Books on the Nightstand discussion
What Are You Reading October 2013
message 51:
by
Julie
(new)
Oct 07, 2013 10:39AM
I am slogging through The Orchardist and if I hadn't committed to it (now on page 250 after 3 wks of very interrupted reading) I'd put it down (PASSIVE WRITING! NOT ENOUGH PLOT! CHARACTERS BORING!) for Every Man Dies Alone, a book that is soon due back to the library. Should I quit Coplin and begin Falluda now??
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Callie wrote: "Finished Tell the Wolves I'm Home this weekend, sobbing late into the night. A beautiful story, well told, compelling. Highly recommend.I need to comb through my TBR and find some seasonally appr..."
I read The Night Circus for my book club in June (I think), and I thought it was a good read (I had higher expectations, but it was fine). But, I have heard the audio book is even better than the print book, so I might have to try the audio!
Melissa wrote: "I read The Night Circus for my book club in June (I think), and I thought it was a good read (I had higher expectations, but it was fine). But, I have heard the audio book is even better than the print book, so I might have to try the audio! "I loved both the audio and print, but I know there were people who were "meh" about it, and I know there were people who viscerally hated it.
Elizabeth wrote: "I am currently reading 
The Sound of Things Falling."I wish they would get that at my elibrary.
Just finished Eleanor and Park and really liked it. I'm halfway through Schroder.
Julie, several of my friends felt the same way about The Orchardist so I've delayed starting it.
I'm half way through Sisterland. The reviews are all over the place. Some love it. Some hate it. The characters are interesting, but there are enough reasons to dislike this set of twin sisters. Interesting chick lit.
@ Victoria,I'll post thoughts when I am done. It is an interesting topic that's for sure.
I'm having a good reading month so far. How to Be Idle. 4 stars. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me. 4 stars. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I found Joyland disappointing. 2 stars. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And am having such fun with Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love, and Fables, Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers. 4 stars.
To Julie -I agree wholeheartedly about The Orchardist. BORING!
Since Iast week, I managed to finish off a couple more books:
This Gun for Hire (by Graham Greene) - This is a thriller centering on an assassin as he makes his way to the man who double-crossed him in payment. Set in the 1930s, it's full of details that fill out scenes very well and without getting in the way of the action. Raven, the hit man is complex: undereducated, intuitive, street-smart, self-aware and yet, vulnerable.
The Testament of Mary (by Colm Toibin) - This is a faux witness account of Mary, the Mother of Jesus that focuses on the days of her son's ministry, crucifixion and afterwards. Some of the material of this novella had been used for a play called, "Testament" and you can sense how the play crafted the look and feel of the story, very much like Atiq Rahini's The Patience Stone. I have read two other novels by Colm Toibin (Brooklyn and The Blackwater Lightship) and didn't care for either. His female characters always feel alien to me. I'm not sure what compelled me to pick up The Testament of Mary but I'm glad I did! Mary is portrayed as a woman and a mother with an adroitness that pleasantly surprised me.
Little Altars Everywhere (by Rebecca Wells) - This is a novel featuring the four kids of a Bayou family in Louisiana. The first part of the book is set during the 1960s and is filled with charm and laughter as the mother drinks her way through marriage and motherhood and the children function with all the Drama that this entails. The second part though, is set in 1991 and each of the characters gives a heartbreaking testimony as to the truly terrible things that happened and the ramifications of all that Drama in their adult lives.
Pie (by Sarah Weeks; narrated by Kate Rudd) - Aunt Polly has passed away and apparently left her famous pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo! Alice inherits the cat but how a cat is to have inherited a recipe that hasn't been written down is a mystery that confounds and, in a couple of instances, embitters the pie community. Kate Rudd does a nice job delivering the book and has a pleasant singing voice to boot! There are pie recipes in the book which sound delicious too!
I'm now reading one story a day from Classic Ghost Stories: Eighteen Spine-Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural. This is a collection of public domain titles from different authors, edited by Bill Bowers. I'm also reading Horns (by Joe Hill.) A guy wakes up from a drinking spree to discover he has horns growing out of his head! People he meets feel compelled to confess terrible things about themselves and, if they touch him, he gains knowledge of their other nasty secrets from the past. I've also started A Beautiful Place to Die (by Malla Nunn; narrated by Saul Reichlin.) It's a murder mystery set in South Africa during the 1950s and apartheid. It a slow and careful book that you have to pay attention to as there's a lot about class distinctions as well as race: The English, the Dutch, The Boers, The Afrikaaners, the whites, the blacks and the colored... and a Jewish shopkeeper/doctor. A white policeman's corpse has been discovered in a river bordering Mozambique and, Emmanuel Cooper has been set out to investigate the homicide. It's interesting, just not something you can blast through! And Finally, this afternoon my daughter and I will start listening to Kenny & the Dragon (by Tony Diterlizzi; narrated by Alan Cumming) :-)
This Gun for Hire (by Graham Greene) - This is a thriller centering on an assassin as he makes his way to the man who double-crossed him in payment. Set in the 1930s, it's full of details that fill out scenes very well and without getting in the way of the action. Raven, the hit man is complex: undereducated, intuitive, street-smart, self-aware and yet, vulnerable.
The Testament of Mary (by Colm Toibin) - This is a faux witness account of Mary, the Mother of Jesus that focuses on the days of her son's ministry, crucifixion and afterwards. Some of the material of this novella had been used for a play called, "Testament" and you can sense how the play crafted the look and feel of the story, very much like Atiq Rahini's The Patience Stone. I have read two other novels by Colm Toibin (Brooklyn and The Blackwater Lightship) and didn't care for either. His female characters always feel alien to me. I'm not sure what compelled me to pick up The Testament of Mary but I'm glad I did! Mary is portrayed as a woman and a mother with an adroitness that pleasantly surprised me.
Little Altars Everywhere (by Rebecca Wells) - This is a novel featuring the four kids of a Bayou family in Louisiana. The first part of the book is set during the 1960s and is filled with charm and laughter as the mother drinks her way through marriage and motherhood and the children function with all the Drama that this entails. The second part though, is set in 1991 and each of the characters gives a heartbreaking testimony as to the truly terrible things that happened and the ramifications of all that Drama in their adult lives.
Pie (by Sarah Weeks; narrated by Kate Rudd) - Aunt Polly has passed away and apparently left her famous pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo! Alice inherits the cat but how a cat is to have inherited a recipe that hasn't been written down is a mystery that confounds and, in a couple of instances, embitters the pie community. Kate Rudd does a nice job delivering the book and has a pleasant singing voice to boot! There are pie recipes in the book which sound delicious too!
I'm now reading one story a day from Classic Ghost Stories: Eighteen Spine-Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural. This is a collection of public domain titles from different authors, edited by Bill Bowers. I'm also reading Horns (by Joe Hill.) A guy wakes up from a drinking spree to discover he has horns growing out of his head! People he meets feel compelled to confess terrible things about themselves and, if they touch him, he gains knowledge of their other nasty secrets from the past. I've also started A Beautiful Place to Die (by Malla Nunn; narrated by Saul Reichlin.) It's a murder mystery set in South Africa during the 1950s and apartheid. It a slow and careful book that you have to pay attention to as there's a lot about class distinctions as well as race: The English, the Dutch, The Boers, The Afrikaaners, the whites, the blacks and the colored... and a Jewish shopkeeper/doctor. A white policeman's corpse has been discovered in a river bordering Mozambique and, Emmanuel Cooper has been set out to investigate the homicide. It's interesting, just not something you can blast through! And Finally, this afternoon my daughter and I will start listening to Kenny & the Dragon (by Tony Diterlizzi; narrated by Alan Cumming) :-)
This Gun for Hire is one of my favorite novels and I'm always delighted when another Constant Reader agrees that it's a good one. If you ever pick up Greene's Brighton Rock, published two years after Gun, you'll find a minor connection: the criminal mentor of the main character was the man Raven brags to Anne about killing on the platform at St. Pancras Station.
Callie wrote: "OK, in honor of the creepy time of year, I've started reading NOS4A2, and it is wonderful so far."Love, love, love that book!
I'm currently reading
Happy reading!
and there are a few references to NOS4A2 in this book.
I started (or am trying to start)
. I am not sure about this one. You know those books that make you think, "I'm just not getting it here"? This might be one of those for me. I'm already at least 20% in and mostly I feel confused.
Callie--I love the Night Circus, but seem to be alone in this among my acquaintances.Just finished a light read, The Good House, in anticipation of the DeNiro/Streep movie adaptation. Looking forward to hearing Ann Leary and Tom Perrotta in a panel at BBF!
Back to heavy again with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, which I started last night and already love.
I finished Sherman Alexi's book Flight. I think it will make a nice comparative nature/nurture discussion with Defending Jacob. I have begun The immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and am already enjoying it. I've learned a lot about cervical cancer and its study from the little I have read so far.
Callie wrote: "Finished Tell the Wolves I'm Home this weekend, sobbing late into the night. A beautiful story, well told, compelling. Highly recommend.I need to comb through my TBR and find some seasonally appr..."
2 favorites of mine!!
Chanda2426 wrote: "Callie wrote: "OK, in honor of the creepy time of year, I've started reading NOS4A2, and it is wonderful so far."Love, love, love that book!
I'm currently reading
Happy reading
currently reading Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome & the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD, I studied this author in college and it's really interesting about how the catholic church dealt with moving from being a fringe kind of 'cult' religion to the state religion and how in particular they dealt with the concept of wealth. Pretty dense and slow going, but well worth it. Also listening to Remarkable Creatures and enjoying it very much.
Does anyone have book recommendations for a 9 yr old girl who's an avid reader who LOVED Wonder?
Mod
Freak the Mighty
A Wrinkle in Time
When You Reach Me
Becky wrote: "currently reading Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome & the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD, I studied this author in college and it's really interesting about how ..."I have a 9-yr-old son who was entranced in Wonder this summer. We have since read these 2 books and loved them as well. Happy reading!!
I read THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS by Elizabeth Gilbert and was blown away. Especially since I detested EAT, PRAY, LOVE. Also finished David Finkel's THANK YOU FOR SERVING which was heartbreakingly good. After that I needed a break so I picked up DANGEROUS ADMISSIONS by Jane O'Connor. Light and frothy and fun. Right now I'm about two-thirds of the way through THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt. Can't find the words to express how amazing it is. It's on its way to earning my "Best of 2013" nod. Unless the wheels come off...
Just finished
. It was a pleasure to read another King novel. It totally lived up to expectations for me and provided closure better than a lot of his work. I just started
and am hoping it is a good read. So far so good.Happy reading all!!
I am only having a so-so reading month. I have finished:
-finally!
and Paris by Rutherfurd (very difficult to find in the add book/author thing for comments!). At the same time, I have abandoned, at least for now:
-very odd and disjointed story so I have stopped at 50%
-abandoned for the 2nd time
-soon to be abandoned
Late last month, I abandoned:
and
What is wrong with me? Nothing seems to be holding my attention.
just finished The Beautiful Land which I loved, starting A Change of Fortune.
I also loved the Night Circus, I originally got it from the library, I liked it so much I have been keeping an eye out for a hard cover to purchase
Victoria wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I am currently reading The Sound of Things Falling."I wish they would get that at my elibrary."
Victoria,
I gave this book three stars, but I may make it a four. There is something poetic and calm in the writing and the story unfolds so fluidly. It is deceptive in that it makes you believe it is about one subject, but there are many layers to what is happening here. I would say read it if you get a chance. I'd like to read more by this author.
Thanks Elizabeth. I actually broke down and purchased it for my Kindle yesterday. I haven't started it yet though.
I read The Language of Flowers earlier this month. I enjoyed learning the meaning of flowers, but skimmed the story.I'm currently reading Beautiful Ruins, which took me awhile to get into, but now am being carried away by the tale.
Victoria... sorry to hear you did not find The Interestings very interesting. I am #49 on hold at my library!
I'm reading Finn by Jon Clinch. It's an interesting take on Huckleberry Finn's Pap.
Finn is great. One of my favorite novels of recent years. And I read and loved it before I met Clinch, who is a great guy. A very upbeat and funny guy. Not what you'd expect from reading Finn, which gives Cormac McCarthy a run for his money in the "dark view of mankind" category.
I also want to chime in on Finn (by Jon Clinch): It is an a wonderfully dark and moody novel that is complementary to, but does not contradict, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (by Mark Twain.) The imagery is very vivid and the story has a way of getting under your skin! I always know when a book is top tier when it seeps into my memory as experience and/or I have a dream related to it; and in this case it was a little of both :-)
Victoria wrote: "What is wrong with me? Nothing seems to be holding my attention."Nothing is wrong with you. Every book lover goes through a dry spell now and then. When I look through my Goodreads titles (the ones with actual dates read, not approximations), I can see the gaps where I slowed down considerably or put books aside. It happens even to high-profile reviewers: Gavin from The Readers has taken a few months' leave from the podcast because he was starting to feel that reading was an obligation, not a pleasure.
So how can you get back on track? You could persist until a book finally speaks to you. You could switch to audio books for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. You might even abandon books altogether except for those needed for work, or--if going cold turkey is just too dreadful a prospect--read a single short story each time you're tempted to grab a full-length novel. When you're ready to start reading for pleasure again, you'll know.
Think you Kathy! All great ideas and thanks for the encouragement as well!
When I'm going through a dry spell, I just switch to movies & tv until it's over. Most of what's out there is such crap that it doesn't take long to get me reading again.
Janet wrote: "When I'm going through a dry spell, I just switch to movies & tv until it's over. Most of what's out there is such crap that it doesn't take long to get me reading again."Where's the "LIKE" button for this??? I need a LIKE button!
Mod
Where's th..."
LIKE!
Becky wrote: "Does anyone have book recommendations for a 9 yr old girl who's an avid reader who LOVED Wonder?"
It might be aimed little older (late elementary/early middle school), but I think
is such a gorgeous book.
It might be aimed little older (late elementary/early middle school), but I think
is such a gorgeous book.
Becky wrote: "finished . loved it, I gave it 5 stars"YAY!!
What's up next for you?
Chanda2426 wrote: "Becky wrote: "finished . loved it, I gave it 5 stars"YAY!!
What's up next for you?"
started
last night because I am going to see Anne Rice later this week, but I won't have it finished by then
Becky wrote: "currently reading Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome & the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD, I studied this author in college and it's really interesting about how ..."For your nine-year-old I'd highly recommend RULES by Cynthia Lord. Similar subject matter for the same age group. Published in '06.
I finished THE GOLDFINCH over the weekend. Unbelievable. This is definitely my best read of 2013 and has taken a spot on my Best Reads of All Time list. One of the few novels I'd consider reading a second time.Tough to pick up another book but I settled on ALEX by Pierre Lemaitre. So far it's living up to the hype. Very French, very creepy.
I'm currently reading Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd. This is the third novel by Boyd that I have read and it's not my favorite of his, but there is something about Boyd's writing that always just pulls me in. He intrigued me with Brazzaville Beach, I fell in love with him after Any Human Heart and now with Waiting for Sunrise he has solidified his place as one of my favorite authors.
Ellison wrote: "I finished THE GOLDFINCH over the weekend. Unbelievable. This is definitely my best read of 2013 and has taken a spot on my Best Reads of All Time list. One of the few novels I'd consider reading a..."I'm reading Alex too...very good.
I haven't posted in a while. I finished
for book club and Booktopia and really liked it. I also read
which was fun and quick. I am currently reading
which is in paperback so it is easy to carry around and I am really enjoying it as well as
. I met Jamie Ford at Booktopia Petoskey and am going to see him again at the end of the month. He is speaking on Long Island and I am meeting up with my sister-in-law who is now reading
which I loved!
Tanya/dog eared copy wrote: "I also want to chime in on Finn (by Jon Clinch): It is an a wonderfully dark and moody novel that is complementary to, but does not contradict, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (by Mark Twain.) T..."I read them together, switching back and forth between the two. It was a fantastic way to read both books and compare the different angles of the story of Huck Finn and Pap Finn. And I got to thank Jon Clinch for this somewhat unique experience at Booktopia in Vermont this past April!
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