Book Nook Cafe discussion
2024- Book Prompt Challenge
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Michele's 2024 Book Challenge
Michele wrote: "I finished a re-read of The Brothers, The Road to an American Tragedy by Masha Gessen, originally read in 2015. I have learned a lot since then, and I thought this book raised some interesting ques..."No doubt, like most US citizens, i am sad to say i had no idea there were issues with the outcome of this awful event. This is educational, Michele, and i appreciate your thoughts on the book.
Color me surprised that Gessen wrote it, as i thought she only wrote about Russia. I like listening to her, so find this a plus. Her Putin book was informative to me, as i knew nothing about the man up to that point. It's not the sort of biography i prefer but what i learned included a look at Russian outlooks, as well.
Congratulations on completing so many prompts with one book!
I listened to "The Guncle" written and recorded by Steven Rowley. I've discovered that aging has not reduced my cynicism, but it certainly has increased my sentimentality. This was a humorous novel about a gay uncle, Patrick, who is forced to care for his niece and nephew after their mother died and their father went to rehab. Their mother had been Patrick's soul mate in his young adult years, and married his brother, Greg. Patrick is a famous sit-com actor, now on an extended rest, who had found a serious partner, but lost him when their car was hit by a drunk driver. Patrick suffered only minor scrapes, but Joe was killed. Now Patrick refuses to drive a car, and lives in Palm Springs where nobody (much) will bother him. The rest of his family is in Connecticut. I enjoyed the humor, which was gentle and less cringeworthy than many other books of this genre. The kids were mostly believable and charming. A dog was involved, and a threesome of gay neighbors, and so on. Patrick's siblings weighed in, and three months passed very enjoyably for the reader. I did like this book and would give it 4/5 stars. It fulfilled the "gay person" and the "humorous book" prompts.
Michele wrote: "I listened to "The Guncle" written and recorded by Steven Rowley. I've discovered that aging has not reduced my cynicism, but it certainly has increased my sentimentality. This was a humorous novel..."I enjoyed the audio a lot. He has a new book coming out May 21st.
The Guncle AbroadI also read The Celebrants which I didn't enjoy as much.
Michele wrote: "I listened to "The Guncle" written and recorded by Steven Rowley. I've discovered that aging has not reduced my cynicism, but it certainly has increased my sentimentality. This was a humorous novel..."Nice prompt completions, Michele. I remember folks here talking about this book. Good to know a cynic would like it, too.
The Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara SwisherPrompts: *Biog, autobiographical or memoir, *Business, etc, *Published in 2024. * Incidentally also about a gay character.
Super smart, funny and insightful book about Kara's reportage on the tech bros of Silicon Valley--by name and foible. Ask me about the Star Wars vs the Star Trek view of tech. Lots about people you know well, and lots about the fascinating life and career of Kara Swisher. Will also scare you silly. 4.5/5
Michele wrote: "The Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara SwisherPrompts: *Biog, autobiographical or memoir, *Business, etc, *Published in 2024. * Incidentally also about a gay character.
Super smart, funny and ..."
Good job on the prompts, Michele.
Michele wrote: "The Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara SwisherPrompts: *Biog, autobiographical or memoir, *Business, etc, *Published in 2024. * Incidentally also about a gay character.
Super smart, funny and ..."
Well done, Michele! A Four-fer!
I like the way you keep you "books", so to speak. Listing the books which have, for example, lawyers or gay characters or that are a mystery. How many of my prompts have been filled with mystery titles would be informative, both to myself but also for others to see. Good idea.
I finished listening to November 1942: An Intimate History of the Turning Point of WWII by Peter Englund, translated from Swedish, Audible format. It is what the author calls a historiography, that is the same moment in time as seen from different places and through the eyes of many different people who played a large or small part in events of the day. It was constructed by using memoirs, letters, diaries and reports made by ordinary folks as well as luminaries like Alfred Camus and the stars of the movie "Casablanca." At the beginning of that month, says the author, most folks thought Germany would win the war. By the end of November, the sentiment was beginning to change. Events covered include the landing of Marines on Guadalcanal, the North African campaign, the life of a child in Singapore and a Long Island housewife, the participants in the Manhattan project who are the first to produce a chain reaction---and also make its, the battle of Stalingrad, and so much more.It differed from Victor Klemperer's "I Shall Bear Witness ," ( WWII as seen by an ordinary German man in late middle age, just trying to get by day-to-day. That was an art film, while November 1942 was a series of snapshots and short subjects moving rapidly from one person's experience to another's. Both were fascinating. I give this one 4+ stars/5. Obviously it was history, memoir, and about a War. I believe it was published in 2024.
This sounds interesting and i like the term "historiography". I'm not familiar with Peter Englund's work but November 1942: An Intimate History of the Turning Point of the Second World War appeals to me.While not nearly as vast, i like other WWII collections of writing from specific sites. Years ago i read a collection of diaries written within the Warsaw Ghetto. It gave readers a cross-section of experiences within the same time frame. Sadly, i've forgotten the title but was moved and inspired by it.
Thanks for the comments, Michele. I've added it to my TBR.
Michele wrote: "I finished listening to November 1942: An Intimate History of the Turning Point of WWII by Peter Englund, translated from Swedish, Audible format. It is what the author calls a historiography, that..."I enjoyed your informative review, Michele. Thank you !
madrano wrote: "This sounds interesting and i like the term "historiography". I'm not familiar with Peter Englund's work but [book:November 1942: An Intimate History of the Turning Point of the Sec..."The author's prologue explained that he made up the word, which he thought would become a new form of doing history, and I think there's a place for it. I became interested in each character, and also learned new things about WWII. I hope you like it!
Thank you, Michele.
I finished Servants of the Damned today. It is subtitled Giant Law Firms, Donald Trump and the Corruption of Justice, and was written by investigative reporter David Enrich. I think the moral of the story is that this latest period of greedy excess which began around 1980's with Ronald Reagan and Gordon Gekko and reached its apotheosis in 2016 with the election of Donald Trump, the gold-plated and least classy convicted fraudster and sex offender on earth. It seems that half the population is determined to fleece the other half. Get me out of here, Quick. This was an easy and interesting read, in part because I had heard the stories before. I was hoping for a little more detail, especially about the managing partners at Jones-Day, who play the title roles.
The book was about the law and could also fit in the category of business, politics/social science/ and I would feel comfortable putting it in the Dystopian category as well. I think it's worth 3 stars at least, depending on what you already know about Walmart and opioids, J&J and talcum powder, the Texas Two-Step. and political corruption.
Michele wrote: "I finished Servants of the Damned today. It is subtitled Giant Law Firms, Donald Trump and the Corruption of Justice, and was written by investigative reporter David Enrich. I think the moral of th..."Servants of the Damned: Giant Law Firms, Donald Trump, and the Corruption of Justice by David Enrich Sounds interesting, Michele. Thanks for the title.
Michele wrote: "I finished Servants of the Damned today. It is subtitled Giant Law Firms, Donald Trump and the Corruption of Justice, and was written by investigative reporter David Enrich. I think the moral of th..."I seriously have mostly removed myself from reading about these topics, as they only lead me to brooding anger. However, i need a book on "law" for a prompt and much of what you've mentioned is new to me, as a result of my own removal. Thank you for the comments & thoughts, Michele. I may just add this to my prompt list.
Read two more books: Diana, William and Harry by James Patterson. About the family minus Charles and how they interacted, what they all went through in the 90's, giving a less hysterical account that one can find today.
3/5. This is bio/memoirs
The Fraud by Zadie Smith. Two books in one. I liked the satire of Victorian England and humanity in any age, but thought the change of setting from England in 1880's to a Caribbean sugar plantation several decades earlier was a jolt and took away from the book I thought I was reading till then. 3/5. This is historical fiction, written by a BIPOC author and with BIPOC character, and described a crime.
Michele wrote: "Read two more books: Diana, William and Harry by James Patterson. About the family minus Charles and how they interacted, what they all went through in the 90's, giving a less hysterical account that one can find today..."
Isn't that sad? All these years later & the same issues arise again. Still, i wonder why Patterson felt he could offer more that the other authors couldn't. It feels exploitative that he wrote this, in some way. There's probably much i don't know about the relationship he felt, which needed exploring but it kinda creeps me out.
Then again, it sounds as though he spoke as a human, rather than a member of the paparazzi. Thanks for sharing your comments, Michele. They've given me pause.
I just finished a quick re-read of Ben Lerner's 10:04, which I had read and reviewed in 2014. It's about a sort of weak-willed, anxious poet turned novelist whose first critical success enables him to get a hefty advance for a second novel, which he is working on mentally as the book proceeds. I didn't think I understood it all the first time, and not sure I got it all this time either, but I saw more of what he was trying to do, so I'll count that as progress. I have not put it in my 2024 challenge because IMHO, it involves magical realism and some ideas I think of as spiritual, but it touches every aspect of modern life, so it could be anything from a romance novel to aa book involving doctors, artists, New York City, death, life, birth and friendship. I mention it because I liked it better this time and it's a unicorn, in my experience. One of a kind. 4 stars.
Michele wrote: "I just finished a quick re-read of Ben Lerner's 10:04, which I had read and reviewed in 2014. It's about a sort of weak-willed, anxious poet turned novelist whose first critical success enables him..."I admire you for trying to re-read a book that was hard to grasp the first time.
10:04 by Ben Lerner
Thanks for always being willing to engage!! I have been writing to nobody for most of the time I've been on GR, so it's a jolt to find somebody reading my reviews!! I love it. I was actually nervous to read my first review of 10:04, --maybe I was really off base and would embarrass myself. Well I was a little off base, but I found I could stand it. I did find a little more meaning this time, so I count that as progress. Do you write reviews? How would a find the reviews of a particular person? Does anybody else follow reviewers? I think I would like to do that.
I think if you "Friend" a person, their reviews will appear first. That is how I saw your review, Michele. Just click on a person name in their post. You will then see the box that says Friends.I enjoy reading everyone's reviews. Thanks for sharing.
Michele wrote: "I just finished a quick re-read of Ben Lerner's 10:04, which I had read and reviewed in 2014. It's about a sort of weak-willed, anxious poet turned novelist whose first critical success enables him..."What a trooper you are as a reader, Michele. Thank you for sharing this rereading experience with us. Personally, it reminds me that i have the right to reread and re-think books i've read previously.
Michele wrote: "Do you write reviews? How would a find the reviews of a particular person? Does anybody else follow reviewers? I think I would like to do that..."Good question. I didn't realize the answer Alias gave you was true. This explains why i get some people's review at the top of the book's reviews but do not see others. Thanks for the question.
And, Alias, thanks for the answer.
madrano wrote: What a trooper you are as a reader, Michele. Thank you for sharing this rereading experience with us. Personally, it reminds me that i have the right to reread and re-think books i've read previously.
."
Reading slowly, taking notes and re-reading is something the Read Well Podcast is always advocating. Of course this applies to certain types of books.
The Read Well Podcast. (podcast and also on YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/@TheReadWellP...
madrano wrote: "Michele wrote: "Do you write reviews? How would a find the reviews of a particular person? Does anybody else follow reviewers? I think I would like to do that..."Good question. I didn't realize t..."
You're welcome. :)
Wish I had more time for this review. I have finally finished Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart Into a Visionary Leader by Brent, Schlender and Rick Tetzell. I love Steve Jobs, and I love Apple. I was ok with PCs through Windows 98, which seemed to work pretty well, but when I upgraded to Windows Millennium, my computer repeatedly crashed, I downloaded annoying, obstructive and useless insecure firewalls. Viruses and holes in programming allowed intrusions and made crashes an almost weekly occurrence. And because there was no autosave feature, I lost everything I had done since the last time I turned on m computer with every crash. The machines themselves felt cheap and sloppy. I switched to Apple. End of all the bad stuff. I will never switch back. So. I am a fan of Steve Jobs. I read articles and books about him like I do about Winston Churchill, another flawed man who is a favorite of mine. I highly recommend this book because it is an effort to explain how Steve Jobs came to be and how he kept growing, developing, learning, bettering himself in every way until the end of his life. I love the philosophy he developed and the skills he put together, learning to see the need, but to advance only as fast as the technology permitted. Every experience he created for himself contributed eventually to his extraordinary success. His decisions in life and in business were sound, though it's often suggested that he contributed to his own death by failing to get treatment for his cancer. This book explains how all that came about and why Bill Gates could never have been Steve Jobs. You will understand this man so much better if you read this book. I rate it 4.5 stars. It can meet the
Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader--Rick Tetzeli Brent Schlender. I didn't realize two books had been written about him but the GR reviews spend a bit of time comparing this & the one written by Walter Isaacson, not long after Jobs died.I appreciate your testimonial about Apple products. My sister-in-law used it in her office at the U of Wa., in the mid-to late 90s & was so in love, she bought stock in it. She had never done that previously. They've been living on that money/stock for the last 10 years, as she battles brain cancer. We have used both & like the Apple better, too, but are not exclusive.
Your comments about the book are good ones, Michele. Thank you for sharing those observations. I wasn't clear it the post was partly eaten by GoodReads or not, as it appeared to be chopped at the end, after your star-rating.
I most appreciate your thoughts about reading bios of flawed people. It's terrific when we can keep our perceptions of them somewhat balanced. Again, thank you.
RE: Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent SchlenderMichele wrote: "Wish I had more time for this review. I have finally finished Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart Into a Visionary Leader by Brent, Schlender and Rick Tetzell. I love Steve Job..."
Thanks for the title, Michele. I do enjoy bios. This one seems a bit more reasonable in size then Steve Jobs--Walter Isaacson
I finished The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, about the atmosphere in the US just prior to the incident at Fort Sumter that started the shooting part of the Civil War. The book is well-researched, well-written, and I learned a lot. Still, I have rather big criticism. Larson concluded that Lincoln's failure to understand the South was a primary cause of the war without demonstrating the truth of that statement or how he arrived at it. He was more detailed discussing Buchanan's inaction, but left Lincoln a big empty space. The parallels with present issues are clear, and I hope we are able to handle the situation without war. 4 stars.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik LarsonMichele wrote: "I finished The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, about the atmosphere in the US just prior to the incident at Fort Sumter that started the shooting part of the Civil War.
The book is well-researche..."
I'm happy to see you liked the book with some reservations and gave it 4/5 stars. I have a library hold on it. I always enjoy his books.
Michele wrote: "I finished The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, about the atmosphere in the US just prior to the incident at Fort Sumter that started the shooting part of the Civil War. The book is well-researche..."
Michele, i fully agree with you. As you may be aware, i have been reading bios of Presidents in order, as lifetime goal, so have completed Lincoln and his three predecessors. Each of those men had only one-term in office, primarily due to the looming slavery issue. During the administrations of Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan, compromises were tried and left half the nation dissatisfied. Lincoln had to know what he was getting into by making the statements he did. More likely, no on realized how quickly things would occur.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Larson's book. We've read complaints about it but, thus far, this seems to be the only major one. And it is vital in understanding the reactions to Lincoln's election.
Still, i am sure the book is worth reading, as this author does research the eras well.
Enjoyed your comment. The criticisms I saw in the GR reviews were weird. Several said they put the book down when Larson compared the drama of counting electoral votes in 1860-1 with Jan 6 in 2020. The South was delusional and clearly mistaken about their power when compared to the North. I see the similarities between then and now as important to understanding why no compromises could be found then or now. At a certain point, logic was no longer a part of the calculations, especially on the southern side of things I was also stopped in my tracks by the difference between the elaborate codes of honor at beginning of the war in Charleston and the savagery that developed as the two sides fought.
Your last comment is even more interesting, Michele, as it's something i hadn't considered. As we travel around the nation, we have run into a couple of battle sites against Native Americans in the west--New Mexico and Colorado are two i recall--which are sometimes referred to as Civil War battles. They are savage and it's often commented that the reason for this was that the soldiers there were distressed at not being part of the "real" Civil War going on in the east.
Michele wrote: "Enjoyed your comment. The criticisms I saw in the GR reviews were weird. Several said they put the book down when Larson compared the drama of counting electoral votes in 1860-1 with Jan 6 in 2020...."Michele, I see the same issue with Holly by Stephen King. The negative reviews focus on the fact that Covid is mentioned and the politics that surrounds that topic in the novel. So they leave a bad review of the book. Which is more a political statement by the reviewer and not really a comment on the book. If anything, those reviews make me more inclined to read the book !
I just finished listening to "Fire Weather; A True Story of Fires from a Hotter World" by John Valliant. The scariest book ever about 21st C fires, which are so much more virulent due to the warming of the earth. So much information, well presented. The thing that will stay with me is that ignoring global warming is the worst crime ever committed by one generation against another. Devastating. 5 stars
Michele wrote: "I just finished listening to "Fire Weather; A True Story of Fires from a Hotter World" by John Valliant. The scariest book ever about 21st C fires, which are so much more virulent due to the warmin..."It does seem like our ignoring of this problem is the very definition of insanity. :(
I just read that the Canadian fires have already begun. In NY, we never saw any results of these fires in past years. That is until last year when our air was yellow and full of smoke. It was horrendous.
This is from the news this week.
Dozens of blazes burning in Canada are sending smoke to the US. Several major fires have forced hundreds of evacuations
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/12/us/wil...
Michele wrote: "I just finished listening to "Fire Weather; A True Story of Fires from a Hotter World" by John Valliant. The scariest book ever about 21st C fires, which are so much more virulent due to the warmin..."This sounds as though it would be very informative. I suppose we've all noticed the rise in fires & their intensity. When we lived in western Oregon, we heard about them but seldom were affected by any. Now, they are under alert several times a summer.
Congrats to you, Michele. And thanks for sharing about this one.
It was frightening. I noticed last summer that they put us of fire alert after about 2 weeks of rain. How bad must things be if they need more rain than that to left restrictions? Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us.
I finally finished the 686-page Night of the Plagues by Orhan Pamuk. It is an epic historical fiction about bubonic plague and its affects on a small, non-existent island in the Mediterranean between Greece and Egypt. It is a province of the Ottoman Empire as the third huge wave of plague hit and the Ottoman Empire was collapsing. It was a fine topic, ie, 1901. It was very much involved with the politics of plague management with echoes of heated disagreement about isolation and the closing of businesses and places of worship. Here Christians v Muslims took the place of R's v. D's . Revolution is involved, a murder mystery is solved, but I was not impressed by the number of pages, and confused by the endless tellings and retellings of the same incidents, around and around to no obvious purpose. The murder mystery solving in the "Sherlock Holmes" method rather than by torturing just anybody till they confess, was an important part of the plot, but like every other plot point was wrapped in riddles and multiple farfetched conspiracy theories, which frustrated me enormously and added 400 pages to the story. It was a 2-star effort for me. Night of the Plagues was historical fiction, based on imaginary characters and places, with the political and moral issues well-defined, but the actual events obscured in endless retellings. The result was IMO an accurate recounting of how people react to plague restrictions, but the embellishment drove me to actually drinking. I don't know if I can say this without being accused of something, but both religiosity and education level were factors in determining life and death. 2 stars. (It's also pretty cheesy in spots, and the murder mystery was a complete bust.)
Re: Nights of Plague: A novel by Orhan PamukI'm sorry you suffered through almost 700 pages, Rachel. I see many of the low ratings on amazon had the same issues as you.
Ugh, where was the editor? I wonder if a writer gets to a certain level, in this case a Pulitzer winner, if there is a hesitancy to tell an author to trim down a novel.
With a book club back in 2006 I read Orhan Pamuk book Snow which I enjoyed.
Good job on the prompt.
Michele wrote: "I finally finished the 686-page Night of the Plagues by Orhan Pamuk. It is an epic historical fiction about bubonic plague and its affects on a small, non-existent island in the Mediterranean betwe..."It's a shame the novel is rife with unnecessary prose because the premise sounds excellent. I'm intrigued by the way communities grapple with plagues, basing decisions on the people, religion and regions. Alas, this one sounds too bloated for comfort.
As Alias suggests, an editor must have acquiesced mightily to the author in allowing it to be published as it was. Pity.
I appreciate the warning and comments, Michele. Better luck with your next novel.
I finished "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride, National Book Award winner for "The Good Lord Bird." This is the third book of his that I have read, and it would rank number three, but I liked it very much and would give it 4 stars. McBride writes about unusual people and places. In this one, it's Pottstown, PA and his characters are black, Jewish, and European Catholic immigrants, and Americans who imagine themselves masters of the universe as well as Mayflower descendants. They are neither, but they have enormous energy and devote it all to amassing money and power at the expense of others.
The time is 1936. The plot revolves around an American-born woman, daughter of Jewish immigrants, who devotes her life to bringing joy and real help to people who are suffering and who uses her grocery store, which never makes a profit, to do it. She is also a bit of an activist who is not afraid to call out the town doctor for his participation in the KKK, for example. Still, she is much admired by her neighbors, the hard-working African Americans on Chicken Hill. There is a mysterious, angry black man , a spiritual being named Malachi, gangsters, an insane asylum mistreating patients, and a plot to help one patient escape.
There are opinions expressed that you may not particularly like, but I think need to hear now and then. This one fits into the Mystery category, but also into the POC prompt, and probably others! I recommend it.
Michele
The Heaven & Earth Grocery StoreJames McBrideMichele wrote: "I finished "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride, National Book Award winner for "The Good Lord Bird." This is the third book of his that I have read, and it would rank number three..."
Nice review, Michele. Good job on another prompt !
I read this one in April and gave it 3/5. A good rating.
The writing is a 4/5
This was my end of month comment----
McBride does have great writing talent. However, I found this 400 page novel to move at a very slow meandering pace. The main issue for me was that there were way to many unnecessary digressions and tangents. There are some memorable characters like Dodo and Monkey pants. I think if the book was edited down to 300 pages it would have been a 4 or 5 star read for me.
Michele wrote: "I finished "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride, National Book Award winner for "The Good Lord Bird." This is the third book of his that I have read, and it would rank number three..."Good review, Michele, as it informs us on how much is going on in the story. McBride wanders as he writes, which can become trying, at times. Still, it seems the "extras" highlight the better parts of the main characters.
Thank you for sharing with us. Well accomplished on the prompt!
I filled the "space/cosmology" prompt today by finishing a most interesting and different book called "Oribital" by Samantha Harvey, experienced author and winner of prizes. It is delightfully knowledgeable about space travel due to her deep research with NASA. It is sometimes disconcerting, often reassuring, and in the end feels like a meditation exercise. It left me relaxed and serene, but I just can't forget the last couple of chapters and the anticipation of a hard landing in the deserts of Kazakstan. Interesting book. She has written one on her year-long battle with insomnia, which I will try to squeeze in somewhere soon. I thought this one was a four-plus star effort.
Re:
Orbital by
Samantha HarveyMichele wrote: "I filled the "space/cosmology" prompt today by finishing a most interesting and different book called "Oribital" by Samantha Harvey, experienced author and winner of prizes. It is delightfully know..."
This is a new to me book and author. Thanks for the intro.
Well done on the prompt !
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Yes. A lot of on air personalities have come out against her hire. On The View they said viewers should call and let the network know. Also Morning Joe had a big segment on it and also called out the network for the hire.