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[[deleted user]]

Melissa wrote: "Which translation of War and Peace are you reading?"

I downloaded it onto my Kindle. It was a 99 cent cheapie, and didn't supply the translator's name.

[Lil]

Melissa wrote: "I purchased the paperback of Cutting for Stone tonight. I'm looking forward to starting it once I finish Homer and Langley. I'm interested in hearing Lil's opinion of it."

Melissa,
I absolutely loved Cutting for Stone. I will say that the medical parts might be a little much for some. My disclaimer is that I'm a physician and found the whole book gripping. I normally never read medical related books for pleasure, but I'd read his first memoir and just loved it. Some of the tension in the medical scenes is conveyed via technical aspects of medicine (i.e., the blood pressure readings) that may be missed by a layperson, but I think little enjoyment would be lost overall.

One of the aspects I most enjoyed about this book was the author's descriptions about the skill some of the characters had developed in their work. Beautiful.

Enjoy.

Lil

[Ryan]

I recently finished listening to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I think I may be the only person in the world to say this... maybe reading it would have been different, but my first reaction when I finished was "any chance I can get those eighteen hours back?"

I'm currently reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. And I am happy to say that so far I am very much enjoying it!

[Ryan]

Diane wrote: "I am reading Krik?Krak! by Edwidge Danticat. Really enjoying this author. Have Breath, Eyes, Memory and The Dew Breaker in my "to read" basket, to delve into next. "

I LOVE Danticat! Personally, I think "The Dew Breaker" is her best piece of work so far. I highly recommend moving on to that one next :)

[[deleted user]]

I finished listening to DEAD CENTER (Andy Carpenter mystery #5 by David Rosenfelt; narrated by Grover Gardner.) Our hero, Andy Carpenter is persuaded to defend a young adult from a charge of double homicide in Findlay, WI. To complicate matters, the victims were members of a heavily circumscribed religious community and the Chief of Police is Andy's former paramour, Laurie. David Rosenfelt uses a couple of dialogue scenes to propel the plot instead of relying on the thriller formula of using pure action, which pushes these mysteries closer to the cozy end of the sex-and-violence range, but there are no cats or tea and it's all fairly interesting. The narrator sounds like he has a cold but ultimately it didn't matter as I easily got past it and into the story.

I also listened to the audio dramatization of THE MALTESE FALCON (BY Dashiell Hammett; performed by Michael Madsen, Sandra Oh and Edward Herrmann.) The story is about the pursuit of a valuable statuette, hard, rough men, "bad" women and, their machinations to get what they want. The performances definitely play into the noir stereotypes we've come to expect, the sound effects are over-indulgent and the editing could stand to be tightened in some places; but Michael Madsen isn't half bad at all and it was kinda fun. That said, I would rather hear a straight read or read the novel in print. It's a Grammy nomination and if it wins, I'll be definitely be eating crow of sorts before this week-end is over!

I'm on to STORM FRONT (by Jim Butcher; narrated by James Masters.) I'm re-listening to this for a group discussion but I don't mind at all. It's one of those instances where the narration elevates the writing and it's one of my favorite audios despite there being some booth noise in the production.

I'm *still* reading A FRACTION OF THE WHOLE (by Steve Toltz.) I had some momentum going on it earlier this week, but I seem to have lost traction again. I can't figure out why. It's interesting and funny...

[[deleted user]]

Jenn wrote: "I've been reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I have a little over 100 pages left and now I'm bored. I fall asleep after reading 5 pages now. But I feel like I've come this far, I can't qui..."

I was disappointed in The Historian myself. With only 100 pages left it may not seem worth abandoning but at the same time if it has bored you up to now I'm afraid it doesn't get better.

[Kokeshi]

Just finished The Book Thief and LOVED IT.

Now on to:

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy (Growing up in Vancouver's China Town in the 30's and 40's)

and

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (we are travelling to Wessex in the UK this year and this is the area that most of Hardy's books take place).

[Julie]

Jenn wrote: "I've been reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I have a little over 100 pages left and now I'm bored. I fall asleep after reading 5 pages now. But I feel like I've come this far, I can't qui..."

Oh Jenn, I know it was long. But I think you'll be glad you finished it!

I'm reading Jeanette Walls' 'The Glass Castle' - a memoir. Boy, this family of hers really put the 'fun' in dysfunctional! Very reminiscent of Mary Karr's 'The Liar's Club' and equally compelling. I've actually laughed out loud on more than one occasion while reading it. Will be reading her next one: 'Half Broke Horses.'

[[deleted user]]

Toni wrote: "Now I'm reading The Oxford Murders. So far, I'm not impressed -- but the plot has promise so I'm not throwing the towel in yet."

I listened to the audiobook a little over a year ago. At the time I may have been a little generous in personally grading it a "B-" In retrospect, I should probably dngrade it to a "C-" except for one thing: Of all the mysteries I've read before and since then, I still remember the plot and characters very well. Unlike many other mysteries I've read, it hasn't been lost in a murky wash of similar plots.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

[AM]

I just finished When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead on audio and now I've started reading The Book of the Maidservant by Rebecca Barnhouse.

[Linda]

I finished Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have already read 11 of the books mentioned. I'm sure there are several more that are in my future.

Then I started A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Our county has received a grant to promote a "big read" and this is the book chosen. I read it about 10 years ago and remember it as a powerful read. I'm looking forward to the discussions and lectures that are being presented and a live video conference with Mr. Gaines later next month.

Linda

[Ann]

I'm still reading Julie Orringer's novel that will be out this summer, The Invisible Bridge. I love it. It's grand and weeping and a bit of WWII history that I knew little about. But it's also 700 pages and I'm savoring every bit, so it's not a fast read by any means.

[Shona]

I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Great ending to the trilogy, but I'm sad that it's over. I was going to start Cutting for Stone, but as I'm right in the middle of two classes that are taking up the majority of my time, I decided to put that off until the semester is over and I grabbed what I thought would be a quick, light book. So I started reading The Mystery Roast by Peter Gadol. Ann and Michael talked about it I think almost a year ago in a podcast on out of print and elusive books and I happened to find it on Amazon and it's been sitting on my TBR shelf for months now. Big mistake, because now I can't put this book down and I'm falling behind with my homework! It's really really good.

[Melissa]

I finished Homer and Langley. I thought the story was interesting, but I'm not a fan of E.L. Doctorow's run-on sentences. I was going to start Cutting for Stone, but I started Coraline by Neil Gaimen instead. I'm still meandering through Under the Dome, and dipping in and out of Traffic.

[Melissa]

I loved Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I've put Neverwhere in my TBR pile. I started Cutting for Stone last night, and I am enjoying the language and sentence structure. I also picked up the paperback of Lost City of Z, so that is going in my TBR pile as well.

[Danelle]

I'm Reading The Historian. It's interesting, and I like it much more than i thought i would.

[[deleted user]]

It's been some time since I noted that I was reading "The Children's Book". I am not that slow of a reader, but Byatt's writing and language really slow me down. There were passages where I had to read it more than once to fully absorb it. I don't mind reading this sort of book once in a while. I did really enjoy the book and if you have patience to delve into the story, it is worth the time. The interspersing of the fairy stories into the narrative did sometimes throw me off,but, it became part of the fun after a while. I do not read science fiction type books with dragons and the like and that part of the story was still enjoyable to me.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Nixonland by Rick Perlstein.

The adventures of Tricky Dick, from his first congressional race to the 1972 presidential election and the emergence of Watergate. Not only that, but the historical and political events of the day that provide the contextual backdrop. This is a very long book, but is chock full of information. Reading this took me back to the political science classes of my youth. Everyone is here: JFK, Dr. King, Malcolm X, LBJ, Eugene McCarthy, HHH, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Gerry Ford, John Kerry, Jane Fonda, George McGovern, E. Howard Hunt, Richard Daley, Abby Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, G. Gordon Liddy, Haldeman, Erlichman, Woodward & Bernstein, even Al Capp!

For all the info, this book is still just a teaser for delvers into sixties history. It's such a tumultuous and exciting period.

The book promised to connect the polarization of today's politics with Nixon. To lay it at his doorstep, if you will. But apart from a five page essay tacked at the end, Perlstein doesn't really do this. I'd have preferred that he took a little more space to make that case.

[Eric]

Finished Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. wow I loved this book and I cant wait to see the movie.
Now I am on to Up in the Air by Walter Kirn. I see a pattern with the books made into movies. Up in the Air is a little strange and I am sure the movie is nothing like this book.

[Melissa]

I really enjoyed Shutter Island as well. Dennis Lehane's detective series with Patrick and Angie is great, too.

[Linda]

I finished A Lesson Before Dying today for this month's "Big Read" in my county. The kick-off is tomorrow night with a lecture by a well-known professor.

Started When You Reach Me. Was hoping I would finish it tonight, but I will by noon tomorrow.

Linda

[Linda]

Finished WHEN YOU REACH ME. I LOVE that book. Of course, I knew immediately which book Miranda was carrying. I've recommended this book to two people, too.

I'm 200 pages into A Reliable Wife. Not sure where it's going, but not completely comfortable with the explicitness. Tomorrow and the ending will tell.

Linda

[Melissa]

This may make my sound very contrary, but I haven't considered reading A Realiable Wife because the bookstore I frequent has pushed it on me every time I've walked through the door. Last month, it was the Piano Teacher that they were shoving at me. I didn't buy that one, either. I think the bookstore chain has their stores feature one or two particular books (usually a trade paperback) a month. How do they choose which books to promote? Why can't the salespeople learn that don't like the hard sell? I am mourning the loss of our local independent bookstore where I was allowed to discover books on my own.

[Linda]

Okay, I finished A Reliable Wife. I'm still puzzled about how I feel about the book. Is this perhaps an allegory with Ralph representing the all-forgiving God and Catherine is the example of asking for and receiving forgiveness while Antoine is doomed never understanding the necessity of asking for forgiveness. My usual scale has me giving 3 stars out of 5 to books that were simply o.k. I think I would drop to a 2 on this because it had so much potential I didn't think was realized.

And as to the explicitness, Sandra Brown makes me blush, too. I usually comment, "I don't want to READ about those kinds of situations…" (I'm very happily married for over 20 years!)

Almost finished Michael J. Fox's Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. What a great writer and human being!

Linda

[Christine]

I'm getting through The Thirteen Orphans, urban fantasy in mahjong style, very different, very interesting.

On my daily walk to and from work, I'm listening to the audiobook of To Kill a Mockingbird and just LOVING this ol' classic.

Also just got sidetracked modern vampire lite fare, Some Girls Bite, Chicagoland Vampire series #1 by Chloe Neill. Just couldn't put it down once I started and expect to finish tonight.

[[deleted user]]

What am I reading? This week? Nuttin'! Lawyer by day, actor by night, getting ready for opening night. No time to read! Makes me cranky. Grrrr....

[Laurie]

Library book--The School of Essential Ingredients;
Kindle--The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (it's great!);
Audiobook--Had trouble with the download for To the Lighthouse, so I'll have to check the book out of the library; just downloaded The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone! I'm having a blast.

[Kerry]

Just finished listening to audio unabridged of "The Magicians" . I loved it, when I read the back cover of the disks I thought I should just give it back to the library, since I am not a Harry Potter fan even though I read several of the books at my son's urging. But since I had to order it and wait for 3 months for my turn to come and Micheal had praised it I decided to give it a try--listen to the 1st CD-- and boy was I hooked. I couldn't find enough excuses to listen to it--did housework, went for walks, stayed up half the night, even had it on while getting dressed in the morning. Finished all 14 disks in about 7 days. Called my son and told him about it. The story slowed toward the end and I could see where some readers might feel the author had taken too much liberty with stealing some ideas from other authors but the writing and story were great none the less. I enjoyed every minute and was sorry to hear it end--always the sign of a really good book.

[Linda]

Cristina, let me (us) know what you think about A RELIABLE WIFE when you've finished.

Started and am pretty well into American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham. I'm loving it.

I finished listening to Patricia Cornwell's first book, POSTMORTEM. The book was o.k, but I did not like the narrator who seemed to be a Brit (at least there were some strange pronunciations). I had a real hard time equating that voice to a Virginia Medical Examiner. I ordered the next book in the series and am thrilled to see this one will be narrated by C. J. Critt - my favorite narrator.

Linda

[Sheryl]

Linda, You got so much more out of this book than I did and I still rated it 3 stars! I think your idea about the story is very interesting - it would certainly explain Ralph's total (unbelievable) forgiveness. I'm not a vengeful person but if someone was trying to slowly kill me, I believe I would have a few negative opinions about that.

I felt like I just didn't 'get' the book. I thought it was well written and I guess the characters were true. Antoine seemed the most believeable to me. My primary feeling about this book was just that it was bleak. The weather, the people, the story - just bleak and cold.

(I haven't posted on this site before, so forgive me if I have done something wrong ... it doesn't feel like I'm replying correctly.)

[Ann]

Lmj wrote: "Okay, I finished A Reliable Wife. I'm still puzzled about how I feel about the book. Is this perhaps an allegory with Ralph representing the all-forgiving God and Catherine is the example of asking..."

I liked A Reliable Wife quite a bit, but I haven't been able to find the words to talk about it on a podcast. Part of it is that (and this is embarassing) for awhile I couldn't remember whether or not I had actually finished it. (I was away, didn't have the book with me, and just couldn't remember how it ended). I *do* think it will make an excellent book group discussion.

[Ann]

Eric wrote: "What am I reading? This week? Nuttin'! Lawyer by day, actor by night, getting ready for opening night. No time to read! Makes me cranky. Grrrr...."

Break a leg! Have you read Valerie Martin's The Confessions of Edward Day? Set in the theater (summer stock), circa 1970s I think.

[Ann]

Sheryl wrote: "Linda, You got so much more out of this book than I did and I still rated it 3 stars! I think your idea about the story is very interesting - it would certainly explain Ralph's total (unbelievable)..."

Sheryl, you did just fine in the way you replied! I do think that the author did a fantastic job making us feel the winter!

[[deleted user]]

Eric wrote: "What am I reading? This week? Nuttin'! Lawyer by day, actor by night, getting ready for opening night. No time to read! Makes me cranky. Grrrr...."

One of my former careers was that of a stage electrician. I worked at Arena Stage and was up in the catwalks (actually "the pans" at Arena) for up to 18 hours a day during tech week. I was a spotlight captain for a musical, but during tech, there was actually very little for an op to do, so I read Anna Karenina!

Break a Leg
(and after the opening night party hangover, do tell!)
T

[[deleted user]]

Ann wrote: "Break a leg! Have you read Valerie Martin's The Confessions of Edward Day? Set in the theater (summer stock), circa 1970s I think."

Thanks, Ann. I'll put the first chapter of that on my Kindle pronto.

[Linda]

Finished Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - very good. Started and almost done with Julie and Romeo - it's chick lit loosely based on Romeo and Juliet. It's not very good, but a friend lent it to me. With this wonderful job where I do nothing is allowing me to catch up on books that people have lent me (why people lend ME books, I'll never know - I'll never have time to read what I own!)

[Orion]

I'm within 150 pages of finishing Under the Dome by Stephen King. It's pretty good. Almost like reading vintage King. His talent is undeniable, but to me has been tamed in the last decade or so. So this is a very enjoyable read. A little longwinded, at 1170 pages, but it reads like 800.

[Jenn]

Well, I finally finished The Historian last week after dragging through it for almost a month. I stopped midway to read Mystic River for my book club. That's when The Historian lost me. The overdrawn Historian versus Lehane's tight prose. There just was no coming back from Lehane's KO punch of a novel. But back to The Historian, towards the end I was so annoyed that the characters weren't figuring stuff out faster. Oh well.

Now, I'm about halfway through People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I need to start The Farther Shore by Matthew Eck. It's my book club book for February and we meet next Tuesday. Matthew Eck is a Kansas City area author and will be attending our meeting - which is kinda cool.

[Linda]

Got 100 pages into Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power. Might have finished it, but because of the snow storm the office closed at 2 p.m. I'll easily finish it tomorrow.

Linda

[[deleted user]]

It took me awhile, but I finally finished A FRACTION OF THE WHOLE (by Steve Toltz.) I appreciated this book more than I liked it, if that makes any sense. It's a great book club book though, despite it's length (560 pages.) It's about three men (two brothers and one of their sons) who seek to define themselves individually, familially (sp), communally, regionally, globally, cosmically... Or maybe it's about defining life relative to death.... Or maybe it's about something else altogether! I had a hard time gaining traction with this novel as I often didn't know what to look for or where it was going. There were plenty of bon mots and interesting anecdotes, but it was a little too easy for me to set down and do something else for a few days :-(

Over the week-end I read CITY OF THIEVES (by David Benioff.) This was about two Russian boys who are sent on a mission to acquire a dozen eggs for the Colonel's daughter's wedding cake. The setting is The Siege of Leningrad (WWII.) The premise of selecting these two boys for a personal mission for the colonel is a bit implausible, but the story itself is interesting as the reader gets a bit of a tour of wartime conditions of St. Petersburg and its environs. I actually liked this novel more than The Book Thief (by Marcus Zusak) and I'm very much interested in reading more (both fiction and non-fiction) about The Siege of Leningrad.

On Monday, I read THE PATIENCE STONE (by Atiq Rahimi; translated by Polly McLean.) This is a story set in "Afghanistan or elsewhere" about a woman who takes care of her husband, who lays inert as a result of a bullet wound. Her prayers quickly turn to confessions and the end completely surprised me. The book has a theatricality and poeticism about it that are strongly appealing. I think I read it too fast though. I would like to re-read it when I have some quiet time alone and let the rhythm of the piece set the pace.

Today, I finished STORM FRONT (by Jim Butcher; narrated by James Marsters.) I love this audiobook. It is not perfect (there are booth noises, page turns and, mouth noises) but James Marsters does such a great job of becoming the main character, Harry Dresden, that all is forgiven. The story is about a wizard-detective. It has paranormal elements, but it's all fun. I have absolutely no interest in reading these books (The Dresden Files) in print, but every intention of continuing at least until the fourth in the series (Full Moon (#2,) Grave Peril (#3) and, Summer Knight (#4)) in audio. And yes, I've seen The Dresden Files TV series which actually was pretty faithful to the spirit of the novels, so much so that I wasn't annoyed by the discrepancies.

Now I'm starting THE WHITE TIGER (by Aravind Adiga) in print and, THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOOTOM OF THE PIE (by Alan Bradley; narrated by Jayne Entwistle) in audio.

[AM]

Lmj wrote: "Finished Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - very good. Started and almost done with Julie and Romeo - it's ch..."

I am so glad you liked Reading Like a Writer. I read Rex Stout's Plot it Yourself, because of that book, and added other to my TBR pile.

[[deleted user]]

I just finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Another fantastic BOTNS recommendation. Will be talking this one up to everyone I know.

[Linda]

AM wrote: "Lmj wrote: "Finished Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - very good.

I am so glad you liked Reading Like a Writer. I read Rex Stout's Plot it Yourself, because of that book, and added other to my TBR pile. "

I got a whole page in tiny cursive of things to read from that book.

I finished The Wide Window narrated by the author who does an excellent job. Started the next in the Lemony Snicket series.
Also finished Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power.

I've got a good stack from the library, as well as my personal library to choose from. I only have 3 books left that people have lent me! PROGRESS!

Linda

[Ann]

Tanya wrote: "I think I read it too fast though. I would like to re-read it when I have some quiet time alone and let the rhythm of the piece set the pace."

I have this problem a lot, especially with short books. It happened with On Chesil Beach, and I actually went back and re-read it. Need to remind myself to slow down!!

[[deleted user]]

Ann wrote: "Tanya wrote: "I think I read it too fast though. I would like to re-read it when I have some quiet time alone and let the rhythm of the piece set the pace."

Ann wrote: I have this problem a lot, especially with short books. It happened with On Chesil Beach, and I actually went back and re-read it. Need to remind myself to slow down!!"

I was thinking about your blog/podcast about sabbaticals and while I think I would still do all those things that I said I would do while on a sabbatical, I think that I should probably seriously start thinking about a reading retreat. There's the Dewey 24-hour read-a-thon; but I think I might do something less structured. The idea of tucking myself away for a day or a week-end with some books while DH has a Daddy-Daughter week-end certainly has its appeal.

[JULIE]

Tanya wrote: "It took me awhile, but I finally finished A FRACTION OF THE WHOLE (by Steve Toltz.) I appreciated this book more than I liked it, if that makes any sense. It's a great book club book though, despi..."

Whew!

[[deleted user]]

My daughter developed a scary cough so I kept her home from school today, which meant that I too had to remain at home. There is an ebb and flow to being with my daughter on any given day. There are times when she wants to be in my lap and others when she wants some space. It was during these "ebb" times that I managed to read all of Aravind Adiga's THE WHITE TIGER. The novel chronicles, in letter form, the story of a lower caste Indian who remakes himself into a successful entrepreneur. It was OK. There was a passage where Balram, the protag, has a "dialogue" with the city that was dramatic in a good way and; I liked Balram's hard won freedom and perspective in that I understood it. But overall, I never felt like "I was there." I think I've been spoiled by Gregory David Roberts' SHANTARAM (narrated by Hunphrey Bower) which also takes place in India and is much more epic in scope and style.

Tomorrow, I'll start THREE CUPS OF TEA (by Greg Mortenson) but since I have to return to work, I doubt that I'll be able to read it all in one day!

[[deleted user]]

Just got Complete Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges in the mail. I'll start that immediately after I finish War and Peace.

[Linda]

Read Fat Girl: A True Story today. A few months ago at the library's book discussion on Gregory Maguire's WICKED, two young men attended and mentioned this book as one they would recommend. It chronicles a woman's childhood as an overweight and abused child. It hit a lot of nerves with me. She was brutally honest and I wonder about the scars left by such vivid memories.
When I finished that I started Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope. That is the story from a few years ago when a van with some Taylor University students was struck by a semi which crossed the median. Five people died in the van. One survivor was misidentified and her true identity was not discovered for five weeks. I'm already 1/4 of the way through the book and my eyes well quite often.
Listening to THE MISERABLE MILL, the fourth Lemony Snicket book. It's read by the author and he does a great job. Not sure if I prefer him or Tim Curry.

Linda

[[deleted user]]

Just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

This book won me over. As it began, I was struck by two things. First, the wonky and awkward word choices, used in an attempt to be poetic. Sometimes this works. Sometimes it doesn't. For example, what are "gangly blue eyes"? Second, the similarity in style to the work of Kurt Vonnegut. Cases in point, the detached narrative style that stands apart from humanity, the uses of sections of bold text and occasional drawings. I was initially veering toward a dislike of the book early on.

The book takes place in Nazi Germany in the thirties and forties, and tells the story of how several kind people retain their decency in a society that endeavors to strip it from them.

It was the characters that won me over. Liesel, the book thief. Rudy, the idiosyncratic athlete, and Liesel's partner in crime. Liesel's softie of a foster father and her crusty foster mother. Max, the hidden Jew. The self-punishing mayor's wife. The narrator, Death, who is far from the heartless scythe-wielding figure of popular imagination. Zusak brings a richness of characterization which Vonnegut never achieved.

The book also gets one to musing about the power of words. Most writers see that power in a positive light. But Zusak brings home the truth that words can be a powerful weapon for evil as well. And concludes that when one realizes this unpleasant truth, rather than cast down the weapon, one must instead hone it, and battle evil word for word.