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Constant Reader
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What I'm Reading August 2012
I'm about half way thru The Road to Hell which has been really good so far. The imagry in this book is awesome.
Just finished Canada by Richard Ford. Here's the review I posted.I loved Richard Ford's Independence Day so I immediately snapped up this new book. It has the same deliberate pacing as Independence Day, the same kind of musing and mulling over the significance of things, the same diversions into memory ornamenting its leisurely progress toward a conclusion.
Twice the author uses a heavy hand with the foreshadowing to amp up the tension. And I have to say it worked for me, even as I felt myself being manipulated.
I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. What keeps me from giving it more was that I felt this kind of evaluation of actions and life was too mature for a 15-year-old boy. It was better in the voice of middle-aged Frank Bascombe. True, the book is in the voice of a 65-year-old man looking back, but he attributes insights to himself at 15, that I have difficulty believing.
Lone,I read history sometimes. I am slowly reading Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. Last month I readThe Swerve: How the World Became Modern.
Can I ask how you developed in interest in early English history?
Kat wrote: "Sara wrote: "Listening to And Sometimes Why, which is funny and beautifully written, but is going off on some odd tangents. Also listening to Juliet in August, which is just so wonderful--beautiful..."Kat, I am with you. I consider A Fine Balance as one of the best books I have read!
Ann wrote: "Lone,I read history sometimes. I am slowly reading Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. Last month I readThe Swerve: How the World Became Modern.
Can I ask how you developed in in..."
Hi Ann,
Well I have always been interested in history on and off over the years but I'm taking classes at University in the English department hence me focusing on English history at the moment.
Reading the Anglo-Saxon book was also interesting due to the invasions from Scandinavia, especially the Vikings as I'm a Dane myself! :-) I actually had no idea that my ancestors invaded England so many times over such a long period. I did know that the Vikings had invaded England I just had no idea of the scale of these invasions and I must admit that I had no idea that England at one point actually had a Viking as king as well.
From what I understand then a lot of Englishmen in East Angelia, York and further up north must derive from the Vikings as many Vikings settled down in these areas which you also can see from the names of towns and several words still used in their kind of English.
Having said all this I have recently read a two volumed novel of the life of Hildegard which I found quite interesting as well. I think you could 'boil my interest down' to how people thought, what they believed in, how they socialized etc. which is not to say that laws are not interesting as I find they also show how they viewed and understood the world they were living in. For example in my small review of the Anglo-Saxon England book I've mentioned that one English king exempted children under the age of fifteen from the death penalty which to me show that he must have thought about how old a person has to be before they can be made responsible for their actions or maybe there were other reasons for this change in his line of thinking (?).
I've finished A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi. He links forms of insanity with leadership qualities, and various historical leaders. It's a fascinating study. Well worth the time.I've started, and am in fact, 3/4ths of the way through The Ethical Assassin, a rather odd, and unexpected pleasure. Not what I expected. The narrative is by the 17 year old encyclopedia salesman that witnesses an assassination.
I just finished The Newlyweds and found it fairly absorbing. Interested in what others thought of it.
The mixed reactions to that one make me leery of starting it.
Lyn wrote: "I just finished The Newlyweds and found it fairly absorbing. Interested in what others thought of it."I wound up liking it quite a lot--I think if the story hadn't taken the turn it does, I probably would have chalked it up as kind of mediocre.
Lone,I think we are interested in the same aspects of history. Now that you mention your Viking connections :-), I have remembered that part of England used to be called "Danelaw."
I just finished FAMILY MATTERS. Several of the blurbs on the cover said it is like a big 19th century novel. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really liked it. I look forward to the start of the discussion next week.
Ann wrote: "Lone,I think we are interested in the same aspects of history. Now that you mention your Viking connections :-), I have remembered that part of England used to be called "Danelaw."
I just finishe..."
Yes, I read about the 'Danelaw' and how the Vikings had special laws made just to suit their own customs of doing things.
The book 'A Fine Balance' by who?
The Island of Lost Maps - Miles Harvey
4****
This is an absolutely fascinating true crime account of the cartomaniac who stole hundreds of priceless maps from the stacks of such illustrious libraries as The Peabody (at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore). The aptly named Gilbert Bland Jr used several aliases and was never questioned by security or librarians. He gave every appearance of being a mild-mannered scholar. But he sliced maps out of ancient books, and then sold them to collectors.
Harvey crafts the story like the best true-crime writers. The reader knows the crime and the criminal pretty much at the outset, but it’s the hunt for why? that propels the narrative. Along the way Harvey includes considerable information about map-making and the human fascination with maps since ancient times. I was captivated from the opening lines.
Lone, I meant to write FAMILY MATTERS (not A FINE BALANCE). They are both by Rohinton Mistry, an Indian-Canadian writer. We will discuss FAMILY MATTERS on Constant Reader starting on August 15.
Book Concierge wrote: "
The Island of Lost Maps - Miles Harvey
4****
Nice job with the review, BC! You make it sound like a must read, so I'm ordering it from the library right away.
The Island of Lost Maps - Miles Harvey
4****
Nice job with the review, BC! You make it sound like a must read, so I'm ordering it from the library right away.
Tina wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "The Island of Lost Maps - Miles Harvey
4****
Nice job with the review, BC! You make it sound like a must read, so I'm ordering it from th..."
I read this a couple of years ago and enjoyed it.
I'm halfway through Miss Buncle's Book, which gets great reviews, but seems dated, and somewhat tedious, to me.
Ann wrote: "Lone, I meant to write FAMILY MATTERS (not A FINE BALANCE). They are both by Rohinton Mistry, an Indian-Canadian writer. We will discuss FAMILY MATTERS on Constant Reader starting on August 15."
Ah I see! I cannot keep up these days with my huge to-be-read-pile let alone read the books you read in the group read. Hopefully I shall join you another time.
On the analogy with Olympic diving--it just has to be "excellent," not "perfect" to get a 10--I'm giving Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire 5 stars. There's a lot that's overstated or too self-consciously combative, etc., but the overall earnestness and thoughtfulness of the book make it one of those you think of as not only good but important.
The Poet - Michael Connelly
Audio book read by Buck Schirner
4****
Jack McEvoy is the ace crime reporter for the Rocky Mountain News, so he’s used to dealing with violent death. But when his twin brother, a homicide detective, commits suicide he just cannot let it rest. Trying to come to grips with how Sean could become so despondent, Jack begins to research suicide among law enforcement officers and notices an unusual pattern.
Connelly is a master at crafting a suspenseful thriller / mystery. There are plenty of clues – and misclues – to keep our hero, the police, FBI and the reader guessing. I was surprised by the reveal, although it’s pretty clear the story isn’t over when the FBI think they have their man and there’s still 80 pages to go in the book. There’s the obligatory romantic tension, which I wish authors of the genre would abandon, but this doesn’t get in the way of the book.
Schirner shines in this audio version, though his voice tends to be more gravelly than I like. He has great pacing and manages the female voices fairly well.
I'm about 2/3 of the way thru The Dragonslayer's Sword which has been really good so far. Am looking forward to The Iron Maiden
Book Concierge wrote: "
The Poet - Michael Connelly
Audio book read by Buck Schirner
4****
Jack McEvoy is the ace crime reporter for the Rocky Mountain News, so he’s used to dealing with violent deat..."
I like Michael Connelly's writing, but hadn't heard of this one. Thanks, BC.
ETA: And, my library owns this audiobook. I love it when that happens.
Connelly's The Poet is, I believe, a stand-alone novel.
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Book on CD performed by Kate Rudd
4**** (on the strength of the audio performance)
From the dust jacket: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
There is much to like about this novel – characters that behave as one would expect real teenagers facing a terminal illness to behave, dialogue that sounds real and a plot that takes us where we’d expect but in a fresh, new way. On the other hand, I thought the plot was predictable. Also, I really did not like the whole Dutch writer subplot and thought it detracted from the book. Was Green just inserting Van Houten there to contrast this older, self-destructive, and self-absorbed character with the young, inquisitive, kind-hearted teens? If that was his intention, well … it seemed heavy-handed to me.
Kate Rudd does a superb job, however, performing the audio book. I’m thinking that I would have rated it only 3*** had I read it in text version. Her facility with the various voices and accents really brought the characters to life (and she had Green’s well-written dialogue to work with). I fell in love with Augustus by the voice Rudd gave him.
I've finished reading The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen this morning and now I'm about to start I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
Ellie wrote: "I've finished reading The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen this morning and now I'm about to start I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith."I enjoyed I Capture the Castle, Ellie.
I have finished The Submission and The Snow Child this month, and am currently reading The Book of Madness and Cures (which I am not loving, and am really hoping it is not going where I think it might). I have Swamplandia!, Sorry Please Thank You: Stories, Await Your Reply lined up. I also downloaded the first Pulitzer novel winner, His Family--and have read the first chapter. I just hate reading on my ipad, and the library doesn't have this for checkout :(
Nicole wrote: "Kat wrote: "Sara wrote: "Listening to And Sometimes Why, which is funny and beautifully written, but is going off on some odd tangents. Also listening to Juliet in August, which is just so wonderfu..."I absolutely loved A Fine Balance too! I can't wait to read Family Matters.....I hope it is as good as A Fine Balance !
Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb - Melanie Benjamin
5*****
Lavinia Warren was only 32 inches high, but had ambitions that were not limited by her diminutive size. She was a real person, more popularly known as Mrs General Tom Thumb – the wife of P T Barnum’s famous “oddity.” In the midst of Civil War, their wedding was front-page news. They were received by Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, and heads of state around the world. They were befriended by the Astors, Vanderbilts and other high society families. They were the Brad and Angelina of their day, mobbed by crowds wherever they went, written about by reporters, the subjects of gossip and rumor, and victims of their own fame. All of this is true, but this book is a work of fiction.
Benjamin does a wonderful job of bringing Vinnie to life. The novel depicts a woman of great intelligence and drive. She is shown to be cunning, witty, talented and strong-willed. She is also vulnerable, frightened, angry, and cold, suppressing her feelings to protect herself as best she can. Her partnership with Barnum is wonderfully imagined and beautifully told. Benjamin gives us a woman who is defined by her character, not her height. All this is presented against a backdrop of historical events – Civil War, the opening of the West, and life in the Gilded Age.
I really liked this book. I was completely mesmerized by Vinnie’s story, and that of the other members of her troupe. I grew up in San Antonio Texas, the home of the Hertzberg Circus Collection. When I was a child I spent many a Saturday visiting the collection, which was housed in the main Public Library downtown. It is the oldest and largest public collection of circus memorabilia in America. There is a significant amount of Tom Thumb memorabilia; one of the artifacts is the coach custom-made for General Tom Thumb. Unfortunately, by 2001 the building had deteriorated so much that the collection was at risk. It was moved to storage and is now conserved by the Witte Museum. It is not currently on display, though the many volumes of books and records are available to scholars for research (by appointment only).
I finished The Ethical Assassin, and cannot recommend it inspite of a promishing beginning. It mires in it's own muck and is over the top heavy handed for my taste. Ethical? I don't think so. Have made a good start on Citizen Sherman:: A Life of William Tecumseh Sherman. I was inspired by a book I recently finished, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness, in which Sherman was one of the highlighted leaders. I highly recommend both.
Have finished Gone Tomorrow
(and am now out of Reacher until a new one comes out, dammit); Very Valentine
(at least there are two more to go in this trilogy so I'm not entirely bereft); Skirting the Grave
(love this series but found this one harder to follow than the others for some reason. One to go here before I'm stuck waiting...); The Sins of the Fathers
(I'm rereading this series-- not by accident-- but it turns out I'm reading them in order, which is ENTIRELY by accident!) all within the last week or so. So now I'm in the middle of Time to Murder and Create
and Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow
. Been awhile since I picked up a European historical royalty read.
I just finished The Big Rock Candy Mountain. I'll save comment for the discussion to come, and only say that I became very absorbed in it.Starting A Fine Balance now.
Have started chipping away at The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard. It's 1100 pages long!
Lyn wrote: "I just finished The Big Rock Candy Mountain. I'll save comment for the discussion to come, and only say that I became very absorbed in it.Starting A Fine Balance now."
Are you doing our Reading List book for August? Fine Balance is one of my favorite books, but we're discussing Family Matters this month. Those two have been mixed up here in the threads lately. Just wanted to check, but I highly recommend both books (even though I have not finished FM yet).
I finished The Lies of Locke Lamora. I enjoyed the book but for some reason it just took me forever to finish it.Now I'm reading Seed. Enjoying it so far.
Ann wrote: "Lone,I read history sometimes. I am slowly reading Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. Last month I readThe Swerve: How the World Became Modern.
Ann, I have a copy of Dower's EMBRACING DEFEAT. I know that it is a Pulitzer prize winner and is probably worth reading, but did you enjoy it? I also have a copy of THE SWERVE, but I'm currently reading Greenblatt's WILL IN THE WORLD: HOW SHAKESPEARE BECAME SHAKESPEARE. And I think that this earlier book by Greenblatt is fabulous.
Lone wrote: "I actually had no idea that my ancestors invaded England so many times over such a long period. " Many of my own ancestors invaded England in 1066 ... originally Vikings, by that time time they had become Normans. For good or bad, that time the invasion was a permanent thing.
Larry wrote: "Lone wrote: "I actually had no idea that my ancestors invaded England so many times over such a long period. " Many of my own ancestors invaded England in 1066 ... originally Vikings, by that time ..."It sounds as if your ancestors were Normans?
Yes, The Normans derive from the Vikings. Their first king Rollo was a Viking so England has been invaded over and over again by the same people and I think it's fair to say that just about every coastline has been attacked at one point or another.
I just finished the first Jack Reacher novel, KILLING FLOOR, and I loved it for the most part. There is one scene where Jack figures out where someone is hiding is an unbelievable manner. I can buy they way he can get rid of multiple bad guys but that "finding" scene was too much. I still gave it four stars.I finished FOOLS OF FORTUNE by William Trevor. It is another Irish tragedy, but what wonderful writing!
Lyn wrote: "I just finished The Big Rock Candy Mountain. I'll save comment for the discussion to come, and only say that I became very absorbed in it.Starting A Fine Balance now."
Excited for you Lyn, I hope you enjoy it! Its a sad read, some consider depressing, but it truly blew me away. A unforgettable novel.
Lone wrote: "It sounds as if your ancestors were Normans?" Many of my ancestors were from various Norman lines. Normans got around a lot in the 11th and 12th centuries. My wife is half Sicilian, with her family coming from Monreale, home of a famous Norman cathedral.
Larry wrote: "Lone wrote: "It sounds as if your ancestors were Normans?" Many of my ancestors were from various Norman lines. Normans got around a lot in the 11th and 12th centuries. My wife is half Sicilian, wi..."We have a lot in common, Larry. I'm half Sicilian (Santa Margherita di Belice.) My other half descends from Normans who came over with William the Conqueror.
Ruth wrote: "Larry wrote: "Lone wrote: "It sounds as if your ancestors were Normans?" Many of my ancestors were from various Norman lines. Normans got around a lot in the 11th and 12th centuries. My wife is hal..." Ruth, have you looked at John Julius Norwich's two books, The Normans in Sicily: The Normans in the South 1016-1130 and the Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194? I have to confess that I have the books but haven't read them.
Did several quick listens, including Black Betty (love Easy Rawlins) and Still Life, which was completely different from what I thought it would be (murder mystery set in a 1930's English village as opposed to contemporary small town near Montreal) and I am so looking forward to continuing both these series--
I just finished Family Matters and am looking forward to the discussion. I started At Some Disputed Barricade: A Novel, the fourth of Anne Perry's WWI series. I've had a Jack Reacher book on my shelf for months, loaned by a friend. I have never read anything by Lee Child but the comments here are tempting me to move the book further up my mental TBR list.
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Constant Reader
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I have The Book of Margery Kempe and The Canterbury Tales on my desk and I'm thinking of getting something about Hildegard as well. Anyone else reading about history?