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Constant Reader
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What I'm Reading - June 2012
I've been unable to get to GR for a few weeks... no internet yet @ the house we've moved to, and work too crazy to have a "break" with GR.... Hope I don't annoy folks by responding to OLD posts...Zorro: yes, I read Dunnett's LC (and the linked series, House of Niccolo). I hope you post about The Game of Kings here! The only discussions I've ever found were on boards for über-fans who read, read, and re-read the books. (I'm a one-timer.)
Angle of Repose may be my favorite book by Stegner. It was also the first I read, quite a while back. (Close runner-up: Crossing to Safety
As to my own recent reading: I am entering into my Summer Mystery Phase, which began with Silent in the Sanctuary. Two stars. It is a Victorian mystery-romance (didn't realize the imprint was a subsidiary of Harlequin!), but rather light on the latter and, well, bungling with the former. Some people love, love, love the main character. I didn't.
Now I'm reading Hunting Season by Nevada Barr. This is part of a series that features a woman ranger and each book is set in a different national park. The settings are interesting, but the writing is pretty matter-of-fact thus far.
John wrote: "My library has the audio download for Gone Girl, about which I'm quite psyched!"We've talked about her two previous novels, right? I seem to remember you've read them, John. Going to try to get further tonight, before I conk out.
Indeed I have, Sara. While I didn't care for the second one as much as the first, I did care about the protagonist, Libby Day.
John wrote: "Indeed I have, Sara. While I didn't care for the second one as much as the first, I did care about the protagonist, Libby Day."Exactly my feelings as well.
I'm not a fan of poetry, so wasn't that familiar with Mark Doty as a writer. However, Firebird, his memoir of childhood rated a rare five stars from me. Raw in places, without being a tear-jerker, and being such an accomplished poet, he selects exactly the rights words (images) consistently throughout.
John wrote: "I'm not a fan of poetry, so wasn't that familiar with Mark Doty as a writer. However, Firebird, his memoir of childhood rated a rare five stars from me. Raw in places, without being a tear-jerker, ..."Mark Doty is one of my favorite writers, be it prose or poetry. I love his poetry, and have taken a couple of workshops with him. Such a gracious man.
However, his prose is wonderful, too. If you're a dog person, or even if you're not, I highly recommend Dog Years Also Still Life With Oysters and Lemon: On Objects and Intimacy
Al wrote: "Ioana,I am anxiously awaiting The Song of Achilles, as soon as it comes in from the library, it is going to the top of the pile!
Sara, I just requested Gone Girl. Keep us posted.
I got The Newl..."
Al,
You will not regret it, it's a very good book. I will need to read more about the war of Troy, I don't really know how much is real and how much fiction, but the story flows well, and that's usually what I look for in a book.
I might be in minority here, mostly because my background in history is limited, but deviations from the actual historic facts, if they help the story, don't bother me too much. We'll see how I feel when I will read about events I really know about :)
John wrote: "My library has the audio download for Gone Girl, about which I'm quite psyched!"Mine doesn't :(
At least, not yet. I hope they will get it soon.
thank you so much for the link to the Angle of Repose discussion. It was fascinating and gave me a much clearer picture of /wallace Stegner. I have actually read most of his books, and short stories and now I realize wh;y they had such an impact. I believe when someone writes about something the;y have experienced or observed the;y just have a greater depth of emotional connectedness-which totally shows up in their stories. When I was reading all of Wallace Stegner's works, one thing I recall is that I could not just read and read. I had to step away often and come back after I could emotionally handle moving forward with the story. I especially experienced this with The Big Rock Candy Mountain. (I had read his short stories prior to reading this and so essentially knew where TBRCM was going b/c the short stories had much of the material from this book in it). It was almost painful to read. It was heart breaking at moments. And, that is what makes W.S. such a great author-he makes you feel deeply.
Sylvia,We are going to be reading The Big Rock Candy Mountain on the classics board later this year. Please join in that discussion.
I was just catching up-backwards-on my Good Reads emails and just saw that the Big Rock Candy Mountain made the list for reading later this year. If when that comes someone can copy in all of that great info on Wallace Stegner from the Angle of Repose thread, especially on his bio and all of those comments when he died, that will bring a lot of clarity to the discussion. And I must say Big Rock Candy Mountain can be a tough read, but well worth it...frustrating, heart breaking, and more frustrating :)
I've finished the first book of The Man of Property: The Forsyte Saga (Soames has stopped invading my dreams, I'm happy to say) and am going on. Quite the read.I also read way past when I planned to turn out the light last night with Gone Girl--I'm at around 90 pages in, and as usual, Flynn tightens the proverbial noose with every chapter. At this point I already trust no one. Good stuff.
Sara, do you think it best to read Flynn in order?
Al - the first book held my attention a lot better than the second, as that one contained a lot of flashback-backstory that didn't really interest me nearly as much as the present-day events concerning Libby Day, the protagonist.
John wrote: "Al - the first book held my attention a lot better than the second, as that one contained a lot of flashback-backstory that didn't really interest me nearly as much as the present-day events concer..."I agree with John, Al--I prefer the first to her second. But I don't think it matters in what order--they're all different, so dive in where it looks good!
Just dropped in to catch up; glad to see the comments about "Wild". I've been contemplating reading it, but decided to delay it until my son finishes his 5-6 month trek on the Appalachian Trail. I don't know if her story is one that would increase my anxiety level or not, but I'm not going to chance it :-) I definitely plan on reading it after he's safely home though.
Yesterday, I finished reading Seven Up by Janet Evanovich and today I've started The Client by John Grisham.
Mary Jo,I definitely would wait to read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail until after your son is safely home!
Finished Gone Girl. It's very well written, but I did pretty much guess the big reveal halfway through, which didn't make the second half any less readable, leading up to an ending I pretty much saw coming. I just didn't find it as revelatory as the reviews are implying. Good, but not great. Flynn's first book remains her best for me.
I'm reading The Zookeeper's Wife and it's fascinating stuff especially since I am going to be traveling in Warsaw, Poland soon. However, the writing is a bit clunky and I am realizing once again that nonfiction writers rarely put words together as beautifully as fiction writers.
Barbara wrote: "I'm reading The Zookeeper's Wife and it's fascinating stuff especially since I am going to be traveling in Warsaw, Poland soon. However, the writing is a bit clunky and I am realizing once again t..."I listened to this one as an audiobook, Barb, and I agree, the writing isn't as beautiful as some non-fiction I've read, but it's still pretty compelling. Some of it is quite sad, and some absolutely remarkable.
Mary Jo, When your son is home, I would love to see photos of his trek. Is your son traveling solo? I think the fact that she was a woman who had no hiking experience and that she was walking alone made the book more nail biting. I was left with the feeling that this is a powerful and positive experience in so many ways. Is your son able to keep in touch? Does he occasionally travel through towns for supplies, etc? At least he won't have to deal with the snow that Cheryl Strayed encountered.
The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff
Audio book performed by Kimberly Farr, Rebecca Lowman, Arthur Morey, and Daniel Passer
3.5***
There are two completely different, yet connected, storylines in this novel.
In contemporary Utah, a man is murdered at his desk. He is a polygamist and was online playing poker when he sent a quick message to halt the game because “wife # 19 is here.” Jordan Scott cannot believe that his mother was the shooter, yet her fingerprints are all over the weapon and so she sits in jail facing possible execution. How Jordan returns to the rural, secluded community, where The Prophet rules the members of his religious cult, to prove his mother’s innocence forms the basis of the contemporary portion of the book.
Juxtaposed with that story is the background of Ann Eliza Webb Dee Young – Brigham Young’s so-called 19th Wife. Set in the latter half of the 19th century, this historical novel explores the beginnings of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the issues that led to the Church’s denouncing of polygamy.
The novel moves back and forth between the story lines. I’ve read a number of reviews that criticize Ebershoff for this technique. It’s a difficult style to pull off, and I thought he did a reasonably good job of it. I was never confused about what timeframe I was in, and I thought jumping back and forth helped to build tension and suspense. That being said, I was much more interested in the historical aspect of the novel. The contemporary murder mystery had too many holes in it and ended unsatisfactorily. But Ann Eliza’s story was fascinating to me, and it was that portion that really kept me reading. I’d rate the historical novel 4**** and the contemporary mystery 2**. That would average to 3, but I think that would be a little low for the overall book. So I rate it 3.5*** - a little better than average.
The audio book was very good. Using four different performers really helped to clearly identify the story lines and differentiate the many characters.
Thanks, B.C. My library owns this and I've put it on my list on their website. I really like audiobooks with multiple narrators.
Al wrote: "Mary Jo,I definitely would wait to read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail until after your son is safely home!"
Good advice. I would definitely wait also.
Sara wrote: "Still going with the first book of The Forsyte Saga which is quite wonderful. Makes me think a lot of my dad (what would have been his 96th birthday is in a couple of weeks) who was a huge fan of ..."Sara,
I am reading SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn. What a likeable but messed up main character! Of course, after we meet her mother, we understand why she is the way she is.
Washington Square – Henry James
4****
Catherine Sloper is a not-so-young woman who really hasn’t much to recommend her or to attract a husband. She is somewhat plain, not terribly intelligent, not accomplished in music, dance, conversation or art. However, she does have a significant income (from her mother’s estate) and expectations of inheriting far more from her father, a brilliant physician in mid-19th-century New York City. At her cousin’s engagement party she meets a handsome gentleman, who, encouraged by her widowed Aunt Lavinia Penniman, begins to pay her particular attention.
The focus of this entire novel is money. But James manages to craft a tale that explores not only wealth, how it is used and what it means, but social class, family structure, filial obedience, parental responsibility, and strength of character. Catherine may be described by everyone as “sweet, but simple,” but she has a will of steel, and will show her father that he has grossly underestimated her.
Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to read a Henry James novel. For some reason I thought he would be “difficult,” with long, complicated sentence structure and archaic language. If you have the same notion, get over it. This is a very approachable story. I was engaged and interested from the beginning. Of course, now I’ve added more Henry James to my tbr mountain … but I think that’s a good thing.
Thanks Al and Larry; I will definitely wait until he is off the trail to read it. Jane, he is traveling solo, though right now a hiking friend has joined him for a section of the trail. If you'd like to follow his adventure, he's keeping a public journal at:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cf...
He journals every day and posts them when he gets connectivity, along with pictures. Please feel free to read his journal and, if you wish, you can sign his guest book... encouraging messages are always welcome! He left Springer Mountain, Georgia, on April 7th and he's currently 700+ miles in; the trail is 2181 miles long and ends at Katahdin, Maine; it's a journey of approximately 5 million steps and takes him through 14 states... quite an adventure :-)
I'm reading the latest issue of Rattle:Poetry for the 21st Century. http://www.rattle.com/poetry/current/
Welcome, Sara Grace. I read The Night Circus a month or so ago, and "delightful" is the right word for it!
There but for the Ali Smith Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Susan CainHow the Canyon Became Grand Stephen Pyne Montaigne's Travel Journal tr and ed Donald M Frame
Hi Sara Grace; Justin is having a wonderful time; he's seeing some really beautiful country and meeting great people. We're all very appreciative of all the people along the way who run the hostels and camps, maintain the trails, and especially the "trail angels" who leave unexpected surprises, sometimes as simple as a cooler filled with cold drinks and fresh fruit, all the way to fresh BBQ'd burgers with all the fixin's! It's an experience I know he'll never forget and we're all very thankful for the generosity of strangers; I imagine it must be as rewarding for the "angels" as it is for the hikers. I hope you get to be a part of it someday :-)
Charles wrote: "There but for the Ali Smith Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Susan CainHow the Canyon Became Grand Stephen Pyne Montaigne's Travel Journal tr and ed Donald M Frame"I keep meaning to read Ali Smith but haven't gotten around to it. Have you read her other novels, Charles? Do you think this would be a good one to start with?
Book Concierge wrote: "Washington Square – Henry James
4****
Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to read a Henry James novel. For some reason I thought he would be “difficult,” with long, complicated sentence structure and archaic language..."
The novels from James's late period do in fact have long, complicated sentence structure--I love them, but they can be a lot of work. But WASHINGTON SQUARE is a great read. If I'm remembering correctly THE AMERICAN and THE EUROPEANS are similar, but I don't remember them as well as WASHINGTON SQUARE.
MAP wrote: "Very interesting, BC, since I am reading about Henry James in The Master. Have you read it yet?"Hope it's okay if I jump in here. I've read THE MASTER and have also read the David Lodge novel about James's life called AUTHOR, AUTHOR. The two books came out within six months of each other, I think--Lodge actually wrote an essay called "The Year of Henry James." Both books are terrific (IMHO) but they're very different from each other. Toibin's is stylistically spare and he keeps a greater emotional distance from his main character. Lodge's book sprawls a bit, but I found it a truly fun read.
What about you, MAP, are you liking THE MASTER?
MAP wrote: "Very interesting, BC, since I am reading about Henry James in The Master. Have you read it yet?"No, I haven't. It isn't even on my tbr ... yet. Tell me more.
Charles Kuralt's America - Charles Kuralt
3***
Charles Kuralt hosted a popular Sunday Morning segment on CBS. I loved that show, and Kuralt’s mellifluous baritone voice overs. This book was written after he had retired from television. He spends an entire year going to different states, spending a full month in each state he visits. What does he do with all this free time? He spends it just hanging out, enjoying the weather and the ambience, connecting with old friends, meeting new friends, eating, fishing and enjoying life in general.
Reading this road trip book, I realized that I missed Kuralt’s voice (though I could almost hear it in my head). I really missed the TV film crew’s gorgeous photography. The book does include photos from each state, but they are in black and white, and they are not professional photos but more snapshots. Like I said, I loved the TV show and still miss it; those little vignettes were the perfect way to end the morning news show. An entire book of Kuralt’s musings is a little too much at once. I was reading it at the same time I was reading other books … doling it out in small sections over two weeks. That helped, but this kind of book really has no story arc, and I got bored.
I'm on the third story of Ethan Canin's Emperor of the Air. So far it's beautifully written and a little sad. I'm looking forward to the next seven.
Thanks, Book Concierge, for your review of Washington Square. I have been meaning to read it; now I definitely will do so. One of my all-time favorite films is THE HEIRESS (1949) with Olivia de Haviland and Montgomery Clift, based on this book.Marge
Finished Walk the Blue Fields: Stories by Claire Keegan, wonderful book of short stories, all set in rural Ireland. Highly recommended to short story lovers.Also read another Jane Gardam, God on the Rocks after recently reading The Queen Of The Tambourine. I think I have to read all Gardam's books. I particularly liked "Queen".
Just finished the very absorbing Defending Jacob. It has a very intelligent, thus appealing, narrative voice.
All the Pretty Horses – Cormac McCarthy
Book on CD performed by Alexander Adams
2.5**
My rating remains the same from when I first read this book, in 2009. At the time, I had met author Leif Enger at a luncheon and he was practically aghast that I had never read any of McCarthy’s works. He told me I absolutely must read the book, and having done so, I understand why. The adventure / coming-of-age story is compelling, but the style is not to my liking - too choppy and sparse. His lack of quotes or explanation makes it hard to follow dialogue when reading the text. I appreciated the novel, but I didn't recommend it. Among my reasons were the amount of violence, and the use of Spanish, which I felt would be problematic for many readers.
UPDATE: 13 June 2012 For this re-reading I chose the audio book. Alexander Adams does a great job of voicing all the many characters, giving them sufficiently unique voices that it is fairly easy to follow the dialogue. One significant complaint, however, is that Adams cannot properly pronounce the Spanish. Okay, I understand his obviously “gringo” accent when he’s voicing Grady or one of the other boys attempting Spanish. But he mispronounces place names, and mangles the Spanish spoken by the Mexicans. I speak Spanish and McCarthy’s use of the language didn’t bother me much when I read the book, but Adams’s pronunciation was so awful that a couple of times I could not tell what was being said until I got the text and looked it up! This irritated me so much I nearly dropped my rating further.
I will say this about McCarthy’s writing, however. He paints a landscape that is so vivid that I can taste the dusty grit, feel the sweat on my skin, and relish in the cool relief of a small stream and a little shade after a hot day on the trail. I don’t know if it’s entirely his skill (though I do not mean to diminish his skill as a writer); I grew up in that landscape and know it well. My father was born in the state of Coahuila; my mother and I were born in Del Rio, a Texas town on the Rio Grande. I’ve visited many of the cities and towns McCarthy writes about, and driven across that wide plain leading to Torreón, where, as my friend is fond of saying, “You can leave home today and they’ll see you cross the horizon next Thursday.”
Marjorie wrote: "Thanks, Book Concierge, for your review of Washington Square... One of my all-time favorite films is THE HEIRESS (1949) with Olivia de Haviland and Montgomery Clift, based on this book..."I've never seen that movie, though I did see the 1995 version of Washington Square starring Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Wonderful review, BC. I liked the book more than you did, but I can certainly understand your reservations. And it's too bad about the mispronunciations in the audio book. You think they would have been more careful!
I'm almost half way thru The Black God's War which I am really enjoying. I've also just started Fifty Shades of Grey
Kat wrote: "MAP wrote: "Very interesting, BC, since I am reading about Henry James in The Master. Have you read it yet?"Hope it's okay if I jump in here. I've read THE MASTER and have also read the David Lod..."
BC & Kat, yes, I am enjoying THE MASTER, although it took me a while to get into it. Not exactly a page turner. This is Toibin's homage to James, so the pacing is similar. So the reader realizes that she must take a breath and go with this tempo. Once over that hurdle, it is superb. He fills in some back story on James. I don't know enough literary history to know what is true and what is fictionalized. One of the first interesting tidbits is James' jealousy of Wilde. I would guess that this was true, as Wilde had 2 plays running in London, while James' only attempt at a play flopped.
Kat, I did read The Year of Henry James, mainly because I really love David Lodge, but I didn't really like this book much. It turns out there were actually three books about James that came out in the same year, the third being Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty, which won the Booker. Lodge's book turned out to be the third published, and so suffered in reviews as if he wrote a "me too" book. He clearly thinks his send up was the best, and but for bad timing would have won the Booker himself. It interesting how this theme of literary jealousy comes up even in books about Henry James, isn't it?
I love The Heiress, Marjorie.
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Madonnas has been on my "to read" list for a while, Janet. With your description, I think that I will raise it to the top of the pile.