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What books did you get from the library, bookstore, online? - 2020
John wrote: I really like that is a available to Prime folks as a free monthly selection.."I love it when I find a Prime free book that suits me.
The mysteries would have to be different, time and/or setting. It's really an ADD-type thing... for a plane flight I'm like a kid who needs lots of toys at hand: selection of books (print, eReader and audio) as well as some downloaded videos.
Love that description, John. How well i remember loading up our bags for things to amuse the kids on flights.
madrano wrote: "It looks as though we are all over the place on reading one or more books at a time. As noted, this is new to me. The only time i remember previously reading more than two at a time is when the thi..."I usually read two books at a time but sometimes when my library holds come in too fast, I may read up to 3 or 4 books at a time.
Julie, i think i'm up to three because of those "due" dates. One was a physical book, btw.
My latest online purchase arrived a few days ago: London Perceived. It had been on my Audible wishlist for a while, but was recently withdrawn from sale (likely regarding a rights issue). The CD was selling for less than the cost of an Audible credit, so I got it. Not sure when I'll be listening though. Pritchett does solid nonfiction; I bought a CD of some of his short stories a while back, but haven't read any yet. I recall not really getting into his novel Mr. Beluncle.
His is a name i recognize but when i read about his books, i'm not drawn to them. I hope this new purchase reads well for you, John.
Last night i finished Alex Pavesi's clever mystery, The Eighth Detective. The conceit is that an editor wishes to republish the forty year old self-published short story collection of mysteries, written by a mathematics professor. The fun is that there are a number of short mysteries within the book (7 or 8, as i recall).After reading them aloud the editor shares what she's noticed, including inconsistencies, & the author/professor expands on the whys of his choices. It's a delightful way to read several mysteries at once.
In its approach it reminded me of Italo Calvino's brilliant If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. But that comparison only goes so far. ANYway, it's a nice romp with a good look at what makes a mystery popular for readers.
I purchased this one for 99 cents, but it is available to Amazon Prime members as a free monthly Lending Library selection: Portrait of Hemingway - author spends two days with Hemingway during his New York layover between Cuba and Europe. I'm not a Hemingway fan, honestly here he comes across as rather immature; however, the piece (100 pages paperback plus forward and afterword) is well-written. I'm about halfway through, planning on mentioning it more fully in the September reads thread.
John, Lillian Ross's name sounded familiar, so i looked her up. I remember now that i read her obit & thought that she wrote some well-cited articles. Here's the obit from The New Yorkerhttps://www.newyorker.com/contributor...
I look forward to your further comments.
John wrote: "I purchased this one for 99 cents, but it is available to Amazon Prime members as a free monthly Lending Library selection: Portrait of Hemingway - author spends two days with Hemingwa..."That sounds like one I may enjoy. I do like his novels. The short stories not so much. Also the short length appeals to me. :)
I don't know if I will have any time to read this month. However, if I can fit it in, I just downloaded from the library
Olive, Again by Elizabeth StroutNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions.
“Strout managed to make me love this strange woman I’d never met, who I knew nothing about. What a terrific writer she is.”—Zadie Smith, The Guardian
“Just as wonderful as the original . . . Olive, Again poignantly reminds us that empathy, a requirement for love, helps make life ‘not unhappy.’”—NPR
NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • Vanity Fair • Entertainment Weekly • BuzzFeed • Esquire • Real Simple • Good Housekeeping • The New York Public Library • The Guardian • Evening Standard • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly • BookPage
Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire us—in Strout’s words—“to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.”
Praise for Olive, Again
“Olive is a brilliant creation not only because of her eternal cantankerousness but because she’s as brutally candid with herself about her shortcomings as she is with others. Her honesty makes people strangely willing to confide in her, and the raw power of Ms. Strout’s writing comes from these unvarnished exchanges, in which characters reveal themselves in all of their sadness and badness and confusion. . . . The great, terrible mess of living is spilled out across the pages of this moving book. Ms. Strout may not have any answers for it, but she isn’t afraid of it either.”—The Wall Street Journal
High praise, indeed! I hope you find time to read it, Alias.
madrano wrote: "High praise, indeed! I hope you find time to read it, Alias."I enjoyed the first book, Olive Kitteridge so I am hoping the followup is just as good.
The Honjin MurdersI was going to buy the ebook, but turned out my library had a copy available to download. At first I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to get into the story, but after a couple of chapters I'm following along just fine. As with the novel The Makioka Sisters (which I highly recommend), the story is set on the eve of the Second World War complete with traditional vs. modern (western) societal conflict.
Sounds good, John. Sorry to report i hadn't heard of the author, Seishi Yokomizo, nor the book. My knowledge of Japanese literature is limited. Thanks for the tips.
On the poetry thread i mentioned The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks i am reading. I'm more than halfway finished, so better accustomed to Jeanne Theoharis's way of writing. Last night i peeked at the acknowledgements and see that Theoharis calls it a "political biography". Knowing that, i'm more comfortable with the approach she has taken.My early problems were that she seemed to be sharing more about the times, other people and numerous quotes by those who knew her, than about Parks herself. For example, the third chapter is about Parks's refusal to move to the back of the bus. Over 45 pages we learn about previous refusals in Montgomery & how they ended, Rosa's knowledge of those failures and how others responded. Only on the last page did she refuse to move.
I was, in fact, learning much about that movement but that's not why i checked out the book. So, i needed a period of adjustment. Parks appears to have been a challenge to write about, as there were things to which she alluded but never developed in her own bio, as well as contradictions from what she said in the '50s vs. in her bio.
However, i've come to appreciate the process, particularly now that i have that term, "political biography." I was unaware it's such a thing but this is basically more about the politics than the woman, so it's a good description.
More upon completion. The chapters are quite long, so i have no sense of how long it will take me.
Just ordered a couple titles off of Amazon:The Mothers
The Academy
The Undomestic Goddess
Fortune's Pawn
madrano wrote: "On the poetry thread i mentioned The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks i am reading. I'm more than halfway finished, so better accustomed to Jeanne Theoharis's way ..."Thanks for the update, deb. It sounds like one that will appeal to me as generally I like to read about the times as well as the person.
Just got The Best of Richard Matheson. My daughter gave me a gift card to the local independent bookstore and I ordered this.
Anita, there are a couple of tempting titles for me from your purchases. Rachel Bach and Brit Bennett both call to me but for different reasons. I hope you enjoy them.
Last night i finished the Jeanne Theoharis biography of Rosa Parks, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. I ended up liking it, despite the rough start. The last chapter pretty much stated that since her 2005 death, Parks has been presented to illustrate how civil rights could be peacefully achieved. I don't have to tell anyone here that this turns out not to have been as "achieved" as the mythology presents. Theoharis excelled in showing how politically active Rosa Parks was prior to her staying seated on the bus. Her husband protested the Scottsboro decision about nine African American teens accused of raping two white women. Rosa joined him in this, leading to a lifetime of mostly volunteer work in improving the rights and justice for blacks.
The author also splendidly illustrated how after moving to Detroit, having had death threats, firebombings and middle of the night hate phone calls threatening her health in Montgomery, she continued to work on these issues. However, there was a decade when Parks, her husband and her mother, who lived with them, were extremely poor, mostly because no one would hire them. Their bodies also paid heavy tolls with ulcers being a large part of Rosa's problems. Ultimately she was hired by Representative John Conyers of Detroit, where she worked until her retirement.
Quietly, efficiently Parks helped support her family, her community and the Civil Rights efforts until her death in the '90s. She embraced some of the more progressive parts of the movement stating, which the mythologizing tried to hide. Speaking for and sometimes raising funds for Angela Davis, Malcolm X and Shirley Chisholm--talk about variety.
I learned about many other names in the early '40s crawl toward integration, such as Queen Mother Moore, the Highlander Folk School and the 1968 Republic of New Afrika, established in some southern states in an attempt to acquire land there for an independent nation! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republi...
For me, the author repeated too often, although they were usually minor points. Perhaps people who weren't reading the book straight through would appreciate that, but i was bugged. She also used far too many quotes to pretty much say the same thing over & over.
Finally, it must be said that Parks herself wrote a biography for young people Rosa Parks: My Story but it left several blank spots. There are still small mysteries about her. I was most intrigued by the fact that this woman who did so much for this country, had trouble telling friends and other movement members how destitute her family was. She would hint at it but sometimes, when offered funds, she would refuse them. Other times not. It wasn't clear to me (or the author, it seems) why. Parks wanted to lead a private life while simultaneously using her fame to help other causes. I ended up really liking her and felt the book explored her life nicely.
Very nice review, Deb. Though I am sorry to hear about the repetitiveness.
I don't think it awful but disappointing for a book so well researched. What has happened to editing in this industry? I remember toward the end of the '90s readers were complaining about this but i hadn't noticed much. Now it's so obvious that it almost appears the industry believes readers will just suck it up. *sigh*
I've begun reading Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz at last. It just came in from the library & i'm gobbling it up. Others here have reviewed it very favorably and i can see why.It's fascinating when he tells a story i feel i should know, such as whether or not France will turn its ships over to England, their allies, before Germany overcomes them. Because i didn't know this, it was like a thriller to me. I guess that's one of the fun aspects of this nonfiction.
madrano wrote: "I've begun reading Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz at last. It just came in from the library & i'm ..."Erik Larsen is such a good storyteller!
Isn't he?! When i read his work i learn much. This time i was less sure because this is heavy history and we've read much about those years. The way he incorporates citizen's diaries (which one ministry encouraged keeping up throughout the way) is perfect. It helps readers imagine what our reactions to the sights & events would have been.Did i need to know the colors/designs on Churchill's bathrobes? Probably not but it's fun to know he liked flowered ones!
madrano wrote: "I've begun reading Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz at last. It just came in from the library & i'm ..."I wasn't able to finish it. So I have to get back on the library list and start over.
What I read, I did enjoy a lot.
I got lucky with that, Alias. I wasn't even halfway through the ebook when it was due. However, my sister's library had it, so i'm using her machine and have 10 more days. I think i'll be able to finish it, as i'm 3/4 finished.
madrano wrote: "I got lucky with that, Alias. I wasn't even halfway through the ebook when it was due. However, my sister's library had it, so i'm using her machine and have 10 more days. I think i'll be able to f..."I managed to read it via ebook (from library) in a week or so - so, it can be done if you have the interest!
I'm afraid i had too much going on to get it finished even though i had it for 3 weeks. To be fair to myself, some of the "going on" was reading other books! Once one is really into it, the words and images fly off the page, i agree.
Today, I picked up a library print copy of The Cruel Way: Switzerland to Afghanistan in a Ford, 1939 by Ella Maillart. Earlier this year I had purchased a copy of All the Roads Are Open: The Afghan Journey by Annemarie Schwarzenbach. Two views of the same journey - - my task will be to read the latter before I forget all the details of the former!
LOL, good luck with that task, John. What a road trip for them both! I wonder if they planned from the start to each write her own book?
Simon wrote: I managed to read it via ebook (from library) in a week or so - so, it can be done if you have the interest!"Absolutely. I was distracted as I was in the middle of moving.
John wrote: "Today, I picked up a library print copy of The Cruel Way: Switzerland to Afghanistan in a Ford, 1939 by Ella Maillart. Earlier this year I had purchased a copy of [b..."Good luck, John. It sounds like an interesting story. I am sure much complicated by her drug addiction.
I just completed Phaedra Patrick's The Library of Lost and Found today. I was reading it as a sort of break when reading the WWII book was too much for me. I've not read Patrick previously, so didn't know what to expect.It began as one of those rather light-hearted novels about a somewhat disorganized volunteer librarian. However, for me, it took a dark turn when we learned how controlling her father was with his wife & their daughters. Mostly it was light & a tad magical but for some reason the mother's plight invaded my thoughts far more than i believe the author wished.
Still, i liked it.
I have four ebooks awaiting me on my machine.The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne--Elsa Hart, which is set in the early 1700s. I'm a sucker for cabinets and this was the period of time when the explosion in collecting by the wealthy was at critical mass. The book is also a murder mystery, it seems, wherein our hero, Cecily Kay, botanist visiting home from her husband's assignment in Smyrna.
Winter Counts--David Heska Wanbli Weiden. A thriller set on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, featuring Virgil Wounded Horse.
Fatal Cajun Festival--Ellen Byron, another in this series of cozy mysteries set in Louisiana.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating--Elisabeth Tova Bailey, wherein the author shares her study of said snail while bedridden due to illness. Sounds interesting.
Sadly, i returned Lawrence M. Krauss's A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing before i had an opportunity to even begin it. I'll be checking it out again later this month.
madrano wrote: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating--Elisabeth Tova Bailey, wherein the author shares her study of said snail while bedridden due to illness. Sounds interesting."
I've come across this title online. I can't recall why. I see that Amazon also lists The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World as frequently purchased together. Julie read that one and I seem to recall a discussion about that book. I must have checked Amazon and seen Wild Snail. Anyway, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Wild Snail.
I recommended Snail a while back here feeling members of the group would like it.
Alias, i added that one to my list, having thoroughly enjoyed The Secret Life of Plants: A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man decades ago. John, yes, i meant to mention that you suggested the title awhile back, which is where i got the title. Looking forward to it.
I like reading science books but seem to not do it as much as i used to do. At this point it's important to me that i resume that reading because my brain seems to be turning mushy. Therefore, i decided to try reading the Krauss book mentioned in my thread before returning it. I'm already two chapters in and realize he's taken two facts that i thought i understood, and made them even clearer. Hurrah!
John wrote: "I recommended Snail a while back here feeling members of the group would like it."I knew I remembered the title. Sorry I didn't recall it was your recommendation, John. My memory is like swiss cheese. :(
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "I recommended Snail a while back here feeling members of the group would like it."I knew I remembered the title. Sorry I didn't recall it was your recommendation, John. My memory is ..."
It's okay, Alias. I love sharing titles I think folks here would like is why I brought it up.
I'm listening to Still Here: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch via Overdrive. Not sure how well-known the singer-actress might be?
John wrote: "I'm listening to Still Here: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch via Overdrive. Not sure how well-known the singer-actress might be?"Someone I know was in a local production of The Gingerbread Lady--Neil Simon and her name came up. That is why her name rang a bell with me.
Wiki
Stritch relocated to London in the 1970s and starred in several West End productions, including Tennessee Williams' Small Craft Warnings (1973) and Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady (1974).
I thought her voice was quite unique. It was neat to see her in productions on tv, just to hear her again. It's a good question, though. Will she be one of those unremembered actors in the near future?
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "I'm listening to Still Here: The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch via Overdrive. Not sure how well-known the singer-actress might be?"Someone I know was..."
She has been in TV, Broadway and films. I have seen her one woman shows on DVD. She is very funny!
Oh, yes, Julie. That was the last time i heard about her before she died. Thanks for that reminder.
In Message #139 i mentioned getting four books from the library. I've completed two and thought i'd share here.First of all, thank you to John for the title The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. Stephanie read & commented upon it a couple of years ago, too, but it was John's reminder that led me to read it. What a fascinating book. Author Elisabeth Tova Bailey was laid low with a disease undefined in the text of the book but explained in the epilogue. As a result, she had to stay in bed for several years, some at a friend's home, so ill was she.
One friend gave her a snail found in the woods outside Bailey's window at the friend's. She explained to readers about the journey of the snail as she observed it day & night. Post-confinement (but still in recovery), Bailey researched snails & shares with readers great, fascinating details, coupling those with her own observations.
Her writing is wonderful and the simple drawings by Kathy Bray raise the value of this slender book. At the beginning of chapters she shares bits from other authors/poets/scientists, which enhance the telling. In all, if you want a detour into the lives of a snail and the observations of the bedridden, this is a splendid route to go.
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John, i don't know how you read two mysteries at once. This would be too much for me, i'm sure. Of course, it could free up one's mind, so s/he solved the mystery while reading the other. LOL!
I appreciate the feedback, Book Friends.