What I'm Reading - Mar & April 2022

[K]

Barbara wrote: "K wrote: "I enjoyed The Lincoln Highway very much! I am so impressed with the way Amor Towles writes a story so different from his previous works. I don't want to g..."

Oh, this is wonderful! Thank you so much for the link!

[Book Concierge]

Rachel To the Rescue – Elinor Lipman – 3.5**** (rounded up)
Rachel Klein, unceremoniously fired from her job in the White House Office of Records Management (WHORM), as a result of a drunken tweet voicing her frustrations, gets hit by a speeding SUV on her way out of the Executive Office Building. Turns out the driver is a “close friend of the President” … let the fun begin! A delightfully fast read, a joy of a rom-com.
My full review HERE

[Gina]

K, Lamb in His Bosom is my all time favorite classic book. I've read it at least twice and maybe three times. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[Molly]

About Dracul: I fully intended to love this book. I mean, the great grand nephew of Bram Stoker must be an expert storyteller, right? He is, I think, but ultimately this book was a disappointment. He insider information in the form of letters and notes from Bram did add a lot to the original tale. I appreciated the toggle between the past and now as well as each character's diary accounts.

What ruined it for me was too much telling and not enough showing, particularly when it came down to the dialog and the references to the scenes in and around Dublin. If not for the authors telling readers that someone spoke in a "thick Irish brogue" multiple times throughout, this story could just as easily happened here in Iowa Amish country. I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it created enough of a distraction that finishing it was a slog. It was the same way with geographical references...without mentioning Dublin landmarks by name, they did a poor job of painting a mental picture of where these events were taking place.

I'm sad I couldn't like this more. I feel it was a big swing and a miss.

[Lynn]

Thanks for the review, Molly. It sounds like something I might have considered for the Irish aspect, but I think I'll pass and save my time for all the other books in my TBR list.

[Molly]

so many good things on my TBR...next up is Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. This one is so much better right from page 1.

[Dan]

Just finished rereading The Aeneid. On this self-masochistic reading challenge, I have discovered that Homer has improved as I gain years whereas Virgil has grown stale. Like the Alamo not having a basement, it's just something some of us have to experience for themselves...

My review: 4 of 5 stars

[Ruth]

Stephen wrote: "For a little change of pace, here is what I am not reading: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcend..."

😂😂

[Ruth]

Glad to be of service.

[reneeNaDaCherry]

I am reading May December by Nia Forrester, Either Way by Bethany-Kris and In the Darkness by Mike Omer (it's a thriller) Some good reading's going on!

[Dan]

I have just finished for the umpteenth time Moby-Dick or, the Whale, as part of my "Epic" Re-Read Challenge. In my short review, I argue enjoying this novel practically requires the dressing of literary snobbery.

My Review

[Dan]

reneeNaDaCherry wrote: "I am reading May December by Nia Forrester, Either Way by Bethany-Kris and In the Darkness by Mike Omer (it's a thriller) Some good reading's going on!"

That Mike Omer looks interesting. Let us know if he is able to juggle that plot without anything smashing to the floor.

[Book Concierge]

Save Me the Plums – Ruth Reichl – 4****
Subtitle: My Gourmet Memoir. Reichl has written before about her time as a food critic and about her mother, here she tackles the years she spent as editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. I love her writing. It is nothing short of delicious. She is open, honest and insightful. She writes about not just what happened but how she felt about what was happening. And, as usual, she really excels when writing about food. I may have gained 10 pounds just reading it!
My full review HERE

[Sheila]

Finished Amor Towles' The Lincoln Highway. Now I see it is on the longlist for reading for the second half of this year. Here's my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lynn]

I finished The Lincoln Highway not long ago, Sheila, and I enjoyed it too. I read Rules of Civility a long time ago, but haven't gotten around to A Gentleman in Moscow yet. My mom loved that one, so I'm going to pass my copy of The Lincoln Highway to her. I may have to ask for it back, though, if it ends up on the next reading list!

[Sheila]

Lynn, I first read his short story You have arrived at your destination, then The Gentleman in Moscow. I enjoyed both. I’ve just seen that Audible have a free reading of his story The Didomenico Fragment and have marked it to read too. I suppose I should put Rules of civility on my TBR list also

[Sheila]

Lynn FYI I don’t normally vote on the Reading list as many new ones end up not being available at reasonable cost or via libraries until later in the UK, but I notice a couple of older ones on your long list which are on my TBR list :)

[Lyn]

I enjoyed all of Towles books, but absolutely loved A
Gentleman in Moscow a ridiculous amount..., so you have a treat in store, my namebuddy with an extra "n".

I'm in the middle of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, and it is well done, but I can't say it's a fun read (but very informative), so I do a little at a time.

[Lynn]

Thanks for the recommendation, name buddy! :) I don't know why I didn't read it after my mom started raving about it - probably just trying to keep up with my library books before they hit their return dates. So many books, so little time...

Sheila - get your votes in! You can always vote for fewer than 6 choices if you don't think there are enough that you will be able to find at a reasonable cost in the UK.

[Ruth]

I couldn’t make it through A Gentleman in Moscow. Just too fey for me. But if Lincoln Highway is different, I might give it a try.

[Donna]

I read A Gentleman in Moscow during lockdown so it was a perfect time for a fey read😅

Right now I’m reading The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, a very long, engrossing family saga. It’s also a coming of age story for the character, Ailey, and it ties the writings of du Bois to the struggles of Black families over time in America.

[Sheila]

Inspired by Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway I picked up another of his short stories the excellent The Didomenico Fragment, recorded as an Audible Original and wonderfully narrated by John Lithgow. Here is my review notes https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[K]

Sheila wrote: "Inspired by Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway I picked up another of his short stories the excellent The Didomenico Fragment, recorded as an Audible Original and wonderfully narrated by John Lithgow...."

I rated all three novels by Towles 5 stars, so I would love to read this. Thank you for sharing.

[K]

I am currently reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King.

I'm only 40 or so pages in, but I like it so far. I loved Euphoria, so I thought I would give this one a try.

[Lynn]

Writers and Lovers was a Reading List selection a couple of years ago, K. If you'd like to read the discussion, here's a link:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[K]

Thank you, Lynn! I will definitely read this discussion.

[Book Concierge]

Once Upon a Time in Rio – Francisco Azevedo – 4****
This is a delightful multi-generational saga of love, adventure, joy, disappointment, fear, prosperity and all those ingredients that make up the delicious dish we know as family. It begins when Jose Custodio and Maria Romana marry in Lisbon in 1908 and follows the Custodios, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren through the decades and into the 21st century. It reminded me at times of the Spanish telenovelas my grandmother loved to listen to on the radio. Weddings, births, funerals, fights and making up. Such drama! Such love! I was engaged and interested from beginning to end.
My full review HERE

[Gina]

K wrote: "I am currently reading Writers & Lovers by Lily King.

I'm only 40 or so pages in, but I like it so far. I loved Euphoria, so I thought I would give..."

I really liked Writers and Lovers. King had such a fresh voice as if she were just talking to you.

[Sheila]

Just listened to two Audible Originals short stories by Tayari Jones which are freebies on Audible. I wasn’t enthralled by the first, Dispossessed - see my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... but the second one Half Life caught my attention much more https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and is well worth a listen at just under 1.5 hrs.

[Molly]

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I really enjoyed The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, about a super-professional butler who knows how to inspect the silver polishing but, sadly, knows nothing at al..."

I recall really loving the movie version of this ages ago, but I've not read the book. I will add this to my wish list. And I will keep searching for that movie again - some service somewhere must be streaming it.

[Dan]

Nothing like Spring Break to finish up some reading. Finished three works this morning. Enjoyed reading a dry, academic discourse on evolutionary roots of religion (In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion) alongside Ruth's wonderful poem collection. As for Tales From The Bluebird of Happiness Trailer Park...nevermind.

My review: What’s Left Over

My review: In Gods We Trust

My review: Tales From the Bluebird of Happiness Trailer Park

[Ruth]

Omg, Dan. What a thoughtful and lovely review of my book. Thank you.

BTW, Joan Colby was a friend of mine. She was another member of my longtime critique group. I used to say she could pour metaphors out of her sleeves, the way people say Schubert could pour melodies from his. She died in 2020. I really miss her.

[Dan]

Ruth: Sorry to hear about Colby. I enjoyed Joyriding to Nightfall and have been meaning to read more of her work.

[Ruth]

Dan wrote: "Ruth: Sorry to hear about Colby. I enjoyed Joyriding to Nightfall and have been meaning to read more of her work."

Well you have a lot of books to choose from. She was really prolific.

She was a wonderful person, unfailingly helpful and supportive of so many people. Not long before she died she wrote the blurb for my book. I didn’t realize how ill she was.

[Sheila]

Started reading The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier which Tonya recommended during one of our Zoom calls, about 20% in and I can’t put it down. Good one Tonya thanks.

[Molly]

just finished Beyond Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. A recommendation from a friendand well worth the time.

[Book Concierge]

Writers & Lovers – Lily King – 3.5*** rounded up
Casey Peabody is a struggling writer, reeling over the sudden death of her mother some six month before the novel begins, burdened by crushing student debt and maxed-out credit cards, and recently having broken up with her boyfriend; she is adrift and somewhat depressed. I really liked this book. I loved how Casey looked at the people and events in her life, and that, despite all her difficulties, she has a strong sense of her own self, and stands up for herself against bullying co-workers. The supporting cast, was just that, supporting. And I was happy to cheer for her at the end.
My full review HERE

[Tamara]

I read Optic Nerve by María Gainza; translated from the Spanish by Thomas Bunstead.
The author braids snapshots of her life and family with analysis of paintings that hold significance for her. She demonstrates the profound impact art has had on her perceptions and her life. A compelling and engaging read.

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

[Dan]

Tamara: Your review of Optic Nerve is fascinating. Someone who makes associations between a specific painting and life; it's an interesting concept. Is the narrator a artist, an art curator? How did she develop such a deep understanding and appreciation for painting?

[Tamara]

Dan wrote: "Tamara: Your review of Optic Nerve is fascinating. Someone who makes associations between a specific painting and life; it's an interesting concept. Is the narrator a artist, an art..."

Thank you for your kind words about my review, Dan.
Maria Gainza is an art critic. Her essays have been published in magazines and newspapers. Like you, I found the concept of her novel very interesting. I think it was well executed. It's a quick and easy read, one I thoroughly enjoyed.

I hope you will let us know what you think of it if you have a chance to read it.

[Ann D]

I recently finished Barbara Pym’s Less than Angels, from The Barbara Pym Collection Volume Two: Less Than Angels and No Fond Return of Love

Thank you Gina for alerting me to the Kindle sale of this collection. I enjoyed this book. The social satire is a bit more biting than that in EXCELLENT WOMEN. I found myself smiling most of the time. Almost all of the characters are anthropologists, and these include both men and women. Pym gets some good digs into the profession, which she was very familiar with due to her work at the Africa Institute.

This book enters into the consciousness of multiple people. They are decent people, but like most of us, very good at rationalizing their less than angelic behavior. This is good fodder for satire. I rated it 4 stars.

I was pleased to see a reference to the married couple Mildred and Everard Bone. So, they did tie the knot after all! Unlike some “-), I think this was a good thing for Mildred. Keep in mind that more than a million men died in World War I and II, so good men were hard to find.

Miss Clovis, described as stocky and with hair like a dog in EXCELLENT WOMEN, has a more prominent role in this book. She remembers: “Everard had married a rather dull woman who was nevertheless a great help to him in his work; as a clergyman’s daughter she naturally got on very well with the missionaries they were meeting now that they were in Africa again.” Sour grapes perhaps?

One anthropologist remarks: ‘We’re lunching with our old friend Mrs. Bone and she usually does you pretty well—a bird more often than not “ I laughed out loud when I read that Everard’s mother was continuing her battle against the birds taking over the world, by serving the “enemy” for dinner.

[Sue]

Oh, good. Now I’m looking forward to this even more. Thanks.

[Barbara]

Thanks, Ann. I think there are a lot of Barbara Pym books in my future.

[Mary Anne]

It's time to close this thread and open a new one for May & June.