What I'm Reading JANUARY 2015

[Larry]

A new year begins ... the piles of to-be-read books are higher than ever ... what a good feeling!

[Larry]

Sheila wrote: "Larry, I listened to Audible versions of both his books in the past couple of years and like you am waiting for the third. Have you been tempted by his side story of Auri , The Slow Regard of Silent Things (apologies, for some reason I can't get the link to post correctly) "


Sheila, I bought the Kindle copy of The Slow Regard of Silent Things for my Kindle ... I just finished the second book of Rothfuss's trilogy and will let that just sit in my brain for a few days. I'll read another book or two knowing that I have the treasure of this short novel by Rothfuss about Auri to read.

[Cateline]

Last night I made a 60(ish) page dent in John Banville's Ancient Light. It is very much in the style of his The Sea, his 2005 Booker winner.

[Frank]

Reading Nora Webster and I have Dream City waiting in the wings. Looking forward to Dream City which is about Washington DC.

[Ruth]

Cateline wrote: "Last night I made a 60(ish) page dent in John Banville's Ancient Light. It is very much in the style of his The Sea, his 2005 Booker winner."

Tham,s. I'll make note of this. I loved The Sea.

[Sheila]

Started Neel Mukherjee's The Lives of Others set in Bengal in the 1966/67 period. Nothing prepared me for the opening chapter and its depiction of the horrors of extreme hunger within the feudal system of land ownership and cultivation predominant at that time, even knowing a little about the historical situation in India at that time and having seen today's poverty. However the rest of the book so far, I'm about 100 pages in, shows a deft sense of understanding and ability to convey the intricacies of the lives of the members of a middle class Bengali family, the generational hierarchy, the social status hierarchy and the physical manifestation of this within the house's living arrangements and family tasks. Looking good so far.

[Sue]

I loved The
Lives of Others. Started People of the Book today. Enjoying it so far .

[Sheila]

Sue wrote: "I loved The
Lives of Others. Started People of the Book today. Enjoying it so far ."
Sue, I have been eyeing that one up for a future read, do let me know how it turns out

[Cateline]

Ruth wrote: Cateline wrote: "Last night I made a 60(ish) page dent in John Banville's Ancient Light. It is very much in the style of his The Sea, his 2005 Booker winner."

Tham,s. I'll make note of this. I loved The Sea.

:) We both loved it as well. In fact it was the first Banville we both read.

[Book Concierge]

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – 4****
This was not the light, fluffy chick-lit romance I thought it would be. Rather, it is a wonderful, complex and compelling story of two very different people who meet in extraordinary circumstances and deeply affect one another over a period of six months. I did wonder if the title would be better reversed - YOU before ME. The audiobook is narrated by a team of voice artists, each taking on the perspective of a different character.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kat]

I don't think I've mentioned yet the novel I'm reading by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein. It's called My Brilliant Friend, and it's set in Naples in the years after WWII. I totally love it. Ferrante has created two fascinating characters engaged in a realistic, complex friendship. A great portrait of intellectual and psychological development, and especially great if, like me, you're thirsty for more female experience in novels.

[Mary Ellen]

I'm embarrassed to say that I am reading The Lay of the Land, embarrassed because I think I have posted the same thing once or twice before! But this go-round I am finding it compelling enough that I will probably make it all the way through. (I was encouraged by reading a review of Ford's latest, a book of short stories bringing the reader up to date on Frank Bascombe's post-TLOTL activities. Last try at reading this, I began to think Frank was on his way out and that seemed so depressing I gave up the read!)

[Barbara]

Kat wrote: "I don't think I've mentioned yet the novel I'm reading by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein. It's called My Brilliant Friend, and it's set in Naples in th..."

I have that book sitting on my shelf, Kat, and am really looking forward to it.

Mary Ellen, The Lay of the Land is very good. And, Frank perseveres. Life just changes a bit for him.

[Larry]

Just started Michael Connelly's new Harry Bosch mystery, The Burning Room. What is fascinating to me is that the case he is working on is one where a person died 10 years after being shot, and where the death is then ruled a homicide. So timely with the decision being made by the Virginia Commonwealth prosecutor this week not to prosecute Hinckley for the death of James Brady, decades after he was shot, even though the coroner ruled that the death was a homicide. (For what it's worth, I thought that the prosecutor's decision was a good one, based on the obvious insanity of Hinckley at the time of the shooting.)

[Lyn]

I just finished The Orchardist. I became very submerged in the story as it went along. Few novels are able to show quiet people and their lives realistically, and I was sad at the end that the author showed the deeply engaging world that had been created was transitory. But then I realized that she done something difficult, portraying a simple, gentle life to be both profoundly beautiful and temporary, as most actually are.

[Ruth]

Lyn wrote: "I just finished The Orchardist. I became very submerged in the story as it went along. Few novels are able to show quiet people and their lives realistically, and I was sad at the e..."

Guess I'll move it up a bit on the TBR.

[Mary Ellen]

Barbara wrote: "Kat wrote: "I don't think I've mentioned yet the novel I'm reading by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein. It's called My Brilliant Friend, and it's set in ..."

Barbara, thanks for the encouragement! :)

[Larry]

I haven't started reading it yet, but yesterday I bought a Kindle copy of Fiona Ritchie's Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia. (Fiona Ritchie is the host of The Thistle and Shamrock, but you probably already know that.) I had already reserved a hard copy at our library, but I really wanted to see how the Kindle copy handled the music. The hard copy comes with a CD with 20 songs, so I figured that the Kindle copy might just have links to a web site with the music. Better than that. The Kindle copy has embedded mp3 files so that when you get to a discussion of a particular song, you can just listen to it as you keep reading. A word of warning: the Kindle copy really seems designed for tablets, like the Kindle Fire and the Kindle app on iPads. I guess you could read the book fine on other Kindles, but it's quite a large file, because of the embedded mp3 files.

[Larry]

Thinking about how Kindles handle different books also made me wonder why my wife's Kindle needed to have its battery recharged about 1/3 as often as my Kindle. Nope, it's not a matter of reading time. We probably use our respective Kindles about the same amount of time daily. I'm almost positive that it's a matter of font size! Why would this make a difference. Because the real drain on the battery is the page redraw that happens when you "turn" the page. Smaller fonts result in fewer page turns, and hence fewer discharges of the battery. All of this applies to true Kindles and not Kindle Fires, which because of their non-book uses see the battery discharge happen much faster. If you're a reader, there just aren't many devices than a Kindle PaperWhite. And on my PaperWhite, I just started Scott Weidensaul's The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America.

This blurb from the GoodReads book reference page: "The First Frontier traces two and a half centuries of history through poignant, mostly unheralded personal stories—like that of a Harvard-educated Indian caught up in seventeenth-century civil warfare, a mixed-blood interpreter trying to straddle his white and Native heritage, and a Puritan woman wielding a scalping knife whose bloody deeds still resonate uneasily today. It is the first book in years to paint a sweeping picture of the Eastern frontier, combining vivid storytelling with the latest research to bring to life modern America’s tumultuous, uncertain beginnings."

And still reading a hard copy/library copy of Michael Connelly's The Burning Room. Just great.

[Ann D]

I have used both a regular Kindle (with keyboard) and the Kindle PaperWhite. Your deductions about battery drain and page turning with larger print make sense.

However, I use the same slightly large font on both. I think the PaperWhite needs recharging more. The PaperWhite's big advantages are that it is very easy on the eyes and that I can read it in low light and in the dark. The only disadvantage to both Kindles is that they are lousy when it comes to illustrations. This is sometimes a problem with non-fiction books.

My husband has a Kindle Fire, which I avoid using unless we are on vacation - too many options I haven't mastered.

Back to books. THE FIRST FRONTIER sounds very interesting. Here is another work of narrative history that I found fascinating The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America by John Demos. It is the true, and very well researched story, of a girl who was kidnapped by the Indians in the early 1700's and who refused to be rescued by her heartbroken family.

[Barbara]

I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas which was a surprise. I had been using the Kindle app on my tablet. I am in love with the illustrations, particularly when I read newspapers on it. So far, I haven't figured out how to go to the goodreads groups on that app yet though, only the books. So, I use the internet connection for that.

I finished The Luminaries last night and am still trying to sort through my impressions. Now, I am going to try and finish The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education by Diane Ravitch. I have been reading this since July and it's been tough for me. The whole time I taught I tried to keep a little informed with what was going on with American education politically. But, for the most part, I put all of my occupational efforts into being a good teacher. Reading what was going on nationally at the same time is extremely informative but also a bit depressing.

And, I will be starting The Iliad for our Classics discussion. Maybe there are some connections there?!?

[Cateline]

I've finished John Banville's Ancient Light, and as usual, Banville strikes again. :)
My review... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Donna]

After years of urging from my daughter, I finally am reading A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I am enjoying on my Kindle Paper White. I can see why it was a favorite of hers as a teenager - a unique coming of age story, not to mention the classic and unforgettable nativity play.

[Larry]

Barbara wrote: "I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas which was a surprise. I had been using the Kindle app on my tablet. I am in love with the illustrations, particularly when I read newspapers on it. So far, I ha..."


Barbara,

I've had a Kindle Fire for about a year now. I've never read a complete book on it, but I have looked at art books on it, especially ones like the Delphi Complete Works of Michelangelo. I still read most books on my Kindle PaperWhite. I also read newspapers on both types of Kindles, probably more on the Kindle Fire.

Other than that, I use it for videos (both Netflix and Amazon Prime videos.) While I don't use it directly for listening to music, I do use it, through the TuneIn app, as a guide to see what radio stations are actually playing. I have 75 radio stations and programs (like CarTalk or the Splendid Table) to see what's currently playing or what archived podcasts are available ... and then I access that audio through my Sonos system or through my computer. It sounds like a lot of work, but the work was in finding favorite stations (TuneIn has 100,000 radio stations) and setting things up. I can scan all those 75 favorite audio sites in about 10 seconds, and then hear whatever I want to hear ... right now it's CBC-2 out of Toronto ... great afternoon Drive show.

[Larry]

Ann wrote: "I have used both a regular Kindle (with keyboard) and the Kindle PaperWhite. Your deductions about battery drain and page turning with larger print make sense.

However, I use the same slightly lar..."

Ann, I still have our old Kindles with the keyboards. I keep them just in case one of the PaperWhites break. Sort of silly, because if one broke, I would just buy another PaperWhite or a Voyage. (Probably a PaperWhite, because I think the Voyage's price isn't really worth it.) I find that the PaperWhite has to be charged more than I expected, but it sure is easy on the eyes to use ... everywhere.

[Kat]

Donna wrote: "After years of urging from my daughter, I finally am reading A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I am enjoying on my Kindle Paper White. I can see why it was a favorite of hers as a teenage..."

I really liked this novel--more than some of Irving's. Though it's been a lot of years since I've read it.

[Larry]

Barbara wrote: "And, I will be starting The Iliad for our Classics discussion. Maybe there are some connections there?!? ..."

Barbara, I bought Adam Nicolson's Why Homer Matters.... based on the review of it by James Wood in the New Yorker. I'm not sure that I'm going to agree with Nicolson's theories on the works, but I like his passion for Homer. Have you looked at Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles? I found it amazingly good as a reworking of the story of Achilles and the love between him and Patroclus. Miller makes the gods come alive in this book also, and that's not a mean feat, by any means. Amazon has the Kindle version for sale for only $1.99

[Book Concierge]

Lyn wrote: "I just finished The Orchardist. I became very submerged in the story as it went along. Few novels are able to show quiet people and their lives realistically, and I was sad at the e..."

I read it in October and also really liked it. Gave a copy to my brother for Xmas. And I've also recommended it to my husband.

[Book Concierge]

1984 by George Orwell – 4****
Classic dystopian science fiction, written in 1948 and imagining a totalitarian society where Big Brother watches your every move and the ruling party controls all information. The thing that I find most frightening about this world that Orwell created is how very plausible it is. I couldn’t help but think of current events – torture, “Newspeak,” wars, video cameras on every corner, texting and hackers no longer respecting anyone’s privacy. Frank Muller does a fine job narrating the audiobook. The scenes where Winston is being re-educated gave me goose bumps.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Barbara]

Larry wrote: "Barbara wrote: "And, I will be starting The Iliad for our Classics discussion. Maybe there are some connections there?!? ..."

Barbara, I bought Adam Nicolson's Why Homer Matters......"

I read Wood's review too and tore it out for later use. Let me know what you think of Nicolson's book if you get to it. I think I will get the Miller. Do you think it would be confusing to read both at the same time?

I was reading Bernard Knox's introduction to the Fagles translation today and parts of it helped to clarify relationships. I sort of skimmed the parts regarding the arguments about Homer. I'm more interested in getting the characters set in my mind. I read Fagles' Odyssey with Constant Reader folks some years ago but wasn't able to make it through The Illiad when I read it by myself. Hopefully, doing it with the group will make the difference again.

[Lyn]

I started The Rosie Project this morning and it was so enjoyable that I kept reading and finished it. A very entertaining, light read! Even though ones knows fairly quickly what the resolution of the Father project, Wife project, and Rosie project will be, it's such fun getting there that it doesn't matter.

[Portia]

I read The Rosie Project last year an just loved it.

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

I started The Rosie Effect on Monday but I am not enjoying it quite so much. I think my problem is that I already know the punchline. Still, either is great for an afternoon of "getting away."

[Well]

Barbara wrote: "I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas which was a surprise. I had been using the Kindle app on my tablet. I am in love with the illustrations, particularly when I read newspapers on it. So far, I ha..."

Barbara, I have been considering buying a Kindle but can't really see any advantages over it and the Kindle reading app I have on my table which is what I use.

My iPad has a bigger screen than any of the Kindles butI would like to take advantage of Kindle Prime which you can only do if you have an actual Kindle device. That, I see, is my only advantage.

How is your reading experience on the Kindle compared to the app on your tablet? I would appreciate any insight you or anyone else can give me.

[Donna]

Jan,
There is a free downloadable app that allows you to purchase Kindle books and read them on your personal device, not necessarily a Kindle.

I have an iPad and a Kindle Paper White. I can read on either, but I generally prefer the Paper White because it's very easy on the eyes.

[Larry]

Donna wrote: "I have an iPad and a Kindle Paper White. I can read on either, but I generally prefer the Paper White because it's very easy on the eyes. ..."

Donna, there are many good things about the PaperWhite, but for me that's probably the best thing about it. Even easier on the eyes than some books ... because of the back lighting, the choice of font size, etc.

[Larry]

Barbara wrote: "I read Wood's review too and tore it out for later use. Let me know what you think of Nicolson's book if you get to it. I think I will get the Miller. Do you think it would be confusing to read both at the same time?..."

Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles is a very easy read, but I think I would still read it separately from the Iliad. To call it easy doesn't mean that it isn't a book of great depth. I really hope that Miller writes more books like this one, maybe one on Odysseus or even better, one on Penelope.

[Portia]

When did Penelope recognize Odysseus? Enjoyed a wonderful class discussion on that one at one of my beloved Community Colleges.

The Song of Achilles. Once again ascends the Olympian heights to the top of my TBR stack.

[Sue]

Larry wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I read Wood's review too and tore it out for later use. Let me know what you think of Nicolson's book if you get to it. I think I will get the Miller. Do you think it would be confu..."

I've been wondering/waffling on reading The Song of Achilles but after reading all these comments I think I probably should add it.

[Barbara]

Jan wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas which was a surprise. I had been using the Kindle app on my tablet. I am in love with the illustrations, particularly when I read newspapers on i..."

My son is in management at Best Buy and he told me that the Fire mimics the iPad so he tends to steer people in that direction (I am not technologically literate so I am hoping that I am interpreting what he said correctly.) So far, my Fire gives me better images than what my own tablet gives me so I really love newspapers on it. And, the small images I have in one book are much clearer. I am really looking forward to trying an art book with it.

I looked seriously at the Paperwhite last summer and didn't buy it because of the size. I enlarge the font on my screens and I didn't like the amount of print I could get on a page. My husband got me the largest Fire so that works out well.

[Larry]

Barbara wrote: "I am really looking forward to trying an art book with it...."

I would recommend the Kindle Fire with no reservations to anyone who loves art based just on using it to look at the different Delphi Collected Works [of various painters]. Simply an amazing value.

[Book Concierge]

Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon– 4****
I really enjoyed this look at a marriage through the eyes of two very different people. The story covers several decades, though much of the action is concentrated during the World War II era. Gutcheon uses multiple points of view and moves back and forth in time as people remember past events, so I’m left feeling a little as if I’ve only scratched the surface, rather than gotten the full story. I am reminded that there are many stories in the people around me; that what we see of a person – even one we think we know well - may be only the tip of the iceberg.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I just finished the audiobook of The Cutting Season by Attica Locke. She was one of the writers at last year's Key West Literary Seminar. Her first book, Black Water Rising was compelling. Both of them are sort of like mysteries, but are so much more. The Cutting Season takes place in an old historical plantation, where tourists see a sanitized version of slavery and plantation life. If I remember correctly from her presentation, Locke worked at a similar place. It's not the locale for a murder mystery one would think of out of the blue. There's a lot of historical detail here. It brings to mind recent events, too. One of the characters is a young black man who is falsely accused of murder. His conviction would be very convenient to his white bosses.

[Sue]

Larry wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I am really looking forward to trying an art book with it...."

I would recommend the Kindle Fire with no reservations to anyone who loves art based just on using it to look at the ..."

Larry, I should see if they have a Turner collection. After the Turner exhibit I saw last fall, I could use more.

[Larry]

sue, they do have a Turner collection. I have it, and it' great.

[Sue]

Larry wrote: "sue, they do have a Turner collection. I have it, and it' great."

Oh good. I just picked up the Vermeer and I'll go get the Turner.

[Larry]

Sue wrote: "Larry wrote: "sue, they do have a Turner collection. I have it, and it' great."

Oh good. I just picked up the Vermeer and I'll go get the Turner."

Sue, I bet you already know this, but you can double-tap on the paintings to have them expand to fill the screen. The Vermeer book was the first one that I actually bought. It quickly led me to buy most of the others.

I would be interested if you found other art books that were good on the Kindle. Other than these Delphi Collected works (and the ten or so that I bought will keep me satisfied for a long time), the only art book that I've bought is Julian Porter's 149 Paintings You Really Need to See in Europe: (So You Can Ignore the Others). It's as arrogant as it sounds ... and it's also great.

[Larry]

Sue, it's probably worth mentioning that there are separate Kindle Fire apps for four art museums: the Louvre, the National Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, and the Met. The paintings are great, but it's just the paintings. Good for using alongside a book that tells us something about the paintings.

[Barbara]

Wow, are they free, Larry?

[Well]

Barbara wrote: "Jan wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas which was a surprise. I had been using the Kindle app on my tablet. I am in love with the illustrations, particularly when I read new..."

Barbara, Donna, and Larry, thank you for your thoughts on the Kindle and the Paperwhite. I remember being bothered with the size of the page in the ereaders since I have a nook as well. Thanks for reminding me.

[Sue]

Barbara wrote: "Wow, are they free, Larry?"

The Delphi ones I got yesterday were $2.51 each and have commentary in addition to the art. The individual paintings can be enlarged by tapping on the painting and close ups of detail are provided too. Very nice.