Books on the Nightstand discussion

This is a loosely autobiographical play about Larry Kramer's AIDS awareness crusade of the early eighties. Ned Weeks (the Kramer character) had two difficulties: first, the straight media was unwilling to give headlines to what was perceived as a "gay disease", and gay journalists and officials were unwilling to come out of the closet and say what needed to be said. Second, the gay community, fresh from its own sexual revolution, was rebellious against any idea of abstinence.

I'm of two minds here. There are some very affecting scenes here that I can't wait to see some friends of mine play out (this play will be performed locally in the fall). But the play is dated. Important though it was, we no longer need to be convinced that AIDS needs our attention. This play was a polemic intended to do just that. Nowadays, we're all part of the choir this play is preaching to. There's also a flood of statistics on almost every page. Will today's audiences lose patience with a play that's proving something they already know?

One factor that makes the play more, rather than less intriguing is realizing how little was known about the AIDS virus in the mid-eighties. It was assumed that it passed through some sexual contact, but even the medical community was unsure exactly how this was happening, why primarily gay men were getting sick, whether or not it was passed by kissing, etc. These days, now that so much is known, even by school kids, that we forget what an abyss of uncertainty and paranoia people were living in back then.

Ned Weeks is an outspoken loudmouth Jewish writer. Reading this play, and realizing who was going to be playing the part, made me imagine my friend playing another outspoken loudmouth Jewish writer, Harlan Ellison. Now that I REALLY want to see. There ought to be a one man show where that could be done.

Eric wrote: "

...But the play is dated. Important though it was, we no longer need to be convinced that AIDS needs our attention. This play was a polemic intended to do just that. Nowadays, we're all part of the choir this play is preaching to. There's also a flood of statistics on almost every page. Will today's audiences lose patience with a play that's proving something they already know?

One factor that makes the play more, rather than less intriguing is realizing how little was known about the AIDS virus in the mid-eighties. It was assumed that it passed through some sexual contact, but even the medical community was unsure exactly how this was happening, why primarily gay men were getting sick, whether or not it was passed by kissing, etc. These days, now that so much is known, even by school kids, that we forget what an abyss of uncertainty and paranoia people were living in back then...."

I recently read Colm Toibin's The Blackwater Lightship which had be thinking along those same lines: Declan is dying from AIDS and his sister, mother and grandmother have been called upon to bear witness and be with him in this (perhaps final) round of illness. The setting is in Ireland and the time is 1992 and so reasonable hope is not a factor in the atmosphere of the story. But the poignancy of the situation has been muted by twenty years-plus of medical history and reportage. Many more people now know someone who is living with HIV as opposed to dying of AIDS, and the initial public panic spawned by ignorance has been reduced to a somewhat marginalized fear. This is not to say that HIV/AIDS is not an important issue; just that it is no longer generates the same kind of gut-wrenching angst that tainted every relationship in the 1980s.

I should mention that The Blackwater Lightship is not really about Declan though. It's really about Declan's sister, Helen. Helen is called upon to inform their mother and grandmother about Declan's illness. An emotionally ambivalent woman (very much like Colm Toibin's protagonist in Brooklyn,) she has to wade through the muck of familial relationships in the process of telling her mother and grandmother, and in sticking around for a week in her grandmother's house where Declan has chosen to hang out while he can.


The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín

Starting off May with The Devil All the Time for book group. I will be finishing up Leading Change as my MBA class wraps up in the next week. Then Pride and Prejudice and Honeymoon in Tehran as my 12 in 12 Challenges (read the 12 oldest books in my TBR and the 12 oldest TBR on my proverbial nightstand). Then I will start making my way through the Oxford authors and Faulkener: The Illumination; Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Holleywood; Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter; What There is to Be Said We Have Said: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell; The Watery Part of the World; Salvage the Bones; The Graphic Canon (Vol. 1); and The Sound and the Fury. I know I won't get all the way through them in May, but I haven't prioritized yet either so I threw them all up :) At least one of these had to have come out in 2012 so it can fulfill my reading at least 12 books published in 2012. Also, have 2 months of magazines in my nightstand that piled up while trying to make it through Eudora Welty's collection of short stories (which I ultimately gave up on) and my MBA class. Cheers to summer vacation!

I'm reading Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed. I so wish I could have attended her session at Booktopia. This is an amazing story.

I have all intention of finishing A Game of Thrones this month, now that it seems that my reading slump is over. SO many life distractions, but things have settled down. I also started reading a little of Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients, which my son highly recommended to me. The last thing I read from his recommendations was The Pearls of Lutra; which was actually a cute book. I think I may read more Brian Jacques. :D

Due to massive protests, I decided to finish

It picks up a lot in the latter half I am pleased to say. Maybe I'll finish it today.

I'm reading Our Mutual Friend which might take a while as it is a bit of brick.

Eric wrote: "Due to massive protests, I decided to finish

It picks up a lot in the latter half I am pleased to say. Maybe I'll finish it today."

Massive protests by who?

Not protests, I guess. But the opinions of others that diverged wildly from my own.

Just finished Afterwards: a Novel by Rosamund Lupton. I'm now starting By Blood by Ellen Ullman.

Finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet this weekend, and it was so wonderful. I can't believe I hadn't read it before.

I'm now reading High Rise, by JG Ballard, which I heard about ages ago on the Enthusiasticast. I had been looking for a copy for ages, but it had gone out of print. It has now been republished, and I had to grab it and read it ASAP.

This WILL be the month I finally finish A Dance With Dragons.

Also, currently thoroughly enjoying Maisie Dobbs and Oliver Twist, which I also insist on completing before June rolls around.

School is finally out, so this should not be an issue. Yay for summer!

Well I have been and still am reading The Rook:A Novel by Daniel O'Malley-it's a sensational novel that has an extraordinary amount of effort put into it by the author and I can recommend it to anyone who might be into War of The Worlds or A Brave New World. I have finally gotten onto Ready Player One after much anticipation and am enjoying the pop culture references that give me a chance to reminisce the times I was most happiest and which paint a colorful picture as I let my imagination run free.

I'm really enjoying and quite enjoying .
I've ordered a bunch of Booktopia books, which I'm starting soon :-)

Amy wrote: "Starting off May with The Devil All the Time for book group. I will be finishing up Leading Change as my MBA class wraps up in the next week. Then Pride and Prejudice and Honeymoon in Tehran as my ..."

My bookclub read The Devil All the Time in January. I really expected to not like the book and wasn't sure what the others in my bookclub would think of it...but we all really really liked it. All I can say without ruining anything is "WOW". I've never read a book like it before...and will probably not find one like it in the future..unless written by the same author. We also had LOTS to talk about when we discussed it at bookclub. Enjoy

Lisa
http://thebookbags.blogspot.ca/

This month I'm reading . It is my bookclub's selection for May. I wouldn't normally read this style type of book ...but that's what happens when you're in a bookclub...you get to read something that you wouldn't normally select.

I also hope to read . And I've been reading graphic novels. Wow...quite a difference between the three!

http://thebookbags.blogspot.ca/

Lisa wrote: "Amy wrote: "Starting off May with The Devil All the Time for book group. I will be finishing up Leading Change as my MBA class wraps up in the next week. Then Pride and Prejudice and Honeymoon in T..."

I also didn't think I would like it, what with mentions of sacrafice on the book cover. But I finished it yesterday and did really enjoy it. I gave it 4 stars.

i started last night and i couldn't put it down. i finally was forced to when the baby started crying.

How did I miss this fascinating book/author? What a way with language. I'm only 35 pp in and can hardly wait to pick it up again tonight: We Need to Talk About Kevin.

I'm reading Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man by Bill Clegg and hope to end the month with a few mysteries.

Eric wrote: "

This is a loosely autobiographical play about Larry Kramer's AIDS awareness crusade of the early eighties. Ned Weeks (the Kramer character) had two difficulties: first..."

Interesting. I am reading And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS EpidemicI was in high school in the early eighties, and I keep trying to remember how much I knew about the AIDS crisis, and when.

My bookclub selection this month is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I am starting it tonight.

The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut by Freya Stark. Hope to finish A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin too.

Melissa wrote: "Eric wrote: "

This is a loosely autobiographical play about Larry Kramer's AIDS awareness crusade of the early eighties. Ned Weeks (the Kramer character) had two diffic..."

i remember when i was in high school and we took sex ed, we had to get a permission slip signed to get the portion on AIDS taught to us. i volunteered with an AIDS organization my first few years in college and tried to stay aware of the issue.

but i haven't read this book. although i've seen the movie.

Julie wrote: "How did I miss this fascinating book/author? What a way with language. I'm only 35 pp in and can hardly wait to pick it up again tonight: We Need to Talk About Kevin."

thanks for reminding me about this one. it sounds good.

just started

I just finished The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great. Now I am reading The God of Small Things and A Game of Thrones (finally --- it's been on my TBR pile for years).

JoLene wrote: "I just finished The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great. Now I am reading The God of Small Things and A Game of Thrones (finally --- it's been on my TBR pile for years)."

I finished A Game of Thrones last week-finally!! & I picked up #2 right away but I have not started it yet...enjoy!

Finished A Game of Thrones, this morning. What a great story. I've got book #2, but think I might read some other books before I dive in. I don't want to read the entire series too quickly!

I'm really enjoying The Great Northern Express: A Writer's Journey Home and am looking forward to reading some of Mosher's fiction soon. I picked up A Stranger in the Kingdom: A Novel at Booktopia but probably won't start that one right away. I also started to read Insurgent while at jury duty on Monday and after a chapter or two to remind me of all the characters from Divergent I'm enjoying it as much as the first in the series. I'm a little tired of YA fiction at the moment though and need to move on to a different type of book for awhile.

I'm more than 3/4 into both of the books listed above, so my thoughts are turning to what to read next. I brought so many wonderful books and suggestions home from Booktopia I don't really know where to start BUT I think I'm going to pull Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet from my TBR pile after Callie's comment above.

i finished which i gave five stars. i couldn't put it down last night. and now i'm exhausted and have to teach all day.

i started .

Finished
and .

Regarding discussions of AIDS: We still need awareness. People continue to be infected. I knew five people who died this past year from AIDS. Still a big issue in America.

Elizabeth wrote: "Finished A Game of Thrones, this morning. What a great story. I've got book #2, but think I might read some other books before I dive in. I don't want to read the entire series too quickly!"

same here!!

I recently finished a fantasy novel called Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It was a "read along," or whatever the term is, for a fantasy group on Goodreads, but I didn't get around to it when the group was reading a couple of months ago. It's about a "warrior girl" in a society where some people are born with a "grace," some exceptional talent or skill. The heroine thinks hers is killing, and she is forced to hurt or kill people at the insistence of the king. She gets tired of being used, stands up to the king, and takes off on some adventures to use her abilities for better causes. Although the premise was intriguing, somehow the book fell a bit flat for me. I realize now that it may be a young adult book, and the writing style wasn't challenging enough for me. Next, I'll be reading Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" for a book club. I read it a long time ago, when I was in my teens. It made an impression on me at the time, but I don't remember anything other than that and will be interested to see what I think of it now.

The most recent audiobook I read was "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin, an award winning mystery. Not sure what I'll listen to next. I just got back from a business trip and haven't had time to pick anything.

Finished both A Dance With Dragons and Maisie Dobbs today.

I started The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm. I am still slowly making my way through Complete Stories (it's been over a year now), but it's hard to make myself read it since I don't like her stories as much as her poems (which is strange since I don't usually enjoy poetry).

So I'll add the Dorothy Parker to my list of Books-I-Must-Finish-in-May, along with Oliver Twist. Time to do some spring cleaning on the currently-reading pile!

Recently finished The Great Northern Express: A Writer's Journey Home which I really enjoyed. Cozy, funny. I plan to read some of Howard Frank Mosher's fiction, does anyone have a recommendation of which to start with? Personal favorites?

Listening to Light in August as my first Faulkner. A good friend had recommended this on audio and I am so glad. The narrator is excellent and really makes the rhythm of the writing easy to follow.

About to crack open Learning to Swim: A Novel as my next retreat reading.

Am now reading "a Walk Across the Sun"

I'm reading Home and though it's short, it really packs a punch. There are so many layers in each of her novels that re-reading is inevitable and just as enjoyable (though sometimes emotionally painful) each time.

Finished today. I see no reason to change my review or rating.

Finished High-Rise, which was ok, but very creepy, and not in the way that appeals to me- too many pets get killed.

I've now started my May +12 in '12, Lolita. I love the writing style so far! ESPECIALLY after reading the very beginning, where the narrator describes his first "girlchild" love, Annabel Leigh, who he fell in love with in a "princedom by the sea", and they were both children... I see what you did there, Mr. Nabokov, and as a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, I approve.

I'm reading Stewart O'Nan's and loving every second of it! I've never read anything by him before, but I'm putting all his books on my nightstand right now.

Bleary eyed...could not put Learning to Swim: A Novel down last night. It was wonderful. I loved the main character, Troy Chance, and her story as a woman who rescues a child and suddenly finds her whole life changed. She's a pretty darned persistent mystery solver, too. Highly recommended.

I'm halfway through Graveminder...its ok... I'm thinking a 2 or 3 star rating.

Just finished . This is an important book that deserves a serious discussion in our country. I love watching Maddow on MSNBC and am politcally aligned with most, if not all, of her views. But, this is not a partisan book or a polemic. The description of how we have made it easier for presidents of both parties to wage war without engaging or rallying the public is something about which both left and right should be able to agree.

Upcoming reads are: , , and then for something totally different -

Dani wrote: "I'm reading Stewart O'Nan's [bookcover:The Odds: A Love Story] and loving every second of it! I've never read anything by him before, but I'm putting all his books on my nightstand right now."

I read this one earlier this year and so loved his use of language. Have added his other books to my TBR as well.

Finished The Thorn and the Blossom yesterday. It is a quick read. I thought the actual story was OK, but what I really loved about it was the unusual book format. Love accordion books, and it worked well for this story.

Elizabeth wrote: "I read this one earlier..."

I know. I can usually fly through a book, but I am savoring every sentence. I can't wait to read the rest of his novels. I only found out about him because he was highlighted in this month's Bookmarks magazine which made me feel TOTALLY out of the loop!

Melissa wrote: "Eric wrote: "

This is a loosely autobiographical play about Larry Kramer's AIDS awareness crusade of the early eighties. Ned Weeks (the Kramer character) had two diffic..."

Melissa - is an amazing book. It's been a long time since I read it - maybe I'll read it again this summer as I'm sure my perspective will be different so many years later.

Right now I'm having a very hard time putting down to get on with daily life! Also reading and .

I was blown away last weekend by . And then read - which did not blow me away. At all.