On the Southern Literary Trail discussion
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General Bookishness
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Retired: What are you reading?
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I knew as I typed I was going to get comments. I really am not a movie person, but I think I would like the book. So, yes, I did NOT like the movie.
Another Christmas book recommendation with a small town southern feel is O Little Town by Don Reid (member of Statler Brothers). I stumbled upon this one last year and really enjoyed it.I'm always on the look out for good Christmas reads.
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Laura wrote: "Thanks Tim, my library had that one too. Statler Brothers, country music?"Yep, those Statler Brothers. He's written a few books centered around his Mt Jefferson, Virginia town. I've been meaning to read the others as well.
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Yep, those Statler Brothers. He's written a few books centered around his Mt Jefferson, Virginia town. I've..."
Interesting, I just googled famous songs by them. Flowers on the wall and Elizabeth. Brought my childhood back!
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After Twelve Years a Slave I needed something light-hearted to read, so I started The Humans by Matt Haig today, and I'm 50% done already, which is always a good sign :)
Laura wrote: "How could I forget Hello MaryLou?!"Ha. I did that same thing when I first stumbled on this book. Hope you enjoy it.
Did someone say the Statler Brothers... "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo. Now don't tell me, I've nothing to do". Those guys had some stellar harmony and awesome lyrics in their songs. I've seen them in concert. Had no idea that one of them was a novel writer!
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LeAnne, I am the consummate media nerd (books, movies,music)
Sigh...I need you & the posse here in my book club. FUN!!!
LeAnne, Laura and I could sing Statler songs for your group. Right, Laura? "Counting flowers on the wall. That don't bother me at all."
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Can we get Bruce Willis to sing it with us?? I actually own the soundtrack to the movie & totally forgot about that song!
Giddyup a um papa um papa mauw mauw. Well, that's what it sounds like.
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Bruce, only if they put that soft lighting on him like they did on him and Sybill Shepard in Moonlighting.
Laura wrote: "We were on a cruise and a lady did that song at karaoke and she pulled her scarf off and rode it like a horse in the giddy up part! She wasn't intoxicated, wink, wink!"I bet she was sober as a preacher.
Anybody wonder if Laura was the said scarf rider? Maybe there was soft lighting on the karaoke stage & she just went with it.. o.O
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In November I read a bunch of New Zealand literature, and some memoir from New Zealanders. One book was Janet Frame's autobiography and she spoke so eloquently about Faulkner I wanted to share it with all of you."...I was reading A Fable and other William Faulkner novels from the library. Spinning, spinning, awhirl, where am I? That might describe my feeling on reading the first page of William Faulkner. I read on and on, I read through the book, and when I had finished I was still awhirl in pools of words and feeling which affected me like powerful music where the meaning is seldom questioned. I was preparing a review - how could I write a review of a novelist who clouded my vision with feeling? I returned to the book, reading it again and again, slowly emerging into the clear fountain-light where the characters, the scenes, the meaning appeared starkly outlined, solid, real, good. This was William Faulkner's world, and I had found it to keep."
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Diane wrote: "Thanks, Jenny. I have her book "To the Is land", is that the one you are reading? That's a beautiful way of describing how Faulkner's words affected her."To the Is-Land is the volume of her autobiography that spans her childhood. The Faulkner quote is from the second volume, An Angel At My Table. That's where the interesting stuff about her mental illness is too (which the book Faces in the Water is largely based on.)
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I finished The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. 3 stars. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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My review is here.
I'm currently reading Emily St. John Mandel's novel Station Eleven and loving it. It reminds me a lot of Paul Auster, which is a good thing. This is the kind of book I'm really looking forward to picking up in any spare minute I've got to continue reading. Can't believe I just let it sit on my to-read list for so long!
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That book seemed to get mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it, but then anything with Shakespearean actors is likely to get my attention.
I also thought Station Eleven was an excellent read. Glad you're enjoying it Astrid.
Angela M wrote: "I also thought Station Eleven was an excellent read. Glad you're enjoying it Astrid."I do, Angela! I especially love the different timelines, and now the story starts coming together.
Tom wrote: "Astrid wrote: "I'm currently reading Emily St. John Mandel's novel Station Eleven and loving it. It reminds me a lot of Paul Auster, which is a good thing. This is the kind of book I'm really looki..."
Tom, I'm going to have a look at some reviews after I finish the book but I can't find any flaws or anything that bothers me so far. I just enjoy reading this story :)
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These are all great reading ideas! I've been stuck just a bit re-reading a couple of novels for bookclub, but it's my own fault as they were both my selection! A Man Called Ove and City of Thieves are books you've likely already read, but in the outchance that they are not, I gave both of them five stars!I'm also about 40 pages into A Feast of Snakes for our December pick, and so far, I love it. The opening paragraphs about the majorette feeling the weight of the snake between her breasts initially reminded me of The Plague of Doves where a woman gets involved with a fundamentalist Christian weirdo and ends up feeling maternal toward the vipers - so much so that she lets them sleep in the bed with her to keep warm. She DID have snakes between her breasts! Crazy...looking forward to seeing where this book leads.
Tom, I just read Nocturnes a few months back, and I must say John Connolly "creeps" me out and gives me the "shivers" on a regular basis. I have been reading his books in publication order, and Nocturnes was a nice change of pace from his Charlie Parker series. I was reading The Killing Kind one night in bed, very late...really a bad idea...and was enmeshed in spider descriptions when a big brown hairy spider dropped down from the ceiling unbeknownst to me and came creeping up over the bedclothes until it got right to my book and into my line of sight. I am generally sanguine about these things, but that was too much. I brushed it with my book & sent it flying across the room, but got very little sleep. At this point, I adopted my "no John Connolly at bedtime" policy.
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That could be especially traumatic considering the book you were reading. I too and reading the Charlie Parker series in order ans understand that Nocturnes is considered book 4.5. I have yet to get to a story that could be considered part of the series though.
Tom wrote: "I just started reading (listening to) Nocturnes by John Connolly. The first (and longest) story in this excellent collection, The Cancer Cowboy Rides is a very creepy t..."Oh good---I'm looking forward to when I can get to this. I really liked his Night Music: Nocturnes Volume Two, which I read a short time ago. Connolly writes so well.
Finished House of the Rising Sun: A Novel. 4 stars . My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Diane S., aren't the little drawings and stories adorable? Tolkien was a sweet dad!
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On the Southern Literary Trail
Books mentioned in this topic
Happy Land (other topics)Take My Hand (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Happy Land (other topics)
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bennett Parten (other topics)Wes Browne (other topics)
Hubert Skidmore (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
Delia Owens (other topics)
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I was going to suggest that but you thought of it yourself. I've always enjoyed rereading Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story.