THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WHY!!
Here's the last 3 books I finished reading:
The Tin Horse: A Novel (fiction, 3 stars)
Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis (nonfiction, 5 stars)
Where'd You Go, Bernadette (fiction, 4 stars)
Our Book Group "All About Animals" is reading two books but I just read "One Good Dog" by Susan Wilson. And, going to read "Merle's Door". Anyone who also wants to discuss these books, please join the group here...
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...
Rick wrote: "Coming close to finishing The Monk 
..."Love those old Gothics. 'The Monk' was my fave along with Melmoth the Wanderer. Wish I had this cover and not my ancient copy:
Mod
..."Love those old Gothics. 'The Monk' was my fave along with Melmoth the Wanderer. Wish I had this cover and not my an..."
I have not read Melmoth yet..will do so for sure!! There is a unique feeling to those old Gothic books..really enjoy them!!
I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing. I read All the Pretty Horses and loved that. So here I am about three quarters through Crossing. I'm looking forward to the third book in the series. McCarthy is a wonderful writer. When I finish the series I'll have to search online about the guy's life. He must have had an interesting childhood and youth. If you like 'realistic' fiction, I highly recommend McCarthy.
Currently I'm reading "The Silhouette" by Thomas William Shaw, a YA Fantasy author who published his debut novel not so long ago. His protagonist, Alan, lost his father, and is on the way of discovering lots of miraculous things while searching for his Dad. Seems like a great read. I've enjoyed it so far.
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and interview I did for a great Blog about our Group and it's evolution!!
http://marciasbooktalk.wordpress.com/
Life of Pi - Book ReviewA triumph of the spirit in man and beast
A young writer has a chance meeting with an elderly man in a coffee shop who promises that the story he is about to tell him will make him believe in God. With pen and paper ready, the writer listens to the fantastic tale of our protagonist, Piscene Patel or Pi as he is called, who may or may not be the old man who is telling the tale. This is never explained. "'Life of Pi' is told from two points of view, the main character Pi in the flashback and Yann Martel himself, who is the "visiting writer".
In the first part, Pi, now an adult reflects on his life and the extraordinary adventure of being lost at sea in a lifeboat for 227 days with a hyena, a zebra, and orangutan, and a large Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker, all in the boat with him. Pi is a good-natured 16 year old boy who does well in school and is religiously inclined to practice or share interest in three religions, Hindu, Muslim and Christian. He has a curious mind. He tells his father, a zoologist in India, that he wants to be baptized as well as obtain a prayer rug so he can pray outside. At the zoo Pi is awakened each morning by the roar of the lions and he learns how humans and animals coexist within the barriers of the place. This particular knowledge proves useful to say the least as the story unfolds.
Pi’s family decides they have had enough of India and they emigrate to Canada, taking all the animals with them on a ship. There is a terrible storm and the ship sinks, leaving Pi as the only human survivor, stranded at sea with the aforementioned animal companions.
The second part of the novel from page 97 to 286 is the bulk of the book and the story takes place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Once out there, the zebra, hyena, and orangutan are killed off rather quickly, leaving only Pi and the Bengal tiger on the boat. Their relationship dominates the story from this point on.
Pi survives each day at sea with endurance and determination through the routine he has established for himself; from the food and water he must procure, to the sharks he must avoid, to the storms he must suffer through, to the eruption of boils on his body, and other tribulations, are realistically portrayed; as well as his emotions, which range from terror, loneliness, sadness, despair and hope. The experience he relates is nothing less than fascinating. The other more important aspect of this book is the bond he has with his only companion, Richard Parker, the tiger. He knows the tiger can kill him at any moment, so he constructs a flotilla of sorts that he attaches to the boat so he can be safely away from the tiger yet close to him at the same time.
It’s a tall tale, nevertheless engrossing. There is pain and suffering that is graphically described. For example, when the hyena is hungry and cannot cope with the confined space, he begins to attack the zebra and eat it alive. The zebra doesn’t die until a few days later.
There are some uncomfortable passages when there is no food left and Pi is forced to eat the tiger’s feces. The hyena also does away with the orangutan and the hyena is killed by the tiger. The deaths of these animals are heavy and dense in the literature. They are dark points that haunt the rest of the story. The vivid and shocking description of the hyena’s consumption of the zebra, and beheading of the orangutan help to communicate just how desperate the situation is; the decay of the dead animals onboard the ship; Pi’s dispirited killing of various sea turtles, and the consumption of their blood. Nothing is left out here.
It is an impressive accomplishment for a writer to devote so many pages in what is essentially a limited setting but with endless occurrences that are richly and sometimes disturbingly described.
After reaching page 200, I wanted the story to end. Perhaps that is due to my own impatience. I enjoy stories that are long in narrative, but I must confess after page 200, I wanted the main characters to reach land.
I did not find God represented much in the book. But I suspect the world in this story is a symbolic expression of a deeper meaning through a tale acted out by humans, animals, and in this case, even plant life. Yann Martel has crafted a magnificent tale involving a love of animals, nature, religion, and let’s not forget the multitude of ocean survival skills all designed to explore what faith in a Supreme Being means. God is evoked in the surroundings. In other words, how could the world exist if there was not a designer to it all?
The meaning of having an island with flesh eating algae near the end of the book could be many things. For me, it is a way to understand and interpret the world around us, which is both good and evil.
Mod
Currently reading The Games..a facinating debut novel..about the Olympics in the future in which Countries used advanced genetics and computers to design "gladiators" and how things can go terribly wrong..very well done!!
I am currently reading "Cloud Atlas." I haven't decided what I think of it yet. I like some of the stories, but some of the dialects in other stories make it very hard to follow. Anyone else read it and what did you think?
As E.B. White said of Ulysses, "It takes more than genius to keep me reading a book." That said, I thought much of the writing in Cloud Atlas was brilliant. At times I was lost, but it was worth going over the ground again.
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That said, I thought much of the writing in Cloud Atlas was brilliant. At times I was lost, but it was worth ..."
EB was quite right on that account..I found Ulysses incomprehensible and so wildly overated..I have to think that many of those "intellectuals" who voted it best novel of all time..also found it impossible to read..only difference..I am willing to admit it!
I really like the story about Luisa Rey in "Cloud Atlas." In fact, I'd love a book just about her. Timothy Cavendish's story was pretty good too. Somni's story was hard to get used to the language but then I really liked it too. Frobisher's story wasn't bad. The writing in Adam Ewing's story was hard at first but it was okay too. The middle story of Sloosha was totally unreadable to me. I couldn't understand even what was going on or who Sloosha is. I love the premise of this book but not sure I loved the execution of it.
I must say I'm very impressed with the author's ability to change voice and style so completely between stories. It does make it seem more likely that the connections are more random than just an author's invention. If the language was easier to get through, I think I'd have liked it much better. My daughter wants to read it too, I'll be interested in her thoughts on it.
I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of spy tradecraft!) I just finished Last Light today.
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I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of spy tradecraft..."Helen..I read all of McNab's books when they came out..loved them!..also his "Shadow" author pic..cannot be identified!..seems like he has stopped writing
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reading this amazing package of 6 books by Scott Nicholson..LOVE his style of writing..horror and wit!
Ghost Box: Six Supernatural Novels
Rick wrote: "Helen wrote: " I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of ..."Oh, no! He's stopped writing? Why?
Has finished Yellow Crocus - Laila Ibrahim Which I found to be like Roots: The Saga of an American Family - Alex Haley which I've only seen the film, but can picture it in my head. Now I've picked up In Stitches - Nick Edwards For a challenge I am doing at the moment,
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I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informat..."just checked..he actually has a new book out -actually 2011..so still writing..my oversight!!
I just have not seen a new book for years..so assumed!!
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Almost done with this superb first novel..a sci-fi/thriller about the Olympics and genetics in which each Country "builds" their own Gladiator (no human DNA allowed) and what goes wrong!! great
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Excellent.
I am reading the Immortals of Meluha trilogy....brilliant story about Shiva, a man who becomes a GodI love this ... it deeply resonates with me and all that I write as we seek to journey beyond the illusion of limitation and find the God and supreme alchemist within us...
Interestingly, Shiva is the first named persona of the hero in my own trilogy...an ancient alchemist known as 'Magus', alive from the beginning of time under the guise of different personas....
The Immortals of Meluha
I just completed and I am now re-reading and studying intensively Robert McKee's book on screen writing principles and techniques. The book is entitled "Story," and it is essential reading and study material for any script writer, or for any writer. The psychological insights are very beneficial and "writing from inside out" - critical for script writing - is a necessary form of composition that must be mastered. MG
Aley wrote: "Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Excellent."Ah, yes! One of my very favorite novels. Characters that I would love to meet and Stegner's writing and phrasing is a joy.
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love!!!!!.... Trollope!! The Prime Minister
was a great read..you will enjoy it!!
Mod
Interesting concept.."writing from inside out"..almost a literary version of Strasberg's "Method Acting"
Jerry wrote: "Aley wrote: "Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Excellent."Ah, yes! One of my very favorite novels. Characters that I would love to meet and Stegner's writing and phrasing is a joy."
Yes indeed. A true writer in the most descriptive sense of the word!
Helen wrote: " I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of spy tradecraft..."Andy McNab writes about the things he knows. Even war and mayhem has to be experienced. Yes, he is accurate and when he has to swing into fiction he can make it believable. He is a pleasure to read, he brings memories and understanding to the pages.
Now I've started reading a book by Missy Fleming, "Happily Never After". It's a YA paranormal fantasy, that would definitely appeal to the female audience. It's really well-written!
I am doing a slow reread of The Host before I see the movie. I am also reading The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd (the description caught me plus I like the title) and The Sweetest Dak by Shana Abe (NetGalley).
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I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of ..."could not agree more, Erich!!
Since I was wanting a short read while I wait for an interlibrary loan book to come in, I've just started Niagara's Most Haunted: Legends and Myths by Peter Andrew Sacco. He's a member of the Supernatural Fiction Readers group that I started and help moderate, and generously gave me a copy.
Just started a pre-pub read of
by Meagan Beaumont. Blurb looks good.
Erich wrote: "Helen wrote: " I keep trying to get through The Book Thief, but then I get distracted with Andy McNab's thrillers! (They're just so much fun...and informative! Lots of ..." I agree! I can't put them down! And he keeps getting better and better, adding layers of emotion and psychology to the incredible precision of his tradecraft. They're really unique and terrific thrillers. I just started "Liberation Day," which follows "Last Light."
Larry Winebrenner here. I receive a copy of Transcender - First-Timer by Vicky Savage. I thought I'd read a chapter to decider whether this was something my granddaughter might like. After all, fantasy and sci-fi and the like are not my cup of tea. Some 20 chapters later I decided to pause long enough to check out my email and to eat lunch. I gobbled my food and rushed back to Transcender to see what was going to happen---or hopefully, not happen---next. I'm not sure I want to encourage my granddaughter to engage in any of those torrid love scenes, but since they are not too erotic, I'd guess she's already been there.As a reader I would not hesitate to recommend this book, part of a trilogy, to any youth or young adult [like me---I'm only 81]. As an author I am jealous that her talent makes me look like a rank amateur. So, if you're a reader, go ahead. Read this book. If you're an author don't forget, I told you so.
I love you.
Larry Winebrenner
The Case of the Locked Drawer
Based on recommendations here at James Mason, I started reading some Lawrence Block. In this case, Small Town. I am eating it up and I thought I would share a couple of observations.Small Town, my first Block venture, had a familiar feel to it. I finally realized I felt like I was reading Tom Wolfe. Is this the 'New (now old) Journalism' style?
Part of why I felt it was like Wolfe's work was the characters seemed similar, either in their personalities or in their literary style. They could have stepped out of the pages of The Bonfire of the Vanities
I think it was a review of one of Dennis Lehane's bookks where the reviewer said the reader cares about the characters but wouldn't want them within a mile of their home. That's the same reaction I have to Small Town, but for opposite reasons than Kenzie and Gennero. The Manhattanites seemed self-indulgent dilettantes. I'm not crazy about books that have a writer for one of the main characters. Seems a copout to me. Writers just aren't that interesting.
I just read Skin by Kylie Short. It's a zombie apocalypse novel which I never thought I'd read but I've got interested in the people and town. The zombies really only serve to keep the tension and sense of danger.Best
Cathleen
Ken saidWriters just aren't that interestingNow just a damn minute, Ken . . .
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Small Town, m..."
Block happens to be a great writer..not overly verbose..but quite powerful..his Matt Scudder novels are top notch
I am reading several books at once. It is a bad habit I have. They range from new authors to the classics. "Tom Sawyer Abroad" - Twain, "Fire Ice" - Cussler (Nice man if you ever meet him.). "The Replacement" - Brenna Yovanoff (Local writer, free at Mile High Horror Film Festival 2011). Cussler always does a lot of in depth research for his stories so that makes them very interesting. Twain because he is one of the classic writers. Yovanoff to see what the new talent looks like.I have a library at home that goes back to 1890 so i never lack for reading material. Winston Churchill wrote some interesting short stories in his youth too.
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Just finished this stunning collection of short stories about "Real" life in the 1950's by Clark Zlotchew..very very powerful
Demons (again). Meant to read the Robert Maguire translation, recced to me, but was driven crazy by the frequent French, for which you have to look up the notes at the back -- and half the time you didn't need to know. After a hundred pages switched to the Pevear & Volokhonksy, who translate the French at the bottom of the page. I'll get to the Maguire, since I like to read Dostoyevsky pretty often. Also Pride of Carthage, a novel on Hannibal -- I very much like the way it's written.
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Four: Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Five: Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine.
I'm now reading "The Spies of Warsaw" by Alan Furst. I have a deep-set fascination with the Second World War era, as well as with the interwar period. This particular novel, largely set in Warsaw during the late 1930s, has me in thrall.
I'm currently reading The Financial Lives of the Poets, a novel by Jess Walter, which I think was winner of or the runner up for some big awards - I don't remember which, will have to go back and check - though that's beside the point as the book is a wonderful example of first-person-point-of-view-comic-narrative and very up to date contemporary, all about drugs and sex or the lack thereof told from the point of view of a man married to today's dying middle class and a woman he suspects is cheating on him - though he cheats on her in his mind seemingly every other page. I'm half way through and its so far been fast and fun, though I see dark clouds gathering on the story's horizon. This guy Jess Walter is quite a writer.
Rick wrote: "Block happens to be a great writer..not overly verbose..but quite powerful..his Matt Scudder novels are top notch "I see Block wrote 'Eight Million Ways to Die', a Matthew Scudder joint. I remember the movie with Jeff Bridges as kind of a goofy grin Scudder. It was OK.
I just finishedSmall Town and overall I liked it given my comments in post 8412 above. I have to say though, the sex in that was definitely 'rough trade'. Anyone who has read my work knows I'm no prude but there was just a bit too much probing in that one.
I am reading THE THIRD BULLET by Stephen Hunter. It is the second book this year that I am reading to honor the anniversary of JFK's assassination. I also plan to read Bill O'Reilly's book (already bought the hardback), and I intend to watch a movie or two as well.
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Books mentioned in this topic
Confessions on the 7:45 (other topics)Amity (other topics)
Truly, Devious (other topics)
We All Fall Down (other topics)
Get Even (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Monica Rodden (other topics)Lisa Unger (other topics)
Natalie D. Richards (other topics)
Maureen Johnson (other topics)
Gretchen McNeil (other topics)
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