What I'm Reading - Jan/Feb 2024

[Connie]

Mary wrote: "Connie, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY made me laugh out loud several times."


Thanks! I read last year or otherwise would dig in!

[Mary Anne]

Connie wrote: "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..."

Connie, I can relate! Navigating the "sadness waters" in today's fiction is tricky at best. And Mary, I have to disagree about Lessons in Chemistry: Not only was there sadness, but the misogyny overwhelmed any humor, in my opinion. This could be one of those questions where we all have differing opinions. Here are a few suggestions of mine:

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
Deacon King Kong by James McBride

This is an ongoing effort for me, so I will keep you posted if any additional titles reveal themselves.

[Georgia]

Connie, The Eye of Love by Margery Sharp got me out of a similar slump. Another is Room With a View by E. M. Forster. Good luck!

[Tamara]

Connie, one of the funniest books I've ever read is Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, published in 1889. I've read it umpteen zillion times and I laugh out loud every time. It is hilarious.

I grew up in England with a tributary of the River Thames at the end of our garden and have been to many of the places they visit. So I can relate. The humor is very understated British, which may not appeal to everyone. I gave a copy to an American friend, and he failed to see the humor. But I love it and pick it up any time I need a good laugh. Give it a try. You might enjoy it.

[Gina]

Mary Anne wrote: "Connie wrote: "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 Vi..."

I loved These Precious Days and Deacon King Kong. In fact, I think Deacon King Kong might be my favorite book in the past few years.

[Shirley]

I’m putting Deacon King Kong on my already overflowing list. Thanks.

[Ruth]

Tamara wrote: "Connie, one of the funniest books I've ever read is Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, published in 1889. I've read it umpteen zillion times and I laugh out loud eve..."

My husband had a copy of that book. But it’s in Norwegian, and my grasp of the language isn’t good enough to read it. Maybe I should rustle up an English copy. 😂

[Tamara]

Go for it, Ruth!

[Kat]

Not sure if you want only recent novels? Among somewhat older (but not classic) work I love David Lodge's comic novels.

[Ruth]

Connie, if you laugh at sarcasm and smartass remarks, you’ll like Nora Ephron’s Heartburn. I’ve been listening to the audiobook while doing my boring exercises.

[Lynn]

Kat wrote: "Not sure if you want only recent novels? Among somewhat older (but not classic) work I love David Lodge's comic novels."

I love David Lodge's books. Because I was a college professor for 20 years before I retired, I'm particularly fond of his "campus" novels, especially Changing Places.

[Book Concierge]

Everything That Rises Must Converge –Flannery O’Connor – 3.5***
This collection of short stories was published posthumously, after O’Connor died at age 39 from complications of lupus. I like Southern literature, and particularly Southern Gothic literature. The dark themes explored in such works intrigue and interest me. O’Connor excelled at this. While her characters may be blind to their (and others’) faults, the author gives the reader a clear view.
LINK to my full review

[Book Concierge]

Elinor Lipman's books might fit the bill for you, Connie.

I loved Rachel to the Rescue which I found quite entertaining.

And The View from Penthouse B was delightful.

[Tamara]

I was on hold for several weeks but finally got a copy of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. To retell the story, David Grann combed through manuscripts, archival materials, logbooks, naval records, and journals. He even visited Wager Island to get a feel for the place where the crew was stranded. I thought he did a great job.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I also just finished re-reading a classic, The Plague by Albert Camus, translated by Stuart Gilbert. It is as relevant and as powerful today as it was when it first came out in 1947.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kat]

I'm a big fan of Brideshead Revisited, mentioned above--have read it multiple times. The series based on it was also fantastic. I also like Flannery O'Connor's stories and novellas, also her letters.

[Gina]

I read Unfamiliar Fishes. It's about how missionaries took over Hawaii with the queens and kings of the Hawaiian islands, outlawing whatever they could, and then how their ancestors stole the kingdom. This was a fairly interesting history of Hawaii and how America spoilt it.

[Katy]

Lynn wrote: "Kat wrote: "Not sure if you want only recent novels? Among somewhat older (but not classic) work I love David Lodge's comic novels."

I love David Lodge's books. Because I was a college professor f..."

Changing Places is hysterical! I read it so long ago yet it is one of the books I could not part with when we moved to our Life Plan community. David Lodge is just wonderful.

[Book Concierge]

Velvet Was the Night – Silvia Moreno-Garcia – 4****
This is the third book by Moreno-Garcia that I’ve read and by far my favorite. In this work she does NOT include paranormal, horror, or magical realism elements. Rather she writes a wonderful noir crime novel based on historical events in Mexico, with interesting characters, multiple twists and turns in the plot and an unlikely partnership that I’d love to see again.
LINK to my full review

[Tamara]

I read A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power about three generations of Dakota women. In the first three sections, the women are young girls speaking in first-person voices about the traumas they experienced. Each girl has a doll who communicates with her. The final section consists of the dolls speaking to an adult. I enjoyed the first three sections, but the final section didn't work for me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Kat]

I finished Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan. It was one of those rare books that recalled to me the pleasure I took in reading as a child. I found it engrossing and loved spending time with these characters. Still, when I finished it I wondered what it had been about, thematically speaking. Maybe I missed something.

[Book Concierge]

Push – Sapphire – 5*****
Precious Jones is a young pregnant black teenager, who is functionally illiterate and the product of an abusive home. But Precious has a fierce determination to care for the baby growing inside her and to better her life. The issues raised are horrific and difficult to read about and process. Brava to Sapphire for highlighting the plight of young people such as her protagonist. The writing is raw and brutal; the story is gripping and inspiring. My heart broke for Precious, even as I cheered her on.
LINK to my full review

[Ann D]

Kat,
I gave Manhattan Beach 5 stars when I read it 6 years ago. That's too long ago for me to comment on any themes, but I know I found it to be a very good read.

Also, I second your recommendation of David Lodge's books. I always found them well written and very entertaining.

Finally, I want to mention how much I liked The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan . This was another 5 star book for me. Thanks, Barb. I wouldn't have discovered this book without you.

[BurgendyA]

The last book I finish reading was a play called Butterflies are Free by Leonard Gershe. Enjoyed it so much and found it beautiful & heart-touching.

Now I am currently reading Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton it's part of the Anita Blake series. I decided to read it since it has been awhile since I've got back to the series and to read remove it from my reading list.

Also reading The Teacher by Frieda McFadden. I recently joined a reading club. So I decided to join it. Glad I did because I got a free kindle edition from the book club. I am really in to psychological thrillers/mysteries.

[Lynn]

I've finally found a new book that has thoroughly caught my attention - The Librarianist. It has a cast of very quirky characters that are all part of the life story of Bob, a retired male librarian (who reminds me a bit of Alan Crocker, for those who knew him). The plot starts with an accidental encounter that leads to Bob volunteering at a senior living center, then uses flashbacks to build the story of his life. It's drawn me in completely and I can't wait to find out the rest of how Bob got to be where he is in current time.

[Barbara]

BurgendyA and Lynn, you have both added books to my towering TBR list!

[BurgendyA]

Barbara wrote: "BurgendyA and Lynn, you have both added books to my towering TBR list!"

That often happens to me too. Especially in Goodreads whenever someone mentions an interesting book.

[Book Concierge]

Ursula, Under – Ingrid Hill – 3***
I don’t remember why I put this on my TBR list, though I suspect it was a recommendation from my local indie bookseller back in 2004. Having finally read it, I wonder why I kept it on the list for so long. Hill does have some strikingly original and beautifully written passages in the book. And those fed my love of literary fiction and kept me turning pages, hoping for more of this. But it was a slog to get through. It took me over a month to finish it, because I kept putting it aside for other books that required less brain power to enjoy.
LINK to my full review

[Book Concierge]

Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus – 4.5**** (rounded up)
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, but in 1960s America her intellect is not valued, which is how she winds up hosting a TV cooking show. This is basically a fairytale, with many improbable coincidences and a strong heroine. I loved it. Now, excuse me while I sharpen my pencils.
LINK to my full review

[Kat]

I finished The Book of Salt, which I absolutely loved. It's narrated by the Vietnamese chef who cooks for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in Paris. It's about language, colonialism (without ever sounding didactic), sexual longing, and being far from home. I highly recommend it!

[Kat]

Also still ploughing through The Pilgrim's Progress and Romola. I've decided that as long as I'm working on these rewarding but demanding classics I'm going to keep my third book light. Right now I'm reading the first book in the Caxley Chronicles, called The Market Square. Such a breeze! Then I'll try Lessons in Chemistry, which has been recommended to me multiple times.

[Tamara]

I read The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami, translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell. A quirky novel about a young woman working in a thrift shop. I just didn't get the why or wherefore of this novel and much preferred her other novel, Strange Weather in Tokyo, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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

[Rachel]

Tamara wrote: "I read the 2021 Booker Prize winner, The Promise by Damon Galgut. Set in South Africa, it is a powerful novel about an Afrikaner family and an unfulfilled promise. I ..."

The Promise sounds wonderful and thankfully my library has it so I am going to read it.

[Rachel]

Still Life

I finished this book today and absolutely adored it. It found a way into my heart.

Hard by a Great Forest

This book I just started. The author was interview on NPR a few weeks ago and I am enjoying it very much so far.

[Book Concierge]

Feelings: A Story in Seasons – Manjit Thapp – 4****
What a lovely and remarkable graphic novel! Thapp explores one young woman’s feelings over the course of a year, from the highs of a sunny summer day to the doldrums of a gray winter. The artwork is beautiful and evocative. The text is spare and poetic.
LINK to my full review

[Maureen]

The Women by Kristin Hannah
A compelling story of the brave and heroic nurses who served in Vietnam and never received recognition for what they did.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

Maureen wrote: "The Women by Kristin Hannah
A compelling story of the brave and heroic nurses who served in Vietnam and never received recognition for what they did.
https://www.goo..."

Thanks for your review, Maureen. I just put it on hold.

[Lynn]

I've opened a new thread for March and April, so this thread is closed to new posts. Please continue your discussions in the new thread.