "seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs and islands of the inland sea.". And, because it's a very good book.

That's interesting news, Barb. Yes, I can imagine that it would be especially appealing to people who live near Lake Superior (or any of the Great Lakes). That connection to northern Wisconsin and the UP was one of the reasons I first decided to read it, but as I read I discovered that there's a lot more to it than that.

I wanted to note that I nominated Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev because there is a new translation, which has been praised, by Nicholas Pasternak Slater and Maya Slater. That is the one I bought and will be reading. This will be a reread for me and I think it will be interesting to see if it has a different feel. However, it definitely is not a requirement for participation. If you would like to use a different translation, that will be fine.

Thanks, Barb. You might want to post this in the Classics Corner too, since that's the section where the discussion will be.

I don't know what I was thinking when I only put it here. Off to add it to the CC schedule as well.

Thanks, Barb!

Barb,
I read Turgenev's Fathers and Sons when I was in college, but I do not know who the translator was. I think Turgenev's insights, and psychological observations, are as valid now as they were then.
Thanks for the note on Leif Enger's book I Cheerfully Refuse. The Michigan connection interests me as we hope to return God's country this summer for several weeks.

I love seeing this note from you here, Katy. I haven’t been up north in a while but it truly is God’s country. Your note is a reminder that I need to make that happen.

I hope you join us for the Fathers and Children discussion.