Crossroads discussion
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Mapping Your Reading
Lesley wrote: "WOW you are sure into 'heavy' reading; hope you are enjoying them ."Dickens is a pleasure, Plato not so much. I have read his "greatest hits" before and those are definitely the cream of the crop. But I've always wanted to read all of his works, and this will garner me many points in a reading game where I'm going for most strategic reader (as will the Dickens)-I get extra points for length, for being on Bloom's western canon and a few things I won't bore you with. I will definitely throw in some light reading here and there!
Mod
Sounds interesting, BnB. "Darkly comic" intrigues me."
I'm enjoying the heck out of it right now. I'm on a bit of a roll with books, I've had fun reading.
Karin wrote: "I'm also flitting in and out of Ireland with In the Woods by Tana French"I enjoyed In the Woods but not as much as Faithful Place. I read the third book first, then the first book, and have yet to go on to the second.
Mod
I enjoyed In the Woods but not as much as Faithful Place. I rea..."
I've only read In the Woods and that was ages ago. I liked it and thought I would read more of hers but never did.
Denizen wrote: "Karin wrote: "I'm also flitting in and out of Ireland with In the Woods by Tana French"I enjoyed In the Woods but not as much as Faithful Place. I rea..."
So far, after three chapters, I like it. Not really gruesome and some lovely descriptive parts with lovely language (but not always) that almost counterpoint the starker aspects of the book (it's late, I'm tired, so if that doesn't make sense, take it with some literary license and a grain of salt). Not at all what I expected going into this read. Who knows, maybe I'll read more.
Karin wrote: "Denizen wrote: "Karin wrote: "I'm also flitting in and out of Ireland with In the Woods by Tana French"I enjoyed In the Woods but not as much as [book:Faithful Place..."
So far, after three chapters, I like it. Not really gruesome and some lovely descriptive parts with lovely language (but not always) that almost counterpoint the starker aspects of the book
I find her writing much better than the typical mystery writer. I've listened to the two books I've read and found it very enjoyable.
Denizen wrote: "I find her writing much better than the typical mystery writer. I've listened to the two books I've read and found it very enjoyable. .."Good to know. My driving time has been cut considerably, so I'm not sure about audiobooks right now. I'm happy not to be driving so much (I drove about twice my normal mileage last year chauffeuring one of my daughters to her first summer job and then to college, but she has her own car now--she only has to do half of the college driving since she stays there all day).
I'm visiting the four London's with V.E. Schwab's A Conjuring of Light the third book in her Shades of Magic series. I finished the second book in the middle of the night during a bout of insomnia. It had a cliff hanger ending. Amazon makes it too easy to buy the next book - bought book 3 on my Kindle without getting out of bed.
14th century Norway. Finished 2/3 of Kristen Lavransdatter and heading into the final stretch. Sorry I can't link on my phone.
I'm in Greece, but also fluctuating between England & The USA. Still sloggin through Plato's Complete Works and then I'm reading a handful of novels. At the moment I love none, but some Iike better than others. I hope to get through these and read fewer!I am liking The Pickwick Papers and The Promise of Jesse Woods, but am not too keen on Charlotte Brontë's Villette or Elizabeth Bowen's The Hotel (NOT the nonfiction book, the novel, and it's hard to find on GR as it's not very popular, and I can see why, but it's for a reading discussion). Then, because I foolishly bought the kindle book on sale, I am forcing myself to get through The Atomic Weight of Love--perhaps it will get better later on in the book.
I am in a London suburb in the Edwardian period with various factions sussing out whether a proper marriage match is being made, E.M. Forster's Howards End. I am also with conflicting Earth, Mars, and Outer Planetary Alliance members drifting toward war but with some brakes due to the threat of an alien sort of virus that has taken over the Venus system, the space opera Caliban's War.
Mod
Michael wrote: "I am in a London suburb in the Edwardian period with various factions sussing out whether a proper marriage match is being made, E.M. Forster's Howards End. I am also with conflicting E..."I just read Howard's End recently, and am interested to see what you think when you're finished.
Booknblues wrote: "I'm in Langley, VA reading Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space."
I have that book waiting for me at the library! I hope it's good :).
Mod
It is very interesting and I think it should pick up a bit as I am at the beginning and still getting background information.
Booknblues wrote: "It is very interesting and I think it should pick up a bit as I am at the beginning and still getting background information. ..."Good to know. It will be a while before I can start it--I have to finish a couple of other books first :).
I am in Ireland again, reading more by Tana French. I've started her second one, but might also start the third on playaway during my walk. They don't have to be read in order, so I might read two at once this way.
I am in Oslo with Nesbo's Detective Harry Hole trying to solve a serial killer case and deal with mean feds trying to take over their crime squad mission, The Leopard. I am also in the far future of Peter Hamilton's Commonwealth Federation, which has under threat by mysterious powerful aliens; Pandora's Star. Humanity has wormhole tech, perpetual life with rejuvenation treatments, lots of implants to keep folks connected to the cybersphere, but greed, jealousy, and religious cults make civilization a pain in the ass to keep groovey.
Mod
I read the first one and enjoyed it but never felt compelled to read another. Not sure why.
Mod
I've enjoyed the Harry Hole series so far. I need to read another.
I've started a new series set in Houston. I'm reading the first book, Black Water Rising
Karin wrote: "I am in Ireland again, reading more by Tana French. I've started her second one, but might also start the third on playaway during my walk. They don't have to be read in order, so I..."You must be really enjoying Tana French if you're doing two at a time.
Denizen wrote: "Kou must be really enjoying Tana French if you're doing two at a time...."Well, I'm not sure if I'll like the second one, and didn't end up starting the third on playaway during my walk today, but perhaps tomorrow. I did like her first one.
Booknblues wrote: "I read the first one and enjoyed it but never felt compelled to read another. Not sure why."
I've heard that her third one is better than the first, and I was surprised I liked the first one, so got on a roll.
I've heard that her third book is better than the first.
I'm in Cambridge, England with H is for Hawk. halfway through it, I hope it picks up.
Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I'm in Cambridge, England with H is for Hawk. halfway through it, I hope it picks up."Oh, dear, I think this is on my tbr.
Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I'm in Cambridge, England with H is for Hawk. halfway through it, I hope it picks up."It doesn't ever really "pick up". It gets more interior and hermetic as part of her abstracting her grief. The hawk is such an alien killimg machine, it becomes an otherworldly axis to wrap her life in. But she learns to do her partnership with the hawk well, while empathizing with White's failures raising his own Goshawk in the 20s. A moody journey but I still gave it a good review and 4 stars. She kept a lot of cards to herself, but I was moved by her exposure of her creative way to work through grief.
I've been in East St. Louis, Harlem and LA with Miles. The autobiography. On audio. The narrator is on point.
Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I've been in East St. Louis, Harlem and LA with Miles. The autobiography. On audio. The narrator is on point."I'm not sure who Miles is (my first thought was Miles Davis).
Mod
Booknblues wrote: "Just spent some time visiting Houston TX in the 1980's with Black Water Rising and am heading south of the border reading Consider This, Senora."I just removed Consider This, Senora from my TBR - primarily because it wasn't available from the library. It's a short book though so a DTB shouldn't be too onerous.
Karin you are right, Miles Davis. I thought I wrote his whole name, not just the name of the book. It is so good.
Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "Karin you are right, Miles Davis. I thought I wrote his whole name, not just the name of the book. It is so good."Okay--of course I associate you with jazz after meeting you last year :). Plus other things, naturally. I have a first cousin once removed named after Miles Davis (my cousin's now grown son is named Miles).
While I am still in Greece with Plato, I am also flitting to Rome a few centuries later with I, Claudius.
Loving the far-flung places and eras you guys are dipping into. I am trying to treat myself to a small binge of sci fi/fantasy. I am currently several centuries in the future with a rejuvenated maniac of a general getting tapped to fight a war with alien invaders to their interstellar confederation, Yoon Ha Lee's Raven Stratagem. I am also reading closer to home with a memoir about growing up in Mexico, Maine, a paper mill town, and surmounting the loss of the author's father, novelist Monaca Wood's When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine. By audiobook I am nearing the end my 8th reading from Nesbo's series featuring Harry Hole in almost Gothic police procedurals usually set in Norway, The Leopard, which has Harry brought back from the skids and opium addiction in Hong Kong to solve a serial killer case, the pursuit of which sends him to the avalanche-prone mountains and the dangerous mishegas of the Congo and a sick implement of murder called King Leopold's Apple.
Mod
I'll be interested to see your reaction to this as it is on my TBR
Booknblues wrote: "Dosha (Bluestocking7) wrote: "I am in 1876 San Francisco with Frog Music"I'll be interested to see your reaction to this as it is on my TBR"
Thanks. Another on my EBOOK library recommended list :
Frog Music Emma Donoghue eBook
If this title is purchased:
Place me on its wait list and email me when my hold is available.
I am in Canada! meeting a new author, Miriam Toews. I'm only about 1/3 finished but thinking it might be a long and beautiful relationship - All My Puny Sorrows.
Mod
That sounds good.
Denizen wrote: "I am in Canada! meeting a new author, Miriam Toews. I'm only about 1/3 finished but thinking it might be a long and beautiful relationship - All My Puny Sorrows."My dad rates her as one of his top 10 Canadian authors, but I haven't read anything by her yet. I am a dual citizen and my dad is Canadian (as is my mother).
I am in Damascus in the 80s and Brussels and Stockholm in 2013 in a complex spy thriller, The Swimmer .
Mod
Ooh, that sounds good. I love a good spy story and it has been forever since I read one.
Lillian has finished her walk and I'm off to World War II Poland in We Were the Lucky Ones
Consider This, Senora: I'm in a small village in Mexico. Thanks for recommending this BnB. I'm loving it.
Mod
I just wanted to stay there.
I'm doing a binge in Ireland during a readathon to get a book shelved as bestseller done before the end of April, Faithful Place. Perhaps I mentioned this before, but it means a weekend away from Greece, England and so on.
Booknblues wrote: "I just wanted to stay there."I can see why. I just finished it and found it 5 star satisfying. Have you read her Stones for Ibarra?
Mod
I can see why. I just finished it and found it 5 star satisfying. Have you read her Stones for Ibarra?"
I haven't but I would like to read it. I really like her style.
Crossroads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hermit of Eyton Forest (other topics)2001: A Space Odyssey (other topics)
Gotland (other topics)
The Calculating Stars (other topics)
The Last Garden (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Fiona Capp (other topics)Eva Hornung (other topics)
Gail Jones (other topics)
Mark Sakamoto (other topics)
Anna Hope (other topics)
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Archipelago of Souls I have never heard of, and found 'by accident' in my EBOOK Overdrive account.Gregory Day I have also not heard of.
WONDERFUL realistic dialogue which may be a challenge for non-oz readers, but 'strine' makes it so intense.