Constant Reader discussion

Moving right along...

I am starting Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer tonight.

I just started Hypothermia.

MAP wrote: "Moving right along...

I am starting Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer tonight."

Thats one of my very favorites, but its really long. I hope you enjoy it too.

I've started off the month with Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years - better than I thought it'd be.

MAP, I read AHAB'S WIFE when it first came out. I loved it. The history was a bit unfamiliar, and I thought the characters were rich. Hohpe you enjoy it!

How do you do the hyperlink thingie?

Anne -- above the comment box where one writes the message text, click "add book/author" -- I had to ask, too!

I begin June as I spent the late days of May: all over the place. 100 pages into The Passage--pretty good, if a little off-kilter (literary thriller?). Read In Zanesville: A Novel in a couple of bursts, and loved it--young teen girls in the '70's: my era. Very sharply observed and well-written. Made me sad in an odd way. About halfway through Silver Sparrow, which also makes me sad, and worried about the young narrator. Don't know if I've already said that I listened to The Painted Veil and it was stunning.

Now listening to Until I Find You, which is perverse, compelling, and hilarious. I know we all have our opinions on John Irving and he commits many a sin in this book, both in writing and in story, but I'm just completely enthralled.

I'm liking the hyperlink thingie!

I've just re-read Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus, and am reminded that I want to read all the Canongate Myths. I started Naipaul's A Way in the World: A Novel. He's of my parents' generation, and I recognise his description of Trinidad 60 years ago. And I'm stuck in the early chapters of Wedlock The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore. It's snappy writing, and seems well-researched, but somehow I keep getting distracted.

Has anyone read much Walter Mosley? I was thinking about reading Fortunate Son as I didn't want to read one of the Easy Rawlins mysteries.

Sara, I read your "off-kilter (literary thriller)" as "kitty litter literary thriller" and had to reread your post! Must have been the two trips to the vet in two days (everything is fine, thanks!)
Sara wrote: "I begin June as I spent the late days of May: all over the place. 100 pages into The Passage--pretty good, if a little off-kilter (literary thriller?). Read [book:In Zanesville: A ..."

MAP wrote: "Moving right along...

I am starting Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer tonight."

I think you'll enjoy it. I know I did. Happy reading.

Started on Montaigne's essay 1:20 this morning - "To philosophize is to learn how to die". Harder to read then some of his shorter essays, but then, he says more in it. I'm intrigued by the list of ignominious deaths he mentions - what kind of tennis ball, thrown with what kind of velocity, could have killed Montaigne's younger brother with no external marks - or was there another cause of death present that they just didn't have the medical science to identify?

Dvora, I'm so glad to hear everything is okay with your kitty. I'm going through an 18-year-old's kidney disease, after losing a 17-year-old last summer. A good friend just had to put one of her two to sleep yesterday.

I hate it when they get old.

reading the enormous room by e.e. cummings and really finding it clever-especially the excessive use of adjectives. I am sure I read quite a bit of cummings in high school-but of course that was a bit ago. What use of sarcasm he has.

I had never read Hassler but heard of him through this forum, so have decided to read all the Staggerford novels in chronological order. I have no idea if I have them all, but so far I've read Staggerford, and am in the middle of A Green Journey. Also checked out from the library and awaiting me are Dear James, The Staggerford Flood, The Staggerford Murders and Nancy Clancy's Nephewand The New Woman: A Staggerford Novel. Anyone know of any Staggerford ones I've missed? Kind of fun to enter a world and stay in in for a long while. I do enjoy the character of Agnes McGee.

Just finished Before I Go to Sleep and while a good read, I wouldn't say it was the most outstanding thriller that it's purported to be.
One thing the author does well is create characters that make the reader guess where their true intentions lie.
A 3* read for me. If you're interested in reading more, my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-6E

Sylvia wrote: "reading the enormous room by e.e. cummings and really finding it clever-especially the excessive use of adjectives. I am sure I read quite a bit of cummings in high school-but of course that was a..."

Hah! I haven't read e.e. cummings since high school either. It brings back memories of incense filled rooms amd poetry reading. Does it stand the test of time? I fear his writing might seem too clever or tricky now.

Susan wrote " I'm reading Lord Peter, by D. Sayers. Sayers is an old favorite of mine, and these short stories are just the thing to intersperse with my current non-fiction reading. "

Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter novels are favoritee of mine. Haven't read her short stories, though. Am now re-reading MURDER MUST ADVERTISE with the Yahoo Lord Peter group -- my favorite of her novels.

I think you are right about not continuing to read authors you don't really like.

Marge

Of course The Enormous Room was very dated, but it is really an exploration of characters, in a very clever and sarcastic tone-enjoyable for sure, just for the language of it.

Finished listening to Until I Find You, which had me almost to the end. The very end was fine, but there was one too many self-indulgent set pieces that made me want to stop.

Immediately started listening to Paradise. I've only read Sula by Morrison, and I know a lot of people have beefs with her, but oh my god, the writing is just so fine. I adore the precision and the magic she weaves to put you right there in the story. It's sublime for me.

I'll get back to some print soon, but I love listening and drifting off to sleep in front of the fan, waking up at dawn and rolling it back to the last thing I remember and sinking back in. Haven't even heard much NPR the last week or so!

I'm almost finished with Venusburg, a wry comedic novel by Anthony Powell.

I am 60 pages or so into The Bone People, and I confess that I am struggling a bit with it. I bought it a couple of years ago because long gone CR member “Steve” talked so greatly about it. Then, a couple of weeks ago it surfaced again here in CR, with other members mentioning how much they like it, so I fished it out from the bottom of the pile of unread books. So far I have to say that is just my trust on CR that has kept me going...

Whether it be wise or not, I always seem to have several books going at once. I just unfortunately threw in the towel with . I truly tried to like it, but I just kept getting exasperated with the narrator's tone.

At any rate, I'm fairly well into and at the moment; and tonight I began delving into Paul Auster's .

I've begun on A Distant Mirror The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman

Capitu wrote: "I am 60 pages or so into The Bone People, and I confess that I am struggling a bit with it. I bought it a couple of years ago because long gone CR member “Steve” talked so greatly a..."

I gave up in that one after 100 pages.

I guess The Bone People is not for everyone, but I read it three times. I loved it.

Gabrielle wrote: "Has anyone read much Walter Mosley? I was thinking about reading Fortunate Son as I didn't want to read one of the Easy Rawlins mysteries."

Gabrielle, I have read lots of Mosley - I've got at least 20 of his books in my book list here. The Easy Rawlins books are my favorites, but if you want to start somewhere else, I would probably go with
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. A major theme for Mosley is the challenge of being a good man in bad circumstances, and I think that he examines this beautifully in ANAU. Fortunate Son is, in my opinion, a less successful book, but if you read it, I would love to hear what you think about it. My old in-person book group had a pretty lively discussion about it.

JT wrote, "I just unfortunately threw in the towel with SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS by Marisha Pessl. I truly tried to like it, but I just kept getting exasperated with the narrator's tone.

I agree, JT. I read this a few years ago. I found the first part very funny in places, but after awhile her writing began to wear on me and got rather old as if she were trying too hard to be clever. After the first half it was not compelling enough for me to finish the remaining 250 pages.

Marge

Natalie wrote: "I've begun on A Distant Mirror The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman"

I made the mistake of taking that along as vacation reading the year we took the local steamer up the coast of Norway. But I failed again when I tried to read it under better circumstances.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Gabrielle wrote: "Has anyone read much Walter Mosley? I was thinking about reading Fortunate Son as I didn't want to read one of the Easy Rawlins mysteries."

Gabrielle, I have read lots of Mosley..."

Another vote for Always Outnumbered..; I'd like to reread it.

I have started Killing Mister Watson. I haven't wanted to put it down yet. Quite an interesting change from my recent reading. Historical fiction highly rated.

NON-FICTION ALERT!

I realize most folks are here for literary fiction discussions, but I wanted to throw in a plug for Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits - I was skeptical of the glowing reviews, but it's turning out to be a great read.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Gabrielle wrote: "Has anyone read much Walter Mosley? I was thinking about reading Fortunate Son as I didn't want to read one of the Easy Rawlins mysteries."

Gabrielle, I have read lots of Mosley..."

Thank you for the reply and the information, Wilhelmina. I am looking forward to reading Mosley, and I'll keep your suggestions in mind. :)

Thank you, Hazel.

Right now, I'm finishing The Long Song.

Ruth said, "I made the mistake of taking that (Tuchman's A Distant Mirror) along as vacation reading the year we took the local steamer up the coast of Norway. But I failed again when I tried to read it under better circumstances."

I had the same problem with Tuchman's The Proud Tower; A Portrait of the World Before the War 1890-1914. While I'm interested in that period, I found
her book took more intense concentration than I had then and never finished it.

Marge

Gabrielle wrote:"Right now, I'm finishing The Long Song."

I'm planning to read The Long Song soon, Gabrielle. Are you enjoying it?

I just finished The Devil She Knows: A Novel and I really loved it.
If you're a fan of crime fiction that is somewhat dark and gritty (think of gangsters in the 40's and lots of men wearing fedoras) this book is for you!
Would love to see the books main character Maureen have a series.
If you're interested my review can be found here: http://wp.me/pTRJE-6W

Mina, thanks for the Mosley recommendation (message 27). I'll check out AOAO.

I'm reading The Appointment: A Novel and can't help thinking of Child 44 as I do because of the interrogations in that book, though the styles couldn't be more different.

I just finished The Go-Between and it was excellent. I'm in the middle of The Market System: What It Is, How It Works, and What to Make of It but fiction keeps pulling me away.

I like the posts with the book links better than the posts with the book images.

Natalie,
I found A DISTANT MIRROR fascinating - although the 14th century was certainly a hellish time to live. Let me know what you think of the book.

Right now I'm reading HOW TO LIVE: A LIFE OF MONTAIGNE by Sarah Bakewell. I read mostly fiction, but I like biographies as well and this one is top notch.

Ann

I am finally getting to The Handmaid's Tale. I have wanted to read this book for a very long time.

THT is not generally the kind of book I read, but I liked it a lot.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Gabrielle wrote:"Right now, I'm finishing The Long Song."

I'm planning to read The Long Song soon, Gabrielle. Are you enjoying it?"

I'm enjoying it very much, Wilhelmina, though it's not the masterpiece that The Known World is, but that book is extraordinary to my way of thinking. One of my all time favorites. I love it so much I bought the hardcover.

I do think some readers are going to think the tone is too light in The Long Song given the seriousness of the subject matter, but for me, it's just the main character's joie de vivre.

I hope you enjoy the book, Mina. I'll be anxious to learn how you like it.

Yulia, I agree about The Appointment and Child 44 and the interrogation scenes.

I like the posts with links, too, Lobstergirl. Sometimes I can't tell which book it is with the images. I'm too nearsighted and glasses don't help that much and I'm too afraid of laser surgery. I'm stuck. ;)

A user at Audiobooks (where I'm a moderator) had asked a long time ago that we try not to use the cover pic option as it doesn't come through well at all for those using mobile phones. I hadn't wanted to say anything here as it's not my group, but thought now that the issue's been raised I'd pass that along.

I'm reading Agincourt now. It's not my "favorite" type of book, but I keep turning the pages.

I'm currently about half way thru The Fall

My two cents: I find the images irritating, and often skip over the post because I just don't get why that's preferable to words. Yeah, I'm cranky.

Here we go folks ...

Last night I started listening to the (current) penultimate Maisie Dobbs book (The Mapping of Love and Death), as the latest has recently been released. In the first chapter of prologue/backstory, we're told that "his father had arrived at Ellis Island about 40 years earlier (from 1914)." That looked suspicious to me, so I checked: Ellis Island started operations in 1892! Even without the "40 years" bit, the English immigrant dad is said to have arrived in the States as a young man, started a successful business of his own, then married an American and had kids - the kid in question ("his father") was at least in his early 20's in 1914, and the youngest of three!

If you're making megabucks on writing historical fiction, factual errors are even more glaring! I guess this is absolute proof that publishers Do Not Care as long as they've made enough on the author already.

Lyn (comment 15 above), I've read quite a few Jon Hassler books, which are quite enjoyable for me in part because I live in Minnesota, where at least most of his fiction is set. Can't remember any more beyond your list, sorry to say!

Villette. I'm enjoying it so far.

Flora wrote: "I'm currently about half way thru The Fall"

Flora, if you mean Simon Mawer's The Fall, I've never been able to get into that book and I don't know why. Most of my friends love it.

I'm trying to write a review of The Long Song and finish up The Appointment.