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What I'm Reading OCTOBER 2013
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Cateline
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Oct 23, 2013 10:44AM
Larry, Sallis's Lew Griffin mysteries are great as well, I've only read a few of them. When he describes New Orleans, he's right on target. And I don't mean the tourist destinations. The real New Orleans. :)
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Geoff wrote: "About halfway through David Shields's Reality Hunger--fascinating stuff for anyone who likes to read and think about fiction. Shields is thinking about (and advocating) the increasingly blurred li..."I read most of REALITY HUNGER. I thought it got pretty repetitive after awhile. It seems to me that his POV--that the novel is essentially finished as a genre--is deeply embedded in the premise that what's important is how a genre changes and develops. Although that's of course important from a critical perspective, i.e., from the standpoint of intellectual history, I think most readers come to novels looking for a story that will intersect with their own experiences in a way that broadens them. And the novel is certainly not finished from that perspective.
Cateline wrote: "Larry, Sallis's Lew Griffin mysteries are great as well, I've only read a few of them. When he describes New Orleans, he's right on target. And I don't mean the tourist destinations. The real Ne..."Cateline, I do have the first six of the Lew Griffin books. (And I guess that's the whole collection of them!) I will read them. I just discovered that there was a sequel to DRIVE. I'll probably re-read the first book and then the sequel, Driven.
Jane wrote: "Okay, here's the danger of reading through this entire thread in one sitting. I've added four books to my TBR list. Just finished Stoner by John Williams, recommended by someone here this summer. L..."Glad you liked Stoner; it's one of my favorites.
I'm reading "In the Midst of Life" by Jennifer Worth (of "Call the Midwife" fame), which is, well, basically about dying. It's an amazing, even entertaining, read and is giving me a lot to cudgel my brains over!
Cateline wrote: "Last night I read a James Sallis novel, in one sitting, Others of My Kind: A Novel. I cannot say enough good things about it, or his writing."I agree! Have read and really liked his Drive, Long-Legged Fly and Moth. Will get the one you read. Excellent writer!
Marge
Finished reading
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – 4**** Eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine (Merricat) Blackwood narrates this story of her family’s isolation due to past scandal. This psychological study of a disturbed family is a short quick read but still offers a rather full exploration of distorted thinking. The tension is based on not knowing how things will turn out; the reader is constantly waiting for something dreadful to occur and even when things go badly the reader knows this can’t possibly be the end of it. The result is a suspenseful read without gore or graphic description. Even when the book is finished, I’m left anxious and in suspense.
Book Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shirley Jackson's famous short story "The Lottery" still gives me chills.
I really thought that Shirley Jackson's works that Book Concierge and Joan mention are so powerful. Decades after reading them I can still remember how they made me feel.
Jackson also wrote some really funny books about family life. Raising Demons is one that comes to mind.
Book Concierge wrote: "Finished reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – 4**** Eighteen-year-old Mary Katherine (Merricat) Blackwood narrat..."
This is the only Jackson I've read. I absolutely loved it! I know these people, heck, I'm related to some of them. heh :)
I haven't read Hill House, but saw the film, with Harris....can't remember her first name, in it.
Yeah!! Very scary. /shiver/
Geoff, perhaps you were the one whose recommendation I saw. Thank you if that is the case.
I think it was Julie Harris in The Haunting of Hill House - I'd forgotten that it was a Shirley Jackson. I still remember reading The Lottery in high school and thinking, "Wait! What?!?"
Cateline wrote: "This is the only Jackson I've read. I absolutely loved it! I know these people, heck, I'm related to some of them. heh :)."Me, too. I've had The Haunting of Hill House on my tbr for a few years, but I don't read much horror any longer. I also remember seeing the movie with Julie Harris (when I was in about 7th grade?).
Good point! Horror is not my love anymore, because now I prefer to be able to sleep at night. I don't even watch the news before bed...
Karlyne wrote: "I think it was Julie Harris in The Haunting of Hill House - I'd forgotten that it was a Shirley Jackson. I still remember reading The Lottery in high school and thinking, "Wait! What?!?""Yes! Julie Harris was such a fine actress.
Book Concierge wrote: Me, too. I've had The Haunting of Hill House on my tbr for a few years, but I don't read much horror any longer. I also remember seeing the movie with Julie Harris (when I was in about 7th grade?).
I can't remember off hand if I actually finally bought a copy of HH, I meant to, but dithered. :)
I have never read horror anyhow. I started It by Stephen King twice, and couldn't. Just couldn't. I have read a few by King, but not the truly "horror" ones.
Wendy wrote: "
. tried to read
but could not get past chapter 6."Wendy, please use more than the covers to identify your books. They are impossible to read on a computer without "hovering" and on an iPhone or an iPad, they are black boxes.
Finished "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" and I have to say it's one of the best books I've read recently.
Joan wrote: "Finished "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" and I have to say it's one of the best books I've read recently."Atkinson is one of my favorite authors.
Just finished Far from the Madding Crowd and enjoyed it, though I admit to skimming through some of the overly flowery language. Looking forward to the upcoming discussion of it.
Finished reading
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – 5***** and a ❤ (Audio performed by David Colacci)In December 2059 Father Emilio Sandoz returns to Earth, the only survivor of a Jesuit expedition which had left some 40 years previously to explore the planet Rakhat. He is broken in body and spirit, but once he has recovered his strength, he will be subject to an official inquiry as to what happened. Told in flashbacks, the novel is a gripping tale of man’s search for meaning and the role of faith and religion in shaping our lives. I was mesmerized from beginning to end, and when finished I wanted to start reading it again to make sure I had fully understood and appreciated every part of this novel. David Colacci does a wonderful job performing the audio.
Book Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've finished Livia: First Lady of Imperial Rome by Anthony A. Barrett. Interesting, but extremely dry, and not terribly informative. Here is my full review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I found etiqutte and espionage very boring and coukd not get into talking doors and dumwaiters. I love 92 pacific blvd so far.
Book Concierge wrote: "Finished reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – 5***** and a ❤ (Audio performed by David Colacci)In December 2059 Father Emilio Sandoz returns to Earth, the ..."
Book Concierge,
Such a good review for such a good book! It is one of my favorite books. If and when you read CHILDREN OF GOD, be prepared for a letdown. It's good but such a disappointment after THE SPARROW. (I won't say anything else, but I still recommend this sequel.)
And if you haven't read Mary Doria Russell's Doc, I really suggest this one. I don't like the Western genre, but I loved DOC.
Larry wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "Finished reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – 5***** and a ❤ (Audio performed by David Colacci)In December 2059 Father Emilio Sandoz..."
I agree wholeheartedly. Don't let too much time go by before reading the sequel to The Sparrow. I just recently read it, after having read The Sparrow when it first came out. I was quite confused for a long time, and almost didn't finish. But I love Mary Doria Russell, so I persevered. I also agree about Doc. She has just finished a sequel to that one, too, called Epitaph, but I don't think it has come out yet. Her next project is about Poe. I follow her on Facebook, so I feel like her good friend.
Sherry, Larry,Russell's new book Epitaph will be out in Spring of 2015. I follow her blog and just received a note regarding the new book.
Her new interest in Poe sounds quite interesting as well.
In another threads, I was talking about how good some genre novels could be. Well I wrote that before I started Andrew Grant's Even. I bought this book at a dollar store for a dollar (that makes sense, doesn't it?), because of all the blurbs on the back cover from writers whose books I like. A third of the way into the book, I thought it was a four star book. By the time I finished, I guess I would give it two stars. It has several of the traits that I dislike about the thrill genre, starting with the superhuman-like qualities of the British intelligent agent protagonist. I don't even want to waste time mentioning the other things I dislike about this book.But I immediately moved on to another genre novel. This is George Pelecanos' new crime novel, The Double. It's so good in so many different ways, but I could start with mentioning how Pelecanos develops his characters. Everything just unfolds slowly--but not tool slowly ... it's actually the pace is JUST RIGHT--as we learn more and more about the main characters and even some minor characters. Everything seems so real. Pelecanos' writing is interesting in that nothing really stands out so that I would recognize one of his novels as being a George Pelecanos novel ... except for the way he writes about music, food,and restaurants. All of those shout out "This is a George Pelecanos novel!" I've said it before but if you want to read Pelecanos, DO NOT start with one of his first novels. The first two or three are just typical crime genre novels and have some of the bad traits of the genre. But Pelecanos has gotten better with almost every successive novel (how many writers do that?) and now writes novels that will last. SO if you want ot read a Pelecanos novel and haven't, just start with this one. I'm only halfway through it, and yet I know that I will not be disappointed by the time I get to the end.
I'm going to throw out a recommendation that's a bit different for Constant Readers: If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother by Julia Sweeney, who appeared on Saturday Night Live for a while (as the androgynous "Pat" among other roles). This book concerns her decision to adopt a child, after ovary removal. She's self-deprecatingly funny, without mining the experience for laughs. I've never been a parent, but can identify with her, so folks who have been should enjoy her story. Her two previous offerings on "cancer" and "religion" are good, too, but I think this one is the most approachable.
I would bet that this has been shared on Constant Reader already, but I think Neil Gaiman may offer a nice response to Reality Hunger. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...
Cateline wrote: "Sherry, Larry,Russell's new book Epitaph will be out in Spring of 2015. I follow her blog and just received a note regarding the new book.
Her new interest in Poe sounds quite interesting as well."
It's hard to wait. The Poe interest is exciting.
About three years ago, I had brain surgery at Johns Hopkins. We got a unit at the Marriott Execustay Hotel about two blocks from Hopkins. Half of the Marriott building is an historic building, which has been totally renovated inside the building. As we arrived my wife noticed a sign on the building that read something like "This is the site where Edgar Allen Poe died." She was a bit horrified. I just looked over at her and said, "Don't worry about it, honey, I think he died in the gutter and not in our room." My neurosurgeon also left my sense of humor.
Jane, Gaiman's musings are a nice response to a lot of things ... I had posted it on Facebook in response to a story about censorship based on one parent's complaints about a book. Gaiman is so incredibly creative and so wise at the same time. I love his comment about the mistake of giving his daughter Stephen King's Carrie. My wife still reminds me of my mistake in taking our son to see Arachnophobia about 25 years ago.
Wonderful article. Thanks for posting it, Jane.
I've picked up An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer. I'd started it on our trip, and just unpacked the computer bag. :) Forgot all about it. Good, so far.
Cateline wrote: "I've picked up An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer. I'd started it on our trip, and just unpacked the computer bag. :) Forgot all about it. Good, so far."Cateline, I've been reading this series also. A lot of dead bodies in the previous book. ;-)
Larry wrote: "Cateline wrote: "I've picked up An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer. I'd started it on our trip, and just unpacked the computer bag. :) Forgot all about it. Good, so far."Cateline, I've been rea..."
I've only read the first two of the Tourist series, and now this one. Now I have to read the in-between ones. :)
I've finished An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer. Here is my review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I was so beguiled by Neil Gaiman's reading of Neverwhere, I'm now reading his The Ocean at the End of the Lane. So far, not impressed.
Ruth wrote: "I was so beguiled by Neil Gaiman's reading of Neverwhere, I'm now reading his The Ocean at the End of the Lane. So far, not impressed."Ruth, I enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but it was still a disappointment overall. It was definitely not one of my favorite Gaiman works.
Read The Samsara Effect by Paul Black. Read it for my face-to-face book club. Not a huge lover of science fiction, but I enjoyed this story. Paul Black attended our book club meeting and he is an absolute delight to talk with and listen to.
That's great you had the author at your meeting. However, it's hard to criticize a book when the author is sitting right there.
Sherry wrote: "That's great you had the author at your meeting. However, it's hard to criticize a book when the author is sitting right there."One of my wife's reading groups had a fairly famous author (name concealed to protect the guilty) scheduled to call in and talk with the group about her latest book. At the last minute, the author's assistant called in and said that she was too tired to talk with the book group. It was very easy for the group to criticize the book. ;-)
I've started Stephen King's Under the Dome. There is a lot of King that I simply cannot read, but he is a fairly diverse sort of author, and this one is interesting, so far.
Started a short history of the first computer, Eniac. Interesting.
Just finished "Cole Porter" which I liked a lot. My take:A well written and researched biography of the master songwriter, Cole Porter. Born to wealth, his maternal grandfather, one of the richest men in Indiana, his mother, the indulged and indulgent daughter with a penchant for the arts, his nondescript father, a small-town druggist, Porter left his home state as an adolescent for eastern prep schools and later, Yale where his talent was instantly recognized. A natural sophisticate, Porter married a divorcee of equal urbanity and their union endured despite his homosexuality; they were perhaps more intellectual and social mates, than sexual ones. Porter’s success is legendary. He pursued a hedonistic existence and enjoyed life’s luxuries. His witty and cosmopolitan lyrics mirror a life that seemed charmed until a riding accident left him half-crippled and in constant pain. He endured 30 operations with remarkable fortitude, continuing his songwriting, yet gave way to depression in later years after an amputation rendered him unable to do the things he loved.
Robert wrote: "Started a short history of the first computer, Eniac. Interesting."Have you ever seen the Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn movie "The Desk Set"? I'm curious about how the book handles the onset of computerdom as opposed to the film. I'm guessing the movie is more... entertaining. I wonder how its "facts" are, though.
Just finished THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers. Kind of sorry I wasted time reading this. Story of a girl, Mae, who has a friend working at The Circle who helps Mae get a job there. Mae quickly rises in the organization which is not only a monopoly but fast becomming a world-controlling monopoly which will take over everything including most of the functions of government having to do with people. Mae falls for it, thinks it's a wonderful group even though it is out to completely do away with people's privacy. I don't think it was all that well written, contrary to some reviews. Pretty far-fetched story. Would not recommend it.Marge
Cateline wrote, "I've started Stephen King's Under the Dome. There is a lot of King that I simply cannot read, but he is a fairly diverse sort of author, and this one is interesting, so far."I really liked Under the Dome. King can tell a good story, can't he? I wondered all thru it how on earth the dome could have gotten there and loved his explanation.
I have his Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining) next to me on the table and am looking forward to reading it.
Marge
Desk Set is one of the most charming films ever made. "A very rare tropical fish!" Eniac is set about a decade before that so far.
Marjorie wrote: "I really liked Under the Dome. King can tell a good story, can't he? I wondered all thru it how on earth the dome could have gotten there and loved his explanation.I have his Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining) next to me on the table and am looking forward to reading it.
Marge"
Hah, I can't wait for the explanation. So far it's Lord of the Flies vs. dystopia. Love it. :)
I haven't read The Shining, so Doctor Sleep isn't really on my radar at the moment. I can't always take King's stories.
He is a great storyteller, I agree.
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Constant Reader
Books mentioned in this topic
Our Man in Havana (other topics)Travels with My Aunt (other topics)
Under the Dome (other topics)
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Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mário de Carvalho (other topics)John Wyndham (other topics)
