Constant Reader discussion

Okay, folks, here's the July thread. Have at it.

I'm a couple of hours into listening to Stewart O'Nan's Emily, Alone, story of an 80-year-old upper-middle-class Pittsburgh widow. Very well written, but not much actually happens, almost as though he were being paid by the word (for description and interior thought). If you're new to the author, I'd recommend trying Last Night at the Lobster first.

John wrote: "I'm a couple of hours into listening to Stewart O'Nan's Emily, Alone, story of an 80-year-old upper-middle-class Pittsburgh widow. Very well written, but not much actually happens, almost as though..."

Agree. Well written, but not beautifully written. And nothing much happens.

I'm also reading Scottish writer Candia McWilliam's memoir What to Look for in Winter: A Memoir in Blindness. She suffers from a syndrome where she cannot keep her eyes open, although her actual vision is fine, rendering her blind. Many reviewers have thrown up their hands with the book, as her quirky writing style makes following her convoluted life even more challenging, but I'm fascinated.

Reading Girl in Hyacinth Blue, interesting. It is about a Vemeer painting supposedly secreted away .

Carol wrote: "Reading Girl in Hyacinth Blue, interesting. It is about a Vemeer painting supposedly secreted away ."

I read that years ago. I liked it fine, but it compared unfavorably to The Girl with the Pearl Earring, which I thought was a much better book.

John wrote: "I'm also reading Scottish writer Candia McWilliam's memoir What to Look for in Winter: A Memoir in Blindness. She suffers from a syndrome where she cannot keep her eyes open, although her actual vision is fine, rendering her blind..."

My stepson has the same thing. He's had a couple of surgeries, and can keep them open for now.

I've just finished 'A month in the Country' by J.L. Carr. Its a beautiful little novel which I enjoyed immensely and highly recommend.
See book: A Month in the Country

I'm a multi-book reader, so besides Mosquito Coast and Sisters Brothers, I'm re-reading A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes), The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales by Poe, Defending Jacob by William Landay; Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams, and Light, Time, and Gravity by Scott Bakker. I'll probably finish Study in Scarlet tonight.

Murder in Hawaii – Steve Allen
2**

Steve Allen and his lovely wife Jayne Meadows are asked to step in at the last minute to film a two-part episode of a popular detective series set in Hawaii. But things are not happy and peaceful in paradise or on the set – the star of the series is being stalked and two murders are associated with the show.

Allen was an incredibly talented guy - actor, comedian, writer, and musician. This is one of a series of mysteries starring himself and his wife as “amateur sleuths.” The plot moves forward at a good pace, and the dialogue is crisp. However, I think he got carried away with adding complications to his plot. The ending wraps up a little too quickly and a little too cutely to be fully satisfying to the serious mystery buff. Still, it’s a relatively entertaining read.

Currently reading my first book in July The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and I love the language. It´s very poetical and wonderful, just the absence of ? (question marks) where they should be normally drives me slightly crazy. The story of an Indian woman who runs a spice-shop and helps her customers not only with Indian spices but with what they desire in their heart. Magical realism in one´s imagination, odd in a lovely, beautiful way :) I love it.

John wrote: "I'm a couple of hours into listening to Stewart O'Nan's Emily, Alone, story of an 80-year-old upper-middle-class Pittsburgh widow. Very well written, but not much actually happens, almost as though..."

John, I read Emily Alone just after reading An Available Man by Hilma Wolitzer. Wolitzer's book was a bit cheerier, a bit more of a story. I'm not sure what I was thinking, reading these two books back to back. Both are fairly depressing accounts of aging. But O'Nan's book was what I think is called "hyper-realism," the daily minutiae of an elderly woman's life, and her thoughts about this life. I really liked Last Night at the Lobster, but I agree, not much happens in Emily Alone. I wonder what his intentions were as he wrote and revised it. What did he hope for?

Aside from Emily, Alone and An Available Man, I just read The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger. I loved this book. Such an amazing experience of the disorientation of moving into a completely new culture. The story is wonderful, and the sense of characters is deep, also heartbreaking. I want to read more of Freudenberger's work.

Jane -

My library has The Newlyweds as an audio download, so I'm looking forward to it; they have An Available Man on discs as well. If you're looking for a cheerier (well, optimistic anyway) take on ageing, try No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a Sixtieth Year (audio is narrated by actress Sian Phillips, who played Livia on the series "I, Claudius" years ago).

As for "Emily", I think O'Nan was going for an intense character study of life from inside the head of a character like Emily. I'd consider recc'ing it to my mom (whose life has been similar to hers), but as my dad's health is failing (Parkinsons), I'm leery of the lonely widowhood aspect. Besides, she hasn't yet read the new book about their own physician: Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures of a Nantucket Doctor

I just finished Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon. It is the 6th book in her Commissario Brunetti series. I have read 4 or 5 of them, and this one was a big disappointment. I was offended by her simplistic pot shots at the Church, which at time strayed into Dan Brown territory. And the resolution of the mystery was very weak and unsatisfying. Perhaps indulging her bilious attitude toward Catholicism dulled her focus on the plot. Rare is the author whose work consistently delights, I guess.

I'm reading PIGEON ENGLISH by Stephen Kelman which is a fascinating book, humorous yet moving. The story of a young naive 11-year-old boy who has immigrated from Ghana, Africa to a poor neighborhood in London, and his learning to live with the good and bad kids he meets there. You can't help loving Harri as he tells his story.

Marjorie wrote: "I'm reading PIGEON ENGLISH by Stephen Kelman which is a fascinating book, humorous yet moving. The story of a young naive 11-year-old boy who has immigrated from Ghana, Africa to a poor neighborhoo..."

I read this earlier in the year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Let me know what you think.

I've just finished reading Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner and I'm planning on starting Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich next.

I just finished The Bastard of Istanbul by Turkish writer Elif Shafak. The plot revolves around a nineteen year old Turkish girl who lives with her mother and 3 aunts in an all-female household in Istanbul. An intersecting plot is about an Armenian American college student whose Turkish stepfather is the brother of the aunts.

This book is clever and witty, but in parts quite disturbing. It includes some magic realism, which I don’t usually like but seems to fit here perfectly. It also tells the truth about the early twentieth century Turkish massacre and deportation of its Armenian minority. This resulted in charges being brought against Shafak by the Turkish government for “insulting Turkishness.” Shafak wrote this in English, her second language, and the writing is excellent.

If you like reading “different” novels, you might enjoy this. It was long listed for the Orange Prize.

Jane wrote: "Aside from Emily, Alone and An Available Man, I just read The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger. I loved this book. Such an amazing experience of the disorientation of moving into a completely new cu..."

I really enjoyed The Newlyweds, particularly because she managed to surprise me.

I just finished R K Narayan's Guide . Very beautiful :)

Sara wrote: "Jane wrote: "Aside from Emily, Alone and An Available Man, I just read The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger. I loved this book. Such an amazing experience of the disorientation of moving into a comp..."

Sara, I agree. I was surprised by so much...the plot turns, the characters, the cultural revelations. This book stays with me. Can't really begin another book yet because the world of this one is haunting me.

Jolanta wrote: "Currently reading The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and I love the language. ..."

I loved this book. Read it a long time ago. One of those books where the cover/title just grabbed my attention, and I was glad I succumbed to the impulse.

Little House on the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Audio Book performed by Cherry Jones
5 *****

What I love about these books is that Wilder doesn’t completely sugarcoat life in the mid-to-late 1800s. There is plenty of hard work, danger and disappointment. The family endures many hardships including flood, fire, wild animals, disease and weather. But this is a strong family unit. Ma and Pa are steadfast, competent, hard-working, and protect their children as best they can. They are also thoughtful in answering the young Laura’s questions as she begins to understand that there are different ways to see things, and that complicated issues may have more than one “right” side. There’s also a strong sense of independence in these people. The adults are setting out for a totally new experience, and do not let hardship dissuade them. If they have to make a change to their plans, they do so with continued hope that their hard work will pay off. As Ma and Pa frequently state to their children, “All’s well that ends well.”

Cherry Jones does a great job of the narration. She gives us a sense of adventure and excitement on the journey, with an underlying feeling of safety and security. I can’t help but delight in the joy of a simple surprise, whether it’s discovering prairie dogs, leftover beads or a special treat in a Christmas stocking.

There’s a good reason these books have endured. I highly recommend them for all ages.

As a modern followup, there's also The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. I'm a huge fan of "historical footsteps" genre.

John wrote: "As a modern followup, there's also The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. I'm a huge fan of "historical footsteps" genre."

I must have read those Wilder books to rags when I was a kid. Just ordered a used copy of this.

Book Concierge wrote: "Jolanta wrote: "Currently reading The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and I love the language. ..."

I loved this book. Read it a long time ago. One of those books where the cover/..."

It is lovely, isn´t it? It is my first book by Divakaruni but I surely will come back to her. I have already three more of her novels on my wishlist, for later when I am done with my TBR pile :D I love how many things only play in the imagination as she writes ´magical´ but does not spill everything out. Somestimes it can be a bit annoying too - like the Pidgin-English of her customers. Also I feel she is over-doing it a tiny bit with the metaphors while the language is marvellous, still is in very big parts. Divakaruni might be better when she holds herself back when needed. I think it was her first novel ? so I am very curious how she has developed as a writer but she was already wonderful and ´spicey´ with that one. Very enjoyable and my ´complaints´ are more like minor irritations on a very small level as I love it alot :)

I'll have to read this. Having just finished Newlyweds, I'm ready for more fiction based in that part of the world. I'm reading two short story collections before I tackle a few more Young Adult novels to prepare for the fall. Some are amazing, so it shouldn't be too hard. The short story collections are called Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Meghan Mayhew Bergman and Yesterday's Weather by Anne Enright. I'm a big fan of Anne's Enright's work. And while I'm often not a big fan of short story collections, these are as wonderful as the collection by Robin Black, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This.

John, I agree, not Emily, Alone. for your mom now. Are you able to read to your dad? There'd a wonderful book about poetry by...I think David Orr...Orr is definitely his last name. The last chapter of this book is extraordinary. I wish I'd had it as my mom was dying (for nearly a year of pain and losing her memory). I tried to read her favorite childhood book, Heidi, aloud to her. She couldn't follow what was going on. I think rhyming poetry would have pleased her far more. I didn't know, so I didn't try. I wish I had. Orr read "The Owl and the Pussycat" aloud to his father and his father noted that he really liked "the runcible spoon." It's a beautiful essay.

Jane - my dad reads okay these days - he recently came through cataract surgery with flying colors. I think his next literary endeavor would likely be a new book about their family doctor: Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures of a Nantucket Doctor.

RECENT READS

STERN MEN: A NOVEL BY ELIZABETH GILBERT - I read this on my vacation to Maine in June. It’s by the author of EAT, PRAY LOVE, which I haven’t read. The characters live on two tiny Maine islands where everyone makes his living lobster fishing. It’s humorous and fun, although occasionally I got a bit bored with the accounts of the lobster wars.

A GOOD MAN IN AFRICA: A NOVEL BY WILLIAM BOYD - This is a satire about a British official in a mythical African country. He can’t do anything right. It made smile and kept my interest.

DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW by Joanna Trollope – The books of prolific author Trollope are comfort reads for me.

HONOLULU BY ALAN BRENNERT – This is an historical novel by the author of MOLOKAI, which I also liked. The main character is a Korean woman who comes as a picture bride to Hawaii . It is an engrossing story for those who like historical fiction.

Ann, I read Trollope and Brennert, I liked both.

John wrote: "Jane - my dad reads okay these days - he recently came through cataract surgery with flying colors. I think his next literary endeavor would likely be a new book about their family doctor: Island P..."

John, I'm glad your father is still reading. I don't know why I interpreted your hesitation about recommending Emily, Alone to your mom as a sign that your dad wasn't well. I think I superimposed my own mother's "not-wellness" onto your dad. Apologies. And enjoy sharing books with him. I lost my father suddenly. Heart attack. I was seventeen. What I have missed most about him is sharing books with him. He shared his favorites with me. And I am so grateful.

My dad isn't that well, so you did get it right, but he can still read.

Summer in the South – Cathy Holton
3 ***

Ava Dabrowski is in a bad relationship, and has a job she doesn’t enjoy. After her mother’s death she’s feeling particularly alone in her Chicago apartment. So when an old college friend offers her a chance to get away and spend the summer in Tennessee she quits her job and heads south. Will Fraser’s two great aunts live in the family’s large antebellum home in Woodburn, and offer Ava the kind of Southern hospitality that will give her a chance to relax and begin working on that novel she’s always wanted to write. But she will soon discover that the serene calm of this small town is only on the surface. There are secrets no one wants to come to light and some feuds that she is bound to get in the middle of.

This was a pretty enjoyable novel. The story drew me in and kept me reading. Holton uses flashbacks to great effect. There are two “historical” stories that have to be told in addition to the contemporary plot. Holton gives us glimpses of Ava’s childhood as Ava looks for answers to her own background. She also has occasional chapters that take us back to the great aunt’s childhood and youth, counterpoint to the questions Ava raises as she gets to know the Woodburns and other citizens of the town.

However, I think Holton’s characters are somewhat sketchily drawn and stereotypical. Ava is the confused young woman whose mother kept secrets from her. Will is the handsome, quiet, Southern gentleman. Jake plays the handsome, strong, “bad boy” and black sheep. The aunts and other townsfolk are out of central casting. And Holton’s plot got away from her with just one too many secrets / mysteries to be solved. Don’t get me wrong … it’s still an enjoyable read and a good beach book. I would read more of her work.

Listening to The Chaperone and enjoying it very much so far.

Finished the three I was still reading at last update: The Poet , One Shot and 11/22/63 . AlsoThe Concrete Blonde and Definitely, Maybe .

Re The Poet -- I liked it, but I like Bosch better. Bosch is deeper and richer. Probably a product of this book being relatively early in Connelly's career. Really liked The Concrete Blonde, particularly the interplay between Bosch and Edgar.

Re One Shot -- this one was a nice break from the other string of Lee Childs which were all towns-in-trouble variations. This one is the first Lee Child I ever read but it was so long ago I had no memory of it-- and it had an interesting premise with an interesting tie to Reacher's past.

Definitely, Maybe -- fluff, not up to the quality of the rest of the series. Stick to long form, Heather!

11/22/63 -- Wow. Interesting that throughout the book the assumption is the world is a better place if JFK survives, and that goes virtually unquestioned until it proves not to be the case. Says a lot about the mythos that has grown up around JFK in our society. We lived in Dallas then -- I was born a few months after the assassination -- and I of course heard the "where were you" stories from my family. My dad, a lifelong republican, once said that although he didn't agree with JFK's politics, it was impossible not to like him. I can see that (and I'm a democrat so I don't have the conflict). I lived in Dallas until I was five or six, and even though I left there at such a young age, I remember the place as having a deep pall of nastiness and negativity like King describes in his afterword. I remember nice people, and the feeling they were trapped in a nasty place.

Reading The Fifth Witness and about to start The Eleventh Man and Four of a Kind: A Novel .

A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson
Audio book read by Rob McQuay
3 ***

From book jacket: Returning to the United States after 20 years in England, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with America by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. He persuaded his friend Stephen Katz to join him, and through weeks and months on the trail these two pioneers get in touch with a lot more than just life on the trail.

I had previously read Bryson’s memoir of his childhood in Des Moines (The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid), and really enjoyed his humor. I was expecting that same feeling. But in this book Bryson is not so funny. Yes, there are humorous episodes, but Bryson spends most of the book explaining the history of the Appalachian Trail and waxing poetic about the beauty and majesty of these forests. He indulges in philosophical and political discussion. A paragraph towards the end says it perfectly: I gained a profound respect for wilderness and nature and the benign dark power of woods. I understand now, in a way I never did before, the colossal scale of the world. I found patience and fortitude that I didn’t know I had. I discovered an America that millions of people scarcely know exists.

Rob McQuay does a good job of the narration. I love his voice and inflection for Katz!

I’m glad I read it, and I’ll read more Bryson, but I will no longer assume his writing is “just” humor.

Jennifer -- The Concrete Blonde is one of my favorite mysteries.

Finished Before They Are Hanged -- this is the second book in Joe Abercrombie's First Law triology. While I enjoyed the first book, it definitely had the feel of being a first novel. Both the writing and characteriziation are improved in this second book. I definitely got caught up in the story and can't wait to read the third installment.

Also finished audio book of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Currently working on The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

BC,
I am a big fan of Bill Bryson and also enjoyed A WALK IN THE WOODS. Do you review audio books professionally?

Jennifer, THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG came highly recommended to me, but I couldn't get into t. Maybe I just didn't give it enough of a chance. Tell me what you think.

A Walk in the Woods was my first Bryson. An audiobook read by Bryson himself. Wonder why they got someone else for your version. Bryson is a really excellent reader. Anyway, I loved the book.

I'll butt in here and say I got Hedgehog as an audiobook. I didn't last more than 20 minutes. Maybe it's better in print.

I read it in print, skimming the "philosophical" sections - doubt I would've made it through the audiobook. I really liked it, especially Renee(?) the building manager.

I read Hedgehog all the way through (for a book club) and really, really didn't like it. I couldn't stand either of the two main characters, and the whole premise of the book (wow, a working-class person who actually reads and thinks about things -- gee, who'd have imagined?!) was totally insulting. Ugh.

I have a friend whose taste in books is usually very similar to mine, though, and she listened to it on audio and absolutely loved it. Go figure.

Anita wrote: "I couldn't stand either of the two main characters, and the whole premise of the book (wow, a working-class person who actually reads and thinks about things -- gee, who'd have imagined?!) was totally insulting. Ugh...."

My feelings exactly. Not only that, it's a cliche equal to that of the prostitute with a heart of gold.

Sara, I loved IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY. We read THE MASTER AND MARGARITA ages ago on Classics Corner and I remember liking it.

So far I am finding The Elegance of the Hedgehog somewhat pretentious, but I will persist for now...

I adored A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, and also enjoyed I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away. I found Bryson to be a curmudgeon, but a lovable one in these books. Then I read The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America, and he mostly came off as a jerk. I'm hoping the next one I pick up will be more like the first two....

About halfway through a re-read of Ellison's Invisible Man--lots of really fast-moving, powerful stuff in there. (Also, weirdly, lots of uneven sentences, which I didn't remember.)

Just finished The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen. Great in several ways. A great SF novel, a great literary SF novel (that's rare), a great suspense novel. One protagonist is a time traveler who is supposed to prevent other time travelers from making changes in the past that would prevent a world wide catastrophe. Several characters, all of whom are wounded by life, who keep on coming together and interacting in unpredictable ways. I especially like the understanding that the author has of Washington, DC in all of its different dimensions, including the difference between the the city and the suburbs, and the internecine warfare that goes on among the CIA, NSA, and FBI. A deeply satisfying read.

I just finished Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr., which I loved. I was fortunate enough to hear him at a reading at the Carter Center here in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago and he was terrific. I am just starting Torch by Cheryl Strayed.