November - What will you be reading?

[[deleted user]]

@Holly I love Margaret Atwood but Alias a Grace is one I haven't read. I hope you enjoy it, if it's good it will have to go on the TBR list!

[Holly]

I'll make sure to let you know!

[Jenny]

Dhanaraj wrote: "Among many books that I choose to read in November, I am sure of at least four books:

The Complete Cosmicomics
Six Characters In Search Of An Author
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams: A Life Story
The Leopar..."

Dhanaraj, I am dying to hear what you'll think of The Piano Teacher. Again the name Michael Haneke (remember the The White Ribbon regarding Youth without God?) needs to be mentioned, as he made a brilliant movie of this book. But hard to digest. Potentially impossible. At least for me it was.

[Jenny]

Holly wrote: "My planned November reading, I probably wont get through them all. I deviate from my planned reading too much!

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
1984 by George Orwell (re-read)
Alias Grace b..."

Holly it sounds like you have a great month ahead! Loved many of the books that you mentioned.

[Dhanaraj]

Jenny, usually if I had watched a film adaptation of a book, I shy away from reading the book later. My policy is that read the book and then watch the film. So I will read THE PIANO TEACHER first (fortunately I had not seen the film till today) and will let you know of my impressions.

[Faye]

I've fallen way behind with my goal to read 104 books in 2013, so I need to read A LOT in November.

I'd like to finish the complete works of Poe once the All Hallows Read is over, and there's a French/English dual-language book I'm in the middle of. Aside from that, these are waiting in the wings for my attention...

The Secret Life of Bees
Their Eyes Were Watching God (I'd love to join you guys for this one)
Teacher Man
The Custodian of Paradise
Paradise Lost
The Little Iliad
The Dead Secret
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen
James Herriot's Dog Stories

[Shirley]

Faye wrote: "I've fallen way behind with my goal to read 104 books in 2013, so I need to read A LOT in November.

I'd like to finish the complete works of Poe once the All Hallows Read is over, and there's a Fr..."

Faye, you'd be very welcome to join us in our readalong of Their Eyes Were Watching God!

[Leslie]

@Faye - You are welcome to join us! That is one reason that I post on this thread, so others can join in. And I espy a Wodehouse on your list - that is a pretty good one! :)

[Holly]

Faye, Paradise Lost is one that's been sitting on my bookshelf for ages waiting to be read! Ever thought about doing a buddy read?

(I've never actually taken part in one before, so I'm not 100% sure how to go about it, but it's something I'm definitely interested in doing! If someone has any information/tips for doing one, that would be great)

[Elaine]

Holly wrote: "My planned November reading, I probably wont get through them all. I deviate from my planned reading too much!

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
1984 by George Orwell (re-read)
Alias Grace b..."

I adored Catch 22 - thought it hilarious. But apparently its a love or hate book.

[Holly]

Elaine, I'm almost reluctant to start it. I don't know if I'll like it or not.

[Gill]

Holly wrote: "Faye, Paradise Lost is one that's been sitting on my bookshelf for ages waiting to be read! Ever thought about doing a buddy read?

(I've never actually taken part in one before, so I'm not 100% su..."
Hi Holly If you look for the section called Readalongs, the first thread there is called Would anyone like to join me in reading ...
So you can post something there and other people who are interested will respond there. Have fun!

[dely]

I'm missing reading about India (it's a month I don't pick up a book about India) so I am sure I will read Unaccustomed Earth (currently reading), The City of Joy and a book by Arundhati Roy, Guerra è pace, of which I can't find an English edition and it contains different articles she has written agains economical globalization, the privatization of energy resources and the gap between East and West, the nuclear war and so on. Then I have also A Fine Balance.

And, for the readalong, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories.

[Jenny]

@Elaine and Holly: I loved Catch 22! But Elaine is right is love or hate. One thing I realized about this book: the key is persistence. I hated it all the way up to page 70something or even 100 and then it all of a sudden turned around for me entirely. Not because the book really changes, just because I finally got a hang of the language, the absurdity and it's brilliance.

@dely: I really hope you will enjoy 'A Fine Balance', it is one of my favorites! I am curious to hear your thoughts on the Arundhati Roy book, I liked her The God of Small Things and always wanted to read some of her essays.

[dely]

Jenny wrote: "@dely: I really hope you will enjoy 'A Fine Balance', it is one of my favorites! I am curious to hear your thoughts on the Arundhati Roy book, I liked her The God of Small Things and always wanted to read some of her essays. ..."

I hope to have enough time to read it.
I liked The God of Small Things too, read it last year if I don't remember wrong. I like her writing style and her charism, she seems a strong woman.

[LauraT]

Have to read at least that one.

[Elaine]

Holly wrote: "Elaine, I'm almost reluctant to start it. I don't know if I'll like it or not."

Just jump right into it, I also put it off for years, and was so impressed, so I even got more of the authors books too. I haven't had time to read them though.

[Elaine]

dely wrote: "I'm missing reading about India (it's a month I don't pick up a book about India) so I am sure I will read Unaccustomed Earth (currently reading), The City of Joy and a book by Arundhati Roy, Guerr..."

Yea A fine balance was absolutely amazing, and city of Joy was awesome, but the book that really started me reading about and Indian authors were "Shantaram" although it was written by an Australian. It still is one my most favourite books. I found the ending fizzled quite a bit, but man, what a book!

[Dhanaraj]

@ dely: The English title of Arundhati Roy's Essay Collection (Guerra e Pace) is, if I am not mistaken, The Algebra Of Infinite Justice. And of course, she was a strong woman and wrote powerful critical essays on the government and the government policies in the mainstream Magazines of India with a condition that not a word of the essay be omitted. essay.

[Faye]

Holly wrote: "Faye, Paradise Lost is one that's been sitting on my bookshelf for ages waiting to be read! Ever thought about doing a buddy read?

(I've never actually taken part in one before, so I'm not 100% su..."

I would love to make it a buddy read! I've been procrastinating on reading Paradise Lost since I bought it months ago, even though I know I'll love it. It would be so much more fun to talk about it as I go. :)

[Holly]

It might be a bit hard fitting it in this month. Just started Middlemarch, doing a buddy read of A Tale of Two Cities and hoping to fit Wuthering Heights in too!

I'd love to do it though! Perhaps spread it over from November to December?

[Faye]

Holly wrote: "It might be a bit hard fitting it in this month. Just started Middlemarch, doing a buddy read of A Tale of Two Cities and hoping to fit Wuthering Heights in too!

I'd love to do it though! Perhaps ..."

Sure, I can do December, no problem. :)

[Faye]

Leslie wrote: "@Faye - You are welcome to join us! That is one reason that I post on this thread, so others can join in. And I espy a Wodehouse on your list - that is a pretty good one! :)"

Thanks! I love Wodehouse. That'll be my birthday-reading treat. :)

[Leslie]

Faye wrote: "Leslie wrote: "@Faye - You are welcome to join us! That is one reason that I post on this thread, so others can join in. And I espy a Wodehouse on your list - that is a pretty good one! :)"

Than..."

Me too! I have recently started rereading them by listening to the audiobooks narrated by Jonathan Cecil, which are marvelous.

[Holly]

Looks like my reading for November has changed a bit!

Here's what I'm hoping to fit in:

Middlemarch - Hopefully I'll get this completed in the next few days!
A Tale of Two Cities - A buddy read in another group. Very excited! If anyone wants to do this with me here, I'd be happy to!
Wuthering Heights - The Classic read for Nov/Dec. I'll try fit this in!
Paradise Lost - A buddy read with Faye, hopefully I'll fit it in and finish along to December! If you want to join us, you can post in the Readalongs thread!

Looks like it's going

[dely]

Dhanaraj wrote: "@ dely: The English title of Arundhati Roy's Essay Collection (Guerra e Pace) is, if I am not mistaken, The Algebra Of Infinite Justice. And of course, she was a strong woman and wrote powerful cri..."

Thanks Dhanaraj!
Once I had watched an interessing documentray about spices and biological food and they talked also about Arundhati Roy and her collaboration with Vandana Shiva; they are both two leading activists in India.


Elaine wrote: "dely wrote: "I'm missing reading about India (it's a month I don't pick up a book about India) so I am sure I will read Unaccustomed Earth (currently reading), The City of Joy and a book by Arundha..."

I'm sorry but Shantaram is one of the worst books I have ever read. It doesn't talk about India but about Gregory David Roberts and his megalomania. In my opinion it is derogatory how Indians are depicted in that book and the story is really not credible. Also his writing style is something weak and the book is full of repetitions, everything is predictable and the characters aren't well depicted and they seem all the same. I know a lot of people like that book but I will never understand why.

[Amber]

I don't have much to read after I finish my Poe collection. I got deception by C.J. Redwine, and then I'll go from there before my city of bones readalong in December. hope to read the child thief by brom too.

[Petra]

Leslie wrote: "
Ha ha ha! The group mind is becoming more obvious! I was just thinking about starting Midwich Cuckoos after I finish The House on the Strand!! I borrowed it a few weeks ago...
..."

I really like John Wyndham's books. None of them are bad. My favorites of his are Chocky and The Chrysalids.
I hope you enjoy Midwich Cuckoos.

[Petra]

In November, I'm hoping to finish Don Quixote and The Divine Comedy.

I'm itching to join in the Wuthering Heights read but can't start another long book until one (or both) of these is finished first.

In audio books, I'm listening to The Once and Future King, which is delightful and a perfect book to listen to while jogging.

[Holly]

Petra, they are hard reads, so congratulations to you when you finish them. I wish I had your ambition!

I'm planning on reading The Once and Future King only after I've finished Le Morte D'Arthur, which I reckon is going to take me years to finish! I think an audiobook is in order for it!

[Jenny]

You people really have to stop this, my TBR is exploding!!! (says she while adding 'Chocky' to her list)

[Petra]

Holly, they are two books I wouldn't normally put together but they are group reads for other groups. I'm hanging in there, though. Both are good (I prefer The Divine Comedy, though), so that helps a lot.

The audio of The Once & Future King is great.
I have Le Morte D'Arthur on my bookshelf. What do you think of it?

Jenny, that's funny! I hope you enjoy John Wyndham's books.

[Holly]

I wouldn't be able to do both, I must admit. They're both mammoth books that I find slightly intimidating!

I'm not very far in at all with Le Morte D'Arthur, and it's writing style is a bit weird. Malory seems to dislike speech marks, so sometimes it's hard to separate speech from events. I will persevere, it's just taking a back seat. It's split into very short chapters, and then into books, and I'd like to get a book done (there's 21...) every two weeks, but we'll see. I'd like to just read it via the audiobook (I use Librivox), but it would take me forever to read it that way.

[Bionic Jean]

Ah, but Jenny, when you've finished adding all of John Wyndham's books to your TBR you'll have to start on John Beynon Harris (as that's the name his earlier works were published under!)

[Shirley]

Jean wrote: "Ah, but Jenny, when you've finished adding all of John Wyndham's books to your TBR you'll have to start on John Beynon Harris (as that's the name his earlier works were published under!)"

Really? I never knew that and I was a big John Wyndham fan...

[Portia]

I have so many books I want to read beginning November 1, I am considering throwing them all up in the air and whichever ones stick to the ceiling are the ones I read :P

[Pink]

That's one way to do it Portia! I feel in a similar position, I want to read everything at once, so many good books to choose from! I'll look out to see which one you choose to read first :)

[Jenny]

@ Jean, stooooooooooooopppppppppp! and while yelling this I actually looked the name up. LOL
Luckily the search machine can't find him. And Jean, if you dare linking his author profile now I swear I will....look it up.

[Leslie]

Amber wrote: "I don't have much to read after I finish my Poe collection. I got deception by C.J. Redwine, and then I'll go from there before my city of bones readalong in December. hope to read the child thief ..."

Amber, why not join us in reading Wuthering Heights or one of the other group reads?

[Leslie]

Portia wrote: "I have so many books I want to read beginning November 1, I am considering throwing them all up in the air and whichever ones stick to the ceiling are the ones I read :P"

LOL! I sometimes feel that way! And then will end up reading something totally random that crossed my path! :)

[Leslie]

Petra wrote: "In November, I'm hoping to finish Don Quixote and The Divine Comedy.

I'm itching to join in the Wuthering Heights read but can't start another long book until one (or both) of these is finished f..."

I really enjoyed The Once and Future King when I read it years ago. Hope you are enjoying that audiobook :)

[Bionic Jean]

I too have loved John Wyndham ever since my teens! SF, but very much rooted in the real world, often with very ordinary English people (though a bit dated now, of course.) It's usually a small group of people struggling against some gigantic threat. Here's a link to one of the books by John Beynon Harris I've got, Jenny and Shirley:
Wanderers of Time.

I think most of John Wyndham's books are on my shelves.

Pink, which group is reading "The Midwich Cuckoos"?

Portia, I sincerely hope none of the books you wanted to read in November is on your Kindle...

[Holly]

I'm actually being strict with myself for once in what I read. I'm usually very indecisive over what books I read, but I have a clear plan for the next 4/5 books. Bring it on!

[Pink]

Jean, the group for the midwich cuckoos group read is Classics without all the class :)

[Bionic Jean]

Thanks, Pink. I'll have a look at their home page though really shouldn't join another group...

Hope you enjoy it!

[Holly]

I know what you mean, Jean. I'm almost part of too many groups, and that makes it hard to fit in group reads... Might cut my numbers down a bit...

[Pink]

That's how I feel jean, too many groups, but it gives me more choice each month to pick my group reads from. This is like my group home page though!

[Bionic Jean]

Oh dear - too late Holly and Pink!

My excuse is that they seem to have read some really great books. It's a huge group, isn't it, so I can probably just sit quietly in the background (no comments please!!)

Yes, I agree it's nice to have a favourite one though :)

[Holly]

This group is slowly becoming my favourite though. Everyone just seems really friendly, and there's a really good selection of books!

[Pink]

I think it's a good group Jean, I belong to a few classic groups as they're my main interest, plus a few more for variety!