Books on the Nightstand discussion
What are you reading: April 2011
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Apr 29, 2011 03:01AM
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Listening to The Girl Who Played with Fire and it finally took off for me after the midway point. I can't wait to find a flimsy excuse to get back in the car!Read The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below Their Means as a library e-book. Meh. There are many frugal living books that have more useful content than this. But it was quick and somewhat entertaining.
Just finished Charlie All Night which is a shorter, older romantic comedy by Jennifer Crusie. I like her writing, but this wasn't one of my favorites. I am using this to pad my personal challenge numbers--counting as something off my own shelf.
Now, looking for something to pick up, but can't figure out what reading mood I'm in.
Mod
A Red Herring Without Mustard. It should not have taken me as long as it did (I had it for Booktopia) but there has been NO time since I got back.I think I'm starting
Guys Read: Funny Businessnext since I missed last night's discussion about Something Missing
John thanks for the War & Peace info. I'll check it out this weekend. 2/3 of the way through Moloka'i and loving it. I'll be sad when this one ends.
I finished The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie.
To enjoy an Ann Beattie story, you must first absorb a sort of family tree which describes the relationships among members of a non-traditional family. For example, Man A's Mother (B), is dying. A is recently divorced from C, and has taken up with D (a young college student). E is C's son from a prior marriage, who still lives with A because he gets along better with A than with C. F is D's dog, Newton, who has very specific habits and quirks of his own.
Once these relationships are set in one's head, the fun can begin. There is often just as much care taken in a Beattie short story to set up a web of relationships as there is in most novels. The earlier stories, from the seventies, are often funny, almost hippie-dippie screwball comedies. Or in the alternative, set-pieces where a character must come to a complex realization of what career or relationship course he or she will pursue next. In the aftermath of the sixties, the characters in the seventies stories aren't anchored to established American notions of family, and uncouple and recouple like train cars into unusual and complex family units. Ann Beattie is the chronicler of the non-nuclear family.
The eighties are a dicey period for Beattie's short fiction. These stories often feel unfinished. You'll get the same type of intro, where you're drawn into a complex web of relationships, but the ultimate point seems to be achieved when a character experiences a complex emotional state that cannot be put into words. Then the story ends abruptly. These eighties stories are often very short, but a lot of work to get through.
There are two stories from the early nineties, then, starting in 2000, a series of stories from the oughts. These most recent stories are brilliant. The final three or four stories in the volume are masterpieces of short fiction. Beattie has added to her palette the issues of aging and death, while still juggling fractured family dynamics as a backdrops. These stories are funny, wise, thoughtful, and poignant. Everything you want in fiction.
To enjoy an Ann Beattie story, you must first absorb a sort of family tree which describes the relationships among members of a non-traditional family. For example, Man A's Mother (B), is dying. A is recently divorced from C, and has taken up with D (a young college student). E is C's son from a prior marriage, who still lives with A because he gets along better with A than with C. F is D's dog, Newton, who has very specific habits and quirks of his own.
Once these relationships are set in one's head, the fun can begin. There is often just as much care taken in a Beattie short story to set up a web of relationships as there is in most novels. The earlier stories, from the seventies, are often funny, almost hippie-dippie screwball comedies. Or in the alternative, set-pieces where a character must come to a complex realization of what career or relationship course he or she will pursue next. In the aftermath of the sixties, the characters in the seventies stories aren't anchored to established American notions of family, and uncouple and recouple like train cars into unusual and complex family units. Ann Beattie is the chronicler of the non-nuclear family.
The eighties are a dicey period for Beattie's short fiction. These stories often feel unfinished. You'll get the same type of intro, where you're drawn into a complex web of relationships, but the ultimate point seems to be achieved when a character experiences a complex emotional state that cannot be put into words. Then the story ends abruptly. These eighties stories are often very short, but a lot of work to get through.
There are two stories from the early nineties, then, starting in 2000, a series of stories from the oughts. These most recent stories are brilliant. The final three or four stories in the volume are masterpieces of short fiction. Beattie has added to her palette the issues of aging and death, while still juggling fractured family dynamics as a backdrops. These stories are funny, wise, thoughtful, and poignant. Everything you want in fiction.
reading Cold Mountain and The Weird Sisters, I'll be done in May
I am readingThe Art of Racing in the Rain for one of my book clubs...I can't decide if I like it or not. Also readingA Visit from the Goon Squad which I waited for the paperback version to be published. I heard and read so much about this book that I am glad i can finallly get to it.
Kate wrote: "I am readingThe Art of Racing in the Rain for one of my book clubs...I can't decide if I like it or not. Kate, I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain but then again, I love most anything with dogs. And this is told from the dogs point of view! I hope you enjoy it!
Just finished Mudbound, which I enjoyed very much, even if the character development was a bit weak. The story itself was strong, and I loved the scene descriptions- the atmosphere was palpable.I've started The Windup Girl, which I believe someone called into the podcast about (possibly Hope?), and so far it is really good. My husband thinks that it sounds kind of similar to Blade Runner, so that will be interesting to talk about later on.
Also, I'm still listening to Harlen Coben's Hold Tight, which is my first book by the author... and all I have to say is, what the heck took me so long??
John wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Just finished The Year of the Flood and LOVED it. Wish I'd read it right after Oryx and Crake. Does anyone else have a hard time remembering previous books when it's..."
Just finished Dracula in Love...I liked it..not sure if I loved it.I'm not usually a fan of vampire books so it was a nice change...but I'm going back to the "real world" of current fiction.
Last week I finished reading 'House Arrest' by Ellen Meeropol. DID NOT LIKE. Read my review if interested.
Wow, Julie, I read your review. I'm planning to read it for the Retreat Author Reading Challenge and am even more interested to see what I think of it now. Books that provoke strong reactions (whether good or bad) always intrigue me.
Mod
Let us know the end result and also how your book group liked this. I couldn't convince mine to try it but I thought it was wonderful and I'm not even a all out dog lover.
Eric wrote: "I finished The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie.Thanks Eric for the review. This book is in my list and I am looking forward to reading it.
I've been listening to BOTN for about a year and enjoy it tremendously. Keep up the good work! I just joined GoodReads, and was thrilled to find your group here.
Mod
Do be sure to let us know what you're reading in the "What are you currently reading - June 2011" thread (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...)
There is much more activity there (since this thread was for April) and I know that people will want to welcome you to the group.
Books on the Nightstand
Books mentioned in this topic
The New Yorker Stories (other topics)The Year of the Flood (other topics)
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (other topics)
Mudbound (other topics)
The Windup Girl (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Téa Obreht (other topics)Chris Bohjalian (other topics)
Chris Bohjalian (other topics)
R.J. Ellory (other topics)
C.S. Forester (other topics)
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