June: What Are You Reading?

[A.J.]

It pays to be careful with On Photography. Sontag puts forward a lot of valuable ideas, but she also tosses of a lot of quick, glib assertions that are both unsupported and unsupportable.

[Dottie]

Sara Grace I'm deep into Let Us Now Praise Famous Men and absolutely in love with the book -- I did not follow Agee's instruction for going into a certain part of the book at a certain point -- I kept plowing straight on -- I did however read and reread several days of pages at the very start of the text -- letting it flow over me -- I've also not read it aloud though I think he is right that it would be best done that way. Looking forward to this discussion with a great deal of pleasant anticipation.

A.J. -- interesting to know that on the Sontag book.

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

I find I can't get into This Body of Death like I could the other Inspector Lynley books. For one thing, the report at the very beginning was boring for me. I wanted the book to begin with Thomas Lynley and I'm anxious to get to something about him. These builders, etc. are boring.

[Sarah]

I just started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - finally bought into the hype!

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Sarah wrote: "I just started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - finally bought into the hype!"

My dentist was reading it and he said it was "too techie" for him, so he gave it up. I don't like anything with too much technology (I'm old fashioned when it comes to my books) so I don't think I'll read it. His wife read it, though and she loved it. Guess she's into technology. LOL

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Carol (akittykat) wrote: "I didn't finish the book. (Let Us Now Praise Famous Men)

Too much on my plate right now."

I've got too much going on right now, too, Carol. I didn't even start it. Just no time.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

There's not THAT much technology in it. If you understand how to work on your computer, you'll get the small amount of techie stuff in it.

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Sherry wrote: "There's not THAT much technology in it. If you understand how to work on your computer, you'll get the small amount of techie stuff in it."

Thanks, Sherry, but the characters don't seem like they'd interest me very much, either. I know the books are extremely popular. I'm so busy right now anyway, I didn't have time to read some of the RL books.

[Badly Drawn Girl]

I just read a beautifully written book. The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch, who is both an undertaker and a poet. It's a collection of loosely organized essays about death, and writing, and life. I found myself reading the sentences aloud because they were so gorgeous. I didn't agree totally with his viewpoint on some issues but I can't fault him for having a different opinion.

Now I'm working my way through Cocaine: An Unauthorised Biography and I just got The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks in the mail.

[Hazel]

Badly Drawn Girl wrote: "I just read a beautifully written book. The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch, who is both an undertaker and a poet. It's a collection of loosely organi..."

Thank you, that sounds intriguing. I've added it to the list.

[Myne]

The Boy Next Door: A Novel an interesting story

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Badly Drawn Girl wrote: "I just read a beautifully written book. The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch, who is both an undertaker and a poet. It's a collection of loosely organi..."

One of my great uncles was a mortician. I know more about that trade than I ever wanted to know. My cousin and I used to play among the caskets - empty ones, of course. Horrible!

[Marialyce]

I am starting Brooklyn tonight.

[Sue]

Just finished The House at Riverton. Enjoyed the story, the style of writing, the era being written about.

[Denise]

Myne wrote: "The Boy Next Door: A Novel an interesting story"
Myne, I just finished that, too. I liked it; got me thinking about a number of different things. There was an excellent discussion on it over at the Literary Fiction by People of Color group here on GR.

[A.J.]

Flying a Red Kite by Hugh Hood, an excellent short story collection published in 1962.

[Marjorie]

Gabrielle said: My dentist was reading it and he said it was "too techie" for him, so he gave it up.

I think I'd be a bit hesitant about seeing a dentist that didn't like techoloogy. (LOL) I'd be afraid he'd avoid using new modern equipment and methods.

[Marjorie]

Sherry said (re The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo); There's not THAT much technology in it. If you understand how to work on your computer, you'll get the small amount of techie stuff in it.

I agree. I didn't have any problems with that part of it -- didn't really notice it, in fact. And I'm a person who can just barely operate a computer.

Marge

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Marjorie wrote: "Gabrielle said: My dentist was reading it and he said it was "too techie" for him, so he gave it up.

I think I'd be a bit hesitant about seeing a dentist that didn't like techoloogy. (LOL) I'd ..."

LOL I can see what you mean, but he's an excellent dentist. He's actually a specialist in cosmetic dentistry. I'm extremely picky about dentists. More than doctors, even.

Even if there were no techie stuff in the books, I don't like the characters.

[Badly Drawn Girl]

Denise wrote: "Myne wrote: "The Boy Next Door: A Novel an interesting story"
Myne, I just finished that, too. I liked it; got me thinking about a number of different things."

Thank you for the recommendation. That sounds like a book I would enjoy.

[Marialyce]

I have started My Name is Mary Sutter. I love books that have a strong woman protagonist.

[[deleted user]]

I have just finished the two books I was reading, both by Dutch authors. Het zwart uit de mond van Madame Bovary by Willem Brakman, which I liked better than the first time I read it, but still don't like that much. And Bij nader inzien by J.J. Voskuil, another reread, just over 1200 pages of conversations, failed parties, discussions, friends vs. enemies, situated in a group of friends during their time at university. I loved it, again. Now I'm going to read The prime of miss Jean Brodie.

[Jean]

I just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. which I found to be utterly charming. It is the type of book described as "a comedy of manners." The author, Helen Simonson, has set this story in a small English village. Major Pettigrew is a retired gentleman who tries to live his life doing what's right and proper. Circumstances arise and as a result the Major find himself becoming attached to Mrs. Ali, the Pakistani owner of the local grocery.

In some sections this book reminded me of the ones written by Barbara Pym only funnier. I recomend it for light by interesting reading.

[Tango]

Just finished The Life of Pi (a few years after everyone else) and I really liked it. I'm still thinking about it and can't decide whether I love it or not. I think that the ending could have been handled differently and had a lot more impact maybe (still not sure). I loved the character of Pi.
Have just started Peter Temple's Truth which has just been announced winner of the Miles Franklin Award (Australia's most prestigious literary award).

[Sherry, Doyenne]

This was on our Reading List one year. Here is a link to the discussion:
http://web.archive.org/web/2006110201...

[Bahareh]

I finished "The Map of true Places". All in all I enjoyed reading it especially because it was much better than most of the books I've been reading these days.
I liked how the difficulties of taking care of an older family member were discussed. In fact I think it's not going to be easy to read the book if you have had such an experience in your own life...

[Bahareh]

I've started reading "Eat, Pray and Love" thanks to a friend of mine. So far soooooooooo good :)

[Carol]

I was not fond of The Lace Reader, so I had not felt inclined to try another. But I may change my mind about The Map of True Places.

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Jean wrote: "I just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. which I found to be utterly charming. It is the type of book described as "a comedy of manners." The author, Helen Simonson, has set this story in a ..."

I've been thinking of reading that one. I may give it a try.

[Tango]

Sherry - thanks for the link. It was interesting to read about others reactions to this book. It was definitely a thought-provoking one (and I guess he wanted to leave the ending somewhat ambiguous).

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Sherry wrote: "This was on our Reading List one year. Here is a link to the discussion:
http://web.archive.org/web/2006110201..."

Well, that was interesting and enlightening.

SPOILERS




When I read Life of Pi years ago, I naively assumed that Pi made the journey with the tiger and that the story he told people after his rescue was one he told simply because it was more mundane and therefore more believable.

Sometimes I can be too, too literal. I'm definitely not a fan of psychology, so I don't read a lot into a book at times. I actually started out studying psychology in school and thought, "What the heck? Mumbo-jumbo!" so I switched to drama and French, which suited me much better. I tend to take things at face value, which is not to say I'm trusting, I'm definitely not, but taking things at face value sometimes means I miss things.

I do believe in a separation between the material and the spiritual and I come down maybe too much on the side of science. If I can't see it and work with it, I don't put much stock in it.

[Marialyce]

I am reading The Lost Summer of Louis May Alcott after finishing My Name is Mary Sutter. (a wonderful, historical fiction novel from a first time author)

[Cathy]

Marjorie wrote: "Sherry said (re The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo); There's not THAT much technology in it. If you understand how to work on your computer, you'll get the small amount of techie stuff in it.

I ag..."

You've hit on one thing that bothered me about the book. I'm in IT and I tend to think technology, which gets outdated so quickly, should be handled carefully in books. I recall my writing instructors urging us to be specific when writing, but it fails miserably when it comes to technology. Everytime the author mentioned specific models and technology I would cringe and think that's so outdated... IRC (for example) went out last century. What do others think?

[Cathy]

I just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and really enjoyed it for the well-researched and stimulating discussion of HeLa cell research, medical ethics using cell samples, and insight into the history of medical research. The book's tone is uneven--it bounces between the clearly presented scientific story and the less compelling life stories of the Lacks family--but it was worth it. I listened to the book in audio format (narrated by Cassandra Campbell, Bahni Turpin) which worked well for me because of the dialect and length of the book. Any book that educates me and entertains me is good read.

[Carol]

I am not having much success with Wolf Hall. I must not be in the mood for that at the moment. I will pick at it over the next few weeks though, I don't want to abandon it completely. I did startTruman. This seems more indicative to my mood right now. I find it engrossing to see what was his drawing power.

[Marialyce]

I am just starting The Great Santini after finishing The Lost Summer of Louis May Alcott.

[Ruth]

Several years ago I started The Great Santini as a book on tape. Threw in the towel after the first tape.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Cathy wrote: "Marjorie wrote: "Sherry said (re The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo); There's not THAT much technology in it. If you understand how to work on your computer, you'll get the small amount of techie stuf..."

I know exactly what you mean, Cathy. I know lots less about technology, but some things did seem outdated. Outdated technology, in movies, especially, can be unintentionally funny, such as seeing a humongous cell-phone.

[Marialyce]

Ruth wrote: "Several years ago I started The Great Santini as a book on tape. Threw in the towel after the first tape."

I have to say that I have loved everything written by Pat Conroy especially Beach Music. This is the only book of his that I have not read. My husband's father was a Navy pilot so I can understand what Conroy is saying in this book.

[Renee]

I have finished Living Dead in Dallas, Fear Nothing and have started on Songs in Ordinary Times.

[A.J.]

Why is outdated technology funny or inappropriate? All fiction has a setting, which should be a specific time period. And all technology has an expiry date.

We don't snicker at Model T Fords in The Grapes of Wrath.

[Ruth]

I agree with A.J. However, I think the outdated technology fits in better when the time period is important. If the story could be set in any time, then I think we notice if the techie stuff is dated.

Also, slightly outdated technology looks funnier than really dated stuff. Probably why we don't laugh at the Model T, but we do at the clunky cell phones.

[Natalie]

I am in the middle of Howards End and really enjoying it .

[Roxanne]

Carol (akittykat) wrote: "I am not having much success with Wolf Hall. I must not be in the mood for that at the moment. I will pick at it over the next few weeks though, I don't want to abandon it completely..."

I am also one who just could not stick with Wolf Hall. I wanted to - and kept trying - but don't know why exactly I just could not stick with it. Let me know if you have better luck.

[Marialyce]

Roxanne wrote: "Carol (akittykat) wrote: "I am not having much success with Wolf Hall. I must not be in the mood for that at the moment. I will pick at it over the next few weeks though, I don't wan..."

I know many people liked it, but I did find it to be less than interesting. I did finish it, but I really didn't much care for it.

[Roxanne]

Just finished Nemesis by Jo Nesbo. As always, entertaining, and a page turner. Just what I needed. Also finished The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I think I'll be doing a lot of listening during the discussions.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

You're right, A.J.. I think timing is everything. When something is newly old, it seems funny. After it has been old a long time, then it seems contextual. Am I the only one who feels this way?

[[deleted user]]

The prime of Miss Jean Brodie took me little more than a day to finish, and I really enjoyed it. Now I'm reading Hungarian roulette by Stephen Lister, a book I picked up at the thrift store, just because it was there, cheap, and looked intriguingly different from my usual books. So far it exceeds my expectations - which weren't very high, to be fair. It is about János, a Hungarian, who seems to have invented an infallible gambling system. I seem to be the first person here on goodreads who reads this book.

[[deleted user]]

Sherry wrote: "You're right, A.J.. I think timing is everything. When something is newly old, it seems funny. After it has been old a long time, then it seems contextual. Am I the only one who feels this way?"

Another thing that can make outdated technology funny: when it is presented as state-of-the-art revolutionary technology when it's not. When the technology is just there, and not presented as being cutting edge it isn't so obviously outdated and funny.

[Ruth]

Roxanne wrote: "Carol (akittykat) wrote: "I am not having much success with Wolf Hall. I must not be in the mood for that at the moment. I will pick at it over the next few weeks though, I don't wan..."

Me, three.