Books on the Nightstand discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
What are you currently reading?
Done with A Short History of Women: A Novel
This is a superb piece of writing. A book to be savored. Contained within a mere 237 pages is a family saga that jumps back and forth through time like the work of Proust, with a style that recalls Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse". The family springs from Dorothy Trevor Townsend, who starves herself to death to call attention to women's suffrage in 1914. The story is told through her eyes, and through those of her descendants, restless, questing women all, up to the present day. The book raises a lot of questions regarding the place of women in society, using Florence Nightingale as a touchstone. These women seem to feel like outsiders in a society in which they comprise a slight majority. They rebel, as Nightingale did, against being "a continuation", but nevertheless continue in the rebellious path of their matriarch, Dorothy. I have to say though, that these restless, disconnected feelings aren't the province of women alone. Anyone who's lived the human condition should be able to relate.
This is a superb piece of writing. A book to be savored. Contained within a mere 237 pages is a family saga that jumps back and forth through time like the work of Proust, with a style that recalls Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse". The family springs from Dorothy Trevor Townsend, who starves herself to death to call attention to women's suffrage in 1914. The story is told through her eyes, and through those of her descendants, restless, questing women all, up to the present day. The book raises a lot of questions regarding the place of women in society, using Florence Nightingale as a touchstone. These women seem to feel like outsiders in a society in which they comprise a slight majority. They rebel, as Nightingale did, against being "a continuation", but nevertheless continue in the rebellious path of their matriarch, Dorothy. I have to say though, that these restless, disconnected feelings aren't the province of women alone. Anyone who's lived the human condition should be able to relate.
Mod
I hope you are getting paid for writing. You are eloquent!
Linda
Thanks, Linda, but as a lawyer, I mostly talk. Blah blah blah. : )
I am currently listening to the Wind-up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. What I love most about reading fiction is how it makes you aware of things that wouldn't have ordinary pinged your consciousness. It's a fairly obvious effect, but I love when it all comes together. I was doing some late not Stumbling of the Internet which turned up an article on real life seed banks. Seed Banks feature pretty heavily in The Wind-up Girl and I only had a vague notion of their actual existence until this article popped-up.
Those kind of things make me smile.
I'm currently reading A Man Named Dave by David Pelzer. Been reading have already read the other books about his life & he was put through too much by his mom.
Tanya wrote: "Sheryl wrote: "I've just started on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I have to believe with all the good reviews that it gets better. So far I am not impressed. In fact, I'm bored. I have to keep r..."I'll have to try that one again, I guess. I put down The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo after the first 50-60 pages or so, thinking 'well, this isn't the first time I've hated a bestseller'
AM wrote: "Tanya wrote: "Sheryl wrote: "I've just started on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I have to believe with all the good reviews that it gets better. So far I am not impressed. In fact, I'm bored. I ..."I think the general opinion on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is that you have to get past the first 50-60 pages before it hooks you. You may want to try it again later, just skip the first part.
Mod
I think you are right, Toni, she is modeled after a woman who worked at the Louvre during the Occupation. She is mentioned in The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War as well as in the dvd by the same name. Only due to her vigilance and memory were the whereabouts of many pieces of priceless artwork known--both where they came from and where they went.
Mod
I just started listening to Alice I Have Been. It is slow at work and thank goodness I can bring my Ipod in!
Really enjoying The Hour I First Believed audiobook. George Guidall is one of the best narrators ever (second only to the late Frank Muller). Guidall also did the narration of I Know This Much Is True.
I'm glad I found one I'm enjoying. I have a long commute to rehearsals for "Curtains". Also there's those sessions on the elliptical to get through.
I'm glad I found one I'm enjoying. I have a long commute to rehearsals for "Curtains". Also there's those sessions on the elliptical to get through.
Mod
Tomorrow I will start listening to Guidall narrating Alexander McCall Smith's Portuguese Irregular Verbs.
Today I finished listening to Erma Bombeck's All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt. She is good.
I got spoiled the two months I could read at work. I still don't have anything to do - but I can't read anymore. So, I listen to books instead.
Muller died about two years ago, Linda.
I just finished The Lace Reader (by Brunonia Barry; narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan.) The writing was beautiful, intertwining the perspective of a woman with severe dissociative disorder, evocative descriptive language, mysticism and even a little reality thrown in for good measure! That said, the heavy use of metaphor sometimes obscured the meaning of the action to the extent that I'm not sure I "got" the book. Alyssa Bresnahan has a distinctive, disjointed narrative style that is appropriate to the protag, but you have to get used to sentences being broken up in strange ways.
Next on the iPod queue: Flush (by Carl Hiassen; narrated by Michael Welch)
Next on the iPod queue: Flush (by Carl Hiassen; narrated by Michael Welch)
I'm slowly reading "Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain. I saw it as a free Kindle book and was so intrigued. I'm glad I'm reading it on my Kindle with the dictionary read-at-hand, since there are a lot of obscure words. My vocabulary is definitely increasing. One reason I'm reading so slowly is to savor the writing. Plus, well, I know how it ends and I'm not in a hurry to get there. The story is told from the point of view of a childhood friend of Joan's who is with her throughout her glories and ordeals. I think when I finish this I'll be looking for other information about the life of Joan.
Mod
Hi everyone, I'm new :)
I've flashed through some of the books you're reading, looks interesting, so here goes my list :):
The Green Dwarf by Charlotte Bronte
Lauren Blundy by Julie Myerson
Vampire Diaries #3 by LJ Smith
Womens Murder Club #5 by James Patterson
I recently finished I child called It, and it was one of the most heartfelt stories I've ever read
I've flashed through some of the books you're reading, looks interesting, so here goes my list :):
The Green Dwarf by Charlotte Bronte
Lauren Blundy by Julie Myerson
Vampire Diaries #3 by LJ Smith
Womens Murder Club #5 by James Patterson
I recently finished I child called It, and it was one of the most heartfelt stories I've ever read
Mod
I confess I'm not familiar with The Green Dwarf, or if I heard about it before, I have forgotten it. If you have some time, I'd love to hear more about it!
Hi there Ann, great to be here...
Well I'd rather tell you more about it when I've read further... I'm just at the beginning at the moment, but at least its starting good... I feel that sometimes the real classic books tend to start with a bit of a slow pace and I loose interest, but not this one.
Promise to tell you all about it when I done.
I didnt notice but what are you currently reading?
Well I'd rather tell you more about it when I've read further... I'm just at the beginning at the moment, but at least its starting good... I feel that sometimes the real classic books tend to start with a bit of a slow pace and I loose interest, but not this one.
Promise to tell you all about it when I done.
I didnt notice but what are you currently reading?
I've just finished "Lift" by Kelly Corrigan. It's a small book, a quick read, but it will leave you thinking for many days after you put the book down. It's written as a letter to her two young girls and should be required reading for any parent. Corrigan is a gifted, honest storyteller who can have you laughting one minute and crying the next. I wish I'd kept up my journal entries when my three sons were growing up; I'm sure there were "ordinary" days that deserved to be recorded for eternity because, before you know it, they're all grown up...and off to lives of their own. Both thumbs up for this one!
Ann wrote: "Debbie, I've never heard of that book! As a kid, I was fascinated by Joan of Arc. I had no idea Mark Twain wrote a novel about Joan. How intriguing!"I can't remember where I heard of this book, but the whole idea of Mark Twain writing about Joan of Arc fascinated me. The Kindle version I got is a little difficult to read, since there are no page breaks between chapters, and barely any formatting. Also, the typos are driving me crazy. Sometimes I'm not sure if a word is a typo or an obscure word. The dictionary on my Kindle has been used a lot for this book. I like the way the story is told. I hope to finish it this weekend.
I started Little Bee last night and love it so far. I don't think I've ever heard so much about a book and yet so little. Everyone who mentions it says they can't say what it's about. I finally decided the only way to find out was to read it!
Finished War and Peace.
This book does two things.
First, it tells a sweeping saga of four interrelated Russian families before, during, and after Napoleon's invasion of Russia, covering the years 1805-1820. You could say that in a way it's the template for the later American novel Gone With the Wind. But the latter book is much more of a potboiler. Tolstoy's book is much more psychologically complex and realistic. Not only in terms of knowing what makes people tick, but in terms of showing how irrational, fickle, and foolish we can be. The big-hearted Pierre is one of the most lovable characters you'll meet in literature, as is the initially tomboyish Natasha. But they are only two of the hundreds of characters you'll meet. Also worthy of mention is the ne'er-do-well Dolokhov, who for all his cruelty, becomes a real asset to his country in time of war.
Some of the characters are really put through the wringer. Those that reach the very border of life and death find therein an unexpected sense of peace. And upon returning to life as they knew it (if they make it) find a new perspective that enriches them. There's a little of everything here. Battle, politics, society intrigue, bucolic festivities in the countryside, and, to be sure, heart-tugging love stories.
The other thing this book is, is a philosophy text. By saying that, I don't want to scare you off, but peppered throughout the book are sections where Tolstoy tells you how he feels about the "great man" theory of history, reserving especial scorn for Napoleon, who he characterizes less as a military genius than a very lucky, and very spoiled man-child. The last hundred pages of the book (the second epilogue) are a treatise, where Tolstoy tears down various theories of history and the concept of free will. He calls for a unified theory of history, which would explain both large bodies (nations and mass movements) and individuals, explaining their actions in the context of their time, place and circumstances rather than dwelling on freely made decisions, which he doesn't believe in. This last section reminded me a lot of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, and made me wonder how much Tolstoy influenced Asimov's creation of Hari Seldon, the great fictional psycho-historian and predictor of future events.
Seriously, a book club could spend a month of meetings on this book. I haven't even touched on other things in it, such as religion, freemasonry, the French Revolution, and Tolstoy's idea of an ideal marriage. I could go on and on.
This book does two things.
First, it tells a sweeping saga of four interrelated Russian families before, during, and after Napoleon's invasion of Russia, covering the years 1805-1820. You could say that in a way it's the template for the later American novel Gone With the Wind. But the latter book is much more of a potboiler. Tolstoy's book is much more psychologically complex and realistic. Not only in terms of knowing what makes people tick, but in terms of showing how irrational, fickle, and foolish we can be. The big-hearted Pierre is one of the most lovable characters you'll meet in literature, as is the initially tomboyish Natasha. But they are only two of the hundreds of characters you'll meet. Also worthy of mention is the ne'er-do-well Dolokhov, who for all his cruelty, becomes a real asset to his country in time of war.
Some of the characters are really put through the wringer. Those that reach the very border of life and death find therein an unexpected sense of peace. And upon returning to life as they knew it (if they make it) find a new perspective that enriches them. There's a little of everything here. Battle, politics, society intrigue, bucolic festivities in the countryside, and, to be sure, heart-tugging love stories.
The other thing this book is, is a philosophy text. By saying that, I don't want to scare you off, but peppered throughout the book are sections where Tolstoy tells you how he feels about the "great man" theory of history, reserving especial scorn for Napoleon, who he characterizes less as a military genius than a very lucky, and very spoiled man-child. The last hundred pages of the book (the second epilogue) are a treatise, where Tolstoy tears down various theories of history and the concept of free will. He calls for a unified theory of history, which would explain both large bodies (nations and mass movements) and individuals, explaining their actions in the context of their time, place and circumstances rather than dwelling on freely made decisions, which he doesn't believe in. This last section reminded me a lot of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, and made me wonder how much Tolstoy influenced Asimov's creation of Hari Seldon, the great fictional psycho-historian and predictor of future events.
Seriously, a book club could spend a month of meetings on this book. I haven't even touched on other things in it, such as religion, freemasonry, the French Revolution, and Tolstoy's idea of an ideal marriage. I could go on and on.
I read War and Peace when I was a senior in high school and loved it. I bought the new translation that came out a year or two ago, but I haven't had the time or motivation to begin. Thanks, Rick, for reminding me of why I need to reread this book. Which translation did you read?
This was a Kindle book I got for 99 cents. The translator's name was not given. Perfectly adequate job as far as I could tell, though
I finished reading THE GLASS HOUSE (by Simon Mawer) this afternoon. The book features a modern house built in 1929 in the newly formed Czechoslovakia and, the people who take possession of it over the next 60 years. The primary residents, the family that had it built, are the Landauers, a progressive couple who become threatened as Nazi Lebensraum encroached. We then see the home transformed in function to reflect the political philosophy of ensuing decades inasmuch as it reflects light and the secrets and longings of the people who inhabit the space. There is no way in which my description can do the novel justice; but I will go on to say that the careful use of language makes it feel like a translation - in a good way: It is elegant, evocative, eloquent and even elegiac in some places.
I started out muttering some of the Czech words to myself, trying them out. Then I started reading some phrases aloud to see if I could get a sense of the euphonics. Then I started reading whole passages out loud because it seems like the book begs to be heard. I fell in love with this book and it's become something personal because of the time I've spent with it. It could be a fast read, but I took my time with it, savoring the story and contemplating the relationship of space to personal identity, among other things.
As I closed the book, I realized that I have generated imaginings that have become memories, replete with sound and visuals. You can see the house online in a number of places and you can listen to the music that is mentioned in the story; but more than that, the work creates a sort of nimbus or resonant feeling of itself. It's hard to describe what I mean but perhaps the best way to express it is that The Glass Room became something of an experience beyond the type across the pages.
Finally, I want to add that I have a US copy with French flaps; For a bookmark, I'm using a business card from a very smart, kind and generous woman and; I've been listening to Walter Gieseking's 1947 performance of Ravel's Ondine which is now inextricably linked to The Glass Room in my mind!
I started out muttering some of the Czech words to myself, trying them out. Then I started reading some phrases aloud to see if I could get a sense of the euphonics. Then I started reading whole passages out loud because it seems like the book begs to be heard. I fell in love with this book and it's become something personal because of the time I've spent with it. It could be a fast read, but I took my time with it, savoring the story and contemplating the relationship of space to personal identity, among other things.
As I closed the book, I realized that I have generated imaginings that have become memories, replete with sound and visuals. You can see the house online in a number of places and you can listen to the music that is mentioned in the story; but more than that, the work creates a sort of nimbus or resonant feeling of itself. It's hard to describe what I mean but perhaps the best way to express it is that The Glass Room became something of an experience beyond the type across the pages.
Finally, I want to add that I have a US copy with French flaps; For a bookmark, I'm using a business card from a very smart, kind and generous woman and; I've been listening to Walter Gieseking's 1947 performance of Ravel's Ondine which is now inextricably linked to The Glass Room in my mind!
I've just stated reading HAMLET (by William Shakespeare.) I have this theory that, when asked what their favorite Shakespeare play is, people will usually respond with the title of the first Shakespeare play they ever studied. In any event, in my case, it's true, and it happens to be Hamlet. I've read this play several times over the years, for school (Junior High, high school, undergrad, grad school,) work (The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, DC) and now because I want to re-familiarize myself with it before I go see Bill Rausch's version at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. And yes, I still have the 1959 paperback version that I bought in 1977! It's yellowed and a couple of the pages have become separated from the binding, but I can't let it go! Maybe because on the cover, Hamlet looks like a Victoria Holt romance hero?
Tanya, I played Claudius and the Ghost in a production of Hamlet. It was a blast.
I just finished teaching Hamlet to my senior AP class. I can't say that it is my favorite play, although it does have some of the best poetry.
Mod
I started Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime which seems as if it will be a very fast read.
Linda
Just started my first Ian McEwan books--On Chesil Beach (audio) and The Comfort of Strangers (Kindle).
Mod
I will let you know, and thanks! It's due to your persuasion that I am finally reading Ian McEwan. The author performs the narration on the audio. I am really enjoying listening to him.
Ann, I've never read Ian McEwan and you've got me persuaded as well. I know you've probably said on the show before but if you had to suggest the one Ian McEwan book that a reader should start with, which one would it be?
As for what I've been reading...Last Night at the Lobster caused quite a stir at my book club last week. It was either loved or hated. It got rather heated actually.Mr. Pip is what I call "my purse book" right now, which means it goes everywhere with me and I read it when I have a chance or have to wait for an appointment. It really has grown into something quite beautiful. Makes me want to go back and re-read Great Expectations. But I'm afraid I might not love it as much as I did at 15. I'd like it to stay in that lovely place in my memory.
I am using The Little Giant of Aberbeen County to curl up on the couch with. Not very far in so I won't give an opinion yet.
Mod
Jenn, I can't really answer that question! People have asked, and I just don't know. There seem to be two types of McEwan fans: those that love SATURDAY and those that love ATONEMENT. Until I know which you are, I can't come up with a recommendation.
I'll say this: if you don't mind feeling unsettled as you are reading, I think I'd start with SATURDAY. If you like more of a "story" to your novels, then ATONEMENT.
Hope that helps!
Thanks, Ann!!! I'll probably give Saturday a try first. Only because I saw the movie version of Atonement and I don't want to feel like I already know how everything plays out. Even though, as we all know, a movie can rarely live up to the book.
Put A Confederacy of Dunces down about half way through, just couldn't get into it. It kind of reminded me of A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. I loved Fraction, couldn't put it down, blasted through it in a couple of days, then started it over again. Confederacy though for some reason just wasn't keeping my interest.
Started New World Monkeys by Nancy Mauro this morning and so far it seems like its going to be a good read.
I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattooand everyone was right - it definitely got better. I enjoyed reading it, but it I didn't think it was as good as I had expected. Maybe my expectations were too high and it was really slow in some places. I like to try to figure out 'who done it' or where the story is going, but I am really disappointed if I figure it out. And although there were certainly some surprises I had guessed some of the outcomes pretty early on. And I am not particularly good at figuring out solutions so an author should be able to surprise me. This is one of the reasons that I loved Await Your Reply: A Novelso much. I got to try to figure out where it was going and I was totally blindsided.
I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, but I got The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bagand I will probably start it. I've been looking forward to reading it since I finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Piea few months ago. Little Flavia is a fantastic character.
I really enjoy hearing what everyone is reading - I've gotten some great recommendations from this group.
Jenn wrote: ". . if you had to suggest the one Ian McEwan book that a reader should start with..."Sorry if I'm butting in, but I'm a huge Ian McEwan fan and I have some recommendations:
Two very short, very creepy, and very good McEwan novels: The Comfort of Strangers AND The Cement Garden. Emphasis on the "verys."
Excellent contemporary novel: Saturday. I loved it.
Excellent historical novel: Atonement. Also loved.
But my overall choice for where to start is Enduring Love. It has everything--good writing, hot plot, a creepy factor, unforgettable characters. It's certainly a lesser "masterpiece" than Saturday or Atonement, but on most days it's my favorite McEwan.
Mod
Just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which I thought was brilliant. Started Blackout this weekend. Doomsday Book is one of my all time favorites, so I was beside myself when I heard that Connie Willis was bringing out another in similar vein.
Jennifer wrote:Doomsday Book is one of my all time favorites, so I was beside myself when I heard that Connie Willis was bringing out another in similar vein. Someone else who knows, much less loves, that book. Excellent! That is one of my all-time favorites that I wish I could persuade everyone I know to read. I generally love Connie Willis so much that I space my reading of her out to make it last. "Passage" and "Impossible Things" are quite excellent also although nothing can match Doomsday for its melancholy brilliance.
I wasn't all that blown away by Doomsday Book. I found that, like many other science fiction writers, she was info-dumping. Showing off her knowledge of the historical realities of the Middle Ages and the plague. For me, obvious info-dumping gets in the way of the story, and my enjoyment thereof.
Mod
Ann -- I real..."
Toni - having seen the film would definitely not preclude you from reading The Comfort of Strangers, though there will of course be less of a surprise.
As for what to read if you liked Atonement ... I'm thinking Black Dogs, or Amsterdam, but I confess that I read both a l-o-n-g time ago.
I just started the audiobook of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I am so in love with Flavia - this is such fun. Also have The Book Thief and The Pleasures of Cooking for One on the shelf. So excited to have found you all!
Jenn wrote: "As for what I've been reading...Jenn, both books, Mr. Pip and the Little Giant..are really good books. I do hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Books on the Nightstand
Books mentioned in this topic
The Pillars of the Earth (other topics)Eat, Pray, Love (other topics)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (other topics)
Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings (other topics)
Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jane Green (other topics)Aimee Bender (other topics)
Aimee Bender (other topics)
Jacqueline Sheehan (other topics)
Jonathan Dee (other topics)
More...
This is an unabridged audiobook, the narration of which, by Jayne Entwistle, was exemplary. Ms. Entwistle, in taking on the character of eleven year old chemist/detective Flavia DeLuce, perfectly captures her sense of shivering delight at anything deadly and/or creepy.
The story takes place in a village in the English countryside in 1950. After finding an ominous dead bird at her doorstep, young Flavia encounters a dying man in her garden. The man dies under circumstances that seem to implicate her philatelist father. To clear his name Flavia must solve the death of the stranger.
Early in the book I felt the clues were a bit obvious, and I felt I knew the solution. But the writer kept me guessing. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a well crafted mystery in a charming setting with an unforgettable young sleuth.