Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
Archived Chit Chat & All That
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What Are You Reading Now?
Janice wrote: "I have DNF'd Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell"wow that's a blast from the past, I definitely read that when I was a pre-teen (pre-Harry Potter) but reading the synopsis none of it sounds familiar at all lol
I have just started The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (1956) BritishA family drama of four siblings and their parents, two of them apparently destined to be great musicians according to their mother. It is said to be loosely based on the authors own family. I was at first a little startled and unhappy to find out that the narrator was one of the children (not my favourite) but one chapter in am feeling quite confident this is going to be a good book. It has the same quality as To Kill a Mockingbird which also has a child narrator - when reading it as an adult you definitely pick up the undercurrents and the unsaid despite the ignorance of the narrator.
So what's been established in the first chapter is that the father/husband of this book is an utter scoundrel, the wife/mother is completely dependent on him and helpless but to the child's perspective this is while not quite normal, not alarming either. So it's humourous yet also quite a lot of tension too.
It's set pre WW1 probably Edwardian times as it definitely has that British Empire vibe with the parents described as being from Ireland and Scotland, but met in India, and then had their family in South Africa and have just moved "home" to England.
Lisa, I'm so glad people are reading West! I liked this book a lot, hopefully you enjoy it. The children there have a crash course in growing up, so after a time you no longer will think them all that ignorant.
Mod
Good luck with Ulysses. I tried three times and made it about 3/4 the last try. I have promised myself to never try again. It was literary torture for me. So, I am in awe of anyone who finishes it!
I finished:
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
All Clear by Connie Willis
Lisa M wrote: "I have just started The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West (1956) BritishA family drama of four siblings and their parents, two of them apparently destined to be great..."
Just by reading your wonderful description of this book, I have just put it on my TBR list. Thank you :)
Nente wrote: "Lisa, I'm so glad people are reading West! I liked this book a lot, hopefully you enjoy it. The children there have a crash course in growing up, so after a time you no longer will think them all t..."I have a lot of her books on my TBR so I'm glad I've finally started :)
I loved the Willis Oxford Time Travel series and still have them on my shelves. The Blackout/All Clear books convinced me to start reading Agatha Christie too.
A good read! Bitter Wash Road is the first of a series about a rural Aussie copshop run by a 'disgraced' ex-detective. (Moral: never ever rat on crooked cops.) Add me to the list of Garry Disher's fans!
4.5★ Link to my Bitter Wash Road review
Aussie author Susan Johnson has just released From Where I Fell. Two women from opposite sides of the world reveal more about themselves than they intended in their accidental email 'penpalship'. I loved the slightly naughty feeling of spying on them. 
4.5★ Link to my review of From Where I Fell
I'm reading The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue! Both great reads so far!
Lisa M wrote: "I loved the Willis Oxford Time Travel series and still have them on my shelves. The Blackout/All Clear books convinced me to start reading Agatha Christie too."I liked them all but I do need a rest from Willis' style after a while. She covers a lot of the same ground over and over and over. It's charming at times, infuriating at others. Please, no more obsessing over the slippage!
I finished the 8th book in the Amber series (the 3rd book in the Second Chronicles of Amber): 
Sign of Chaos by Roger Zelazny
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I'm going to read another story in:
The Conquering Sword of Conan by Robert E. Howard
before I get on to the 9th Amber book (4th book in the Second Chronicles):
Knight of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
I really enjoyed Max Porter's unique young character, Lanny, in this unusual, fascinating mix of contemporary family story and ancient spirits. So good! (Made the Booker longlist)
5★ Link to my review of Lanny
Some people make arrangements for their own, inevitable Exit from life, but things don't go to plan in this mystery by Belinda Bauer. I loved its warmth and humour.
5★ Link to my Exit review (with no spoilers)
Since I've last posted, I've started and/or finished:The Radetzky March - Joseph Roth
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Obscene Bird of Night - José Donoso
Tomorrow I will be starting
and tonight I just finished
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I really enjoyed Max Porter's unique young character, Lanny, in this unusual, fascinating mix of contemporary family story and ancient spirits. So good! (Made the ..."I really liked Lanny when I read it shortly after it was published. It is a book I should honestly tip my hat towards the novel more often as it executes an experimental and stylistic writing style without feeling like the book is being full of itself. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad you liked it too!
I am currently reading Dracula by Bram Stoker for a class and, I'll be honest, with how much I usually LOVE Gothic lit, I am super disappointed in this one so far. I read it back in 2016 but that was when I was in high school so I thought my reaction to the book then was too naive in comparison to my view now. However, I am still not liking this book very much. Despite its great attention to detail in its atmosphere and very comfortable writing style, it is also way too long for its own good and too complex in plot structure for its own good. Every chapter feels as if there are multiple people talking at once and it really drags the book down, despite Stoker doing this to where it isn't confusing (which is an accomplishment). I also just don't care about these characters and find the Harkers and even Count Dracula himself to be bland and one-dimensional. I know that, despite this book being put under the classics label, it really isn't SUPPOSED to be high literature (let's be honest) but I still was expecting to get a joyride when its really only a ride. Pretty let down so far.
Finished
Ulysses by James Joyce [4/5] reviewand currently reading
Last Man by Mary Shelley and
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Graham wrote: "I am currently reading Dracula by Bram Stoker for a class and, I'll be honest, with how much I usually LOVE Gothic lit, I am super disappointed in this one so far. I read..."I would recommend trying the Audible version read by a cast, including Alan Cummings and Tim Curry. Great performances, and it brings some more structure to the multiple narrators throughout the story. I enjoyed it more this way than reading on my own.
I'm reading a collection of writings about Africa by an American doctor and a Russian poet Alexander Stesin. He emigrated to the U.S. as a teen, studied to be a doctor there and then worked as a doctor in several African countries and visited some others as a tourist, and has recently published all his related stories, fiction, non-fiction and translations from African authors under one cover.It's a very tightly-packed read, hard to get through fast. One important thing about it is that Stesin was fascinated by Africa his whole life, and being also an aspiring writer he read a lot of African literature. It's not only Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for him; he's mentioned several dozens of names so far, and it's a job trying to keep a list - but I'll certainly try and look for the books he mentions.
He even translates fragments from some of them, right in this book. And I'm not sure if it's sad or inspiring, but these translations sometimes read much better than his own text...
Graham wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I really enjoyed Max Porter's unique young character, Lanny, in this unusual, fascinating mix of contemporary family story and ancient spi...I really liked Lanny when I read it shortly after it was published. It is a book I should honestly tip my hat towards the novel more often as it executes an experimental and stylistic writing style without feeling like the book is being full of itself. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad you liked it too!"
I'm happy to hear that, Graham. I agree that it was an interesting style without being show-offy (so to speak).
Megan Rapinoe is such a champion of soccer that it's going to be hard to top her. This is another great addition by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara to the Little People BIG Dream series for kids. 
4★ Link to my review of Megan Rapinoe
I'll bet you've never heard of some of the great festivals in A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals: Over 90 fun and fabulous festivals from around the world! by Claire Grace and Christopher Carr. What fun - I love any excuse to celebrate!
4.5★ Link to my review of Festivals and Celebrations
Hello, fellow readers!I am currently soaring my way through Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and I am absolutely LOVING this book. Ever since I got out of my reading slump, I've been reading books that have ranged from being decently good to kind of bad. Nothing awful, thank goodness, but nothing too great either. So, to finally have a GREAT book is something worth celebrating.
The book is a memoir about a young Homer Hickam Jr. and his life growing up in a West Virginian coal-mining town and chasing his dreams to build rockets. The main themes of the book are chasing your dreams, being an oddball, and going against societal norms in healthy, positive, and constructive ways. All three of these things are things I support in not only myself but in my peers. Normalcy is boring and this book studies not only why that is but what effects both normalcy and oddities have on society. Hickam also does all of this without sounding preachy or full of an agenda. While I do agree with his stances on society and the oddballs within it, it would have been annoying to hear him go on and on about the AGENDA of it all. Luckily, Hickam knows what he's doing and instead integrates his message with the story of his childhood.
In summary, I am gobbling it all up and, so far, I cannot recommend this enough.
Graham wrote: "Hello, fellow readers!I am currently soaring my way through Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and I am absolutely LOVING this book. Ever since I got out of my reading slum..."
Isn't that a relief, Graham?! It's easy to get disillusioned when you pick up book after book that doesn't appeal, and then - then you find a winner, and voila! Your faith in reading is restored!
Debra Oswald is a popular Aussie playwright, scriptwriter, and novelist whose brand new 'what-would-you-do' mystery/thriller, The Family Doctor, has just been released. What a nerve-wracking read!
4.5★ rounded up Link to my Family Doctor review
Graham wrote: "Hello, fellow readers!I am currently soaring my way through Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and I am absolutely LOVING this book. Ever since I got out of my reading slum..."
I'm so encouraged to hear such great things about this. I've got it in my shelf just waiting to pick up.
Lori wrote: "Graham wrote: "Hello, fellow readers!I am currently soaring my way through Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam and I am absolutely LOVING this book. Ever since I got out of ..."
Finished it day after I posted it. It was an amazing book. HIGHLY recommend giving it a shot!
Since I last posted, I've started:The Vampire Tapestry - Suzy McKee Charnas
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
The Tiger's Daughter - Bharati Mukherjee
They Divided the Sky but Christa Wolf.
I completely enjoyed both the story and the audio narration of Honeybee by Aussie author Craig Silvey. Sam is only 14 years old, but it's been a long 14 years when you can't trust anybody. Loved it!
5★ Link to my Honeybee review
Kim Jin Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo. A little novel (163 pages) filled with the story of a woman’s life in Korea. Her life within a misogynistic society as it leads her to mental illness. 👍🏿👍🏿
So did you like it Patty? Is it triggering for those who might be also struggling with mental health issues?
Patty wrote: "Kim Jin Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo. A little novel (163 pages) filled with the story of a woman’s life in Korea. Her life within a misogynistic society as it leads her to mental illness. 👍🏿👍🏿"
So far, I don't think so (I cannot speak for others). The author shows how ingrained misogyny is in a way that opens the readers eyes, yet fits the story. Does that make sense?
For example, she tells us about how she and her older sister made sacrifices for their youngest brother; from making sure he got the best parts of the dinner first, to doing all the housework. It comes out in the part dedicated to her young years. In the telling of it, it is given as it just being a part of life.
However, I have not made much further through the book.
Ah, fair enough, I (mis)understood that you'd already finished. Will wait for a review then.
I finished: 
The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth, a terrific Cold War-era thriller that will resonate even more for those of us who remember the Soviet grain deals and OPEC oil drama of the 1970s.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading:
The Kings of Cool by Don Winslow, which is a prequel to Savages
I also started reading, for the Pulp Fiction book club, the roman noir classic:
Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham which certainly deserves its stellar reputation.
She Doesn't Want the Worms! Ella no quiere los gusanos: A Mystery is a delightful early language book by Karl Beckstrand and talented illustrator David Hollenbach. Kids will laugh and learn Spanish (and so did I) in this cute book. 
4.5~5★ Link to my Worms review with lots of illustrations
The Sympathizer by Asian-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so I thought War + Big prize = Heavy (UGH). But I loved a preview chapter of his follow-up, The Committed, so I bought this first book and loved it! Some brutality, yes, but funny, informative and thought-provoking.
Plus, it's easy to read. You don't need a thesaurus or a history degree. 😊
5★ Link to my review of The Sympathizer
I loved Trent Dalton's first book (Boy Swallows Universe), which was largely autobiographical. There's no question he can write.All Our Shimmering Skies is good, but I was spoiled by what I know he is capable of.
3.5★ Link to my Shimmering Skies review
I just enjoyed Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart, number five in the series. It's April 1917, just before America enters WW1, and the sisters are off to army camp with another colourful character.
4.5★ Link to my Kopp Sisters review
I am currently reading the new book by Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun, and I have not been this OBSESSED over a new release in a WHILE. It is a masterpiece so far and I plan on finishing it today!
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Sympathizer by Asian-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so I thought War + Big prize = Heavy (UGH). But I loved a previ..."
I own a copy of The Sympathizer and have owned it for over a year. It could be the unconventional writing style and formatting but I haven't read it yet. Your review did intrigue me though. Might give it a shot!
‘Wait until spring, Bandini’ by John Fante and so far it’s very good. One of those books I can’t put down.
Graham wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Sympathizer by Asian-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so I thought War + Big prize = Heavy (UG..."I thought it was going to be heavy-going, Graham - too political or ideological or something, but it was entertaining and even humorous in places.
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
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