Constant Reader discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Constant Reader
>
What I'm Reading - Nov/Dec 2023
Before the Ever After – Jacqueline Woodson – 4****
This novel is verse is suitable for middle-school-aged children but deals with a serious issue – brain injury resulting from multiple concussions while participating in contact sports. I am in awe at how much information Woodson can convey in so few words. The poetry format allows the author to get straight to the emotion of the situation. But make no mistake, she paints some vivid pictures and fully realized characters.
LINK to my full review
I finally got to read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett after being on hold in the library forever and a day. I loved the novel. It is the first Ann Patchett I read, but it definitely won't be the last.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've only made it halfway up the holds list for Tom Lake at my library...I paused (but will get back to) The Covenant of Water to read The Heart's Invisible Furies for this group, and am about halfway through that. It's so witty and entertaining! I love being in the middle of a book I'm enjoying.
Ou will love state of wonder one of Ann patchett best
No Land To Light On – Yara Zgheib – 4****
A young Syrian couple, expecting their first baby, is separated by the randomness of political decisions made by others. This hit close to home for me, as I know a couple in a similar situation. I am so sorry I had to miss my F2F book club discussion! This is a book that made me think, and I’ll be pondering it for some time.
LINK to my full review
The Painted Drum – Louise Erdrich – 3.5***
The significance of a particular, rare, drum is revealed in the novel. From the woman who discovers it in a dusty attic, to the current-day residents of the Ojibwe reservation, to the now-deceased grandfather who originally fashioned the drum, Erdrich gives us a story full of tradition, loss and love. I could have done without Faye’s storyline, however.
LINK to my full review
This is a very informative historical fiction book about the Spanish Civil War. It is tagged as young adult but I found the writing very good.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rilla of Ingleside – L M Montgomery – 4****Book eight in the “Anne of Green Gables” series focuses on Anne’s youngest child. Rilla is fifteen, starting to get interested in boys and dances, but needing to worry about her brothers and friends now that World War I has started. There are young women today, going through many of the issues that Rilla experiences: first love, worry about a brother sent to fight overseas, grief over friends or relatives who’ve died too young. I love how Rilla rises to the challenges imposed by the war; I see a lot of the young Anne in Rilla.
LINK to my full review
I read River Spirit by Leila Aboulela. It is about the Mahdi uprising in Sudan during the 1880s. Told from multiple vantage points to present a panoramic view of the events. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I recently finished and very much enjoyed:The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng - 4* - My Review
One of the primary themes is the era’s need to maintain secrecy in gay relationships and the impact on the women they marry. Other themes include colonialism, patriarchy, racism, and artistic expression. I enjoyed the many literary references and beautiful imagery. Personally, I preferred Tan’s previous two novels (The Gift of Rain and The Garden of Evening Mists), but this book is a stellar piece of storytelling.
That sounds good, Joy. One mor for the TBR list!
There is a really interesting review of The House of Doors in the New Yorker written by James Woods. It's mostly positive.
We may have an opportunity to discuss it together soon, since it's on the list of nominations for the upcoming Reading List. If you want to vote for it and haven't submitted your votes yet, tonight is the deadline!
I read The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. I know we'll be doing it soon for a group read. But I was on a long wait list at the library, and there is a whole slew of people behind me who want to read it. I didn't want to keep them waiting, so I plunged in right away. I'm hoping I'll still remember it to participate in the discussion.This is the third novel I've ready by this author. I loved all three, but I think this is my favorite. His writing is always eloquent and elegant. And he tells such great stories.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
You're right, Tamara - The House of Doors is on the next Reading List, which starts in January. When I make the schedule, I'll try not to make you wait until May or June to discuss it, although I'll have to balance that with giving others enough time to get through their own library wait lists :-)
Lynn, no worries. Just set the schedule any way you see fit. I'm sure I'll remember the novel well enough to participate in the discussion. Thanks.
Tamara wrote: "I read The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. I know we'll be doing it soon for a group read. But I was on a long wait list at the library, and there is a whole slew ..."I too have loved everything Eng has written. He does tell a great story.
When Dimple Met Rishi – Sandhya Menon – 3***
This is a cute YA romcom featuring two young Indian-American students who are trying to keep their parents happy while pursuing their own dreams. Things get off to a rocky start, but their friendship slowly builds to something more … or does it? Told in alternating viewpoints, Menon gives the reader a satisfying and balanced romance.
LINK to my full review
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane – Lisa See – 4****This work of historical fiction focuses on the indigenous Akha people who make their living harvesting tea in the mountains near the borders with Laos and Myanmar. Li-yan is a young girl who follows her family tradition, but dreams of more. Lisa See has crafted a marvelous story of perseverance, cultural difference, and the enduring bonds of the mother-daughter relationship!
LINK to my full review
Book Concierge wrote: "
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
– Lisa See – 4****
This work of historical fiction focuses on the indigenous Akha people who make their l..."
Sounds good. I've put it on my TBR. Thanks.
I read A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.I enjoyed it somewhat, but I couldn't figure out exactly what she was doing or where she was going with it. Perhaps it just wasn't for me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tamara, I loved your review of A Tale for the Time Being. I liked it a bit better than you, but your review was so thorough that it reminded me why I liked the story so well. Thank you.
You're welcome, Gina. I'm glad you like both the novel and the review. Thanks.
I read Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah, the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. This is the second novel I've read by this author. The novel is about a young boy who is sold as an indentured servant to pay for his father's debts.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Recently finished The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells, a story of siblings trying to move forward after a family tragedy. It portrays the lingering impact of trauma. The characters are so realistic. We follow them through the ups and downs of life, successes and failures, a few spots of happiness and lots of sadness. I became absorbed in this novel and found it easy to empathize with the characters. It is a quiet and reflective novel, and extremely well written. 4.5*
My Full Review
Tamara wrote: "I read A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.I enjoyed it somewhat, but I couldn't figure out exactly what she was doing or where she was going with it. Perhaps it ..."
I also enjoyed your review, but absolutely loved the book, and felt that it all came together: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist; translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnelly. A great historical novel based on true events in Denmark in the late 1760s. It features a mad king; his German physician who tries to implement reforms in the corrupt Danish court; a young queen; and a religious zealot. It is very well researched and thoroughly engaging.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tamara wrote: "I read The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist; translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnelly. A great historical novel based on true events in Denmark in the..."
Sounds right up my alley. I'm adding it. Thanks!
My reading has been all over the place recently with books started and never finished, and now a long period of not reading anything. But now I have read Claire Keegan's short story collection Walk the Blue Fields. Utterly marvelous 4* read. Great way to get back to reading. My Review
Sheila, odd thing, when I clicked on your My Review link it took me to my review of the book not your review. I tried it more than once in case I did something wrong then just looked up your review at the book.
I read The Gardens of Consolation by Parisa Reza; translated from the French by Adriana Hunter. It takes place in Iran at the beginning of the 20th century through to the mid-century. The first sections depict the tender love story between Talla and Sardar; the remaining sections focus on their son and the political upheavals in Iran.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Back from my niece's wedding and trying to catch up ...Across the River and into the Trees – Ernest Hemingway – 3***
I’ve been a fan of Hemingway’s since I first read The Old Man and the Sea when I was about thirteen. This isn’t his best-known work, and I read it only to fulfill a challenge to read a book that was a bestseller the year I was born. Still, there is something about his writing that captures my attention. The short declarative sentences make the work immediate and bring this reader right into the story. But the older I get the more I’m disturbed by the way the women are portrayed … or more accurately, but the way Hemmingway writes the male/female relationships. Well, it fulfilled several reading challenges.
LINK to my full review
The Edge of the Earth – Christina Schwarz – 4****The book jacket synopsis hints at danger in a remote location, not just from the elements but an unexpected presence hiding in the wilderness. But this is so much more than a thriller based on isolation and the fear of the unknown. Trudy is a wonderful character, but the character that most surprised me was Euphemia (Mrs. Crawley). While I saw the critical scene coming a mile off, I still enjoyed reading it and seeing how Schwarz would craft this denouement.
LINK to my full review
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong – 3.5***A young Vietnamese man, now living in America, writes a letter to his mother who cannot read. Vuong uses a nonlinear storyline but weaves an intricate tapestry from Vietnam to Connecticut, incorporating his thoughts on war, racism, drugs, love, and culture. The author is a poet and this novel has the ethereal feel of poetry, with some passages so beautiful as to take my breath away, and others so raw with pain as to make me wince, even cringe.
LINK to my full review
Book Concierge wrote: "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong – 3.5***A young Vietnamese man, now living in America, writes a letter to his mother who cannot read. Vuong uses a nonlinear storyline..."
I loved that book!
Infinite Country – Patricia Engle – 4****Engle has crafted a story of immigration and emigration, of oppression and prejudice, of hopes and dreams, and of the bonds of family. The storyline moves back and forth in time from current-day adolescent Talia, to her young parents’ first meeting and falling in love, to their struggles in the USA, and how Talia, a US born citizen, wound up in Columbia with her father rather than in New Jersey with her mother and two siblings. We see the sacrifices made by parents for the sake of their children, but also the hurt and feelings of abandonment suffered by the children separated from a parent.
LINK to my full review
The Devil's Highway – Luis Alberto Urrea – 5*****In May 2001, twenty-six men tried to cross into the USA from Mexico along a stretch of desert known as “The Devil’s Highway.” Only twelve made it out alive. This was a horrifying episode and Urrea’s reporting of it in this book earned a nomination for a Pullitzer. He handles the details of the journey with competing emotions: hope, outrage, compassion, frustration, despair. He is honest about what happened and fair when reporting both the positions of “The 26” and of the Border Patrol agents.
LINK to my full review
BC I can see your Ocean Vuong post on my ipad! Did a setting change or did Goodreads update a fix?
Book Concierge wrote: "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong – 3.5***A young Vietnamese man, now living in America, writes a letter to his mother who cannot read. Vuong uses a nonlinear storyline..."
I've put it on my TBR. Thank you.
I read Barbara Isn't Dying Yet by Alina Bronsky; translated from the German by Tim Mohr. A man in his seventies wakes up one morning to discover his wife of 50 years has become bed-ridden. He has to learn to fend for himself while becoming a care-giver for his wife. It is slap-stick funny in the beginning and then morphs into something quite different.I've read several novels by Alina Bronsky and have enjoyed them all.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Solito – Javier Zamora – 5***** and a ❤This is a memoir of the author’s own harrowing journey from El Salvador to the USA when he was only nine years old. He started out with joy and excitement, anticipating a couple of weeks of adventure ending in a reunion with his parents. But the reality was a months-long feat of endurance, deprivation and courage.
LINK to my full review
American Dirt – Jennine Cummins – 4****Lydia runs a bookstore in Acapulco. When her journalist husband publishes a profile of the head of the local drug cartel, their family is in the crosshairs. Lydia has to flee with her son, and there is no one she can truly trust. This is a gripping story. Lydia is an intelligent woman, but she is not equipped with the street smarts for this journey. Luck and the kindness of a few strangers, plus her basic privilege (as a white, middle-class, educated woman with money in the bank), all serve her well. It was a gripping read, but I have some issues with the book.
LINK to my full review
Time Was Soft There – Jeremy Mercer – 3***Several bad decision derailed Mercer’s journalism career in Canada, so he ran to Paris, where he stumbled upon Shakespeare & Co on a rainy afternoon and wound up being offered a bed in one of the many rooms of this crowded book shop. I found this very entertaining. I loved reading about his adventures scrounging for the cheapest food, picnics with friends along the Seine, the joys of free museums, and the eccentric residents of the shop, not least of which was the owner.
LINK to my full review
The Dictionary of Lost Words – Pip Williams – 3.5***”Some words are more important than others – I learned this, growing up in the Scriptorium. But it took me a long time to understand why.” Esme is a wonderful character, maturing from an innocent child to curious adolescent to determined young woman. And living at a time when the Women’s Suffrage Movement was very active in England, and World War I was looming. I like the way that Williams puts the focus on the “missing women” in history. She’s far from strident, but she is insistent and caused this reader to think about all the missing women is “HIS”tory.
LINK to my full review
After being on hold in the library for several weeks, I finally got a copy of Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. It is based on the life of Tan Yunxian, a female physician who lived during the Ming Dynasty and whose book on Chinese medicine has survived the centuries. Lisa See vividly captures upper class life in 15thC China. Through extensive research, she illuminates a fascinating period in China's history.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here are a few I've finished recently:This one is an homage to the Golden Age of Science Fiction. The writing is stellar, but the storyline is a little convoluted. Definitely an author to watch:
The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar - 3* - My Review
Uplifting story (without being too saccharine) of people making positive changes in their lives through contact with a librarian who recommends books that may help:
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - 4* - My Review
Great book to introduce children to WWII. This is the story of the Danish resistance who helped Jews escape to Sweden:
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - 4* - My Review
An unnamed narrator recalls four people who influenced her life. It will appeal to those who do not need a storyline. I'd read another book by this author:
The Details by Ia Genberg - 3.5* - My Review
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Constant Reader
Books mentioned in this topic
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West (other topics)The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (other topics)
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (other topics)
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (other topics)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa See (other topics)Lisa See (other topics)
Paul Lynch (other topics)
Paul Lynch (other topics)
Lavie Tidhar (other topics)
More...
I've closed the Sept/Oct thread, so please continue your discussions in this thread.