Books on the Nightstand discussion
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What are you currently reading?
I read all 15 of Ann Rice's vampire novels. It is the only series by any author I have read all the way through and I learned two invaluable lessons: 1) No series is really worth reading after the third or fourth title and; 2) Once a series goes bad, it's like sour milk: it won't get better. A combination of OCD and misplaced loyalty kept me going through the Vampire Chronicles (and The New Tales and, The Mayfair Witches) but I regret the time I lost reading everything after The Tale of the Body Thief. Ironically, it was The Tale of the Body Thief that kept hope springing eternally. I loved Interview with the Vampire (#1) and The Vampire Lestat (#2;) but was very disappointed with The Queen of the Damned (#3.) The Tale of the Body Thief (#4) was so much better though, that I kept going with the series through the years, thinking that the series would become potable again. Nowadays, my preference runs towards first-in-series and stand-alones.
Tanya wrote: "It is the only series by any author I have read all the way through and I learned two invaluable lessons: 1) No series is really worth reading after the third or fourth title..."This is why I tend to shy away from series, unless they are clearly defined, i.e. the story will be a trilogy or seven books and then will wrap up. Every ongoing series I've ever tried has bored me after about four books.
Kat, I'm not trying to get you to read Angelology or anything, but it might be interesting for someone who likes vampire stories but wants something different. It explores a lot of unusual (and apparently "real" in terms of historical theology) religious mythology and offers an interesting take on fallen angels living among humans. But the average review scores keep trending down so it might not stay interesting throughout the 300 pages I have left to read.
I just finished Carol Goodman's "Arcadia Falls." It isn't her best, but her use of language and descriptions of upstate New York are still so vivid. The stories are absorbing, although this one had the weakest romance. I love her use of fairy tale and myth. Goodman's my favorite gothic writer now that Barbara Michaels has turned permanently into Elizabeth Peters and doesn't show any signs of returning.
Mod
BTW, Let the Great World Spin was my first time reading Colum McCann. What a writer! He didn't just spin a yarn, he wove it!
Linda
Ugh, I finished The Reliable Wife last night. I liked the story. I even liked that the characters were flawed, but thought the book was in need of some major editing. The author seemed to be repeating himself. Oh and all the sex and the lust and the obsessing about sex and lust - I am so not a prude - but too much is just too much. Here's hoping whatever I read next is more pleasurable for me.
I'm reading GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (by Tracy Chevalier.) It's the fictional story of the girl who is the subject of one of Vermeer's most notable paintings. The writing is very evocative of time and place, but I'm not fully understanding or relating to the tensions in the household. Still, beautifully rendered scenes and there's no doubt I'll be looking up some of the artwork mentioned in the novel!
One of the things I loved about her writing in GWPE was her descriptions. The household chore of laundering linens and hanging them out in the sun, I could actually smell sunshine. and then the descriptions of the colors, shadings, textures in the art studio was again fabulous. I haven't read any of her other stories, but this one has stayed with me.
Jenn wrote: "Ugh, I finished The Reliable Wife last night. I liked the story. I even liked that the characters were flawed, but thought the book was in need of some major editing. The author seemed to be repeat..."I completely agree with you about The Reliable Wife, Jenn. My book club read this and everyone agreed. So you are not alone.
Tracey wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Ugh, I finished The Reliable Wife last night. I liked the story. I even liked that the characters were flawed, but thought the book was in need of some major editing. The author seemed..."
Tracey, Would you recommend it for a book group discussion? We have talked about reading this book as a group but haven't committed to it yet.
Tracey, Would you recommend it for a book group discussion? We have talked about reading this book as a group but haven't committed to it yet.
Jenn wrote: "Ugh, I finished The Reliable Wife last night. I liked the story. I even liked that the characters were flawed, but thought the book was in need of some major editing. The author seemed to be repeat..."I agree - I reallllllllly disliked this book for that reason.
Mod
And I agree with Tracy's and Jenn's evaluations of A Reliable Wife. Yuck!
Linda
Lmj wrote: "I needed a grab-me-and-involve-me-now book. The one I was trying to listen to at work (The Hour I First Believed) and the one I chose to read (The Piano Teacher) weren..."haha - I saw a man (probably 70 years old) on a plane reading A Reliable Wife. He read the entire thing and I considered asking him if he liked it - but was too afraid he'd say yes!!!
Suzanne wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Ugh, I finished The Reliable Wife last night. I liked the story. I even liked that the characters were flawed, but thought the book was in need of some major editing. Th..."Hi Suzanne,
It did make an interesting book club discussion but everyone was so happy to be done with the book that it wasn't the best discussion. This is one of those books that people may not like but there's plenty to talk about.
Tracey
I just finished Garnethill: A Novel of Crime by the Scottish mystery writer Denise Mina and loved it. It's so well written and the protagonist is a young woman recently recovered from a breakdown rather than the typical cop/PI. She (Mina) is getting lots of press lately as being the mystery writer to read if you don't like mysteries and I agree. She's fabulous. I just started Killing Floor after hearing of Ann's love for Jack Reacher mentioned more than once. I am ocd about starting series at the beginning so this is the first book.
Hmmm, I had A Reliable Wife in my to-read queue. Maybe I should rethink that.
Mod
Maybe you shouldn't (rethink that), Vanessa. Some people like it - you might be one of those.
Linda
Mod
Reliable Wife: I liked it, and think it would be a good discussion book for a book group. It's not perfect, by any means, but I liked the writing and the melodrama. It reminded me a bit of Wuthering Heights.
I finished GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (by Tracy Chevalier) this morning and managed to post comments. I still haven't figured out how to post a link (in this comments box) to the specific edition that I read, so I'm posting the comments in toto below:
This is a fictional account of a 16-year old girl who is sent to work as a maid at Vermeer’s house and who becomes the subject of the painting known as “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” The basic linear narrative is not so much weak as overwhelmed by the eddying swirls of tension and emotion, often fickle in its course. The physical action is often obscured by seeming metaphor or perceived shifts of attitude and, the motivations for some of the action is unclear. However, the descriptive language of Girl with a Pearl Earring is evocative of time and place, anchoring the emotional story arc not only to the paintings of Vermeer, but to the locale of 17th c. Delft and in particular, Vermeer’s household.
There is an excellent web-site devoted to Vermeer and his work:
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/vermeer_...
The book itself, describes only a few of Vermeer’s paintings, and it appears that I would have to go to Germany to see the famous painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring;” but I will be able to see “A Lady Writing” when I travel home to Washington, DC this summer (the painting is at the National Gallery) and when I do, I know I’ll see it with different eyes.
Now, I'm about to start INNOCENT TRAITOR: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey (by Alison Weir.)
This is a fictional account of a 16-year old girl who is sent to work as a maid at Vermeer’s house and who becomes the subject of the painting known as “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” The basic linear narrative is not so much weak as overwhelmed by the eddying swirls of tension and emotion, often fickle in its course. The physical action is often obscured by seeming metaphor or perceived shifts of attitude and, the motivations for some of the action is unclear. However, the descriptive language of Girl with a Pearl Earring is evocative of time and place, anchoring the emotional story arc not only to the paintings of Vermeer, but to the locale of 17th c. Delft and in particular, Vermeer’s household.
There is an excellent web-site devoted to Vermeer and his work:
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/vermeer_...
The book itself, describes only a few of Vermeer’s paintings, and it appears that I would have to go to Germany to see the famous painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring;” but I will be able to see “A Lady Writing” when I travel home to Washington, DC this summer (the painting is at the National Gallery) and when I do, I know I’ll see it with different eyes.
Now, I'm about to start INNOCENT TRAITOR: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey (by Alison Weir.)
Tanya, I haven't read the Chevalier book but I do aim to get to it. Vermeer is one of my very favorite painters. I love Dutch Realism (Jan Van Eyck is another fave. As is Rene Magritte who was a Surrealist but he was Belgian so I thought I'd throw him in.) I read an interview with Tracy Chevalier recently in Bookmarks and she is very into experiential research. She took a painting class to learn how the paint smelt and felt to apply to canvas. I really like Alison Weir. She wrote a great book The Six Wives of Henry VIII that I read back in high school after my friend kept talking about the term paper she was writing on Anne Boleyn. Tudor history is so fascinating and dishy it got some (admittedly booky) teenage girls to read about it in their free time.
Vanessa wrote: "I really like Alison Weir. She wrote a great book The Six Wives of Henry VIII that I read back in high school after my friend kept talking about the term paper she was writing on Anne Boleyn. Tudor history is so fascinating and dishy it got some (admittedly booky) teenage girls to read about it in their free time. "
I went through a phase wherein I was reading a lot of fiction and non-fiction about the Tudor era, to the point where much of what I have read has become a sort of cinematic blur of memory! It's been about 7 years since I picked up any Tudor titles (and no, I have not watched The Tudors on TV) but as I looked over my stacks last night, Innocent Traitor called out to me :-)
At one point during my Tudor Reading Era, I watched Lady Jane, starring Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart. I actually don't remember much about the film other than it did redeem Henry Grey (Lady Jane's father) to a certain extent; but as I'm reading this book about Lady Jane the image of Jean Luc PIcard as Henry Grey is inescapable!
I went through a phase wherein I was reading a lot of fiction and non-fiction about the Tudor era, to the point where much of what I have read has become a sort of cinematic blur of memory! It's been about 7 years since I picked up any Tudor titles (and no, I have not watched The Tudors on TV) but as I looked over my stacks last night, Innocent Traitor called out to me :-)
At one point during my Tudor Reading Era, I watched Lady Jane, starring Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart. I actually don't remember much about the film other than it did redeem Henry Grey (Lady Jane's father) to a certain extent; but as I'm reading this book about Lady Jane the image of Jean Luc PIcard as Henry Grey is inescapable!
I'm currently reading Solar. It's my first experience with Ian McEwan so I have high expectations, even though from the impressions I've seen this is not high most enjoyable work.
Mod
Tanya, I think Girl with a Pearl Earring was on display this past year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There was a big Vermeer exhibit, and I'm pretty sure that was there. I'm embarrassed that I can't remember...
Mod
OMG, Deb, that one would be out of *anyone's* comfort zone. I really liked it, but as you said ... crreepy! I loved reading it after I'd read later McEwan, because I can definitely see how his writing became more subtle and yet more powerful.
Mod
It's not my favorite McEwan, but there are some scenes in SOLAR that I love!
Ann wrote: "Tanya, I think Girl with a Pearl Earring was on display this past year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There was a big Vermeer exhibit, and I'm pretty sure that was there. I'm embarrassed that I can't remember... "
I was so heartsick when I first read your post! I hate being stuck out in the middle of nowhere! But I checked it out and it turns out the MET owns one Vermeer, "Woman with a Water Pitcher," and they also had, on loan, "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal," which they exhibited alongside for almost a full year (2009.) In checking this out though, I discovered a lot of Vermeers get loaned out for various exhibits, so if I don't want to be disappointed once I get to WDC, I need to keep track of the various tours!
I was so heartsick when I first read your post! I hate being stuck out in the middle of nowhere! But I checked it out and it turns out the MET owns one Vermeer, "Woman with a Water Pitcher," and they also had, on loan, "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal," which they exhibited alongside for almost a full year (2009.) In checking this out though, I discovered a lot of Vermeers get loaned out for various exhibits, so if I don't want to be disappointed once I get to WDC, I need to keep track of the various tours!
Mod
Yes, do watch out for the tours if your heart is set on seeing a particular painting.
I've just finished The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag which was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed it just as much as his first Flavia de Luce mystery, although this one was a lot more of Flavia's powers of deductions than the first one where she was getting into scrapes and irritating the Inspector. He has created such an incredible character in Flavia. It reminds me of reading Harriet the Spy when I was a kid and really wanting to get to know her!
I'm reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It's interesting and delightful, especially when everyone is singing about "dancing the macabrey."
Currently reading The Help on audio, The Gold Bug Variations for book club (which for a time displaces Collected Fictions), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science. I haven't made much progress on the latter since I started rehearsing a musical at night. Choreography is hell when you're 49, but it probably helps stave off dementia.
Finished The Hour I First Believed and A Deadly Shade of Gold. Usually I do reviews, but I just don't have time right now.
Finished The Hour I First Believed and A Deadly Shade of Gold. Usually I do reviews, but I just don't have time right now.
Mod
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Sounds like a bumper sticker!
My initial thought on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is "Wow! Sweden has some extremely tough libel laws!"
Hi hi everyone
I'm currently reading The Women in White (my add book/author wont work :()
I found the book boring at first, but the more I read, the better it gets.
My only problem is that the book is written all mostly in one paragraph, and that makes the reading a bit harder... :)
I'm currently reading The Women in White (my add book/author wont work :()
I found the book boring at first, but the more I read, the better it gets.
My only problem is that the book is written all mostly in one paragraph, and that makes the reading a bit harder... :)
I just finished Catching Fireand now I'm having to cope with the "ending" that left me hanging until the last in the series comes out. I'm currently reading Await Your Reply, and The Covenant by James Michener. I really like The Covenant and learning South African history. I am completely enjoying but also a little confused with Await Your Reply. Three separate stories that jump from one to the other and I find myself wanting to continue with the current storyline when it jumps. Then I get sucked up in the next story so quickly, it doesn't matter that I've left the previous story for a while. Well written and definitely an interesting concept. Can't wait to see how or if the three stories end up coming together!
Lmj wrote: "Andrea,Hang in there with Await Your Reply there's a great pay-off IMHO.
Linda"
I agree! I loved Await Your Reply!
I finished Beat the Reaper Beat the Reaper this past weekend. It was very entertaining and I flew threw it. Fun and more intelligent than I had expected.Now I'm working on a couple books, Lark and Termite Lark and Termiteand The Lost City of Z The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. I also just picked up Waiting for Columbus Waiting for Columbusat the library yesterday and I hope to dive into that over the weekend.
(Hopefully, I did the link thing right. First time I've used that feature...)
...which I guess I didn't do that right. Oops!
I'm reading The Girl with a Dragon Earring and a Pearl Tattoo and a Bum Hip.
Mod
Linda
I'm still reading throughShantaram by Gregory David Roberts. My Kindle says i'm at 62%. Its fabulous but it doesn't usually take me so long to read even huge books. (It's been about three weeks so far). For a bit of light relief I have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits by Roald Dahl to my kids this week which was great fun.
I finished The Passage - I was so lucky to get an advance copy - and totally enjoyed it. I had heard it was similar to The Stand and I agree; it was a great read. The only problem now is waiting for the next book to come out! I also finished The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - I just love little Flavia. I've been recommending this and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to everyone I know (along with the Passage - my co-workers are getting sick of me, I think).
I'm reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks now and didn't expect it to be a book that would be so hard to put down. I expected interesting, but I am totally fascinated by her, her cells and her surviving family.
And my 2 cents regarding Await Your Reply. It was one of the most enjoyable books I've read. It was an interesting story (or stories) until one particular chapter roughly half-way through. I put the book (Kindle) down and just sat with my mouth hanging open while I could hear little clicks going on in my brain. After that was one surprise after another that I, for one, never saw coming. Totally, totally enjoyed that book!
I'm about 2/3 thru Case Histories: A Novel by Kate Atkinson which I would describe as a literary mystery. It came highly recommended and once I got into the rhythm of the book, I really liked it. I really enjoy lugubrious European mysteries it seems. After that, I guess I'm going to break down and read Angelology. I just got it from the library but I only have it for two weeks (well, currently t minus 12 days)
I just started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and so far it is great. Before that I was reading The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2009
Last night I finished Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey (historical fiction by Alison Weir.) It had been about ten years since I had read either fiction or non-fiction set in the Tudor Era (which I had read prolifically) and I was wondering, before I began, what the author could possibly bring to the table that was new or insightful. Moreover, I am always slightly bemused and even amused by historical fiction set within the the Royal Tudors' milieu as the facts of the time are often more incredible than the fictions set up around them! To be fair though, Alison Weir writes both well-researched fiction and non-fiction and, the fiction that she writes is well within the realm of possibilities. This is the story of the "Nine Day Queen" of England who succeeded her cousin, King Edward VI, to the throne. At the time she was a fifteen year-old girl, used as a pawn in royal intrigues and lets just say, hers is not a "happily ever after" princess-gets-her-prince fairy tale. For those who don't know her story, this is a great way to get acquainted with the time, place, politics and characters. For those who are familiar with the story, it reinforces the politico-religious dichotomy and the high stakes at play.
I'm now on to reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I profess a certain fondness for the Barnes & Noble trade editions of the Classics, even though they have the notes at the end of the book instead of on the same page (I just use a mini Post-It Note as a bookmark for that seciton and it's really no big deal to flip back if I need to.)
I'm now on to reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I profess a certain fondness for the Barnes & Noble trade editions of the Classics, even though they have the notes at the end of the book instead of on the same page (I just use a mini Post-It Note as a bookmark for that seciton and it's really no big deal to flip back if I need to.)
Ann wrote: It's not my favorite McEwan, but there are some scenes in SOLAR that I love! I finished Solar, and for the most part enjoyed it. There were a few scenes though where I cringed and got embarrassed for Beard's actions. That happens to me when I watch certain TV shows too. When I see people acting in such an embarrassing manner I just feel the embarrassment myself and have to look away.
"Solar" has been getting the oddest reviews from professional book critics.
Ann wrote: "Vanessa, I really need to go back and read the earlier Jack Reacher books. Thanks for the reminder.Reliable Wife: I liked it, and think it would be a good discussion book for a book group. It's n..."
Wuthering Heights is a good comparison, Ann. I liked it but I can see where the topics and mood would get a lot of readers down.
Andrea wrote: "I just finished Catching Fireand now I'm having to cope with the "ending" that left me hanging until the last in the series comes out. I'm currently reading [book:Await Your Reply|6..."Welcome to the club of people who can't wait for the final Hunger Games book to come out - it's growing daily. I gave a friend of mine the first book for her birthday recently. She loved it so much that immediately after finishing it, she ran out to B & N and bought the 2nd book. Now she's ready to kill me because of the "ending."
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Books on the Nightstand
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Apparently angels are the subject of romance novels now. Uhm, weird?