Constant Reader discussion

I'm reading a book of short stories written by Barb Moors' nephew, Gabe Hudson. Dear Mr. President. I can't believe it's been nine years since I bought this collection. Time really gets away from me. It's very well-done.

Susan had asked about which Gardam to read first - having read two novels, and a book of stories so far, I vote for Old Filth. I was skeptical of all the gushing about how brilliant the story is ... but it's true!

I'm currently over half way thru The Nature of Monsters and so far its really good but very sad.

I'm also almost half way thru The Aeneid

I'm finishing Pride and Prejudice and starting The Princess Bride. Oh, and The Necropolis; I sped through the first two books in the trilogy & I'm waiting on the library to finish it off. :)

I've been reading The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou, a Canadian writer who happens to be a former student of my father's at UWO. Small world. Angie's book is on CBC radio's Canada Reads program this year, which sells a lot of books, and I've been enjoying her success.

Also recently re-read The Bushwacked Piano by Thomas McGuane, drop-dead funny all the way through.

Hi, I'm new on the group. I'm currently reading The Bell Jar but I'm not really enjoying it.

I am reading The Bells and The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life. Both of them are wonderful and highly recommended.

Welcome to Constant Reader, Antía. We read Bell Jar a few months ago. Here's a link to our discussion:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

I've got two books going.
(1) Tropical Zion: General Trujillo, FDR, and the Jews of Sosua by Allen Wells. I was interested in this because I was born in Sosua.
(2) Corkscrewed by Robert Camuto. This is about France and French wine, but it's also one vignette of interesting people, one after another. Very enjoyable reading (I wish it included tasting).

I'm reading Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride with another group. Am at Chapter 10, so far, so good. I haven't cared for any previous books of hers I've read.

Marge

I'm finally catching up with The Hunger Games. I have to be done soon! I'm loving it!

I just finished The Nature of Monsters and I absolutely loved it altho parts of it were rather gross.

I'm now finishing up The Aeneid

John wrote: "Susan had asked about which Gardam to read first - having read two novels, and a book of stories so far, I vote for Old Filth. I was skeptical of all the gushing about how brilliant th..."

Thanks John. I had a feeling it might be that from all the comments, but thought I'd ask the experts.

Sherry wrote: "I'm reading a book of short stories written by Barb Moors' nephew, Gabe Hudson. Dear Mr. President. I can't believe it's been nine years since I bought this collection. Time really g..."

I should let him know what you said, Sherry. He really appreciated the Constant Readers who showed up for his readings when that collection was published.

A.J. wrote: "I've been reading The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou, a Canadian writer who happens to be a former student of my father's at UWO. Small world. Angie's book is on CBC radio's Canada Reads p..."

You haven't been around for a while, A.J. Is Combat Camera still going to be available in the U.S. in April?

I completed The Sherlockian and enjoyed it very much. I'm probably going to have to attack my collected stories of Sherlock Holmes that's sitting out on the sunporch.

I've been trying to decide what to read next along with The Brothers Karamazov. I may read People of the Book

Just finished The Pillars of Hercules: A Grand Tour of the Mediterranean by Paul Theroux. My review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14...

Barbara, yes it is. I've been deadly busy of late and not keeping up with the group. Eventually, I just had to mark everything read.

The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels, which didn't receive the praise Fugitive Pieces did.

I just finished up Along Came A Spider by James Patterson. Now starting The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.

I am reading and enjoying Geraldine Brooks' People of the Book

I started Super Sad True Love Story - Powell's gave it good reviews. We'll see. So far so good.

I am reading The Souls of Black Folk, The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life and The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse.

I put The Winter Vault aside to read Alice Hoffman's latest, The Red Garden, which I liked very much, and now I'm back to The Winter Vault and going through Doctor Zhivago once again.

I'm reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. So far, I like it very much. I couldn't get through The Corrections, but am pleasantly surprised at how much I like his new book.

I finished up The Good Soldier and so have finally begun reading the excellent discussion we have going on over on the Classics Corner board.

Then I started Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez this evening and am already halfway through!

I'm about 2/3rds through Memory Wall: Stories

Ruth wrote: "I'm about 2/3rds through Memory Wall: Stories"

I received that book for Christmas Ruth and will probably read it next.

Susan wrote: "I received that book for Christmas Ruth and will probably read it next."

The stories are pretty long. I didn't care much for the first one, but I'm enjoying the others I've read so far. Each is very different from the others.

First time posting. I'm reading In the Company of Angels: A Novel by Thomas E. Kennedy, which I got through the Goodreads First Reads program.

Also The Passage by Justin Cronin.

Nice to see you wetting your toes Greer. Hope to hear more from you.

Thanks for the welcome. I hope so too -- sometimes my work life has a tendency to get in the way of my reading life, but lately I've had more time!

Welcome to Constant Reader, Greer. You're in Dale's neck of the woods. I'm reading the next book for our Reading List, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. So far I'm really enjoying it.

I've started Doctor Zhivago for the discussion here. So far, the language is beautiful. I'm reading the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation and Pevear wrote a very interesting forward article about Pasternak, lots of things that I didn't know about him.

And, welcome from me too, Greer! I know about how life can get in the way, but this great place is always here waiting.

The month rolled in with more winter weather which I did not escape during an 8-day trip to Wisconsin. My reads are continuing The October Horse by Colleen McCullough, The Home of the Blizzard by Douglas Mawson which I can't put down and Dear Zoe, by Philip Beard which I've just begun.

Regarding the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of Doctor Zhivago, here's a short, but interesting, interview with them about how they translate and why Doctor Zhivago has been their most difficult book:

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

That's a great article, Gabrielle. I'm wondering if Pasternak is more difficult to translate because he was a poet. That poetic quality comes through frequently to me in the text. Also, I really want to read their translation of Tolstoy's short fiction. That's been on my list for a while.

Wow Thanks Gabrielle.


Mr. Pevear and Ms. Volokhonsky: I think there's the phrase "the accursed questions" attributed to Dostoyevsky: What is the meaning of life, the existence of God, the mystery of death, the big metaphysical spiritual questions? Those questions were central to Russian literature in the 19th and 20th centuries in a way that they had all but ceased to be in Western European literature. The Russians were engaged in portraying a fully human destiny rather than one dictated by class, social position, personal ambition and so on --

This is exactly why I find Russian Authors to be addictive.

Im about half way through Playing with fire by PETER ROBINSON, it is a good book so far, good plot I have to say.
Not very far into Cold Blood by LYNDA LA PLANTE I seem to cannot get my head around it so far, not very interesting, debating to give up on it and i dont give up on books that often. Any help? I'm not sure.
Only just started The Tenth Chamber by GLENN COOPER, so far it is keeping my attention, at first I wasnt that much into it but now the plot is slowly picking up pace.

Gabrielle wrote: "Regarding the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of Doctor Zhivago, here's a short, but interesting, interview with them about how they translate and why Doctor Zhivago has been their most difficul..."

Thanks Gabrielle. That's an interesting interview.

I may have to put
The Brothers Karamazov aside temporarily so I can readDoctor Zhivago for the next classics section. I hate to do it but I don't think I can get both done by March 1st.

I'm almost finished withPeople of the Book and have really enjoyed this travel through the ages by way of a book.

I just finished Saving Ceecee Honeycutt and absolutely loved it.

Right now im 1/4 of the way into City of Ashes and so far its pretty good.

Now finished People of the Book and starting Memory Wall: Stories and Doctor Zhivago.

John wrote: "...I vote for Old Filth. I was skeptical of all the gushing about how brilliant the story is ... but it's true!"

I just finished it; loved the start, but found there was a bit too much story for my taste. The power of the first 100 pages was dissipated in the complicated plotting, I thought. When she gets to all those 1-, 2-, and 3-word sentences.... didn't they get on your nerves after a while?

I finished City of Ashes and must say that I liked it much better than the first one. Am looking forward to seeing how the story continues.

Currently, am just getting started on The Scarlet Letter

I'm reading Walk the Blue Field by Claire Keegan, a series of Irish short stories.

Gabrielle wrote: "I'm reading Walk the Blue Field by Claire Keegan, a series of Irish short stories."

That sounds like something I'd be interested in Gabrielle.

Michael wrote: "John wrote: "...I vote for Old Filth. I was skeptical of all the gushing about how brilliant the story is ... but it's true!"

I just finished it; loved the start, but found there wa..."


I listened to it as an audiobook, so wasn't aware of those tiny sentences. The plot did get awfully ... expansive, but Gardam succeeded in bringing it together at the end.

I keep intending to read fiction, but I end up with the book version of a documentary (is there a fancy name for that?)-- right now I'm reading Why We Buy and What's Mine is Yours. And the library has two more waiting for me to pick them up.

Still making my way through The Good Soldier, which I expected to go quickly because it is short. But, for me, it is not like sitting down with an old friend and listening to him tell stories as he tries to figure out a central puzzle of his life. It is more like having a stranger sit next to you and start talking in a meandering and occasionally offensive way, and the longer he talks, the stranger he seems and the less he can be believed. I keep going on in the hopes that, if I make it to the end, its reason for "classic" status will be revealed (as well as that "perfect structure" for which it is acclaimed by some). At the same time, it does not entice me away from any other activity, ironing and sorting through junk mail included....

If you don't like it now, you won't have changed your mind by the end of the novel.