On the Southern Literary Trail discussion
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General Bookishness
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Retired: What are you reading?
The Pecan Man does anyone have a extra copy of this that will be willing to let it go and mail it to me
Kim wrote: "The Pecan Man does anyone have a extra copy of this that will be willing to let it go and mail it to me"Kim do you have access to Hoopla via your library? I was able to listen to the audio book that way. Very good narration.
Cathrine ☯ wrote: "Kim wrote: "The Pecan Man does anyone have a extra copy of this that will be willing to let it go and mail it to me"Kim do you have access to Hoopla via your library? I was able t..."
And you can actually pay another lending library to give you access to their Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Overdrive accounts. Each of the three has separate collections of ebooks and audio books. Unless you have to have a hard copy (I know lots of people who sell their used copies), these apps are the way to go!
Cathrine ☯ wrote: "Kim wrote: "The Pecan Man does anyone have a extra copy of this that will be willing to let it go and mail it to me"Kim do you have access to Hoopla via your library? I was able t..."
Overdrive also has the audiobook.
Sue wrote: "Tom wrote: "Sue wrote: "I have been reading so many new things and now I'm enjoying a trip to the past with a re-read of Pride & Prejudice. So much fun."I was surprised at how much I enjoyed that..."
Sue, this is one of my all time favorites! If you have not read his earlier book A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, you will love it! There is a character from that book that shows up in the final pages of Tsar of L&T. Marra is fantastic - I agree with you!
Zorro wrote: "I just finished Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Excellent. Are you all considering Patchett books for the Southern literature group?""Patchett was born in Los Angeles, California. She was the young..."
I don't believe Patchett books fit the criteria that the moderators set up for the Southern Lit group, but boy - they are great reads! I've loved all her novels and enjoyed this nearly autobiographical one very much. She is outstanding.
Lately, I've been popping around in audio books for book club commitments and been slack on my e-reading and real reading. I did just finish the latest from the author of Eileen (loved that book but not so over the moon over her collection of stories...too nasty for me).If you've got Hoopla, I do suggest the audio for a short read called The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty. The narration is excellent, especially for the format.
This is a clever, clever book about an unnamed woman who decides at the last moment take a trip overseas in order to get past trouble on her homefront. It explores identity, the value that appearances have, and shows a woman in crisis finding her way back to herself at her own pace.
I recommend the audio over the typeset format for certain readers. Instead of "I" or "she" the entire story is narrated as "you." You don't like reading books with weird formats, usually, but you get used to it. It feels natural to you after a bit.
Getting back to typeset reading tonight!
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp For Girls – Anton DiSclafani – 3***
The story is told in alternating time frames: the events back home in Florida, and the events at the school during Thea’s year at Yonahlossee. As Thea related what is happening and how she felt, I found myself worried for this emotionally distant girl, who seemed unable to control her impulses or to recognize the potential consequences of her actions.
LINK to my review
Book Concierge - I read the Yohnalassee book a couple of years ago. The portrayal of 1930s Florida was excellent. I grew up in S FL (um, many years after the 30s!) and thought she did this well.
I had been on the fence about Yohnalassee. I will file it as a light read if it is accurate historical fiction. Ditto, Ann Patchett. I still haven't read one of her books.
I just finished Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. It's both tragic and comic, and is one of my favorite books this year.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brina, Yohnalossee is definitely not light. The title and if I remember correctly, the blurb make it seem as if it could be chiclet but it is a rather dark story.Dont let Commonwealth be your first Patchett. Maybe do State of Wonder first.
Ooh a dark read. Not my usual genre but I am determined to read out of my comfort zone. Ditto Patchett. I tried Bel Canto but wasn't drawn in by the first few pages. Maybe i will like State of Wonder better.
State of Wonder thrilled me. The Yohnalossee book was maybe a 3.5. Tomato Red or Winter's Bone are great darkity-darks if youre in the mood. Did you do Serena by Ron Rash yet? Not as dark but the main character is pretty sociopathic. Loner is a non southern dark one, too.
Serena was my dark read of last year. Wow. And then I followed it up with MacBeth and it left me wondering with woman was darker. That was last summer. So if I need a scary summer story I know what to read although I have plenty on my list.
I finished The Gargoyle Hunters by John Freeman Gill. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Epitaph – Mary Doria Russell – 4****
In a sequel to her earlier novel, Doc, Russell explores what REALLY happened at the OK Corral. I love Russell’s writing. She does extensive research and is not content to give us only one side of the issues, or one facet of the characters. The novel focuses on Josie Marcus and Wyatt Earp, but every character fairly leaps off the page.
LINK to my review
LeAnne wrote: "Book Concierge - I read the Yohnalassee book a couple of years ago. The portrayal of 1930s Florida was excellent. I grew up in S FL (um, many years after the 30s!) and thought she did this well."Good to know.
Last piggy to the trough, but I finally got around to Margaret Atwood's Hag-Seed. Yeah, I don't have a ton of friends on GR, but it looks like most of the active ones already read it.I did read her book called The Blind Assassin, and maybe because I was expecting to love it, the novel didn't really work for me (you know how expectations color our reactions).
Not so with Hag-Seed! Protagonists with mental health issues somehow suck me in like no others can (because I look uber sane by comparison?? ;) ). The book was solid five stars except for a little bit of eye rolling, over the topness toward the end. It recovered nicely, but the honeymoon love was lost. I gave it a 4.5 and recommend it!
LeAnne wrote: "Last piggy to the trough, but I finally got around to Margaret Atwood's Hag-Seed. Yeah, I don't have a ton of friends on GR, but it looks like most of the active ones already read i..."I've been waiting until I can get to read the Tempest before reading this. Guess I'd better get going! I'm so behind on my reading.
Sue wrote: "LeAnne wrote: "Last piggy to the trough, but I finally got around to Margaret Atwood's Hag-Seed. Yeah, I don't have a ton of friends on GR, but it looks like most of the active ones..."Sue, I've got two e-books still checked out that I cannot get to (on and off retina problems make e-reading glitch), so you're not alone. If you are not entirely determined to read The Tempest first, I'd say jump into Hag-Seed. There is enough exposition within the story (one character is explaining to actors how they will play the roles) that nothing is lost without having read the original first. Also, I did the free audio from the library, and at the end, there was a synopsis included of the original work by Shakespeare...I chose to listen to it, but it ended up that I already knew the tale from Hag-Seed. Atwood did a GREAT job!
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LeAnne wrote: "Lately, I've been popping around in audio books for book club commitments and been slack on my e-reading and real reading. I did just finish the latest from the author of Eileen (lo..."I was a big fan of Diver's Clothes.
I finished The Floating Theatre by Martha Conway. In the US its title is Underground River. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy – Rachel Joyce – 5*****
Oh, I love Queenie! She admits that her first instinct when faced with a difficult situation has always been to flee. Now, at the end of her life she faces the secrets she has been hiding, and hiding from, with courage and grace, and pours out her heart in a long letter of love and forgiveness.
LINK to my review
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Diane wrote: "Let's face it, Sue. We are always behind on our reading. But I agree with LeAnne, I knew the complete play just from reading Hag-Seed."LeAnne wrote: "Sue wrote: "LeAnne wrote: "Last piggy to the trough, but I finally got around to Margaret Atwood's Hag-Seed. Yeah, I don't have a ton of friends on GR, but it looks like most of the..."
Thank you both. I think I will do just that. I try to keep up with my ARCs but do a woefully bad job with some of them. I am moving this right up.
Sue, Hag-Seed in audio format is free from the library. Itll save you some time :)
LeAnne wrote: "Sue, Hag-Seed in audio format is free from the library. Itll save you some time :)"Thanks for the suggestion, LeAnne. I've never been an audiobook person. I've only listened to one in my life (The Rosie Project, which was great). I'm so visual and often like to go back a bit and re-read. I do plan to try Lincoln in the Bardo now that I've read it , possibly along with the written book.
My review of The Door:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Now reading July's People by Nadine Gordimer.
Kim wrote: "
"has been really good so far it is a true story
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I just finished a brilliant collection of short stories written by Curtis Dawkin's called "The Graybar Hotel"
The Mighty Miss Malone – Christopher Paul Curtis – 4****
In Bud, Not Buddy, Bud met a precocious girl at a camp next to a railroad track near Flint, Michigan. That girl was Deza Malone and this is her story. I just love Deza Malone! She’s smart, courageous, resilient and big-hearted. The family’s journey is perilous at times, and Mrs Malone’s worry is well-founded. But they also have moments of joy, and meet with kindness and compassion from total strangers. Curtis doesn’t shy away from the tragedies of the era, but he also gives a strong message on the power of family unity, and of never giving up your dreams.
LINK to my review
Rocket Boys – Homer Hickam – 4****
Homer Hickam Jr (a/k/a Sonny) grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia – a “company town” in built and owned by the mining company for whom his father worked. In his memoir, Hickam brings the residents of Coalwood to life. He shares stories of growing up, of high school football, a beloved teacher, unlikely allies, young love, and his mother’s determination that her boys would NOT go into that mine.
LINK to my review
I have been reading books included in 500 Great Books By Women. The latest is So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am currently reading my third Kent Haruf book, Benediction. The other two were Plainsong and Eventide. The books are set in the fictional town of Holt, CO on the Colorado plains. Haruf was a very talented writer. His stories are about common people (many disconnected from other people) who sometimes come together to form "families." You'll meet some interesting people. Much recommend.
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Can someone that's been with the trail for a while remember if we have read William Gay's Twilight as a group? Thanks.
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It was February of 2012.
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On the Southern Literary Trail
Books mentioned in this topic
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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)
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