June 2016 - What are you reading?

[Bill, Moderator]

Andrew wrote: "I have had these three books sitting on my bookshelves to be read for far too long. You are making me feel guilty."

:-) I just had the 1st novel which I finished last night—am awaiting the other 2 to arrive. I've found them fun and well written.

[Alexandra]

Bill wrote: "I've started a fantasy trilogy, A Land Fit for Heroes by Richard Morgan. It has a gay protagonist whom I easily identify with."

Have you finished the first book yet? I'm curious to your thoughts on it. :)

[Bill, Moderator]

Alex wrote: "Bill wrote: "I've started a fantasy trilogy, A Land Fit for Heroes by Richard Morgan. It has a gay protagonist whom I easily identify with."

Have you finished the first book yet? I'..."

Yes. It's epic fantasy, well written with some engaging characters. The queer stuff is taken in passing with a couple of low-key sex scenes. It's not m/m romance. This 1st book sets up the world and races. The author is very good at battle/fight scenes which are graphic. I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy and will review at the end of these.

[Fr. Andrew]

I've been on a big graphic novel kick (several more forthcoming for me actually), and one that I read this weekend is the gorgeous book Artifice by Alex Woolfson. I ordered it online and the writer signed it for me. It is queer-oriented. Anyway, here's the short four-star review I wrote:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Greg]

Andrew wrote: "I've been on a big graphic novel kick (several more forthcoming for me actually), and one that I read this weekend is the gorgeous book Artifice by Alex Woolfson. I..."

That book is so gorgeously illustrated Andrew and an entertaining read as well. It's not super-deep, but it's a wonderfully charming, entertaining read. I loved it! I had him sign my copy last time I went to ComicCon. He's a nice fellow.

I also enjoyed his superhero story The Young Protectors: Engaging The Enemy. There's a sweetness to Woolfson's writing that I really appreciate. Also beautifully drawn, not quite the level of Artifice but close.

[Fr. Andrew]

Thanks Greg. I'll check out Young Protectors for sure.

[Fr. Andrew]

(Though it does look like the Young Protectors is not yet available. I'll keep an eye out for it)

[Greg]

Andrew wrote: "(Though it does look like the Young Protectors is not yet available. I'll keep an eye out for it)"

Oh how weird! I did buy it from him in person at ComicCon; maybe it isn't being sold online yet.

[Fr. Andrew]

Looks like he recently did a Kickstarter for Young Protectors, so it's bound to be ready soon. Crossing my fingers!

[Greg]

Andrew wrote: "Looks like he recently did a Kickstarter for Young Protectors, so it's bound to be ready soon. Crossing my fingers!"

That was for volume 2 though! I wonder why volume 1 isn't being sold on Amazon yet? If I were going to ComicCon this year, I'd ask him, but unfortunately I lost the ticket lottery and couldn't get tickets. :(

You can read it online on his website here as a webcomic: http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete_...

[Raul]

Finished reading A Single Man and it was very interesting! I especially loved the simple manner in which Isherwood tells his story and it wasn't as complicated as some of the books that use stream of consciousness were for me at times. The descriptions of the tensions the Cold War created and the free and bohemian way of life of the 1940s of the Los Angeles community were very interesting. The ending of the book was very surprising though.

[Raul]

Finished reading A Single Man and it was very interesting! I especially loved the simple manner in which Isherwood tells his story and it wasn't as complicated as some of the books that use stream of consciousness were for me at times. The descriptions of the tensions the Cold War created and the free and bohemian way of life of the 1940s of the Los Angeles community were very interesting. The ending of the book was very surprising though.

[Greg]

Just finished Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. This is one I wish I'd read as a group or buddy read - so much to talk about. Parts of it were absolutely gorgeous! Kawabata has such an intimate almost impressionistic style, so unique. Although the basic action is clear, some of the characters' motivations and actions are delishiously elliptical. I'm still thinking over some of the scenes in my mind.

The ending image is so powerful, but I'm trying to figure out what exactly it means in the narrator's mind. And what exactly was the tension in the relationship between Yoko and Komako? I have theories, but I can't be sure.

The thing that grabbed me most about the book though was the arrestingly unique (sometimes almost odd) imagery. Such as:

"the sound of the freezing of snow over the land seemed to roar deep into the earth"

So gorgeous! And so odd in that normally a snowy landscape would be thought to be quiet. But there is an energy there, true; it's as though Kawabata holds up a sensitive microphone to the landscape and amplifies the white noise of natural atmospheric sound, the expansion and cracking of ice.

Every page, there's another of these strange images or turns of phrase. Such a lovely book and also a very sad one, intimate as a diary and yet as remote as a force of nature at the same time.

I loved this book!

[Greg]

Raul wrote: "Finished reading A Single Man and it was very interesting! I especially loved the simple manner in which Isherwood tells his story and it wasn't as complicated as some of the books tha..."

What did you make of the ending Raul? It very much reminds me of Woolf, especially Orlando which lapses into stream of consciousness at the end. I'm thinking that (view spoiler)[it depicts his identity unraveling at the moment of his death (heart attack?), his thoughts flowing out of its own individual tide pool back into the great dark ocean of the collective unconscious (hide spoiler)]. Such a gorgeous and yet elliptical ending and so different in style and focus from the rest of the book. It's a bit odd, but I loved it!

[Greg]

Still a few hours to vote on our group read poll everyone! Voting closes in about 5 hours.

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

[Greg]

The poll is complete and the winners of our July/August group read poll are:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and
Ash by Malinda Lo

We will be reading these together as a group throughout July and August.

[Raul]

Greg, I found the end similar to the beginning of the book, actually it was so strange! How the author starts the book with him arising from sleep is in the same manner as he does in the end, don't you think? It was very unexpected in a way but I loved it all the same.

I as well remarked on the similarities to Woolf's work it evoked, and commented on it in my review, I haven't read Orlando yet but I found it kind of similar to Mrs Dalloway which I read and loved.

[Greg]

Raul wrote: "Greg, I found the end similar to the beginning of the book, actually it was so strange! How the author starts the book with him arising from sleep is in the same manner as he does in the end, don't..."

That's true about him waking up at the beginning. I can't remember now, was it as lyrical as the ending though? That is kind of funny though how it comes full circle. Did you think (view spoiler)[at the end that he was just falling asleep or that he was dying? It's been a while, but back when I read it, I felt like maybe he was dying in his sleep. (hide spoiler)]

[Raul]

The beginning is just as lyrical Greg, but it isn't as climatic as the end. But in the same manner of the protagonist's internal system working while he is asleep and unconscious of what's happening is the same manner it ends.

I can't see some part of your last sentence for some reason.