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January 2016 - What are you reading? (no book covers)
I'm reading The Cleveland Street Scandal, about a male brothel in the middle of London in 1889. The author isn't exactly Erik Larsen, but it's still an interesting bit of largely-forgotten history.
On a completely different note, I also started Batman '66/Green Hornet, a sequel of sorts to the episodes of the '60s Batman series guest-starring the Green Hornet and Kato. If you're a fan of either series, I'd recommend giving it a try.
On a completely different note, I also started Batman '66/Green Hornet, a sequel of sorts to the episodes of the '60s Batman series guest-starring the Green Hornet and Kato. If you're a fan of either series, I'd recommend giving it a try.
I just started Backcast, which so far is.... eh... but then again I'm only 50 pages in so I suppose there is still hope that it will really start to get my attention.. hopefully sooner rather than later. I also started Remembrance of Things Past: Volume I - Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove which I've been wanting to get around to for a while now.
I'm reading The Satyr of Capri the second in the Boys of Imperial Rome series. Loved the first one, Deadly Circus of Desire: Boys of Imperial Rome, and this one hasn't disappointed me yet. Living up to expectations.
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I don't know how many times I've started this, usu getting 50-100 pages in before I felt totally bored. I've decided the effort to read it, just to say I read it, is not worth the effort.
I've picked it up before... unfortunately I didn't get very far but only because I checked the book out of my college library and the semester was almost over and they wouldn't let me keep it over Winter break. I'd have checked it out again the following semester but ended up having to go to a different campus to attend the classes I needed for the degree I was going for. I finally got my hands on another copy again and now another group that I'm in has decided to spend a year working on Remembrance of Things Past/ In Search of Lost Time.... perfect reason to give it another go I guess lol.Anyway... if it was by any other author I probably would have given up by now and my reason for reading Proust is.... humors I guess. It's actually because of a movie I watched.... actually the first lesbian movie I ever saw shortly after I started to realize my own orientation. I caught Loving Annabelle on LOGO while my mother and her husband were out with my younger sister one day and a quote by Proust is used at one point in the movie.... for whatever reason it made me want to at least attempt to read everything he has written... don't know if I'll ever succeed but I figure it's still worth a shot lol.
Proust: I had tried and failed to get through the first vol; about a year ago I determined one can jump ahead to Albertine -- you do not need to read the entire. So I read Sodom and Gomorrah with great delight and am desultorily reading The Captive & The Fugitive. I won't be ashamed of the fact that I find his childhood, of which the first volume consists, unengaging. Not only because it's childhood but his mother-focus is just ???? to me. Whereas, with the book above, I was amused, engaged and the story was relevant to me. This is the Proust I wanted.
I'm reading Another Day by David Levithan. Next up will be Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.I've never really thought of reading Proust, some books are just too hard to be fun. In this category is also Ulysses and Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, I think.
I just finished Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos. Am trying to figure out what to read next.
Almost finished with 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, 900+ pages long!!! This is the second time I've checked it out from the library, I couldn't read the whole thing the first time.
I just started The History of Us and I'm 25% in. So far, I'm really enjoying it (and I rarely make it this far with books bc I'm the pickiest reader ever lol).
I've read 100 pages of the 386 page Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. Unlike, it feels like everyone else on the planet who reads science fiction, this book won the Nebula, the Hugo, the Locus, all of the awards; it's just not working for me. I may give up on it.Not sure what I'll read next. Maybe The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor, maybe Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, maybe Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts.
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I am also reading a biography of Jackson Pollock called Jackson Pollock: An American Saga which is also very good so far, and Nelson Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm.
Finally decided on The Rosie Project. I like narratives in which the protagonist doesn't exactly fit into the larger society.
I am currently reading A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood.....a great read.
I just finished The Chronos Files series by Rysa Walker which turned out to be one of my favorite book series! And I am currently reading Altered (Crewel trilogy) by Gennifer Albin.
I did give up on Ancillary Justice, at least for now.I didn't pick up any of the books I listed above, but Barbara the Slut and Other People, by Lauren Holmes a debut book of short stories, which I am enjoying.
i Am currently reading 2 booksDynasty, the Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar,
by Tom Holland.
And The Song of Achillies by Madeline Miller.
Sasha wrote: "Almost finished with 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, 900+ pages long!!! This is the second time I've checked it out from the library, I couldn't read the whole thing the firs..."An achievement Sasha! :) I haven't been brave enough to go for that opus yet, but I've read Kafka on the Shore and enjoyed it. Murakami is a fascinating writer!
Bryn wrote: "Proust: I had tried and failed to get through the first vol; about a year ago I determined one can jump ahead to Albertine -- you do not need to read the entire. So I read [book:Sodom and Gomorrah|..."Good tip Bryn! Maybe I'll skip to the more adult years!
Steve wrote: "i Am currently reading 2 booksDynasty, the Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar,
by Tom Holland.
And The Song of Achillies by Madeline Miller."
I've heard lots of good things about The Song of Achilles Steve! One day I'll certainly read it!
Just finished The Rosie Project; am reading Another Place in Time, a collection of m/m romance stories.
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I started Justin Cronin's book The Twelve the second in his Passage series.
Steve wrote: "And The Song of Achillies by Madeline Miller."One of my favourite books! It's gorgeous.
I am finally reading The Well of Loneliness. Halfway through and I like it a lot so far!
I've read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, The Wild Party by Joseph Moncure March drawn by Art Spiegelman. It's interesting, especially if you compare it to The Great Gatsby.I'm currently reading two very different books: Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint and The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts.
Phillip wrote: "Finished Death by Pride by Mark McNease, and gave it five stars with the following review:Death by Pride is a thriller in which television news production assista..."
Five stars, great! It's always a nice thing to find a book to fully connect with!
Julia wrote: "I've read Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, The Wild Party by Joseph Moncure March drawn by Art Spiegelman. It's interesting, espe..."I liked The Wild Party too - quite engaging for a book length poem! The thing that first put me on to it was when I saw a musical adapted from the book.
And de Lint is fantastic! I haven't read that particular one yet though.
I saw there was a 1975 Merchant Ivory movie which apparently combined The Wild Party and the Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle scandal; but a musical I want to seek that out! I wouldn't have noticed it, had it not been drawn by Art Spiegelman. Also, last summer I (re?)read The Great Gatsby, and other books by and about F. Scott Fitzgerald, so that's a classic of the same time, and similar-ish subject matter.There's very little by Charles de Lint I haven't read and Someplace to Be Flying is my favorite of his novels, that I'm reading for the third time, I think. My RL book group is discussing it two weeks.
Julia wrote: "I saw there was a 1975 Merchant Ivory movie which apparently combined The Wild Party and the Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle scandal, but a musical I want to seek that out! I wouldn't have no..."The musical was fascinating Julia - a fairly small cast, a bit risqué with some nudity and very well done. I saw it at a smaller theater.
But now I need to find that Merchant Ivory production! - loved Merchant Ivory in the day, so many fantastic movies they put out!
What did you think of The Great Gatsby Julia? I just loved it, but I'm a sucker for that rolling metaphoric language. The last couple pages of that book are the most perfect writing I could imagine! A lot of people on Goodreads seem to hate it though - I think because of the shallow characters that are meant to epitomize the era. I found it very poignant.
But now I need to find that Merchant Ivory production! - Just keep your expectations low, please. It stars Raquel Welch, I'd hardly cast her as a Jean Harlow/ Mae West-type, and James Coco.
I loved The Great Gatsby, but I'm not a teenager required to read it, I read it for fun and history. I found it wistful and lyrical. I want to read Maureen Corrigan's recent book about it, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures. I wonder if it's available to listen to, I love her voice.
Julia wrote: "But now I need to find that Merchant Ivory production! - Just keep your expectations low, please. It stars Raquel Welch, I'd hardly cast her as a Jean Harlow/ Mae West-type, and James Coco.
I lo..."
Ha ha, I will Julia. :)
And I love your description of The Great Gatsby as "wistful and lyrical." That's a perfect description.
Mod
The only de Lint I've read is the Ottawa and the Valley series which I quite liked. I found them wonderfully mythic.
Over the holidays, I read some light holiday fare: Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie and The Chimes by Charles Dickens. Both were enjoyable, and The Chimes had a wonderfully evocative beginning (great writing).Just finished Solaris by Stanisław Lem, a very odd book about a world discovered in another solar system covered by a vast perhaps living Ocean. Parts of the English translation were exquisite - very finely translated from the original Polish. Some Polish Goodreads friends tell me it's even more beautiful in the original language, but regardless, the translator deserves a handshake for a job well done. Gorgeously written in final chapter especially!
Overall, I found the human parts of the story more captivating than the parts covering "Solaristic" theory, but I quite liked the book. I gave it 4 stars.
Has anyone read it before?
I was drawn to the book because I saw the very odd, almost poetic Russian film adaption by Tarkovsky years ago, I've been curious about the book ever since then. For fans of the movie, the book does shed a bit more light on what's going on. That alone would've made it worth reading, but the book was quite intriguing on its own too.
I haven't seen the American film adaption with Clooney yet. Perhaps I'll give it a shot, or perhaps I'll just watch the Tarkovsky one again. :)
Now I'm in the midst of Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Not far enough along to be sure what I think yet.
Greg wrote: "Over the holidays, I read some light holiday fare: Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie and The Chimes by Charles Dickens. Both ..."I wasn't really too keen on Tess of the D'Urbervilles though I think I'm in the minority there!
At the minute I'm reading Letters from Father Christmas and RatBurger. David William's kid's books are just fantastic; so heartwarming and always encourage children to really accept and enjoy their 'being different'.
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I have not read this yet, but have wanted to for a long time. I've not been able to find a trade paperback or a reasonably priced hardcover in English. I hated the movie, too much romance, too weird. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd read the book first.
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I'm not sure what to read next. It'll have to wait till tonight.
Clare wrote: "I wasn't really too keen on Tess of the D'Urbervilles though I think I'm in the minority there!..."I don't know about that Clare (your being in the minority) - it's a long book, and since it's Hardy, I presume extremely depressing. I do like the writing so far though. The jury is still out on what I'll think. :)
Kernos wrote: "I hated the movie, too much romance, too weird. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd read the book first. ..."What was the tone of the American adaption Kernos?
The Russian film was extremely cryptic and eerie. Such an odd, beautiful movie.
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Greg wrote: "Just finished Solaris by Stanisław Lem, a very odd book about a world discovered in another solar system..."I've always been curious but daunted; thanks for your notes on the translation, it's swayed me to decide I'd better explore the book. I saw the old Russian film but too long ago; probably was what daunted me.
As for Tess, I love her; yes a typical Hardy in depressingness; a tragic novelist, which I think was rare for an English??
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Bryn wrote: "I've always been curious but daunted; thanks for your notes on the transla.'ve always been curious but daunted; thanks for your notes on the translation, it's swayed me to decide I'd better explore the book. I saw the old Russian film but too long ago; probably was what daunted me. .."My pleasure Bryn! One slight warning, the book has some interspersed scientific theory sections that I actually found interesting but that also definitely slow down the action. Not a page turner for sure, but since the book is short, that didn't bother me.
Kernos wrote: "I decided it was time to re-read [The Once and Future King|17470672] again. The last time was in the early '70s I think."I definitely want to read that one day, was kind of hoping it was going to be chosen in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy group I belong to as a group read, but last time I looked, it was behind.
@Greg, I read half yesterday. It's not what I expected: cryptic, cerebral. In fact he takes pains to give us a thrill per chapter. Yes I've hit the the expatiation on science but that's standard in sf and I'm used to leaving that aside. I find its psycho-social, existential bent just what I love in my sf. Why I haven't read it before now.........
Bryn wrote: "I find its psycho-social, existential bent just what I love in my sf...."Great way to describe it Bryn! And I tend to love that sort of thing too. :)
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I definitely want to read that one day, was kind of hoping ..."
This is more fun than I remember and funnier too. It is a vocabulary gold-mine. I've encountered 3 or 4 new words for fewmets and 3 new words for ants plus a legion of falconry terms, even discovered the difference between a hawk and a falcon. Digital dictionaries certainly make a difference! For this you need an Oxford dictionary. The book is very British.
Kernos wrote: "This is more fun than I remember and funnier too..."When I re-read this beloved book a couple of years ago I was astonished at his language skills, which I hadn't done justice to in spite of almost knowing the book by heart.
It is Britishness personified.
In my Top 5 of well-beloveds.
Kernos wrote: "I decided it was time to re-read The Once and Future King again. The last time was in the early '70s I think."The only Arthurian book I've read is The Mists of Avalon because I was told there was a threesome. :p
I've come to regret reading that as I learned of Marion Zimmer Bradley's history.
Alex wrote: "I've come to regret reading that as I learned of Marion Zimmer Bradley's history...."I loved several books by Marion Zimmer Bradley .. The Firebrand, The Mists of Avalon, Stormqueen!, Hawkmistress!, City of Sorcery,....
But I was extremely disturbed when I somewhat recently discovered the controversy about her. I was so upset I couldn't sleep that night! Instead, I was researching it online, and the evidence is pretty damning - most disturbing are some of the things she said in reaction, the things she herself said in court. There's just no positive way to spin it. And such a terrible shame that such a talented woman who had so much success should destroy her own life and her children's lives with such terrible, terrible judgement!!
I still read some of her books that I own on occasion, but since I found out about her behavior, I don't buy any new ones and I no longer mention her books on threads without referring to the controversy. I don't want to help her husband in any way. What a horrible man! It's a shame, but I do feel that as a result of her personal behavior, she's going to fall into obscurity and eventually her work will be forgotten.
Bryn wrote: "Kernos wrote: "This is more fun than I remember and funnier too..."When I re-read this beloved book a couple of years ago I was astonished at his language skills, which I hadn't done justice to i..."
Bryn and Kernos, sounds like I should definitely read this soon!
Queereaders
Books mentioned in this topic
Blue Is the Warmest Color (other topics)The Well of Loneliness (other topics)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (other topics)
The Frangipani Hotel (other topics)
Chicken Soup for the Soul (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Violet Kupersmith (other topics)Ann Leckie (other topics)
Violet Kupersmith (other topics)
Neil Gaiman (other topics)
Mary Stewart (other topics)
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