Readers and Reading discussion

Sandi wrote: "Stayed up late and finished Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition last night. ..."''

Thanks for your "book report" Sandi.

Sherry (sethurner) wrote: "I am still very much enjoying the characters and drama of East of Eden - and I am about halfway through. I think I'm just getting to the part covered in the James Dean movie, which is going on my B..."

>I stopped at my library yesterday and couldn't >resist picking up The Selected Works of TS Spivet.

I recently read a very favorable review of this book by Nancy Pearl (Book Lust), so I've written it in my notebook for recommended reading. I'll keep my eyes open for it, but won't just go order it because I have so many unread books already.

For the past couple of years, my preference has also been for lighter reads. Most of my fun reads have been Amish and quilt-related fiction. I hadn't attributed it to age, but that may be a factor. I am also reading less than I used to for two reasons: I'd prefer working on one of my projects (usually quilting) and I tend to fall asleep when I try to read unless the book is one that has really grabbed my attention.
Shirley

Last night, I started (and stopped)reading what could be the worst-written book I have ever tried to read, The Summer Kitchen by Karen Weinreb. She purports to have been a journalist, have a degree in literature from Yale, and a master's from Oxford. NO WAY!!!! The writing was so awkward - the way translated language can be, with words seeming to be out of order. I found myself re-reading passages to try to make sense of them. Here are some examples I found when thumbing through the book (some after I abandoned it):

"I booked the trip to Bermuda so that we would have the chance to talk finally alone"

"Though the laugh, the day, it exhausted her." (p.21)

"Nora had been keeping up appearances for two months since the arrest when the exhaustion of the effort and of all she was now managing alone swelled to the feeling that a blood vessel would burst if she didn't rest." (p.65)

"... her boys' faces looked like adorable painted puppets, their cheeks and the tips of their noses blooded circles on complexions frozen otherwise white and stiff." (p. 99)

"la senora" appeared 10 times on one page!

If I had bought this book, I would have returned it and asked for my money back. This once immensely privileged woman must have known someone to have ever gotten her book published. And she got lots of press due to her personal story (hedge-fund husband arrested for wire fraud). GRRRR

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Last night, I started (and stopped)reading what could be the worst-written book I have ever tried to read, The Summer Kitchen by Karen Weinreb. She purports to have been a journalist, have a degree..."

JoAnn, that's almost funny, if it wasn't so sad! Maybe this girl won one of those 'worst book ever written' contests and she got published. It doesn't even s ound like the person who wrote it spoke English as their first language!

JoAnn, having finished "Noah's Compass" I am anxious to hear your opinion on it?

My upcoming read is Eye of the Whale: A Novel which I would categorize as an eco-thriller. It's about a lethal conflict between a scientist studying whale communication and the politico-corporate interests who in favor of whale hunting and want to suppress news of whale intelligence.

I found out about this one from one of the e-mail book clubs that I subscribe to through my library. A chapter of Eye of the Whale was serialized, and it sounded so interesting that I ordered it from Amazon despite the mixed reviews.

Shomeret, please let us know your final verdict. Clearly it was a good idea to serialize that first chapter, since it won you over. I hope you end up really liking it.

deborah

RNOCEAN wrote: "JoAnn, having finished "Noah's Compass" I am anxious to hear your opinion on it?"

Here is my GR review from early September:

Like most of Anne Tyler's books, Noah's Compass was gently written and uncomplicated. No postmodern literary gimmicks for her, thank goodness. Just a straightforward story with a few surprises, and with eccentric characters who probably live down the street.

I love the way Tyler takes everyday happenings and makes the reader realize that nothing is really insignificant, that everything has meaning or value. While reading the book, you hardly realize the layers of character development that she has woven into the story. Her observations of the human condition are always so on-target, but she never makes judgments about what she sees.

The story is a year in the life of Liam Pennywell, sixty years old, who has just lost his teaching job. Liam has been widowed and divorced and has three daughters, so he lives in a world of women, most of whom he cannot comprehend! He is a drifter in the sense that he just lets life happen to him without doing much about anything. Not that he is incompetent, but he just prefers to "go along". Until his first night in his new and smaller apartment when something happens to upset his equilibrium. Tyler works her magic and Liam, while not transformed, at least broadens his approach to life.

While this will not rank up there with A Patchwork Planet , my very very favorite of Tyler's, it certainly was well worth reading and provides lots of food for thought. I am always astounded that her sweet and gentle books keep me thinking about them for so long afterwards.

This was a copy bought in the UK and not available here until January. I have no sense of deferred gratification when it comes to this author's books, so I bought it last month.

Being familiar with the area of Baltimore where Tyler's books are all set makes her books even more enjoyable. A pivotal scene in this book took place in Eddie's, an upscale grocery store that I often visit on N. Charles Street....in fact, Charles Street is often mentioned.

Here are three quotes I wrote down while reading...just so well-said by Tyler, with such economy. Other writers would/could have taken pages to say essentially the same thing:

****Damian had the posture of a consumptive – a narrow curved back and buckling knees. He resembled a walking comma.****

****She collected and polished resentments as if it were some sort of hobby.****

****All along, it seemed, he had experienced only the most glancing relationship with his own life. He had dodged the tough issues, avoided the conflicts, and gracefully skirted adventure. “I just don’t seem to have the hang of things, somehow. It’s as if I’ve never been entirely present in my own life.” ****

RNOCEAN wrote: "JoAnn, having finished "Noah's Compass" I am anxious to hear your opinion on it?"

And now it is time for you to share...what did you think?

madrano wrote: "Shomeret, please let us know your final verdict. Clearly it was a good idea to serialize that first chapter, since it won you over. I hope you end up really liking it.

deborah"

I found Eye of the Whale really compelling despite being very message driven. I gave it five stars. See my review.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "RNOCEAN wrote: "JoAnn, having finished "Noah's Compass" I am anxious to hear your opinion on it?"

And now it is time for you to share...what did you think?"

****SPOILERS*******






As much as I love Anne Tyler, I did not love this book. The writing was excellent, but I could not grow to even like Liam, the main character. I only finished the book because I was hoping that he would grow a spine! I found all of the women characters, with the exception of Eunice, to be emasculating and controlling but maybe this was due to the fact that Liam was as bland as white bread! The highlights of the book were, for me anyway, Eunice and his little grandson, Jonah. I wish I could have developed some kind of empathy for Liam, but I couldn't. Even when Eunice made him aware of what his life was lacking, he chose just to keep on living it the way he always had. He was sooooooooo boring!

I agree Liam and the book was so boring! The writing was great. I could picture every single page in my head.

yep, for Liam the word "milksop" came to mind.....

I truly believe that is what inspired his first wife to do the deed!

I finally finished "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" last night. It might be due to the holidays, but, it took me a month to read it. I did rate it a 5/5. The book is definitely not a cheerful one, although I did enjoy the characters. I would read another book by the author. Right now it feels great to be able to get back to "The Girl Who Played with Fire". I keep having to set it aside for book club books.

Shomeret wrote: "I found Eye of the Whale really compelling despite being very message driven. I gave it five stars. See my review."

Your reminder of your review & JoAnn's quoting hers is a good point. I tend to not follow up on those personal reviews but i don't know why. It's a feature offered by our readers & i seem not to take the time. One click too many?

Regardless, i appreciate your comments. Like you, Shomeret, i am not pleased when i feel the message being yelled at me while reading for entertainment. A good writer can make the point without screaming about it. Still, as you noted, it is an emergency for those animals.

deborah

I came across a review of a new biography of Louis Brandeis by Melvin Urofsky. Made me think of you, Schmerguls, and I'm wondering if this is on your list to read.

Leslie, I just got In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir from the library. Really looking forward to reading it.

I also got Oxygen: A Novel - cannot remember where I heard of it, but it is a medical novel.

Then I picked up two trashy audiobooks. When I am driving, I am very indiscriminate.

I just got a notice that Rainwater is waiting for me.....I am not sure I have ever read a Sandra Brown book but all the reviews said it was a real departure from her usual romantic/suspense novels. It is very small in dimension so the 256 pages will read quickly

I know some of you are quite fond of non-fiction, and listening to Bill Clinton talk about Haiti on the news tonight made me remember a book I really was interested in that has a connection to that unfortunate country. Clinton knows and works with Paul Farmer is a medical researcher working on stopping the spread of HIV and TB in Haiti and other places Tracey Kidder wrote a book called Mountains Beyond Mountains about Farmer's efforts. I bet you would find it interesting. Farmer has several books about Haiti as well.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

Sherry, thanks for mentioning Clinton's work in Haiti. I saw him talking about it & couldn't figure out his connection. Of course stopping to listen to him might have helped but i didn't do that.

deborah

2009

"The Caribbean nation of Haiti is getting some much-needed (and high profile) attention: former U.S. President Bill Clinton has been named a special envoy to Haiti by the United Nations.
Clinton is popular in Haiti for saving the presidency of Juan-Bertrand Aristide from a coup in the 1990s, and also traveled to Haiti in the wake of last year's devastating storms and subsequent flooding (along with musician and Haitian native Wyclef Jean, who has worked tirelessly to raise support for his impoverished homeland)."

About.com


Here is another article from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8056762.stm

thanks, Alias


deborah

You're welcome. :)

I've finally tried a book by Barbara Delinsky. I'm almost halfway through An Accidental Woman. Not bad.

She is really a good author. Have her latest but have not read it

I just started "The Swan Thieves" by Elizabeth Kostova who also wrote "The Historian" which I loved. Will review when done with it, although all of my reviews are in my lists of books read.

I am reading In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir and so far, it is excellent. Good writing, keeping me engaged.

As you all know, I usually hate memoirs, but this doed not seems to be going back to when he was being potty trained and recalling entire conversations word for word. LOL

I just finished Two Little Girls in Blue and really liked it. I am now reading House & Home a debut novel by Kathleen McCleary. I have read 50 pages and like it, but I will say I like women's lit and stuff I dont have to think too much.

I'm currently reading Expecting Adam - Memoir by Martha Beck (old book published in '99), so far I'm enjoying her humor in her many unlikely situations. Before that I've finished Vampire Diaries (L.J Smith) Vol 1 & 2. I need doses of something which requires no/less grey matter to digest lol.

I'm reading Sunflowersa book from the perspective of the prostitute in Arles that Vincent Van Gogh fell in love with. It's very readable and engaging so far.

Shomeret wrote: "I'm reading Sunflowersa book from the perspective of the prostitute in Arles that Vincent Van Gogh fell in love with. It's very readable and engaging so far."

Just looked this up at Amazon and it sounds great. Thanks for the heads up. The fact that the author is an art historian makes me think that it will be fairly authentic, even if she has taken some liberties with the premise....

You might also like this book about his sister-in-law, Theo's wife. I really liked it when I read it many years ago.

Johanna

http://www.amazon.com/Johanna-Claire-...

The big, fabulous Borders store in our neighborhood closed this month because my wife and I order most of our books from Amazon. And use the library. But before it closed, I did pick up these titles which I plan to read shortly: Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, which suggests that Jesus picked Judas to fulfill his mission; and The Acts of the Apostles, about which the first review says "This is a fast action story including ridiculously major speaking engagements, turnabouts, legal issues, travel, and shipwreck. Seriously fascinating." What an amazing world was being lived in that first century C.E.

Here is another article from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8056762"

And another to consider:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...

Excerpt For actual Haitians, however, just about every conceivable aid scheme beyond immediate humanitarian relief will lead to more poverty, more corruption and less institutional capacity. It will benefit the well-connected at the expense of the truly needy, divert resources from where they are needed most, and crowd out local enterprise. And it will foster the very culture of dependence the country so desperately needs to break.

How do I know this? It helps to read a 2006 report from the National Academy of Public Administration, usefully titled "Why Foreign Aid to Haiti Failed." The report summarizes a mass of documents from various aid agencies describing their lengthy records of non-accomplishment in the country.

Here, for example, is the World Bank—now about to throw another $100 million at Haiti—on what it achieved in the country between 1986 and 2002: "The outcome of World Bank assistance programs is rated unsatisfactory (if not highly so), the institutional development impact, negligible, and the sustainability of the few benefits that have accrued, unlikely."

Michael wrote: "The big, fabulous Borders store in our neighborhood closed this month because my wife and I order most of our books from Amazon. And use the library. .."

Is that the two-story Borders on Germantown Avenue? I watched that store being built when my daughter was skating at Wissahickon......

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Is that the two-story Borders on Germantown Avenue? I watched that store being built when my daughter was skating at Wissahickon..."

Yes. A great place. And all of us who had stopped buying our books there were shocked and saddened to learn it was closing. The nerve of them!

Finally finished a couple of books (going back to work full time really cuts down on reading), Bringing the Heat, an exhaustive but fascinating look at the 1992 football season of the Philadelphia Eagles and all the coaches, players, ownership and even the wives and girlfriends who were involved, by Mark Bowden and, on audio, Murder at the Vicarage, the debut of Miss Marple, by Agatha Christie which I really enjoyed.

Sandi, do you have a particular interest in the Eagles? Do you live in PHL?

I just finished "The Swan Thieves" by Elizabeth Kostova who also wrote "The Historian" which I loved. I just have to say that after 561 pages of The Swan Thieves, I ended up very disappointed overall in the book. My review is in my books read. I hate that when I read that many pages and am disappointed in the ending!! RATS!!

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Sandi, do you have a particular interest in the Eagles? Do you live in PHL?"

Actually neither (I live in Indianapolis and follow the NFL but am not a huge fan). Over Thanksgiving I watched a documentary on ESPN about the University of Miami football team which led me to a podcast about the show and Bringing the Heat was mentioned during the podcast (one of Miami's great players, Jerome Brown, played for the Eagles during the late eighties and early nineties) and since I wanted to find out more about Jerome Brown and had enjoyed Mark Bowden's work in the past (I had no idea he had been the beat writer for the Eagles back then, I knew him from Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War and his work with The Atlantic Monthly ) I decided to read the book.

interesting "path" to reading the book, Sandi!

I learned that Bowden was from this area after reading about Finders Keepers: The Story of a Man Who Found $1 Million which took place in PHL, as did this one Doctor Dealer: The Rise and Fall of an All-American Boy and His Multimillion-Dollar Cocaine Empire which looks interesting. Bowden was a reporter for the Phila. Inquirer for 25 years and teaches writing at Loyola College, his alma mater. He lives just a few miles from me in SE Pennsylvania.

I have been meaning to read Our Finest Day ever since we went to Normandy.

He sure has written on a variety of topics!

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "I'm reading Sunflowersa book from the perspective of the prostitute in Arles that Vincent Van Gogh fell in love with. It's very readable and engaging so far."

Just..."

Thanks for the suggestion about Johanna, JoAnn. I put it on hold.

I am starting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo today. I just finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and I loved it! 5/5

I'm about to start Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Storyby Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor. I'm a fan of both The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair: A Novel, so I'm expecting good things from this mother-daughter travel memoir.

I'm in the middle of reading Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "
I learned that Bowden was from this area after reading about Finders Keepers: The Story of a Man Who Found $1 Million which took place in PHL, as did this one Doctor Dealer: The Rise and Fall of an All-American Boy and His Multimillion-Dollar Cocaine Empire which looks interesting. "

Both of those do look good and my library has an audio version of Finders Keepers: The Story of a Man Who Found $1 Million which I just requested. Hopefully Mark Bowden reads as well as he writes since he narrates the audio.

Please let me know how he is as a narrator, Sandy.

I had the oddest thing happen this morning....I was reserving Our Finest Day online (from my library) when I heard Winston Churchill saying "our finest hour" in his profile on CBS Sunday Morning.

linreadsalot wrote: "I'm in the middle of reading Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner."

Stegner is coming one of my favorite authors, and CTS has local appeal for me since we live so close to Madison. He really evokes time and place, and this novel has lots to say about the nature of friendship.

I just found this fantastic book at the library today. For a library junkie like myself, this is wonderful! (It is not a GR book, apparently)

http://www.amazon.com/Library-Illustr...

I'm just starting Signora Da Vinci by Robin Maxwell, a novel about Leonardo Da Vinci's mother.