Readerville Veterans discussion
What are you reading?
message 51:
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Cordel
(last edited Jan 03, 2010 10:36AM)
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Jan 03, 2010 10:36AM
I am re-reading part of The Bishop's Man, which I must have read in the middle of the night, and then, I will begin The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. After that, I think it will be a mystery, since I haven't read anything light since Christmas.
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Lauren wrote: "Nancy, we still love you despite your appalling taste.I knew I could count on you, Lauren. I see you also added Confessions of Noa Weber to your list. Doesn't that look fabulous? I'm tempted to purchase it, even tho I have a stack of books I'm dying to get to. Snow makes me want to buy books. So does sun, now that I think of it.
I just ditched Animal's People. I was co-reading a Pratchett and ham just enjoying it now. Much more than one Pratchett a year is too many, but I always enjoy one.
Yes, I am kind of hooked on Israeli fiction. Do you know if it takes place in Tel Aviv? Then I can justify buying it since that is supposed to be the theme of the synagpuge book group I'm in?
Lauren wrote: "Do you know if it takes place in Tel Aviv?"I have read several reviews, and it's unclear exactly in what city the novel is set.
Hi there everyone.I just finished reading The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver's latest and loved it. I haven't decided what's next; too busy poring through knitting books, but I did get a couple for Christmas that are tempting.
re: Await Your Reply, I liked it, but really couldn't buy that this brilliant, disturbed, shapeshifting guy would be so taken in by that scam. Kind of dampened the book a bit for me, actually.
I've a copy of Wolf Hall, and I love Hilary Mantel in general, but I didn't get along well with her French Revolution novel and I'm afraid to start WH in case I find it's another I can't get through. Nancy, did you have trouble with that one as well?Right now I'm reading Trollope's Can You Forgive Her? and The Yiddish Policemen's Union and I'm one story into The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard.
Hey Leah. I almost bought the Lacuna when Amazon had it for $9.99. How does it compare to her others?Also, I agree about Await Your Reply. It did not wow me. I think it's just not my kind of story.
Susan, I haven't read any other of Hilary Mantel's work, so I can't compare.
Nancy, when I was finished reading Lacuna I had the thought that it was so different from her other novels, but then realized that they were all different from each other. I was sort of stuck remembering her earlier work, which centered on women, but then remembered Poisonwood Bible and how ambitious and wonderful it was. If you're a fan of KIngsolver, you won't be disappointed.I actually did like Await Your Reply a lot, but that one thing bothered me.
How did I not know that we were doing THIS?! And, hello!!I just finished Kate Christensen's The Great Man and thought it was good fun. Not nearly as good as Epicure's Lament, and that was disappointing.
Hi Debi. Chat has been limited until the last few days. Welcome!I am reading Karen Armstrong's The Case for God, and finding it slow-going but very interesting.
Hey Debi -- Her new one, Trouble, isn't too bad -- but again, not as good as the early stuff.
I'm on the wait list for the Armstrong at my library; hopefully it won't take too long.Luann, thanks. I'll put it on my list, but I won't be in too big a hurry. :)
Hey Debi. I always conflate Kate Christensen, Kate Walbert, and Kate Atkinson. I can never remember which book is whose. That said, I have the new Walbert out from the library, A Short History of Women. Anyone read it?
I adored Epicure's Lament - sorry to hear that here other novels aren't as good. (Nancy I don't know Walbert, but I confuse Atkinson and Christensen too)
I just finished (sort of - I skipped bits) Juliet, Naked and didn't love it. I'm not sure I'm the best reader for Hornby. His characters were supposed to be in their 40s and they are read like they were in their early twenties.
I should have said something earlier Debi, I think I assumed you already knew about us. We don't chat much. Do you know about Book balloon too? There's a bunch of us there as well.
Nancy, I have/read A Short History of Women A Novel. I'm a big fan of hers since The Gardens of Kyoto, which remains my favorite. I liked SHoW well enough; give it a go.
The Gardens of Kyoto has been in my TBR stack for years. Perhaps I'll pull it out.
I loved Short History -- and I very much liked Our Kind -- Walbert's last book. I've had that Gardens of Kyoto book for years as well..... so if you do get to it, let me know what you think.
That's great. Thanks, Luann. I'll soon get to both of them.I'm planning to do a lot of good reading in 2010. (2009 was kind of a bust for me. I think it had more to do with me than with the quality of new books.) I'm making a bit of a loose plan.
I'm almost finished with Stoner. It's very good, but just not satisfying me perfectly. Call me fussy. Or quirky. I have the new Gail Godwin up next. I LOVE her work.
I just picked up that Godwin from the library -- but I have to finish Queen Lucia before I start anything new! I'm looking forward to the Godwin though -- it feels like a long time since I've read anything by her.
Tell me what you think of the Godwin. I love anything with a nun, but still thought it was very very good. I love her character's they are so complete - you feel like you know them and miss them when the book is over. I am reading Sarah Waters The little Stranger and wish I could brush everything aside so I could hole up and read more.
Oh, that's good to hear (not that there haven't been lots of good reviews). Generation Loss is working. I'm enjoying it and it looks like Hand is avoiding her old (and tiring) narrative pattern. But, I was browsing Kobo last night and started reading the first chapter of a Kate Walbert book (History of Women - or some such title) and she's great. I might even read her next. (checked her out because of comments above).
I absolutely love this 2010 Best Translated Books long list: http://www.rochester.edu/College/tran...Lots of these have been added to my TBR. Oh, and Confessions of Noa Weber is on it as is Museum of Innocence.
Yeah. I liked that list too. I bookmarked and will work on getting a bunch of them.
Cordel wrote: "I am re-reading part of The Bishop's Man, which I must have read in the middle of the night, and then, I will begin The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. After that, I think it will be a mystery, s..."I started that over Thanksgiving and liked the first part, then it went slow on me and I put it down. Probably will finish it one of these days. What did you think of it, Cordel?
Lauren wrote: "Yes, I am kind of hooked on Israeli fiction. Do you know if it takes place in Tel Aviv? Then I can justify buying it since that is supposed to be the theme of the synagpuge book group I'm in? "I didn't know that; or, did I? I loved these:
Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel
Martyrs' Crossing by Amy Wilentz
Damascus Gate by Robert Stone
Debi wrote: "How did I not know that we were doing THIS?! And, hello!!I just finished Kate Christensen's The Great Man and thought it was good fun. Not nearly as good as Epicure's Lament, and that was disap..."
I don't think she's exceeded the perfection of "Epicure's Lament" yet. I keep hoping and being disappointed and I really didn't like her newest which was a new experience for me since I like everything else she's written.
Klewark wrote: "Cordel wrote: "I am re-reading part of The Bishop's Man, which I must have read in the middle of the night, and then, I will begin The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. After that, I think it will ..."I liked The Bishop's Man. It certainly wasn't a barrel of laughs, but I thought it treated the subject thoroughly, dealt with various personalities faced with the challenges of celibacy, and also contrasted the enthusiasm of innocence with the cynicism of experience and left the reader needing to re-think some beliefs. I think it was a good book to read before Armstrong's The Case for God. Armstrong was a Catholic nun, but instead of becoming a cynic, she left the church and explored the similarities of various philosophies and religions throughout the ages. If you haven't read this one, I think you might find it interesting. I am not too far into it, needing to read other easier books in between stints, but find it quite fascinating.
Klewark wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Yes, I am kind of hooked on Israeli fiction. Do you know if it takes place in Tel Aviv? Then I can justify buying it since that is supposed to be the theme of the synagpuge book grou..."Sorry, don't mean to imply Robert Stone is Israeli (he ain't in case you ain't noticed) but "Damascus Gate" is an excellent read set in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Oh, Kat! So glad you're here.I have just dived in to the "Books in Translation" list that I posted earlier. I'm now reading GHOSTS by Cesar Aira. (Going to try and post a link--don't know if it will work.) Ghosts Did it work?
EDIT: It worked! This is a tiny, lovely book. I will report back.
I'm reading The Gate House and enjoying it very much. Apparently I need about ten years distance from 9/11 to read about it with any equanimity.Hmm, I suppose I need to add another shelf for that tag.
So this thread has been resurrected. Hi, Kat. Good to see you here.Reading Wolitzer's The Position and an oral biography of Robert Altman by Mitchell Zucker. A couple of library books await, Elinor Lipman's The Way Men Act and Hilary Mantel's
An Experiment in Love, a Lauren recommendation.
One of the characters in the Wolitzer is a Log Cabin Republican, a concept I'm still trying to wrap my brain around..
Yeah, that's a concept I have trouble with, too.
Felicia's Journey is the best Trevor. What a story. It reminds me a bit of Asylum by Patrick McGrath, which I also loved.
I'm glad you mentioned Asylum. I remember wanting to read it when it came out, but somehow it fell off the List.
What happened to Cordel's post (re: Felicia's Journey) and Kaethe's response to it? I can only see my response. Have I lost my mind?puzzled.
I apologize for my ditziness. Somehow I'm reading posts from months ago as though they were new.
I was gonna say, I didn't say anything about Felicia's Journey.
Poor Nancy.klewark, do I know you from Readerville?
I finished the stories in Publish and Perish and they are a scream. Perfect of you know anyone in academia.
Log Cabin Republican=Republican Jews. I know they are out there but I just don't get it.
Hee. klewark = kat warrenI have a good friend who is a former honcho of Log Cabin Reps. He came to his senses several years ago, thankfully.
>klewark, do I know you from Readerville? Yeah, I seem have names all over the place. Kat Warren at your service.
Boy is my face red (read?) Kat, honey, I didn't recognize you.
I think she's wearing her hair differently.
Don't be silly. She's change her case, is what it is.
I do that too, Nancy. I also answered a long ago post... I really appreciated The Bishop's Man. I have read other books on the topic, like Fall on your Knees, which I liked, and The Shipping News, which annoyed me for various reasons, and wasn't sure I could read another. I was just impressed with the way I was invited into the mind of the narrator, and thought with him, making connections as he did, and then had to go back and re-read parts of the book. I will read it again, as it left me thinking about many things. It is not a cheery book, but one that is memorable.
Nancy wrote: "I apologize for my ditziness. Somehow I'm reading posts from months ago as though they were new. "Nancy, I just did the same, and answered a question you asked early in the month. Ah, well. It is something about the way Goodreads is coming up.
Yeah, Goodreads is a bit awkward that way. It doesn't seem to remember the last post, which is odd since I often link to the thread from an email message they send my saying there is a new post. You'd think it would take me directly to the post.Lauren, it took me a bit to figure out that Klewark was Kat too. Nancy twigged me, and then the Lewark penny dropped.
Kat, lovely to see you here. Are you accepting friends? I notice you don't have any listed on your profile page.
The first thing I do when I go into this thread is to click on the "date" arrow, which rearranges the threads in chrono order. You'd think they could figure that one out on their end but I guess not.Your case looks nice on you, kat.
I'm still reading Wolf Hall and really not minding how long it is. I'm sure if I had a better memory for the personae and small events that bear on bigger ones I'd be going faster, but I'm constantly going back to check on things. Bless the search function on the Kindle.
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