Watcha Reading in April/May

[Andrew, Wound Up]

Each month I hope to have an active Watcha Reading discussion where we can give mini reviews and ask questions about each others selections.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

I'm enjoying 2666, almost done with part 2 of 5. Part 1 was about four scholars who have all dedicated their critical careers to a (once) obscure German author. Part 2 has focused on a Spanish scholar working at a university in Mexico as he struggles with some mental difficulties. The book as a whole is focused on situational philosophy and is written with elegance and wit. There is a central story about a town in Mexico where hundreds of women have been murdered over the last few decades.

I peek at Ulysses every week or so and continue to plod forward. It is the most challenging book I have ever read.

M recommended The Reborn which is actually the 1st third of a larger book. It was a free book which I got on Kindle but the first bit has been well written and the plot is promising.

I loved reading Wild Sheep Chase and can't wait to hear others comments and thoughts about the story!

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I completed The Reborn. It was a very fast read. It was very different than I anticipated, but in a good way. The book is split into three parts and this is the first. I intend to continue with the other sections. I almost rated this book a 4, but some of the situational conversations were highly technical. Multiple times I would read a section and would think "what are these people talking about and am I supposed to understand all of the details in order to comprehend the relevance to the story plot?". I like the concept of an omnipotent uber-corporation who is manipulating multiple fields of discipline and is secreting away highly advanced technology.

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I finished SPOON: Soup, Stew & Chowder Recipes (Spring). I liked that this book was born of a love for working with seasonal ingredients and inspired by shopping at farmer's markets. I intend to try several of the recipes and am looking forward to making Hedgehog Mushroom Sauce with Gnocchi. I particularly liked the suggestions for making homemade stocks and freezing surpluses for future use. I wish the book would have had consistent serving size suggestions; sometimes the volume of soup was the only information provided. I also prefer cookbooks that have calorie and nutritional information already calculated, so the lack of such in this book was regrettably missed.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

I'm into part 4 of 2666 and am captivated. This is the celebrated section The Part About the Crimes which follows a town in Mexico experiencing a nearly 20 year long crime spree. The story reads like a crime novel which lets itself get sidetracked down every dark alley it finds.

I'm also halfway through The Art of Fielding and it keeps twisting in completely unexpected directions. I'm still not sure where the story is heading!

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I read Of Mice and Hitmen which is the second book in The Day Eight Series . I didn't like it quite as much as the first book. I really liked some of the new characters, particularly Lachlan and his son Rusty. I would read a book all about them. I also continue to like the primary character Trevor. The plot, however is becoming a bit convoluted and I don't like the "mega-simulation" Ezra as much as I initially did. I did find some guilty pleasure in the far reaching political terrorist act contained in the novel.

I started The Man Who Ate Everything which my husband bought for me as a birthday gift last year. I am quite behind on my literary pursuits. It is quite different than I expected. Rather than a book with chapters that result in an overarching plot, it is a compilation of previously published articles the author has submitted to periodicals over the years. I am still working on the first section. Some of the articles have been interesting. It seems I am destined of late to read books (or parts of books) about authors trying to capture local, wild yeast from the environment and make bread products with it. Apparently this is not an easy task as both authors who have attempted it had struggles galore.

I started The Art of Fielding and am really enjoying it. It has been a great character study thus far. Many of the characters are multi-layered and intriguing. I can't wait to keep reading.

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I finished the The Art of Fielding. I liked it, but some plot points were problematic for me. It is our current book club selection, so I won't say much more here.

I am halfway through Reconstructing Amelia. I was hoping it would be more like Gone Girl. It has not been quite up to par as of yet, but maybe it will have a hugely successful end.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

Ditto to Michelle's last post. I'm also 2/3 of the way through 2666 and still loving it. I hope to finish Amelia quick.

[Andrew, Wound Up]

I finished Amelia a while ago... I hope to write a review of it tonight. It is horrible.

I'm cruising through Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveler and LOVING it.

[Michelle, Overrun By Pets]

I completed Reconstructing Amelia. I did not like it. It was a quick read, fortunately, so I am thankful for that.

I started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and am enjoying it thus far. I didn't know much about the book prior to reading it and was pleasantly surprised by the content format.
After 1 day of reading I am through 25 percent of the book. This is the first physical book I've read since getting my Kindle a year and a half ago. I forget how much time reading on my Kindle saves as I am now taking notes manually for future discussion material.

I am still working on The Man Who Ate Everything. My degree of interest really fluctuates from chapter to chapter. Overall, I am enjoying the blending of the author's experiences with in depth facts and foodie tidbits.