Constant Reader discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Constant Reader
>
What I'm Reading - January/February 2018
date
newest »
newest »
Joyce Carol Oates’ A BOOK OF AMERICAN MARTYRS. The audio version has multiple narrators. I believe JCO writes emotions in a way that you actually feel them. The emotions in this book are exquisitely painful. There were times I needed to stop reading (listening) because the experience was so intense - and this is a book that deals with raw emotion and irrational thinking. As she explores the many facets of “the abortion issue” in this story, she reveals pain and trauma in everyone’s lives. For most of the book, I had an overwhelming sense of hopelessness - there just are no solutions, there are no ways for people to come together and understand each other. JCO, however, does manage to end with a ray of hope - perhaps unrealistic, but perhaps not. Although I believe this book could have been tighter had it had better editing, I still think it was well worth my time. ****
Cute book for very early readers. Hoppy's Big City Adventure by Gabrielle Grice. A little frog learns to listen!
3.5★ My review
Sherry wrote: "I'm listening to it. I kind of wish I had a copy to read, because I kept getting Dexter and Eddy mixed up, and I would have liked to go back in the book. It's harder when it's an audiobook."I had to give up on the audiobook. I will read it at some point, but did not like the narration.
Sara wrote: "Sherry wrote: "I'm listening to it. I kind of wish I had a copy to read, because I kept getting Dexter and Eddy mixed up, and I would have liked to go back in the book. It's harder when it's an aud..."It gets better. I had heard that the audiobook was good, that's why I got that instead of a Kindle version. Did you have trouble keeping the men straight, or was that just me?
’Round Midnight – Laura McBride – 3.5***
As she did in her debut work, McBride tells the story of four different characters with little apparent connection, until their stories come together in one specific event. The reader gets a pretty clear idea of the connection of at least two of these women early on but must wait for events to unfold over several decades before the characters will catch on.
LINK to my review
I just read One True Thing for possibly the third time, for an in-person book club. It is a story of how a young adult daughter puts her career on hold to come home and care for her mother dying of cancer. For awhile I felt like the protagonist, forced into something I really didn't want to do. However, due to the truly excellent writing, in the end I also felt like the protagonist, that the experience was richly rewarding. I'm now reading the very funny Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches!
I just finished Hell on Wheels: Wicked Towns Along the Union Pacific Railroad by Dick Kreck. It was an interesting read about the railroad being built and all the towns that sprang up because of the railroad workers. That brought swindlers, prostitutes, criminals out en masse. Most of these towns disappeared later but several survived.
There was a good tv series built on that.
Ruth wrote: "There was a good tv series built on that."I've heard of it and want to begin watching it. Thanks for the reminder.
Reading 4321 by Paul Auster for my in person reading group. It’s a massive book with a confusing setup, but beautifully written.
Loved my return to Three Pines during The Cruellest Month of April courtesy of Canadian author Louise Penny.
4.5★ Link to my review
Mary Anne wrote: "I've started reading Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby, and liking it so far."I finally started it too. It was a leap fromDoc to this book. A very noticeable writing style.
Scout, glad to hear the good words on PACHINKO as it is sitting on my shelf, waiting for my attention!I have just begun A Piece of the World. I have always loved Wyeth's painting, and so far the book does not disappoint,
Larry Tye’s BOBBY KENNEDY: THE MAKING OF A LIBERAL ICON, narrated by Marc Cashman. I found this bio of Robert Kennedy interesting and very helpful. In recent months I’ve read several books about RFK; had I read this one first, I would not have needed to read the others.
Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s REPUTATIONS, narrated by Robert Fass. Like THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING, this is a well-crafted and intriguing story and character study. This one, too, will stay with me for a while as I ponder the questions it raises. I admire the restraint JGV demonstrates in his writing - there are no unnecessary words or images. ****
A tiny farting angel in an English school- what's not to love? Very cute, irreverent 'chapter' book for young readers. The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond and artist Alex T Smith. 
4.5★ Link to my review (I included a couple of the wonderful illustrations, too.)
Autobiography of a Face – Lucy Grealy – 4****
What is more important to your sense of self than to recognize yourself in the mirror? What if the face you saw in the mirror was one you could not bear to look at? A face that could not possibly reflect the you inside? Grealy writes so eloquently and honestly about what she went through as a result of childhood cancer, and how she felt growing up “ugly.”
LINK to my review
Paulo Coelho’s THE SPY, narrated by Hillary Huber and Paul Boehmer. Interesting epistolary novel about Mata Hari. I believe it was mostly accurate.
You Remind Me of Me – Dan Chaon – 3.5***
Chaon’s skill as a short-story writer shows in his debut novel. The first four chapters of the book introduce us to four different characters and time frames. Eventually the connections between them will be clear to the reader. What I really like about Chaon’s writing is how he explores issues of identity, how characters are shaped by their environment, by chance and opportunity, and by the choices they make. There is much to dislike about these damaged people, and yet I am drawn to these characters and their stories.
LINK to my review
I just finished A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline (Orphan Train,). I loved it, though it is not for everyone, perhaps. Light on plot, focus on character. I have loved Wyeth's Christina's World, which inspired the book. I may want to read biographies of both Andrew Wyeth and Christina Olson in the future.But for now, I'm turning my sights to (and building up my bicep with) Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby to get ready for our Classics Corner discussion!
The First Deadly Sin – Lawrence Sanders – 4****
I first read this back in about 1975 and was completely gripped by the writing and the suspenseful story. I liked it just as much on re-reading it.
LINK to my review
WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL: THE FOUNDING FATHER’S WARNING TO FUTURE GENERATIONS, narrated by the author John Avlon. For most of my adult life I’ve believed there is order in the chaos if you just wait long enough or step far enough away from the fray to see it. There are times, of course, when holding steadfast to that belief is a challenge. The current state of our politics and governmental affairs is definitely one of those times. This book, however, has reaffirmed my belief and in some ways offered comfort and reassurance. What we’re going through now is really not new, but rather the latest iteration of universal themes in governance. Wise people have pondered these issues before and effective leaders have emerged. Our democracy requires active participation and constant course corrections. Its strength and durability have brought us this far. The relevance of George Washington’s thoughts to our current affairs helps me trust that if we work our democracy we will find a way to restore its balance and effectiveness. We have done so before and have the tools to do so again.
Bereft by Aussie author Chris Womersley takes place after WW1. A soldier who fled from home in country NSW as a boy accused of a crime wants to return to clear his name. 
4★ Link to my review
Silas Marner – George Eliot – 3***
A classic tale of the redemptive power of love, first published in 1861. A reclusive, miserly weaver’s life is changed when he finds a toddler on a snowy evening. As is typical of the novels of the era, the plot includes numerous coincidences that stretch this reader’s tolerance. There is much misery, but Eliot does give us a few moments of joy, and an ending full of hope.
LINK to my review
Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST (Naxos AudioBooks). A few months ago I read Margaret Atwood’s HAG-SEED, which is a re-telling of this drama. Because I’d never seen or read this play, I thought it would be interesting to do so. I listened to this audio version while reading the script included in THE OXFORD SHAKESPEARE: THE COMPLETE WORKS, Second Edition. I now have a greater appreciation of Atwood’s novel. I also discovered that it was very helpful to simultaneously listen to a performance and read the script - it enhanced my comprehension and enjoyment.
Mary wrote: " I listened to this audio version while reading the script included in THE OXFORD SHAKESPEARE: THE COMPLETE WORKS, Second Edition.."What a fantastic idea! Why haven't I thought of this before????
Mary wrote: "Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s REPUTATIONS, narrated by Robert Fass. Like THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING, this is a well-crafted and intriguing story and character study. This one, too, will stay with me for ..."Mary, sharing 2 recently found short stories by him available online which are on my to be read pile and getting near the top :)
Dogs of War
and
Double
Nadine wrote: "Mary wrote: " I listened to this audio version while reading the script included in THE OXFORD SHAKESPEARE: THE COMPLETE WORKS, Second Edition.."What a fantastic idea! Why haven't I thought of th..."
Nadine, I listen and read along all the time. I'd really recommend it.
Mary, The Tempest is among my favourite Shakespeare plays and there are some great movie versions of it including one with Helen Mirren as a Prospera.
Currently reading, effective: Sunday, Feb 25TEXT -
Snow Falling on Cedars by David GuttersonAUDIO in the car -
My Name is Red by Orhan PamukMP3 audio -
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae
I'm a fan of Jacob M. Appel who writes quirky short stories. I just read The Amazing Mr. Morality: Stories. A mixed bag.
3.5★ Link to my review
Sheila, thanks for the tips on JGV short stories and Mirren’s Prospera role.
Alice Hoffman’s THE MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS, narrated by Judith Light, Grace Gummer, and Zach Appelman. I approached this book with a fair amount of skepticism. I was pleasantly surprised. I will probably read more of Alice Hoffman’s work. I appreciated her ability to tell an interesting story in a well-captured historical period and develop characters. Their was a good discussion between Judith Light and Alice Hoffman following the narration and credits.
If you are a fan of Leo Tolstoy, you might like Dover Publication’s new book of Selected Short Stories.
Link to my review
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "If you are a fan of Leo Tolstoy, you might like Dover Publication’s new book of Selected Short Stories. Link to my review"I've watched how Dover has evolved over the years. They started in 1941 and I started buying Dover books probably around 1967. They were always great value, but I think that they have been brilliant in their adaptations to the changing marketplace.
Mary wrote: "Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s REPUTATIONS, narrated by Robert Fass. Like THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING, this is a well-crafted and intriguing story and character study. This one, too, will stay with me for ..."Mary, The Sound of Things Falling has also stayed with me long after I read it. I've been meaning to look for other works by this author.
Larry wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "If you are a fan of Leo Tolstoy, you might like Dover Publication’s new book of Selected Short Stories.[bookcover:Selected Short Stories|35..."
I think Dover is making a real effort to refresh some classics, and make them affordable, which is great! There are some freebies, but they are often so badly formatted that they’re barely readable.
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I think Dover is making a real effort to refresh some classics, and make them affordable, which is great! There are some freebies, but they are often so badly formatted that they’re barely readable. .."When I first started buying Dover books, it was foreign language books (some of the ones I bought 40 years ago are still in print and are still quite good) and the various fairy tale books as collected by Andrew Lang, e.g. The Red Fairy Book ... and a lot of miscellany.
It's good to know that about the formatting of the free books. Generally I hate poor formatting!
I've just discovered the author Alberto Barrera Tyszka when I read one of his short stories A Mexican Story. Inspired I am now reading the collection Crimes and am 3 stories in and really enjoying them albeit that some of the topics are shall we say difficult ones. I've also picked up his novel The Sickness, both are translated by Margaret Jull Costa so there at least should be consistency who has translated some of the great Spanish language writers. These might be of interest to CRs - Mary et al - recently discussing Juan Gabriel Vásquez
All, it's March, and time to open a new thread. Please carry on there. Thanks!
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Constant Reader
Books mentioned in this topic
Crimes (other topics)A Mexican Story (other topics)
The Sickness (other topics)
The Red Fairy Book (other topics)
Selected Short Stories (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Alberto Barrera Tyszka (other topics)Margaret Jull Costa (other topics)
Juan Gabriel Vásquez (other topics)
Leo Tolstoy (other topics)
Leo Tolstoy (other topics)
More...
Still available in Read Now on NetGalley till the end of March.