What I'm Reading - February 2012

[Jennifer]

G wrote: "I've juggled up to seven, too, Jennifer and John, but I have to admit I really don't like juggling that many at once. I used to stick to one at a time, but I found I could get a lot more reading d..."

John wrote: "Jennifer -- I've juggled that many books on occasion, between print, ebook and audio formats, would you mind sharing what (some of) those titles might be, as I'm quite curious as to how varied the ..."

I'm reading Fellow Travelers which has one of the more interesting premises of the books I'm reading; The Red Queen which I was closest to finishing and therefore finished last night (and which, like everything I've read by this author, left me with mixed feelings); The Tin Roof Blowdown which is from a series I love without reservation but revisiting the Katrina stuff is proving unexpectedly painful so it's a difficult read; For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago which is delving farther into extraneous detail than I have the patience for so I'm skimming a lot at the moment; Evergreen Gallant which is just now getting compelling 150 pages in; Bad Luck And Trouble and Sins and Needles which are probably the two I'm most in the mood for, but they're both audio, dammit, so they're also the two my exposure to is most restricted! :-)

[John]

Thanks for the update! You managed to vary the selection at least.

[Jennifer]

John wrote: "Thanks for the update! You managed to vary the selection at least."

:-). I think varying is key to reading a number of books at once without getting them mixed up. Usually somewhere along the way one or another grabs my attention enough to get precedence long enough to finish it and start a cascade of book finishings. Waiting for one of these to step into the breach!

[Larry]

Sarah wrote: "Thanks, Larry. I love Pelecanos, so was happy to get the buck deal. I wonder how one discovers those deals on a regular basis?"

I stumbled upon it myself ... glad to see Sue's advice in her separate post.

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Jennifer wrote: "G wrote: "I've juggled up to seven, too, Jennifer and John, but I have to admit I really don't like juggling that many at once. I used to stick to one at a time, but I found I could get a lot more..."

Wow! Thanks for letting us know the titles. I confess, I haven't read any of those.

[Bernadette]

I have just finished Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

It provides a wonderful insight to living on a sink estate in contemporary Britain and in places it was very moving, especially the ending. Yet I felt the author was hemmed in by his choice of an adolescent protagonist. I went to an event with Stephen Kelman and he admitted: ‘this there is only so much you can do with writing from a child’s view.’

Hence he brought in the pigeon, but this didn’t work at all for me, it explained what we, discerning readers could work out for ourselves. Also, I understand the author didn’t use the pigeon because it is often used in literature as a spiritual messenger, which is a bit disappointing.

Yet using a child protagonist can work extremely well and doesn’t have to be limiting, I very much recommend The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, which is a great example.

So engaging but ultimately falling short. Apparently the publisher is now promoting it to a Young Adult audience. I can understand that this may well generate more sales, thought I very much question the Young Adult label. I think any serious child reader progresses from children’s literature straight to proper literature.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

I'm about 80 pages into True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. At first I had a hard time with it. It's written from the POV of Ned Kelly writing a letter to his daughter. He was uneducated and uses a kind of Irish/Australian vernacular that is often obscure to my ears. But after a bit, I was hearing a lilt in my head. I have to slow down and hear it, and it works very well. After having just read the Patchett book which flows effortlessly, this takes more work. It's very good, though. It will probably take me a bit longer than I thought, but I imagine it will be worth it.

[Carol]

Bernadette wrote: "I have just finished Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

It provides a wonderful insight to living on a sink estate in contemporary Britain and in places it was very moving, especially the ending. ..."

I have been wanting to read this book.

[Sue]

Sherry, you are so right about Patchett's Sense of Wonder. It does flow effortlessly in the reading. It's my first of her books.

[Aoibhínn]

I'm reading The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales.

[Tango]

Sherry wrote: "I'm about 80 pages into True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. At first I had a hard time with it. It's written from the POV of Ned Kelly writing a letter to his daughter. He ..."

That book is on our HSC (Year 12) list here in Australia, but I don't think many teach it as it's too hard for 17-18 year olds.

[Sarah]

Thanks, Sue. I'll do that.

[Jane]

A couple of days ago, I finished Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can't say that I am that fond of it this time around. I don't like any of the characters, but I did like the snapshot of ex-pats in Europe in the 1920s.

I started The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides since I read STATE OF WONDER last year. I am enjoying the Eugenides book and I really like Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George. I am about halfway through with it.

[Carol]

Jane I was not enthralled with Tender Is the Night either. I thought the character's were annoying.

[Ruth]

I'm not much taken with Fitzgerald in general.

[Carol]

I thought I was the only one, Ruth.

[Flora]

I've just finished which I liked overall. Currently I'm over half way thru which is really good so far. And I've just gotten started on

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Ruth wrote: "I'm not much taken with Fitzgerald in general."

I only like The Great Gatsby.

I'm reading On Canaan's Side and trying to get into Believing the Lie, but so far, that book isn't working for me. I'm really surprised. I usually love the "Inspector Lynley" mysteries.

[Sherry, Doyenne]

Hey, Flora, could you also put the book titles when you add covers?

[Jennifer]

G wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "G wrote: "I've juggled up to seven, too, Jennifer and John, but I have to admit I really don't like juggling that many at once. I used to stick to one at a time, but I found I cou..."

Heh-- as of yet, neither have I!!! LOL

[Jennifer]

Sue wrote: "Just read The Enchanted April. What a delight. I saw the movie in the theater years ago. Now I'll need to see it again."

And @all the other readers of The Enchanted April -- this seems to be the book of hers that most people happen upon first. But my first foray into Elizabeth Von Arnim was Mr Skeffington, which I sought out after seeing the Bette Davis movie- one of my favorites. The book and the movie don't have much in common, but both are good.

[Book Concierge]

Ann wrote: "BC, I heard Rebecca Skloot, author of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS speak last fall. She was a wonderful speaker. Like you, I found the book difficult to put down."

Yes, I've seen her, too. I have a signed first edition of Immortal Life... . I've always been interested in reading about science but this book is just written in a way that completely gripped me.

[Book Concierge]

Jane wrote: "A couple of days ago, I finished Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can't say that I am that fond of it ..."

Absolutely my reaction as well. I read it last year for a book club discussion. I appreciate the quality of Fitzgerald's writing, but I just didn't care a fig about any of the characters or what happened to them.

[Marjorie]

I have enjoyed P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh mysteries. But I found her Death Comes to Pemberley extremely boring. If this reflects Jane Austen's writing, I won't read Austen.

Marge

[Sue]

Jennifer wrote: "Sue wrote: "Just read The Enchanted April. What a delight. I saw the movie in the theater years ago. Now I'll need to see it again."

And @all the other readers of [book:The Enchanted A..."

thanks for the tip Jennifer.

[Rannie]

Ruth wrote: "I'm not much taken with Fitzgerald in general."
Thank you

[Carol]

Sue wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Sue wrote: "Just read The Enchanted April. What a delight. I saw the movie in the theater years ago. Now I'll need to see it again."

And @all the other readers of [boo..."

Free for your kindle , Sue.

[John]

Last night, I started listening to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, thinking it'd only be for a few minutes "just to see if I could get into it" - I ended up listening to all of Part One, nearly an hour.

[Beth]

I just finished reading Defending Jacob: A Novel . This is a excellent courtroom drama mystery. It starts slowly, drawing you in like an anaconda systematically squeezing its victim. By the time you reach the middle, you are trapped, the book stuck to your hands as the air is squeezed out of you. The story keeps changing as surprising revelations are casually dropped in your lap until you read the last two scenes with your mouth hanging open, finishing with a satisfying "Whoosh" for your last breath. Then the book lives with your for days afterward as you replay scenes in your mind. For me, that's what indicates a book deserves 5 stars. I highly recommend it!

[Sara]

Just finished listening to Mildred Pierce. Whew. Good, but puts the noir in noir.

[Ruth]

John wrote: "Last night, I started listening to The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, thinking it'd only be for a few minutes "just to see if I could get into it"..."

I was surprised by this one, too. It draws you in and keeps you there like a novel.

[Carol]

Sara wrote: "Just finished listening to Mildred Pierce. Whew. Good, but puts the noir in noir."

The Big Sleep is classic noir, Sara even more so than Mildred I think.

[John]

I'm nearly finished with The Big Sleep, and will say little at this point, except that I remain unconvinced about Elliot Gould's narration; most of the time, I've felt read-to from a text, rather than told a story, although he does the voices for character dialogue well.

[Carol]

To be honest I really was surprised that The Big Sleep won. Now I am at a loss about how to start the discussion. LOL

[John]

I was surprised that a mystery novel was even in the running. As for the discussion, I think it's one of those "here's why I really liked it (as well as a couple of points that didn't work for me)"; listening and not taking notes, I'm going to have a hard time referencing characters by name!

[Carol]

I did it for the gentlemen in the group, I thought they might like the first Phillip Marlowe book.

I started The Idiot last year, so now is a good time to finish it.

[Aoibhínn]

I've just started reading the third book in the Stephanie Plum series Three to Get Deadly.

[Sara]

Kitty wrote: "Sara wrote: "Just finished listening to Mildred Pierce. Whew. Good, but puts the noir in noir."

The Big Sleep is classic noir, Sara even more so than Mildred I think."

Actually, I was really commenting more on the grimness, rather than anything genre-specific. Just pretty dismal in mood.

[Carol]

Yes it was, Sara. Makes me grateful for my children.

[Sue]

Kitty wrote: "Sue wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Sue wrote: "Just read The Enchanted April. What a delight. I saw the movie in the theater years ago. Now I'll need to see it again."

And @all the other rea..."

I just looked at Amazon and didn't find it for kindle.

[Carol]

Here is link http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000JQU...

[Sue]

Sorry Kitty. I thought you meant Mr Skeffington. I have The Enchanted April. That's the copy I read. The only thing I didn't like were the typos.

[Jane]

Well, I finished Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James. There were some sections in the middle of the book that were priceless. I really felt as though James were channeling Austen. But, in general, I found the writing fell far short of Austen's. James had done her research. I had the sense that everything from the legal system to the meals to the serving dishes were historically accurate, but the life of the writing didn't emerge except occasionally, and the middle sections, Lady de Bourge (?) etc. were dead on.

[Barbara]

Beth wrote: "I just finished reading Defending Jacob: A Novel. This is a excellent courtroom drama mystery. It starts slowly, drawing you in like an ..."

I've read great reviews about this elsewhere too, Beth. When I read about the subject matter, I was afraid that it would be too intense, but it also sounds like it is very well written.

[Kat]

John wrote: "Trollope ... boring???"

I was being flippant. I'm a huge Trollope fan, have read over 20 of his. Of course though his novels include rich characters, the ins and outs of having and not having money is probably his principal subject matter.

[TheGirlBytheSeaofCortez]

Barbara wrote: "Beth wrote: "I just finished reading Defending Jacob: A Novel. This is a excellent courtroom drama mystery. It starts slowly, drawing yo..."

I read Defending Jacob tonight this afternoon and evening. It's a faster read than its size would make it seem. I wasn't going to read it since I wanted more courtroom drama and less family drama, but I changed my mind.

It is very intense. There are a lot of similarities to Presumed Innocent, but it lacks Turow's elegant writing. The ending was a surprise for me. I found it a sad book, and it didn't altogether add up for me. There were several places where I found myself saying, "He/she wouldn't do that," or "That wouldn't happen." I'd give it three stars.

[John]

Last night, I accidentally* opened Charles Dickens' Pictures from Italy, decided "What the heck!" and started reading - at around 100 pages, I convinced myself to put it down and go to bed. Funny, without being self-consciously so, as I'm afraid Twain often became.

* for those of you with Kindles, Sony e-readers display cover thumbnails that are tapped to "open" a book , and once that happens the book jumps to the head of the list, until deleted.

[Tom]

I'm about half way through rereading Wharton's The House of Mirth / The Reef / The Custom of the Country / The Age of Innocence, my 4th or fifth time (lost track, though some were for teaching purposes,this one for local book club), and I find it increasingly terrifying with each read.

[John]

You're reading all of those books ... at once?

[Tom]

Lawd,no,John. Excuse my carelessness. I'm reading House of Mirth from this edition. It's late, Virginia Tech just lost on a last second 3 pointer, and I'm distracted worrying about whether movers will make it through the mountains without shedding boxes of my books for more horse power. If they do, then I guess I'll just move on to The Custom of the Country.

And spend more time marveling at all the great lines in HoM, such as "Affluence, unless stimulated by a keen imagination, forms but the vaguest notion of the practical strain of poverty."