THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WHY!!
Margaret, have you read Austen's Lady Susan? I'd never heard of it before GR and was shocked at how different in tone it was from her other novels. (Let alone that this was from her juvenelia period.)
Larry wrote: "Rick wrote: "That's the book my friend so wanted to read! BTW-..."Not Clarke's best to be honest! Quite boring and tedious so far!"
@Larry Maybe the good parts of the story got lost in the modem connection to Sri Lanka... B^)
Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "I always read two books at the same time! Usually a current thriller or mystery and a classic- Right now I am just finishing up- The Elusive Pimpernel- the sequel to The Scarlet Pimper..."I am a big Scarlet Pimpernel fan. Read them all.
Always reading more than one book at a time. The trick is finishing those before I start another.
Mod
I really enjoyed all the Pimpernel books! so well written!
and the 1930's film with Leslie Howard did the books great justice! a very fine film!
Right now I'm reading the Dark Hunter series. I like the books, because it's mostly fantasy (it's about vamps after all), but it also has something about friendship, a bit of mitology, love, erotica... It's interesting.
I love Austen, I've read all of them except Lady Susan - one for 2011 perhaps?I've picked up a couple of new books... I'm halfway through Dry Season by Dan Smith which is an environmental thriller set in Brazil.
Also reading Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat and A Year of Living Your Yoga: Daily Practices to Shape Your Life My New Year resolutions are yoga related!
Just finished THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown...it was excellent.See my review on my blog:
http://silversolara.blogspot.com
I'm reading Nobody's princess by Ester Friesner. it is about Helen of troy as Helen grew up. I don't know how much of it is true but it is still a good book. Helen seems to be a tom boy. When she was 10 (in the book) she wanted to know how to fight with a sword like her brothers. she did learn and she never did give up. She also made a enemy of the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus. it is a great book so far full of action and adventurous and you can't but cheer for Helen :)
Mod
See my review on my blog:
http://silversolara.blogspot.com"
LOL- not to be confused with Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett!
Mod
Rick wrote: "LOL- not to be confused with Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett."
Lol,an excellent book too ;)
Mod
LOL- not to be confused with Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett."
Lol,an excellent book too ;)"
who can NOT love Granny Weatherwax!!
I am reading simultaneously Little Dorrit, and Over Candleford to Candleford Green by Flora Thompson, it is an autobiographical tale of her growing up in England in Victorian times. Little Dorrit is Dickens, I am reading for the Victorian Reading Group.
reading Seven Years in Tibet- really nice movie
I just startedZeitounby Dave Eggers, the story of an Arab American family that was caught in Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.I'm reading it for the Book Nook group which is discussing Zeitoun this month.
I finished The Book of Lists: Football this afternoon and I'm starting 2011 off with Rennie Airth - River of DarknessHappy 2011!
I'm currently reading Midnight by Stephen Leather and finding it hard to put it down! Wonderful fluid pace and the narrative encompassing.
I am currently reading The Solitude of Thomas Cave: A Novel by Georgina Harding. It is part of my personal theme to read books about people confronting the nature or the wilderness.
I just started Roomby Emma Donoghue. We'll see how this one goes - I am not certain if I will be engaged enough to hang in there with the childish narrative, we'll see...
Mod
Looks like a great read!! Robert the Bruce seems to be an original character- how is the book at "catching" the times?
Mod
interesting Susan! love the theme! any other titles you have planned to read in that theme?
Mod
super- a definate TBR for me- thanks!
I started out on the wilderness theme when I read The Outlander by Gil Adamson, and realized it reminded of me of The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. Since then I have read Wanting by Richard Flanagan, Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad, Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden, Cold Earth by Sarah Moss, The Third Man Factor by John Geiger, and The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard, and Into the Wild by John Krakauer, some of which I have enjoyed more than others, and some that fit my theme more than others. I only have one more planned so far: Heartbroke Bay by Lynn D'Urso. My dog Raven and I sit on our puffy leather couch with our feet up and the fire going, and read about the wilderness.
Susan.....your wilderness theme is urging me to read some of the books you mentioned. What better time than winter to curl up with those books. A couple of those will go on my never-ending TBR list!!!!I just finished The Wagner Clan: The Saga of Germany's Most Illustrious and Infamous Family. It was a little pedantic but certainly gave some interesting insights into their flirtation with Hitler.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. I'm going back and forth between H. G. Wells and Doyle.
Ivan wrote: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. I'm going back and forth between H. G. Wells and Doyle."You couldn't pick two better authors.....I love their books. If you are interested in Doyle, you might want to read
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr.
I'm enjoying these a great deal. I'd NEVER read any of Wells or Doyle before.
Both authors also wrote books unrelated to the genre for which they are associated (mystery/fantasy). Doyle wasn't quite as successful away from the Holmes books but Wells did some good non-fiction work,especially the book set The Outline of History.
I'm about halfway through
The Arms Maker of Berlin
by Dan Fesperman. It's two novels in one: A present day hunt for secret archival materials; and a backstory set in WWII-era Germany that takes up half of the story. Who's really the antagonist is a little murky (not a bad thing necessarily). I'd call this an intelligent thriller about uncovering the past.
Happy New Year!
Steve
Steve Anderson
Mod
Didn't Doyle write a series or book with a character from the Napoleonic Period?
I agree- Wells' Outline of History isan excellant read!
I'm sure you are right, Rick.....I am only familiar with his Boer War histories which are pretty slow going.
Mod
actually I think you are right- I knew it was a historical novel- Boer War seems right to me
Little Dorrit for another reading group. In the meantime, I just finished Over Candleford by Flora Thompson, it is a sequel to Larkrise. I finished this book in about a few days.
I'm reading Little Woman By Lousia May Allcot I already read it soo many times! I'm at the part where Amy is at school and her teacher found out about the limes
Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "I'm sure you are right, Rick.....I am only familiar with his Boer War histories which are pretty slow going."actually I think you are right- I knew it was a historical novel- Boer ..."
I've read Doyle's history of the Boer War; it was a bit dry.
Mod
written by Stef Penneyand what they thought of it - the catch is, I've already brought a copy & if yo..."I have never heard of the book, Carmel- but from the synopsis- it seems like a real winner! I am very interested in how you like it!
"A skillful blend of literary thriller, wilderness adventure, and historical romance, Stef Penney's panoramic novel traces the impact of a brutal murder on the lives of several settlers in Canada's Northern Territories in the winter of 1869. Mysteries surround the victim, a Frenchman named Laurent Jammett who once worked for the Hudson Bay Company. But in this lonely outpost on the edge of the world, everyone harbors a secret -- including Jammett's neighbor Mrs. Ross, her teenage son, Francis, and William Parker, the enigmatic half-breed trapper who sets out with her in search of the truth. Much has been made of the fact that this gorgeous set piece, with its perfectly described North American landscape, was written by an agoraphobic author who never set foot in Canada. We think it's far more astounding that The Tenderness of Wolves is the product of a first-time novelist. Surely, Stef Penney is a literary force to be reckoned with"
Doyle why does that name sound familar???
Mod
Thanks Rick, it certainly interested me aft..."
Here is some very interesting info I found on the web about the Awards
The Costa Book Awards is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.
To view our latest news and blog, click here.
The Costa Book Awards is unique in many ways, not least in having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book. The winner in each category receives £5,000. One of these five books is selected as the overall winner of the Book of the Year and receives a further £30,000, making a total prize fund of £55,000. It is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this way.
The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards. From 1985 they were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2006, when Costa Coffee took over ownership - the year that both Costa and the Book Awards celebrated their 35th anniversary.
Since 1971, the awards have rewarded a wide range of excellent books and authors across all genres. Since the introduction of the overall Book of the Year Award in 1985, it has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, five times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and once by a children's book.
Recent winners include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson, The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes, Small Island by Andrea Levy, biographies of Pepys and Matisse by Claire Tomalin and Hilary Spurling respectively and, most recently, Stef Penney's first novel - The Tenderness of Wolves, A.L. Kennedy's Day, Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture and A Scattering by Christopher Reid.
Mod
Cheers"
absolutely! looks like a winner to me!
Mod
Arthur Conan Doyle- the Author who created Sherlock Holmes
Rick wrote: "Horsefan101 (I love Taylor Swift!!!) wrote: "Doyle why does that name sound familar???"
Arthur Conan Doyle- the Author who created Sherlock Holmes"
Ok thanks;:)
Arthur Conan Doyle- the Author who created Sherlock Holmes
"Ok thanks;:)
Horsefan101 (I love Taylor Swift!!!) wrote: "I'm reading Little Woman By Lousia May Allcot I already read it soo many times! I'm at the part where Amy is at school and her teacher found out about the limes"
I'm now at the part where Amy falls through the ice,Jo and Laurie save her. I have a younger sister and we get into fights at times. It makes me love her even more: )
I'm now at the part where Amy falls through the ice,Jo and Laurie save her. I have a younger sister and we get into fights at times. It makes me love her even more: )
Carmel wrote: "Would love to know if anyone's read written by Stef Penneyand what they thought of it - the catch is, I've already brought a copy & if yo..." Carmel, I LOVED this book! The language is beautiful, and it evokes the mood of Canada in winter. This book got me started on a lot of books coming out of Canada. It is a fabulous book.
Rick, to answer your question (Message 3632), Doyle's series of short stories featuring his character Etienne Gerard is set during the Napoleonic Wars. Gerard is a cavalry officer in Napoleon's army. I haven't read any of these myself, but the BC library has at least some of them.
I am almost done with THE PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF FRIENDSHIP by Lisa Verge Higgins...it has a publication release date some time this month.Elizabeth
http://silversolara.blogspot.com
Carmel wrote: "Would love to know if anyone's read written by Stef Penneyand what they thought of it - the catch is, I've already brought a copy & if yo..."It's an interesting and unusual mystery novel, exploring a variety of themes. I enjoyed it.
Carmel wrote: "Would love to know if anyone's read written by Stef Penneyand what they thought of it - the catch is, I've already brought a copy & if yo..."The beginning is slow. It's not a bad book, but at the beginning, she seems to want to get overly literary. Like, let me come up with a thousand ways to artfully describe snow. But, eventually, she drops that and gets on with it and it becomes a fairly good book.
A Simple Act of Violence by RJ Ellory. Why? Because he's one of the best crime authors out there today, hands down.
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
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Vicki wrote: "I am reading Persuasion by Jane Austen."
Shomeret wrote: "I'm reading Redemption in Indigo: a novel by Karen Lord. It's the last of the
Urban Fantasy challenge books. The category is New To You Author. This is Karen Lord's first novel an..."
Larry wrote: "Currently reading Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Read it years ago but didn't get it back then. I recently found a paperback copy on bookmooch so am giving it another go. Trouble is I've been..."
Larry wrote: "Currently reading Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Read it years ago but didn't get it back then. I recently found a paperback copy on bookmooch so am giving it another go. Trouble is I've been..."
Reading Persuasion again. I somehow have embarked on a Jane Austen re-read campaign . . . Great fun! So far have re-read Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Mansfield Park--all in less than a month! Pastoral 18th century England among the nobility and gentry sure beats CNN and the rest of what's going on in the world today! Austen was such a vixen when it came to good manners and moral scruples, though! Everything in her novels devolves upon finding a "worthy" husband . . . whew . . . I may have to take a little break from this theme before I plow though the rest of the novels!