Constant Reader discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Constant Reader
>
What I'm Reading - Jan/Feb 2024
Just catching up on this thread. For some reason I always get booted off, even though I look anxiously through my email for posts to make sure I stay on. And then sometimes it takes me awhile to rejoin.I'm reading a couple classics very slowly, and also two contemporary novels which I'm loving. The Book of Salt is narrated by the Vietnamese cook who works for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in Paris. I love it! The prose is beautiful, the themes are potent and thought-provoking, and there's just a general sense of freshness and originality about it I can't describe. I'm also loving Jennifer Egan's Manhattan Beach, which is a historical novel set during WWII. It really draws me in and makes me want to keep reading.
I recently finished The Greenhouse by Icelandic author, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (I read the English translation). It is a character-driven novel that places the reader into the mind of a young man who is anxious about his mother’s recent death, and bewildered by his new status as a father. He hopes to gain a sense of purpose through helping restore a monastery’s renowned rose garden to its former glory. It focuses on a journey toward greater meaning, personal growth, and development. I would call this book a "hidden gem." There is a beauty in the simplicity of its theme and writing style. I think it would appeal to a wide audience if they had ever heard of it, which is one of the pleasures of reading translated literature.
Joy D wrote: "I recently finished The Greenhouse by Icelandic author, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (I read the English translation). It is a character-driven novel that places the reade..."Joy, I've read all the English translations of Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir's novels I can find because I really enjoy the subtle and understated quality of her writing. I liked The Greenhouse, but I think Hotel Silence and Animal Life were stronger. I recommend both if you haven't read them.
I too liked Animal Life very much, its one of the most memorable book on my read list.
Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter – Kate Clifford Larson – 4****Intent on building a political dynasty, Joe and Rose Kennedy insisted on keeping their oldest daughter’s intellectual and developmental delays a secret from all but a few close friends. Larson does a fine job of detailing Rosemary’s life, and that of the Kennedy family. Their ups, downs, successes and tragedies have been chronicled frequently, but little has been known about Rosemary.
LINK to my full review
Book Concierge wrote: "Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter – Kate Clifford Larson – 4****Intent on building a political dynasty, Joe and Rose Kennedy insisted on keeping their oldest daughter’s intelle..."
I read this when it first came out. I was horrified by the story. But not impressed with the quality of the writing. My review https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Historical fiction about WWII in France. It is a best seller, but I'm not as enthused about her books as others seem to be.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tamara wrote: "Joy, I've read all the English translations of Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir's novels I can find because I really enjoy the subtle and understated quality of her writing. I liked The Greenhouse, but I think Hotel Silence and Animal Life were stronger. I recommend both if you haven't read them..."Thanks for the recommendations, Tamara. I will check them out!
The only one I’ve read so far is Hotel Silence. I thought that was really good and different.
Lyn wrote: "Reading My Cousin Rachel for a local book group. It's absorbing so far."I loved that book when I was a teenager.
I like the sound of that Icelandic author. Words like understated and subtle always draw me in. I've put one of the novels on my Want to Read list.
Bombay Time – Thirty Umrigar – 4****Umrigar’s debut novel focuses on the residents of a particular middle-class apartment building in Bombay. Umrigar’s writing is full of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this vibrant community. Several scenes are shockingly brutal – abject poverty, violence, pestilence. And then there are scenes of loving tenderness – a new baby, a man’s love for his wife, the devotion between a mother and daughter.
LINK to my full review
I read Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World by the religious scholar, Karen Armstrong. Garnering concepts from world religions, especially the Eastern traditions, she argued we have to re-envision nature as a spiritual entity as our ancestors had once done if we want to restore our damaged planet. It's a short, quick read. I thought it was good, but I would have liked the discussion to be more in-depth.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am currently reading The Oceans and the Stars by Mark Helprin. It is a “life interrupter,” a term used by gail singer gross, a former constant reader many years ago to describe a book so compelling that you gave up your normal routine just to continue reading.
THE OCEANS AND THE STARS - It’s on my TBR list. I’ll have to bump it up a notch or two.
I read A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews.The is the third novel I've read by Miriam Toews, and I've loved all of them. She always has quirky characters and paints them with a delightful and tender paintbrush.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'v'e put The Oceans and the Stars on my TBR. It looks really good and I'm in the mood for a "life interrupter."Thanks for the recommendation.
Tamara wrote: "I read A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews.The is the third novel I've read by Miriam Toews, and I've loved all of them. She always has quirky characters and paints ..."
I loved All My Puny Sorrows.
I read a Japanese classic published in 1906, Kusamakura by Natsume Sōseki; translated from the Japanese by Meredith McKinney.An unnamed artist embarks on a walking trip across mountains to stay at a hot spring inn in the remote mountain village of Nakoi. His goal is to cultivate an uninvolved aesthetic response to what he sees and hears. He meditates on art, poetry, and life.
A novel to be read slowly and savored. I enjoyed it.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner. It's the first novel I've read by Wallace Stegner, but it won't be the last. I thought it was wonderful. I loved the narrator's voice.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Oh, I would love to be just beginning with Stegner! Don't miss Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. Constant Reader introduced me to both.
Barbara wrote: "Oh, I would love to be just beginning with Stegner! Don't miss Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. Constant Reader introduced me to both."I read one of those books, can't remember which, and thought highly of it. Now I'm wondering why I didn't go on with Stegner. So many books, so little time.
Barbara wrote: "Oh, I would love to be just beginning with Stegner! Don't miss Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. Constant Reader introduced me to both."I've put both on my TBR. Thanks.
Small Things Like These – Claire Keegan – 5*****Gosh but Keegan packs a lot into a small volume! There is not a wasted word or extraneous thought. Furlong’s inner struggle is evident in the way he behaves and the things he thinks about as he walks the streets of town on a snowy evening. When he makes his decision, he acts on it, deliberately, quietly, resolutely. He is confident he is in the right, and that gives him some comfort despite the possible (probable) consequences.
LINK to my full review
Tamara, I have read 4 of Stegner’s books. I have become a big fan. My favorite of the 4 I’ve read is CROSSING TO SAFETY.
Thanks, Mary. I've got it on my TBR and will bump it up. Best of all, my library has a copy.
Sometimes we just need an escape ...A Curious Beginning – Deanna Raybourn – 4****
Book number one in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series, set in Victorian England. Veronica is quite the heroine! An independent woman with a healthy appetite (and attitude) regarding her own “physical needs” and a no-nonsense approach to solving problems. Veronica doesn’t need much but her wits, her butterfly net, and a sharp hatpin, but she forms a partnership with the enigmatic “Stoker.” I look forward to more books in the series to see how their relationship fares.
LINK to my full review
Book Concierge wrote: "Sometimes we just need an escape ...A Curious Beginning – Deanna Raybourn – 4****
Book number one in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series, set in Victorian England. Veronica is q..."
That sounds like it would be right up my alley for escapist reading, BC! It's even available in my WI library, when I get up there this summer.
A Curious Beginning sounds like a great one for my audiobook listening and my library's Libby has it. Thanks, BC!
You've heard of writer's block. I seem to have reader's block, if there is such a thing. For almost 2 years, I have had trouble concentrating on my reading. It could be a health condition, it could be a result of medications, it could be related to excess stress. At the moment when I am ready to start reading, my eyes start to droop, and I get a sudden urge to sleep.Some books are worse than others. I've been struggling through Zadie Smith's The Fraud, having the hardest time understanding the plot. At about p. 120, I went to the NY Times for enlightenment, got a little, but still couldn't go much further. On the other hand, I'm having no trouble with Alice McDermott's The Ninth Hour. This is all very unusual for me. Is it time to throw in the towel? If you have any remedies to suggest, please let me know.
Mary Anne wrote: "You've heard of writer's block. I seem to have reader's block, if there is such a thing. For almost 2 years, I have had trouble concentrating on my reading. It could be a health condition, it could..."I've suffered from reader's block (off and on) for years. I think mine is mostly stress related. It might help to try audiobooks, which don't require the same level of decoding, if your focus is good enough--mine isn't and never has been. Also, when we're reading literary novels, sometimes there is simply some work involved, usually with enough payoff to make it worthwhile to do that work. But when my stress levels are higher I feel less like working! I guess that's what escapist reading is for, but I have to admit when I want escape I'm more likely to stream something.
Mary Anne,I'm a fan of Zadie Smith but I had trouble tracking her The Fraud book too.
When I need a break from literary fiction, I read mysteries or popular fiction. Today I finished a book for my in-person book club, The Nature of Fragile Things Susan Meissner that might appeal to you. There is nothing "literary" about it, but the characters and plot are well-done. I had a hard time putting it down, and it allowed me to escape from everything I "should" be doing.
The plot begins in 1905 as a mail-order bride tale involving a young Irish immigrant who answers a want ad from a handsome San Franciscan looking for a wife and a stepmother for his 5 year old daughter. She is anxious to escape her New York tenement and readily agrees to marry him.
From this point on, the plot deviates from the reader's expectations. All is not what it seems with the husband, but the new wife can't figure out what is going on. There are lots of surprises and revelations. The terrible San Francisco earthquake of 1906 plays a major role in the story.
All in all, it was a good read. I liked the historical setting too.
Ann D wrote: " Today I finished a book for my in-person book club, The Nature of Fragile Things Susan Meissner ..."That sounds interesting to me, Ann. I've added it to my TBR (which is growing much faster than I will ever be able to keep up with).
I have experienced reader’s block. My only remedy was not to fret too much, not feel obliged to finish a piece, read small things to have more of a chance of finishing, slowly it will come back usually when you and the story are both ready and right for each other.
I just read American Girls: One Woman's Journey into the Islamic State and Her Sister's Fight to Bring Her Home. I thought the story was powerful, heartbreaking, and terrifying. All of it goes back to being brought up in an evangelically depraved home. I would have given this a five but there were too many repetitions in the book, but I still was captivated by the story.
Sheila wrote: "I have experienced reader’s block. My only remedy was not to fret too much, not feel obliged to finish a piece, read small things to have more of a chance of finishing, slowly it will come back usu..."How sensible!
And another delightful diversion ...The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies – Alison Goodman – 4****
Set in Regency England, this is a delightful romp! The Colbrook sisters – Lady Augusta “Gus” and her twin, Lady Julia – are up to any task, it seems. They are intelligent, determined, resourceful and certain of their course. They move from crisis to crisis with a sense of purpose and quick-witted improvisations. I particularly appreciate that Goodman has given us women of a certain age, who would most often be ignored. The book ends on a bit of a cliff-hangar, and I hope Goodman is a fast writer, because I can hardly wait to find out what the sisters get up to in the next episode.
LINK to my full review
BC, I loved The Benevolent Society book too. I listened to a great audiobook production of it. I think there is going to be a sequel too!
I am in the middle of The Benevolent Society... right now and thoroughly enjoying it too. Jane tipped me off to it last summer and I immediately put a hold on the e-book format at both my Iowa and Wisconsin libraries, but it's taken until now to get to the top of the waiting list. Apparently it's very popular, even though I don't recall seeing it mentioned in any of the recommendation lists I saw last year. There aren't that many hard copies in my local library systems either, which is why I went with the e-book.
This sounds like a fun book. I put it on my library list. Thanks for the reviews.
I'm finally starting Tom Lake, while at the same time trudging along on my Kindle in bed at night with The Covenant of Water, which at nearly 50% is becoming more enjoyable for me.
Mary Anne, I’ve had reading issues off and on for the past couple of years. When I feel like I want to try again, I usually try a mystery, my favorite genre. Doesn’t always work, but usually the structure of it pulls me in. Especially if I can find an unread book from a favorite author. Or fiction from a favorite too. But mixed with streaming shows etc.
I just finished Brideshead Revisited. A hard one to get my head around. Depressing yet compelling. I think now I understand. Here's my reviewhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Georgia wrote: "I just finished Brideshead Revisited. A hard one to get my head around. Depressing yet compelling. I think now I understand. Here's my reviewhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"
Loved that. I’ve read it twice.
Ruth wrote: "Georgia wrote: "I just finished Brideshead Revisited. A hard one to get my head around. Depressing yet compelling. I think now I understand. Here's my reviewhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6..."
I'm sure I will read it again, too, Ruth.
It seems I’ve been reading these past two months relatively new books full of melancholia or sadness. Many are for book clubs: There There, Crying in H Mart, The Sentence, and The Violin Conspiracy. I did listen (due to Meryl Streep’s phenomenal performance) of Tom Lake which was very, I guess the word is ‘comforting’ or minimally ‘not sad’. Right now I need a break from sad or heart rendering tales. Would there be any fiction recommendations? I was thinking to perhaps revisit a Rosamunde Pilcher novel, as even the David Sedaris humor books I haven’t read are a bit more serious and dour.Hoping for either humor or an intriguing story with fairly good character development. Thanks in advance!
Connie, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY made me laugh out loud several times.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Constant Reader
Books mentioned in this topic
The Women (other topics)The Women (other topics)
Feelings: A Story in Seasons (other topics)
Hard by a Great Forest (other topics)
Still Life (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kristin Hannah (other topics)Kristin Hannah (other topics)
Damon Galgut (other topics)
Hiromi Kawakami (other topics)
Donal Ryan (other topics)
More...
You're welcome, Gina. Let me know what you think.
Best,
Rachel