What I'm Reading APRIL 2015

[Cateline]

The age a book is read, or film is seen has so much effect on how we take it in. Even though I love the book and film of Rebecca, when I saw it a few months ago, I was irritated with his overbearing attitude, and her docile acceptance of it. That isn't to say I don't understand their feelings and motivations, I just see it through a (lot) more mature eye than when I first read and saw it decades ago.

[Kat]

Book Concierge wrote: " A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – 5*****
This is a modern fable; a story of faith, moral courage, destiny and friendship. Covering the period from..."

I enjoyed OWEN MEANY when I read it some years back. I also enjoyed a couple other Irving novels, and one of them had quite a dramatic impact on me. And yet somehow I never made a point of reading more of his novels. And when many years later I read his novel A Widow for One Year, I got turned off by the obviously autobiographical portrait of a male writer who slept with girls many years his junior, so I haven't gone back. Perfectly valid to write about it, I just don't feel like being the one reading it. But it seems an odd relationship somehow. He seems like an author I might have "married" and didn't. (Do other people think in terms of their relationships with authors?)

[Cateline]

Kat wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – 5*****
This is a modern fable; a story of faith, moral courage, destiny and friendship. C..."

First, great review, B.C.
Secondly, wow, Kat, that wasn't my impression of A Widow for One Year. The story I took away with me was the love story and final reunion of the woman and the younger man. Isn't it funny how we all focus so differently. :)

[Kat]

Cateline wrote: "Kat wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: " A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – 5*****
This is a modern fable; a story of faith, moral courage, destiny and fr..."

It was by no means the only piece of the plot, but it was definitely there, and in fact when I read it I realized it had been there in earlier novels I'd read as well. (Think babysitter.) If that hadn't been the case I might have felt differently about it.

[Cateline]

Ahhh, ok. Widow is the only Irving I've read, so I have no point of reference. :)

[Sue]

I'm thinking I won't try re-reading Rebecca. I should probably retain my early memory.

[Robert]

Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite John Irving. In my mid-twenties, he was my favorite author period, but then he put out a number of disappointing books. He's back on top of his game with his last book.

[Robert]

Re: the du Maurier reference. I'm in the middle of reading a biography of Carol Reed, and it turns out the director of The Third Man was her first serious boyfriend.

[Ruth]

Robert wrote: "Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite John Irving. In my mid-twenties, he was my favorite author period, but then he put out a number of disappointing books. He's back on top of his game with his la..."

Chacun a son gout. I know I'm in the minority here, but Prayer for Owen Meany was what made me resolve to read no more John Irving books.

[Ruth]

My favorite DuMaurier was always Jamaica Inn. Wildly romantic. Just the thing for an uncomfortable 13 year old.

[Kat]

Ruth wrote: "Robert wrote: "Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite John Irving. In my mid-twenties, he was my favorite author period, but then he put out a number of disappointing books. He's back on top of his g..."

Interesting. Do you remember the reason?

[Lyn]

Read a couple of unmemorable books, first All My Puny Sorrows (which might have been a good book for someone who has experienced loving someone who has committed suicide, but I personally didn't relate much to the characters in the book). Next I delved back into the 70s with Braided Lives (took awhile to get involved, then did a bit, but not enough to overwhelmingly recommend it).

[Jean]

I loved Owen Meany. In fact it is among my all time favorite favorite books. I've been meaning to reread it.

Jean

[Donna]

@ Judi, My experiences and thoughts about Rebecca are basically identical to yours.

@Book Concierge, I just read A Prayer for Owen Meany for the first time a few months ago. It wasn't the perfect book for me, but it's one that definitely has sticking power. I love that it has been enjoyed and discussed by me, my daughter, and my two teenage grandsons - book bonding!

[Kat]

Lyn wrote: "Read a couple of unmemorable books, first All My Puny Sorrows (which might have been a good book for someone who has experienced loving someone who has committed suicide, but I pers..."

I gave ALL MY PUNY SORROWS five stars; I loved every page for its blend of comedy and tragedy. But I actually think it's one of the wonderful things about reading, the infinite variety of responses to any given volume.

[Book Concierge]

Donna wrote: "@Book Concierge, I just read A Prayer for Owen Meany for the first time a few months ago. It wasn't the perfect book for me, but it's one that definitely has sticking power. I love that it has been enjoyed and discussed by me, my daughter, and my two teenage grandsons - book bonding! ..."

Love book bonding! What a wonderful way to forge your relationships.

[Nicole]

I woke up really early this morning to finish The Blazing World, which I just could not stop reading. It was amazing. It's hard to even describe how it was amazing, but it was amazing.

I think Kat is reading it right now also; Kat, are you liking it?

[Kat]

I am, but I'm reading it much more slowly than you are! I find it fascinating I only bite off a little at a time.

[Nicole]

I became unstoppably obsessed. Now I feel sort of sad that it's over, actually, though the library does have two other books by this author (I love you, English language collections guy!) so maybe it'll be okay.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I've just started Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell and am enjoying it quite a bit. I love it when life hands me literary synchronicities. I'm still reading The Iliad and lo and behold, the titles of the chapters are quotations from The Iliad. It will be interesting to see how she pulls off connecting the Wild Wild West to Homer.

[Joan]

Finished Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. . The tactic that most people use to preserve peace of mind is to go through life ignoring the fact of death. Gawande’s point, that this is short-sighted and may lead to an unhappy outcome: nursing home admission, intrusive end-of-life treatments, is well taken. Still for those approaching their final years, this is a rather depressing read. It may be of more value to educate families that quality of life supersedes safety and convenience and it may encourage the terminally ill to resist hopeless and painful interventions. An important book, but not an enjoyable one.

[Sue]

Sherry wrote: "I've just started Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell and am enjoying it quite a bit. I love it when life hands me literary synchronicities. I'm still reading The Iliad and ..."

I think I need to start reading her books. How to fit them in? That is the question!

Nicole wrote: "I woke up really early this morning to finish The Blazing World, which I just could not stop reading. It was amazing. It's hard to even describe how it was amazing, but it was amazi..."

Just added this one. Not sure why I didn't before.

[John]

Cateline wrote: "Ahhh, ok. Widow is the only Irving I've read, so I have no point of reference. :)"

The only one I've read is A Son of the Circus, which I really liked, but his fans seem to hate.

[Sue]

John wrote: "Cateline wrote: "Ahhh, ok. Widow is the only Irving I've read, so I have no point of reference. :)"

The only one I've read is A Son of the Circus, which I really liked, but his fans ..."

John, you've piqued my curiosity and I've added this. don't know when I'll get to it but it's on the list now.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Sue wrote: "Sherry wrote: "I've just started Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell and am enjoying it quite a bit. I love it when life hands me literary synchronicities. I'm still reading..."

I love her books, especially A Thread of Grace.

[Ann D]

Sherry,
I'll have to read the new Mary Doria Russell book. My favorite Russes books are her science fiction ones: The Sparrow and Children of God. I almost never read science fiction, but these two really grabbed me. I think it was the complex moral issues the characters struggled with.

[Larry]

I think Russell is incapable of writing a bad book. I read A THREAD OF GRACE ever so slowly, savoring every word.

[Ann D]

I had to resort to skimming on my reread of Rebecca. If you know the ending, it is hard to work up any feeling of suspense. This time around I felt like the author really badly needed an editor - too much of the same feelings going round and round in the unnamed protagonists' head. It made me tired.

Still, reviewing the climax did keep me up at night. I had forgotten the details.

[Larry]

There is a science fiction writer who I really like and who has a blog (on her publisher's site). On this blog she makes it very clear that she detests Russell's two SF books. I guess it's probably the religion in the books. I really liked them both, but I did think that THE SPARROW was the stronger of the two.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Larry wrote: "There is a science fiction writer who I really like and who has a blog (on her publisher's site). On this blog she makes it very clear that she detests Russell's two SF books. I guess it's probably..."

I agree. Although if I had read the second one less than a decade later it might have been a smoother read.

[Gina]

Just finished The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. I really liked Bea, but sometimes Peter got tedious and he was selfish about taking care of the aliens rather than his wife. I don't like science fiction, but I got over that and the plot line was strong. It was a very interesting concept about the Corporation (evil) preparing the planet for the Rich (evil). This was similar to the movie, Elysium, which came out in 2013 and I only went to see because Rush Limbaugh ranted about it. He said Elysium is “a full-fledged anti-capitalist, pro-socialism movie!” Any fair-minded analysis of the Goebbels-esque Elysium must necessarily conclude that the film is the crowning achievement of the Soviet Komsomol." As such, El Rushbo is rightly outraged by Matt Damon’s “B.S.” protestations to the contrary…

[Ruth]

Joan wrote: "Finished Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. . The tactic that most people use to preserve peace of mind is to go through life ignoring the fact of death. Gawande’s ..."

I thought it was very good, didn't find it depressing, but it sure made me glad I have the doctor I have.

[Ann D]

I liked The Book of Strange New Things as well, Gina, although I know what you mean about Peter's defects. It gave me lots to think about.

[Book Concierge]

Joyland by Stephen King – 3***
Say “Stephen King” and most people think horror, but this book gives a nod to the old-fashioned crime novel. It is more than just a “hard case crime” story; it is a ghost story, a coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a serial-killer mystery all rolled into one. I thought the ending was somewhat contrived, but I sure enjoyed the ride.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Larry]

I finished Alex Berenson's Twelve Days, the latest novel in his series about the ex-CIA officer, John Wells. In this book, Wells is trying get to the bottom of what seems to be a plot to implicate Iran in the discovery of some weapons-grade uranium so that the United States would go to war against Iran. A little too much jetting around the globe and some mistakes about the DC area don't really hurt the suspense or Berenson's knowledge of the tradecraft of the intelligence world. What bothered me more was Wells is again becoming almost a superhero. All in all, I still enjoyed it a lot. I especially like the way Berenson handled the issues surrounding nuclear proliferation.

[Larry]

I read John Irving's first seven novels, stopping with A Prayer for Owen Meany. To be honest, I enjoyed all of them, but none so much as The World According to Garp. Just checking the chronology of work now, I am surprised that A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY was published back in 1989. I don't think I read it until the mid-1990s. I think that I may go back to Garp and then read some of Irving's more recent novels.

[Lyn]

With John Irving I fondly remember The Hotel New Hampshire. "Keep passing the open windows."

[Gina]

I took a break from other reading and enjoyed Visions of Paradise by National Geographic Society. They know how to take pictures right, and these layouts tell a story themselves.

[Larry]

I started two books today. One is the new crime novel by Dennis Lehane, World Gone By. He has moved away from his usual Boston environment with this one. It's set in Florida in 1943, with a protagonist who is a consigliere to a crime family. The other is Paul Greenberg's Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food. It deals with the present and future of four fish "that dominate our menus--salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna."

[Book Concierge]

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale – 4****
An expanded story based on the Grimm’s fairy tale of the same name, about a princess who became a goose girl before she could become queen. Hale includes the basic elements of most fairy tales – love, betrayal, wicked enemies, loyal helpers, a little magic, a handsome prince, and a heroine I wanted to see succeed. The audio book was narrated by Cynthia Bishop and a large cast of actors who took on various supplementary roles, resulting in a dynamic and exciting performance.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Ellen]

I just finished The Trick Is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway, which I liked very much despite its sadness. I'm now reading Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You which is also very painful. I did break it up with Spoiled Brats: Stories by Simon Rich, a collection of very funny short stories.

[Robert]

I was just looking over the John Irving I missed, and it turns out there have been two since the last one I had. Last Night in Twisted River was very fine indeed, after a series of novels that preceded it in which I was disappointed. This summer, I'll have to try the next ones to see if he maintained that return to quality (In One Person and Avenue of Mysteries).

[Ann D]

Ellie,
Thank you for your suggestion of Spoiled Brats: Stories. I am always on the look out for funny books. So much of the serious fiction I read is sad.

[Ellen]

Ann wrote: "Ellie,
Thank you for your suggestion of Spoiled Brats: Stories. I am always on the look out for funny books. So much of the serious fiction I read is sad."

It was just what I needed with so many sad books. Really delightful. (I thought)

[Ann D]

I finishedEuphoria by Lily King. It's short and very interesting. It involves a love triangle between 3 anthropologists in 1930's New Guinea. It borrows extensively from the work and histories of Margaret Mead and two of her husbands, but the plot is entirely fictional.

Now I want to read more about Margaret Mead, but my library is sadly lacking. I think I will have to eventually buy Jane Howard's biography Margaret Mead: A Life.

[Book Concierge]

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriraty – 4****
Three women’s lives converge as a result of one man’s secret. I will admit that the multiple points of view did confuse me at first, as the narrative switched from Cecelia to Tess to Rachel. I couldn’t help but consider “what would I do” if I were in the position of any one of these women. And some of their actions and reactions took me by surprise. Caroline Lee does a fine job performing the audio version of the book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[[deleted user]]

A Home at the End of the World

Very glad I read it, unusual story. Many good and wonderful things in the book, but in the end, I didn't feel it hung together. But I admired it, nonetheless.

If you'd like to see comments (no spoilers, I don't think): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[[deleted user]]

Ann wrote: "I finishedEuphoria by Lily King. It's short and very interesting. It involves a love triangle between 3 anthropologists in 1930's New Guinea. It borrows extensively..."

Wasn't there a bit of a flap over Ms. Mead's work within the last few years? I forget what it was, whether it was her methods or some of her conclusions, and then again, it might have just been for the pure joy of tumbling an icon, because we do take joy in our small murders, don't we? I always meant to look into Ms. Mead, and never have. Thanks for the reminders and the suggestions!

[[deleted user]]

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

I'm in love. His narrator speaks with the hypnotic, self-absorbed intimate detail of Updike's protagpnists, and the barely submerged rage at the absurd of Heller's. I'm thrilled. This is why I read.

I'm over-posting. Sorry!

[Kat]

Ellen wrote: "To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

I'm in love. His narrator speaks with the hypnotic, self-absorbed intimate detail of Updike's protagpnists, and the barely submerged rage at the abs..."

I'm very anxious to read this one--I loved his first, and have read the first few pages of this one. But I'm holding off hoping to read it with others in a group.