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What are you currently reading?
You're welcome, Peggy! If you read the series sometime, I'll be interested in your take on it.
Jt wrote: "Hello ReggiaIf you subscribe to Amazon Prime, the original Swedish film is streaming for free. I've seen A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks. It was a gripping, melancholy tale indeed. I never did r..."
I don't have Prime, but maybe can watch it at someone else's home who does. I think I saw it on Plex, but still have to get that set up. I just really want to hear and see it within the original context.
That said, I thought they did an excellent remake in A Man Called Otto. Yes, they changed local and ethnicity of a major character (and a few other things), but all the personalities and nuances came across as in the book. Like reading it, watching was at times a little difficult because of the emotions it evokes in its subject matter.
James Matthew Wilson has a reputation, in some intellectual circles that I respect, as a serious 21st-century voice in American poetry. I tried reading his first collection,
Some Permanent Things (2014), back in 2020, but bailed on it before reading very far. But reading some favorable reviews of this collection, or of other work by him, convinced me that I should give him another chance, so I've now started reading it again.
In the past 24 hours, I've started reading (in different formats) two new books. Both of them happen to fall into the mystery genre.I typically spend much of my evenings at the computer, usually on Goodreads. But our Internet connection was down last night, so I started reading a book on my Kindle app. The one I picked was
Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon, the first book in her Miss Fortune Mysteries series. My Goodreads friend Monica gave this one five stars, which put it on my radar; and I'd downloaded the e-book edition some time ago when I discovered that the author offers it for free (as a teaser for the series).The Barks and Beans Cafe' mystery series by Heather Day Gilbert is one that I've frequently mentioned here, since Barb and I are following it and have read the first six books together so far. We started on the seventh installment,
Roast Date, this morning.
On Aug. 3, Barb and I plan to leave for another visit to the Harrisonburg, Virginia area. While we're there, I hope to do some reading in
The Best Short Stories of O. Henry, which the public library in Harrisonburg has. But since the BU library has it too, I started this read of it (which will be my third, though I've never reviewed it) this week. This one goes onto my "being read intermittently" shelf.
Jt, I'm not sure we're completely on the same page, but I do feel some of what you said. Social media is not what it once was... In fact, this Goodreads page that I set up was to make up for the wonderful book (and other) discussion that I experienced for many years. How everyone could trade that in for FB, I don't know. I eventually followed them there, too, but it's not the same. On the message boards, we talked to one another almost daily for years without knowing each other's real names, without knowing what each other looked like. All we had to go by was our interests and words uttered, whether in commonality or not. It has gotten very quiet here, I do not have the same life when I first stated this group and have often lagged... I apologize to all for that. I'm also in a funk of sorts where I'm finding it difficult to actually write books reviews; some days I can't even decide how to rate them, lol. Honestly though, I appreciate everyone's input... and truly miss all those who are no longer participating... as I would yours.
Glad to see your mention of Toibin and Cormac McCarthy as they are still on my to-read list, and it's nice to be reminded. Lastly, thank you so much for the "create" encouragement! I need this more than anything. This year, I finally got back to my love of reading (albeit although quite a bit more than the last few years, it's nothing like what it was but I'm enjoying what time I can put into it). Now, to get back to my creativity. We should have a discussion of that here in the Lounge. Look for a new one coming!
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Enjoyed a compilation of O Henry's stories myself, Werner! I hope you all have a great visit to Virginia! I'll be headed there myself in a couple of months, and hopefully the timing will be perfect for fall colors. I've missed that.
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I finished Covenant of Water a few days ago. Halfway through the book, it was dragging and I was feeling a bit disappointed since I loved Cutting for Stone; but when I got to the last 100 pages or so, it all came together and the book was completely redeemed for me. So glad I put in the effort and didn't give up! So yes, I'm going against the current flow with the notion of giving up a book... More than a few times, the reward has come for sticking with it.
I'm now following it up with the 2nd installment of the Dalai Lama's Cat series with The Art of Purring. I loved the first one, and enjoying this, too.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer! Last month, I got to visit Michigan and see Lake Huron for the first time... and, of course, it was great to see my eldest. I also got 6 days under 100°, woohoo! in fact, it was under 70° most of the time. :-)
Jt, as Reggia said, I'll miss you as well if you leave Goodreads. But I have other friends who have also felt a need to step back from social media, so I can totally understand that! You have to do what's best for you; but I wish you well whatever you decide to do.Reggia wrote: "I hope you all have a great visit to Virginia! I'll be headed there myself in a couple of months, and hopefully the timing will be perfect for fall colors. I've missed that."
Thanks, Reggia! We actually live in Virginia, but in the southwestern part. Barb's family stamping grounds are in the mountains just west of the Shenandoah Valley, so up in northwestern Virginia.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Michigan! Hope your visit to Virginia will also be rewarding. What part of the state will you be in? (In Appalachian Virginia, October is the peak month for fall leaf colors.)
No need to apologize for not posting as frequently as you did back when things were less hectic; we all realize that "life happens" (and we experience the same thing). I'm just glad that you're beginning to recover some of your love for reading; and I want you to know that I always read your reviews with interest, when you're able to post them.
I list 62 books on my "started and not finished" shelf. Given that I've finished at least 1,488 (although some of those are actually short stories, and I don't list a lot of pre-Goodreads books the titles/authors of which I've forgotten), and have been reading independently since I was six if not before, that's not a very big percentage; and I don't regret bailing on most of them. But there have been a few cases when I've given an abandoned book a second chance, and wound up liking it!
No worries at all, Jt. :) It's just my own personal view of how much, or most, social media has changed. I've been trying to grasp it back, or is that grab, but not succeeding, partly due to my own limitations. :-p Please remind me which is your latest book review.
I'm joining in another group's read of
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Originally, I'd expected to start it later, since Barb and I had intended to be out of town for a few days. But our plans are up in the air now, and our departure has been at least delayed (if we go at all). So I've gone ahead and started on the read. It's actually a reread for me; but the first time was decades ago, so I'm very much looking forward to the refresher!
Jt, curious to know if have you read Colm Tóibín's The Master yet... and if so, what did you think of it?
Thanks for reply, Jt... I don't have access to your books read or reviews.
The collection
The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories by Robert W. Chambers has been on my to-read shelf forever; and my appetite for reading it was further whetted earlier this year when I read his story "The Mask" (which was my first exposure to his work!). So I've finally begun reading it this afternoon. I'm interested in him both in his own right, and as an influence on H. P. Lovecraft, one of my favorite writers.
Being a longstanding horse lover, Barb's read a number of the Black Stallion books by Walter Farley, but mostly back in the 90s. I'd never read any of them myself, and didn't actually have any on my to-read shelf; but I suggested The Black Stallion Mystery (1957), the only one we own, as our next "car book," and we started on it this morning. (It's the 13th book in the series, but I'm trusting that I can appreciate it as a stand-alone, and I think it will be another relatively quick read.
Yesterday, I started reading a paperback ARC of
The Guardian Initiative by Liane Zane (which actually just went on sale in that format today, though it's been available on Kindle a little longer). This was a kind gift from the author; it's the final book in her action-adventure/espionage trilogy The Unsanctioned Guardians. Both of the first two books got high ratings from me, and I expect that this one will as well!
Back in January, my Goodreads friend Charles Van Buren gave five stars to the (77-page) novella
Miss Knight and the Night in Lagos by Vered Ehsani, who was born in South Africa, but now lives in Kenya. That put it on my radar; and since it's free for Kindle, I downloaded it to my Kindle app. Since my Internet access was down yesterday over breakfast (which I eat at my computer), I started reading it to pass the time. :-)
Barb and I decided that we weren't invested enough in The Black Stallion Mystery to continue with it. Instead, we've started on
Shade Grown, the next installment of the Barks and Beans Cafe' mystery series by my Goodreads friend Heather Day Gilbert. Since we've already read seven previous books in that series together, it's been mentioned fairly often on this thread. :-)
For those who access Goodreads on devices that can't register cover images as links, the book Peggy's reading is Robert of Wakefield: Robin Hood's Father, by G.K. Werner. Peggy, that book got four stars from me! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Ryan J. Stark, an English professor at Corban Univ. in Oregon, was kind enough recently to send the BU library (where I work) an unexpected donation of his book
A Guidebook to Monsters: Philosophy, Religion, and the Paranormal. Since it's short and I was intrigued by the subject matter, and since I wanted to show appreciation for the gift, I've now started reading it.
Werner wrote: "For those who access Goodreads on devices that can't register cover images as links, the book Peggy's reading is Robert of Wakefield: Robin Hood's Father, by [author:G.K. Werner|856..."I'm sorry. I'll add a link next time. So far (It's very early) I like the actual story parts very much. I'm not as big a fan of the "readings." They just feel like an interruption of the story. Maybe they'll grow on me by the end.
Peggy wrote: "So far (It's very early) I like the actual story parts very much. I'm not as big a fan of the "readings." They just feel like an interruption of the story. Maybe they'll grow on me by the end."Fair enough! Not all readers will necessarily like the literary conceit that these books are based on a (fictional) document written by a medieval narrator to Robin's son.
Jt wrote: "I decided to continue the book reviews due to lingering personal issues. I hope all of you will understand the finality of my decision."Glad you decided to stay, Jt!
Good to have you with us, JT! :-) I'm now reading Candide. I started to read Cyanide and Sensibility, but about 10 pages in decided to call it quits. I haven't done that in a long time, and usually enjoy books like this that give new twists on old classics, but this just seemed too tediously-filled with trendy details.
I've also just begun Light in August which seems a bit depressing right at the very beginning, but I shall stay with it, at least for now.
William J. Laurence (who's a Goodreads member, but not officially a "Goodreads author") and I are in another Goodreads group together; and through a discussion on one of the threads there, I became interested in his short treatise,
The Purposeful Love of God: Seeing God's Love from His Perspective. I was recently able to purchase a copy online, and started reading it earlier today.
I remember reading that book years ago Jt, but unfortunately can't read your review as we are not GR friends.I am so sorry to hear that you are leaving Goodreads. Obviously there is a lot of back story, but whatever it is, I wish you well.
I'm reading Nicholas Nickleby obsessively at the moment, and am in for the long haul!
(Sorry for the 3 "I"s!)
Actually, it's something they changed already, ostensibly to give people privacy; switching the profile default from open to private, unless you alter it back. So (for instance) I or anyone who isn't your friend, can't see anything about you - not even your shelves.Some prefer it, some not.
I hope you find something meaningful in your life, Jt. For me, Goodreads is a way of connecting with people, as well as a big reading community, but we all need different things.
Right now, I'm taking part in another group's common read of
The Jewel of Seven Stars (1904) by Bram Stoker. With this novel, as he did on a larger scale with Dracula, Stoker took an idea that had been written about before (in this case, reanimated Egyptian mummies) and gave it a definitive literary treatment which became the dominant influence for all of the subsequent portrayals in drama and fiction.
I just finished Candide today. Now I'll be giving my attention to Quichotte, and/or a manuscript a friend just shared with me. Not sure if I'll be able to go back and forth between the two, yes again, lol... This time my reasoning is that they are both told from the narrative of an Indian to modern-day America. Well, we shall see!Headed to Virginia in a few days to hopefully see my fall colors! It's been a long time since I've been in the Shenandoahs... wondering how all the family memories are going to affect me. Looking forward to planting my bare feet in fresh green grass, too!
BionicJean, wondering how it went with Nicholas Nickleby...
JT, thinking of you as you pondering the "meaning of your travails"...
Hope you're settling in well, Peggy, to your new surroundings...
My job just closed down our old location, and moved a mile away. It's been several months to get it all done, but the new spot feels very fresh and open. I can only hope the old attitudes don't follow us. It takes me 5 more minutes to get there, but it's a calmer drive on a slower parallel road.
I'm taking part in the same group read of Nicholas Nickleby that Bionic Jean is leading, although I'm very late to the party, having just started on Saturday. But I read at my own speed, which is faster than the group as a whole reads; so I'm confident of my ability to catch up.Reggia, the leaf colors are beautiful in Appalachian Virginia, and at their peak in October! Enjoy. :-)
Jt, like you, I work in a library; over the years, we've had to go through some renovations/rearrangements, so I know they can be a hassle. :-( Hang in there!
Ever since the BU library acquired a copy of
The Mark of Zorro (1919) by Johnston McCulley, I've had it in mind as a possible book for Barb and I to read together; and we finally started on it this morning. Although McCulley originally created the iconic character of Zorro in magazine stories, this novel was probably the primary impetus for the subsequent movie/TV adaptations and spinoffs that made the character an enduring part of U.S. pop culture.
Jt wrote: "We all must learn about history. It is our starting point."Jt, as a history major, I agree 100%!
I've never read (or shelved) Kerouac's On the Road myself, until now. But given its importance for American literature, I've gone ahead just now and added it to my "maybe" shelf.
Jt wrote: "...the Holy Trinity of the Beat Generation: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs..." I've never heard that descriptor before -- it really caught my attention. I've also considered On the Road, several times actually, but for some reason (don't remember) keep choosing something else.
Although I've liked a couple of short stories by Zora Neale Hurston, I've never read any of her long fiction. Late last year, I resolved that 2024 would be the year I finally read her novel
Their Eyes Were Watching God. With the end of the year fast approaching, that's been, as the British would say, "a close-run thing;" but I finally started on it this morning!
Yesterday, I started on a review copy of the fantasy novel
The Eye of Ebon by P. Pherson Green, the opener for his projected White Sword Saga. This is a book I'm reading aloud to my wife; I generally don't read review copies that way, because it takes longer than reading a book to myself. But in this case, it allows me to start on it much earlier than I could otherwise, since I have a fairly thick interlibrary loan book that I need to read next month (long story!).
I'm currently reading "the manuscript" which is a fictional contemporary mystery involving an ex-pat Indian living in Chicago. I'm also working my way through two nonfiction reads: The Collagen Diet and Confessions of a French Atheist.
I've just added The Invisible Husband of Frick Island to my current reads. It takes place on a fictional island very near to the real Chesapeake Bay island that I lived on before moving out west. Just a few chapters in and enjoying it already!
With the aid of the Goodreads group What's the Name of That Book??? (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... ), after a quest lasting several years, I recently tracked down a story collection I read as a kid,
Case for Mr. Fortune, by Golden Age English mystery writer H.C. Bailey, featuring his series character Reggie Fortune. I started rereading it yesterday.
2025 will see the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. My library colleague Paula would like to do an Austen-themed program for the library's face-to-face Book Club; and to hopefully pique student interest, she'd like to feature the spin-off novel
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. So I'm reading the latter in order to be able to contribute to that discussion, and started on it today.
Well, I bailed on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies after three days (this note explains why: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ).I'm now reading a book I got for Christmas,
The Accidental Keyhand by Jen Swann Downey, the opener for her The Ninja Librarians series. It's written for younger readers, and has a 12-year-old protagonist; but that doesn't bother me, and I'm enjoying it so far!
I did manage to get through P & P & Zombies. Zombies are not my usual genre, but I was trying to be more open-minded and thought coupled with P & P, that would help. It did help, but... lol, it was not favorite fanfiction. Emma and the Vampires as well as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters are still on my bookshelf unread.Hope you enjoy Jane Eyre, Vickie! I found it a very good read albeit sad and bittersweet.
I flew through two larger books at the beginning of the year, but not sludging slowly through Steinbeck's tiny Tortilla Flat. Ugh! Wine, women and false friends... can't handle more than a chapter a day. So, that's why I'm reading a few pages each from a handful of nonfiction, lol. :-p
Thanks, Reggia! I'm enjoying it so far, hopefully it stays that way.😊
Yes, Jane Eyre is a good one!I'm not attempting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies though. I bailed after the first 10 minutes of the film, (which had no atmosphere or humour) and know I'd just wish I were rereading the original if I attempted the book!
I was surprised to find I'm reading three nonfiction books at the moment:Miss Angel: The Art and World of Angelica Kauffman by Angelica Goodden
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive by Lucy Adlington
American Notes For General Circulation by Charles Dickens
and they are about events in 3 different centuries - none of them our own! How strangely things happen sometimes. Two of these are for group reads.
I'm reading the classic masterpiece by Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind. I did see the movie version of it with Vivian Leigh a long time ago and remember really liking the movie and since then always wanted to read the book. I finally picked it up earlier this month. There are differences from the film version and finding I'm enjoying the book better than the movie, which is typical, isn't it?
Back in the late summer of 2023, I started reading
The Complete Poems of Thomas Hardy intermittently, in snatches between other books. Given that the book has 947 poems, and by today my intermittent reading had gotten me through just 234 of them in over 17 months, that wasn't working too well. So although it will be a gargantuan read, as of today I've started reading the rest of it straight through.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Benito Cereno (other topics)Great Short Works of Herman Melville (other topics)
The House on Vesper Sands (other topics)
The Naming of the Birds (other topics)
Helsing: Demon Slayer (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Herman Melville (other topics)Liane Zane (other topics)
Francine Rivers (other topics)
Heather Day Gilbert (other topics)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (other topics)
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Those sound great! I love that type of book. Thanks for sharing.