Constant Reader discussion

Here is the schedule for the Classics and the Reading List from January 2010 to June 2010.

JANUARY
Classics

Dom Casmurro by Assis
RL

2666 A Novel by Bolaño

FEBRUARY
Classics

No book
RL

Continuation of 2666

MARCH
Classics

The Sheltering Sky by Bowles
RL

Half of a Yellow Sun by Adichie

APRIL
Classics

Go Down, Moses by Faulkner
RL

A Gate at the Stairs by Moore

MAY
Classics No book
RL The Little Stranger by Waters

JUNE
Classics

A House for Mr. Biswas by Naipaul
RL

Breakable You by Morton



As always we start discussion of the Classic selection the first of the month, and the Reading List selection on the 15th of the month.

HAPPY READING!

Sherry, thanks for putting this all together. Great books to read on 2010.

Great list, as usual.
Jan, Feb, March, April will keep me solidly busy, in a good way. :)
Many thanks for this best of all forums.

Thanks, Sherry. I'll print the schedule out.

Sherry, As always, you've done a great job It's a challenging list. Thank you.

Thanks, everyone. I enjoy it.

Thanks! I hope I'm able to read a few books in time for the discussion, something I've been haveing a hard time doing for the last year or so...

I bought Half of a Yellow Sun this morning at Border's with my 5 free Border's Rewards bucks that were sent to me in an email. So, it's on my shelf and ready.

This is a good list! I'm working away at 2666 now, and plan/hope to read some of the others. Go Down Moses and Breakable You especially. I'd try for Dom Casaumaro, but I'm not counting on being through 2666 in time. According to Amazon, May selection The Little Stranger is available in paperback on May 3, if we can it might make sense to switch it with the June selection?

Theresa, hoping to read more books in 2010 than I have managed in 2009. I have read a grand total of 4 novels so far this year, and I used to whip through more than that in a month. I have read lots of interesting work and teaching related stuff though.

I put it in May because it is longer than the Morton, and there is a large Classics selection in June. Reading both the Naipaul and the Waters in the same month would be a lot for me. Does anyone else think I should switch?

Whatever month, I think the Waters' book should be discussed by itself since there are so many questions in it to be answered and they can be answered in several ways.

Well, I look forward to the discussion of The Little Stranger, as I read it some months ago and am still pretty flummoxed (not that there's anything wrong with that). :)

Sara

The Little Stranger is one I'm particularly waiting to discuss and I'm glad it's scheduled for May because I looked it up at work and, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, it is due to be released in paperback in April.

Oh, good, Beej. It always helps to have someone in the business around. (But at first I thought you were talking about a book called "As It Stands Right Now." Hee hee.)

Hahahahaa! Sorry about that! The reason I stressed that is because I cannot tell you how many times a release date is set and then quietly pushed back, sometimes even after an author has begun to promote it. Many a client has been absolutely furious over this.

I have just ordered 2666 and The Gate at the Stairs. I want to try to join in the discussions, and for some reason I'm always confused about when we start reading a book vs. when we start discussing a book. Simple question I know, but it's important to me. Could someone explain? Thanks!

I'm glad I already read The Little Stranger because I'm way behind on my reading. Thankfully, Dom Casmurro is short.

Kara, I really need to go ask the management to make it so I can change the wording on the bookshelves. They are not set up for how we do things around here. We always start discussing the Classics selection on the first of the month--you can start reading it whenever you think you'll be done by the first. We always start the discussion of the Reading List selection on the 15th of the month. The way the bookshelves have it worded is that we start "READING" on a particular day. I find that practically useless. We don't all read at the same rate! But if you remember this: Classics discussion begins on the 1st; Reading List discussion begins on the 15th, you can adjust your reading schedule accordingly.

I have to apologize for taking so long to come up with some information on the translation of Dom Casmurro. The truth is that I don’t have a lot of information to share. I bought an English edition translated by Helen Caldwell, but have not been able to buy any others for comparison. Purchasing DC in Canada has been more complicated than I predicted, and my library system does not have any copies of it.

I did read a few passages in English side by side with the original Portuguese, and overall I liked Caldwell’s translation. It flows well in English and remains quite true to the original.

But, for the purpose of the discussion coming up, I think that we all will just have to do with whatever translation we find.

I hope that this does not discourage anyone out there from reading it. I am looking forward to hearing the reactions to it from other CR’s.

Barbara wrote: "I bought Half of a Yellow Sun this morning at Border's with my 5 free Border's Rewards bucks that were sent to me in an email. So, it's on my shelf and ready."

Border's might be having a big closeout sale in 2010. It is predicted that it will go under. Amazon and B&N are killing it.

Capitu wrote: "I have to apologize for taking so long to come up with some information on the translation of Dom Casmurro. The truth is that I don’t have a lot of information to share. I bought an English edit..."

My English copy was translated by John Gledson, Capitu. I bought it from Amazon. Now, I don't know Portuguese, so I can't say if this is a good translation or not, but I do know I'm enjoying the book (and thank goodness, it's not long!).

amazon does not have it now.

carol (akittykat) wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I bought Half of a Yellow Sun this morning at Border's with my 5 free Border's Rewards bucks that were sent to me in an email. So, it's on my shelf and ready."

Border's might be h..."

Well that's a shame, Carol. Borders is a nice store, though I have to admit, I patronize Amazon because it's easy and Barnes and Noble because there's one close to me. I really liked Borders every time I've gone in one, though.

I don't have Half of a Yellow Sun yet, but I do want to get it. I didn't nominate that book, but I did vote for it.

carol (akittykat) wrote: "amazon does not have it now."

Oh, dear. That's too bad. I did buy mine years ago. CR and Capitu just gave me the impetus to read it. If it's still in print, any Barnes and Noble will order it in, and abebooks.com usually has everything.

I think I am reading the same translation of Dom Casmurro as Gabrielle. It is smooth, readable, and fast. The introduction was a slog, but I stuck it out and am glad. I actually took a survey Latin American History course from one of the advisory board members of the "Library of Latin America"! (And, um, yeah...it was a horrible class.)

On the other hand, I have the only (English) copy that can be checked out in the entire Los Angeles Public Library system, if you can believe it. I didn't look for Portuguese.

I will mourn the closing of Border's. It feels like an independent to me because when I first came to Ann Arbor, it was a very nice little store run by the Border brothers. I usually buy books there, but I've been using the library more and more these days. I keep hoping that they can somehow weather the storm.

Dree, I skipped the introduction of Dom Casmurro. I just couldn't face yet another introduction. I'll read it when I'm finished with the book, though. That's backwards, but I'll do it.

Barbara, I will mourn the closing of Borders, too, and I don't even shop there. I just don't like to see the smaller guys get run out of business in any area and the few times I have been in Borders, it's been a lovely store. The clerks were nicer and more helpful than the ones in Barnes and Noble.

I never read introductions first. They sometimes tell too much of the story before I'm ready for it.

Barbara wrote: "I will mourn the closing of Border's. It feels like an independent to me because when I first came to Ann Arbor, it was a very nice little store run by the Border brothers. I usually buy books th..."

If Borders near us were more of a book store, I would go there more often. It is now a cafe, video store, gift outlet, and there are some books. But, sadly to sell books you need readers. I mourn the old bookstores we had in the east. Here in Phoenix we have mostly chains. The one excellent independent I know of does well, but it is far from us.

Sherry wrote: "I never read introductions first. They sometimes tell too much of the story before I'm ready for it."

I find they do, too, and most of them are boring for me. I just couldn't face this one, but I do like Dom Casmurro.

I didn't mean to skip over your post, Ken. I like the chains well enough, but I think the "little guys" should be able to thrive, too. I don't know how they can be cost competitive and do that, though.

Unless it's very short, I always read the introduction after I've read the book. Then it means more to me because I have some idea what it's talking about.

I think it's best to read them after, Ruth. I think most introductions should properly be afterwords.

The late Susan Sontag wrote a lovely introduction to the Russian masterpiece Summer in Baden-Baden. Not only was it interesting, it didn't give away the whole plot of the book. A lot of it was background on the author, who was not allowed to publish in the USSR, how is son smuggles the manuscript out of USSR and finally, how it came to be published in the US and in Europe and finally accepted in modern day Russia. But even with this one, I think it was better appreciated when read after one read the book.

Most times I skip the introductions,because I want to draw my own opinions first. If I get confused I will search out others ideas about a book, and I will read the introductions,just not necessarily in the beginning.

I was glad I read this introduction--it was a slog, but not too long. It gave some insight into 19th-century Brazil--which I know nothing about.

The afterword, though, was disappointing. Literary theory, which I really cannot stand. This is why I was a history major instead of an English major. I enjoy using literature to add to my knowledge of a historical time--and every good history class I took in college included a selection of fiction readings (I used to chose my classes by going to the bookstore--is that wrong?). I do not believe every author is making some intense literary "comment" in their chosen style topic, characters, whatever.

Enjoyable book--I hope I remember it when the discussion starts. I am full of thughts now :)

I agree with Kenneth--here (LA) Borders isn't a book store. It's a music store and overpriced cafe with a poor selection of books. And employees who know nothing, and a poor computerized inventory system--which you use yourself, though what they say is in stock is never there anyway.

B&N is a book store.

Also, in the Scrip program, B&N has $10 gift cards. Borders has $25 cards only. Those $10 B&N scrip card are what my kids give as birthday presents to their friends.

I am a library girl, though. I can't afford to keep myself in this habit otherwise.

Then I would have to say I don't feel so bad for Borders. They did themselves in by not providing good service.

I guess I'll give in and read the introduction to Dom Casmurro.

I think it depends on the Borders store. The ones here are far more helpful and knowledgable than B&N. But, the corporate headquarters is in Ann Arbor. That probably helps. As far as offering music, offerpriced coffee, etc., B&N does the same thing. They are all just trying to survive in the age of Amazon and the internet in general.

Borders is the the chain store I most appreciate. It's the only bookstore in Rapid City with a large selection. It's also something of a social gathering place. It will be missed. I don't buy too many new books, but I'm glad I picked up 2666 there (with a coupon). I found a used copy of Dom Casmurro (not sure which translation) and am looking forward to it on the plane for Christmas vacation. Not sure yet what I'll do with the introduction.

The Barnes and Noble I go to has a large DVD and music section as well as a Starbucks, but by far, the books dominate. The selection is pretty good. I love the Barnes and Noble Classics.

I like the DVD section at "my" Barnes and Noble because they carry many of the classic films I love so much.

I am sitting here thinking how many Barnes and Noble we have compared to Borders. B&N far exceed the number of Borders. Seems like every shopping mall and corner has a B&N. Exaggeration to be sure, but we do have many to chose from.

I like a used book store called Camelot Books. It is chaotic to say the least. You get lost among the shelves, aisles and boxes.

I browse in Half Price Books sometimes. It's close, and the deals in there are good for buyers when you find something you really love.

One of my favorite shops in Ann Arbor is called Nicola's Books. She is the last independent general bookstore open in this area. And, she does everything to survive, including selling lots of nonbook items, but doesn't have a coffee shop. Originally, I think she participated in a book buying consortium called Little Professor. Just now, when I checked her website, she lists IndieBound instead of Little Professor. The following link gets you to her website:

http://www.nicolasbooks.com/NASApp/st...

I have no stake in her business other than my admiration that she has been able to remain in business. Borders is closer to me, but I always try to make buy some things at Nicola's as well.

Barbara it looks like a nice place to stop ,look and buy. My daughter lives in Portland so of course there is Powell's . They boast as being the largest independent book store in the nation. I know my daughter say's it is acres and acres of books, her words not mine.

When I'm in Columbus visiting relatives, as I am now, I always make it a point to browse at The Book Loft:

http://www.bookloft.com/

German Village is a wonderful place to go at any rate.

We have two German villages near us, Old World in Huntington Beach, Ca. and Alpine Village in Torrance, Ca.

http://www.visitoldworld.com/

http://www.alpinevillage.net/

Those look nice, Carol. Our German Village has cobblestone streets, too. I love them. I love the houses in German Village and Victorian Village, but they are so expensive. You don't get a lot of bang for your buck there. People pay partly for the name, which is nuts, to me.

Constant Readers got a special tour of Powells when we met last September. What a wonderful store.

Ruth wrote: "Constant Readers got a special tour of Powells when we met last September. What a wonderful store."

So I am told. I should visit her just to see the store. A double incentive.

I really don't go to the chain bookstores, there are too many good independents nearby. There is a lovely neighborhood bookstore a nice half-mile walk from my home (shout out to Queen Anne Books), and Eliott Bay Books downtown, my favorite bookstore in the world. Elliott Bay has a very decent restaurant downstairs, QA Books has El Diablo coffee next door, and a lovely brick patio in between. Both stores seem to have plenty of business, although Elliott Bay is moving to Capitol Hill due to circumstances in Pioneer Square (lack of parking, issues with events at the two sports stadiums, etc.) If I want convenience and a bit cheaper prices, I use Amazon, but nothing compares to browsing a real life bookshop.

Here is the lovely patio between QA books and El Diablo:



Attribution:

QA books is just to the back of the patio.

Theresa

My B&N doesn't have a cafe or music (maybe a small section of music? I don't think so). It doesn't even have a bathroom! And it isn't in a mall. But it is in a shopping center with a crazy parking lot.

I wish there was a good independent nearby--they tend to be very focused on stuff I don't like. There is a military one (got my dad a gift there) and plenty featuring new age-y stuff. There is a great one featuring geography/urban studies type stuff (great if you're my husband ;) ); and 4+ college bookstores within 10 miles. But no place loaded with fiction and great for browsing. Not that I really have the time to browse any more. And I won't drive more than 10 miles (note: 10 miles during business hours is 30 minutes at least, an hour + during rush hours, so I don't feel unreasonable on this).

I miss Half Price Books. I miss having a used bookstore that will buy books that aren't recent!