New week~

I've been rereading John Updike's Angstrom quartet, and finished Rabbit is Rich, the 3rd of the 4, the Pulitzer winner in 1982, and hands down one of the greatest novels Updike ever wrote. I loved it. I've been asked if it's a good Updike stand-alone, but it's really not at all. If you've not read the first 2, then you won't understand half of what's going on in Rabbit is Rich, since Updike's story backtracks are sketchy at best, making Rabbit,Run and Rabbit Redux almost essential to appreciating this wonderful landmark of modern American fiction.

I've just updated my 'Favorites of 2009' list on my Profile page and was delighted to add Zoe Heller's terrific new book The Believers to my list. I'd especially admired her first 2 novels, especially What Was She Thinking, but The Believers easily tops them both: a ruthlessly drawn family satire as consistently hilarious as it is compelling, and nearly impossible to put down. Not to miss.

Paradise Lost in an attempt to celebrate National Poetry Month. (Actually, I had intended to do this as part of my Lenten practice, but that totally bombed out.)

Hey! Paradise Lost by Milton, eh? :) Nice! Just saying: the perspective through which you see the descriptions and such is very important for symbolic reasons... :) You probably already knew that though! :)
Well, I have to say that we're reading The Great Gatsby for school... then, I'm reading the Bible, my favorite actually because there's always something I didn't see before. :) Then, I'm proofing my sequel... :) haha... that's gonna take a while!

God bless,
Taylor J. Beisler
www.taylorbeisler.com
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/ArintSarati...

Just finished The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins a few minutes ago. A really fun read with a mysterious woman on a dark road, an arranged marriage, stolen fortunes, whispered secrets, eaves dropping, spying, purloined letters, and on and on. Too bad the injenue is the standard weak, placid, doe-eyed drip. It's her smart, strong, spirited, opinionated resourceful half-sister who takes half the risks and gathers half the clues. But the drip marries the hero in the end.

Starting Anne Frank's Diary. I'm reading it along with my mother. We've got a long distance, two-person book club going on.

Will also knock another off the list of things I've started but never finished. Probably Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories by Chuck Palahniuk.

I just finished Amy Wilensky's Passing for Normal, about her experiences with Tourette's and OCD, over a comfort food lunch of toast and chocolate. I'm not quite sure what I think of it but I'll review it over on my 50-Book thread in a bit.

We've got guests here this weekend which tragically destroys my Easter-weekend chocolate-and-books plan, so I think I'll go for something light and quick (and, ahem, 'borrowed' from our growing shop stock): The Madness of Modern Families, which looks like a TV tie-in along the lines of Grumpy Old Men.

I'm still working on the fantastic audio of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and am suprisingly far through A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal about his time surviving the holocaust.

(How strange is it that both author touchstones work and neither work touchstone does?)

#5 I like the idea of your two person book club :-)

I'm reading The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata. Interesting so far. Not that I understand Go. I can't even play chess.

I just finished up The Coma by Alex Garland. It was deceptively short - It had a thick hardback cover and it was 200 pages, but there was a full-page illustration every 2-3 pages, the text was huge and there was a ton of blank space, probably could have been cut down to 100 pages or less if they wanted to. I liked it though.

I'm not sure what I'm going to start next. I need to either pick something off the shelf or take another trip to the library soon.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 9:54am.

I started Empire Falls by Richard Russo last night. I love the whole luuch-counter-society feel, and Horace cracks me up! When I'm done reading the book, I'll have to watch the miniseries.

I'm also reading Sir John Hargrave's Mischief Maker's Manual, which is inspiring... *snickers evilly* and Neil Zawacki's How to Be a Villian, actively.

With my kids I'm re-reading The Magician's Nephew, which we are enjoying, but the language difference (1940's English English read to 21st century American children) slows it down a little, as I have to stop and explain what's meant.

>5: jbeast - Go is a great deal easier to play than chess ... or perhaps I think so because i use extremely little and probably childish strategy when I've played it.

I'm reading More Die of Heartbreak by Saul Bellow.

For cheap thrills, I'm also reading 3 volumes of Courtney Crumrin and the night things that she encounters, by Ted Naifeh. I wish they'd make this into an animated series... I'd definitely watch them.

I'm about 1/3 way through Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. Great book so far.

I've put aside Desperate Passage for the moment to read my new arrival Robert Shaw: More Than A Life. I've also begun The Maltese Falcon.

Just finished Ysabeau Wilce's Flora's Dare, the second in her Flora Segunda YA fantasy. I really didn't that much get the point of Flora Segunda but I decided to read Flora's Dare anyway and I'm glad I did. It's much better than its predecessor, and everything starts coming together (for example, Nini Mo, the greatest Ranger who ever lived, at least in the pulp fiction that Flora reads).

I'm just about to get started on Brandon Mull's Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, the fourth book in his Fablehaven series, and I'm also reading Octavia Butler's Kindred on my Kindle.

EDITED to fix Touchstone.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 11:06am.

The Warden by Anthony Trollope.

I'm really enjoying it, and I'm told that it's not even one of his best. Why did no one make me read Trollope before now? Why???

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 12:01pm.

Being a bit naughty and rereading the original edition of The Stand instead of my LT ER novel. It's as good as I remember it being and am now determined to find my "complete and uncut" edition and read that while the original edition is fresh in my mind to see how the two differ.

Just finished A Final Arc of Sky. No T-stone for this LT ER. Too bad, that.

Very enjoyable read.

Onto my last book that I have to read and review... Still Life: A Novel
By: Joy Fielding . This is a vine book, and when I finish it I am caught up with my vine commitment for March.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 11:18am.

Just completed "Losing You" by Nicci French after initially reading "What to do when Somone Dies" by the same author(s). If you like books that have a twist all the way through, that you cannot put down and that makes you want to buy another, this husband and wife team are for you. Unlike some books that are far fetched stories, these books are the sort that, though they have such intrigue and mystery, could happen to you or someone you know. Please just buy one of these two and I guarantee you will buy another.

#15 Caty I completely agree about The Warden and Trollope. I loved the book, and can't wait to read more. Trollope is now a new favorite!

I just finished reading the excruciatingly bad The Irregulars (how does anyone manage to make handsome young Roald Dahl and his days as a spy boring?) and am now reading Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh and The Short Stories of Noel Coward to try to get the bad taste out of my mouth. D&F made me laugh out loud on the train to work several times.

I'm finally on the scoreboard for April, having finished Brain Surgeon by Keith Black, MD this morning. I'll try to finish Notes of the Underground by Dostoevsky and Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello this weekend, and get back to Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie after that.

Just finished The Lazarus Project By Aleksander Hemon and now I'm reading and now I'm reading Abide Wth Me by Elizabeth Strout.

I have about 150 pages remaining in The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze. My initial estimate that it would take me two and half to three weeks to finish this massive, detailed study of the Nazi economy was spot on. The depth and breadth of scholarship is astounding. I'm in awe of the the effort that was required to assemble this book. I do have a few nits to pick with it, but nothing major. Tooze manages to put paid to many historical misconceptions about the Nazi economy, such as John Kenneth Galbraith's early post war assessment that Germany lost because they failed to put their economy on a war footing.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 1:28pm.

I have just finished The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett. This one was quite fun to read but some of the sentences were a little bit too long for my liking, so I had to read a few things more than once. Other than that is was a great, quick read!

Will start in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen later tonight or tomorrow. I've heard many good things about this book, so I'm really looking forward to reading it. :)

I'm just past halfway through Strat-O-Matic Fanatics: the Unlikely Success Story of a Game that Became an American Passion. (no touchstones) It's quite well written and very interesting, but probably only for people who are familiar with Strat-O-Matic Baseball or any of the other Strat-O_Matic games. More than anything, this book is a fascinating human interest story about the game's inventor.

Terry Pratchett's books always sound so wonderful to me.. they have great titles.. but I don't like the ones I have read... :P ...my son loves them though!

In last weeks thread koalamom said

I have also picked out of my book shelves - Mystic River and Infinity's Prism. It seems that a lot of the book si have read recently never made it to the shelves but straight to my table to be read immediately, so I wanted to go back and get a couple off my shelves - especially before that Friends' book sale on April 25

I read Mystic River. I picked it up because porchy liked it, and also I used to live outside of Boston. I just hated the book.. lol.. go figure.
porchy loves Lehane though, so I hope you do too . :)

I'm still reading First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria for my ER book. It's okay ... not sure if I like the sarcastic quality of everything, especially in the rough areas of the world. I just don't see the humor often. But then, for this I blame myself, the title certainly was an indicator of what was inside.

We'll see, I'm only half-way in, there is quite a bit of book left.

I finished New Moon, and I got my complete copy of Naked from the library. I was nearly done with that one, so I hope to finish it today as well.

I finished my ER book Hand of Isis by Jo Graham. It was historical fiction with a touch of fantasy (the gods are real). It is book 2 in the series, but is a stand alone, so you don't need book 1 to understand. Some of the characters are reincarnated, but they are different people.

The story is of Cleopatra the last Egyptian Pharaoh. It is told from the POV of her half-sister, slave and handmaiden, Charmian. It follows the traditional story so it is predictable, but the author does a good job with the setting and the characters. She fills in the details of their lives when they were not in the spotlight.

It is a large book, but the print is good size so its not as big as it seems. It also was a slog for me at the start. The writing was OK, but didn't flow. I eventually go into it (250+) pages and then it became riveting, and I really cared about the characters. The pacing was a bit uneven, with more depth for Julius, and Antony's time mostly summarized.

I enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one. I have book 1 Black Ships to read next month for my RL Fiction Group.

I am now starting The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm by Juliet Nicolson. It is non-fiction and looks at the last summer before the war in England . It is for my Fiction group This Month.

ETA: Actually the war didn't start til 1914, so I have no idea what it was the summer before. I know its about social change, so I guess I will have to read the book to find out.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 5:14pm.

I have The Perfect Summer on my wishlist, Ficus. Let us know what you think!

jfetting, I will post here, in the non-fiction thread, and on my

100 Book challenge: FicusFan's Reading in 2009 here.

I started Liberty's Daughters late last week. It's interesting (in the good sense) so far.

Working on the audio of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and reading Nothing Like an Ocean, a book of short stories by Jim Tomlinson.

I'm reading The Lizard's Tail by Luisa Valenzuela which is based on Peron's Rasputin, Jose Lopez Rega. So far, even considering it's subject matter, it's pretty out there, though in a generally intriguing way. I'm thinking it's the sort of approach that could either turn out brilliant or completely tiresome.

I'm almost done with the audiobook of Suite Francaise, which I have found quite moving. This is my third or sixth Nemirovsky (depending on how you count), so I've already experience her talent for characterization and social observation. It's fascinating to see those talents applied to World War II, and sort of disconcerting to realize that it was because of that war that she never managed to finish the book.

I've also been reading Tanith Lee's Companions on the Road, a Member Giveaway book, which is a fun, though rather dark, sword & sorcery novel, and have listened to the first couple of chapters of In Defense of Food.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 7:08pm.

I read Still Life ( no T-stone) by Joy Fielding this afternoon. Good, suspenseful read. I enjoyed it.

I am about to start an omnibus of The Rose and the Yew Tree Giant's Bread and Absent in the Spring.

I read Still Life ( no T-stone)... (#35)

I guess that's sorta like a T-rex, right? :)

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 7:59pm.

I'm still reading Under the Banner of Heaven. Wackadoodle.

Finnished The Ethical Assassin by David Liss htis evening. It has so many twists and characters, I hated putting it down. I wanted to see the connections and how it was all going to end.

I am 100 pages in to The Mystery of Grace , another hit by de Lint imo..

Will start The Kindly Ones by Jonathon Littlell as soon as I get off the computer.

mckait!! Sorry you didn't like Mystic River ~ I can hardly believe it but that's what makes the world go 'round.....different strokes for different folks! (not that I'm calling you different) LOL

(just kidding, you know I love you, girlfriend!!!)

Finished City of Thieves by David Benioff. Liked it very much. Will be a quick read for most.

Starting Wallace Stegner's nonfiction American Places next.

Just finished War Trash by Ha Jin. Found it very informative and really gave me a lot to think about regarding the treatment of Prisoners of War and what an unnatual state it must be to be so completely in the power of others. I am just about to start The Body Box, a thriller, by Lynn Abercrombie.

I'm reading The grim grotto by Lemony Snicket, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The death of king Tsongor by Laurent Gaudé. I think I won't finish these books until July because I'm preparing for exams. I really want to read more classic but don't have time to.

After having finished The Folding Star by Alan Hollinghurst, I am now starting Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, my 6th book by him.

I just finished Emerald Magic edited by Andrew M. Greeley and am thinking to read Jostein Gaarder's The Ringmaster's Daughter next.

Reading the biography John Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey

It reads with the excitement of a novel and may even get me reading American literature from the era.

Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2009, 5:09am.

I just started with Memoirs of geisha by Arthur Golden and think I will enjoy this read. Furthermore I want to finish The land of invisible women, an Early Reviewers e-book from last November. The story is ok, but an e-book doesn't seem to work for me...

I just finished The Dogs of Babel last night/this morning. Beautiful book - though a bit disturbing with the animal cruelty parts. I've read a lot of bad reviews on this book, but it touched me personally. If you've ever had a loved one die under questionable circumstances, you can really identify with the main character. Everything becomes a possible clue about what happened, and sometimes you get desperate. It's horrible not knowing the real answer of what happened to someone. Especially if you believe one thing, and the police/family believes another.

I should probably read something light after that one, but I also have Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates out from the library. It's a pretty short book.

porchy... I know, but hey, thats what makes the world go 'round.
Different is a word I hear often...in regards to myself..
wonder why?

LOL

#50.. geisha is a really good read!

I'm reading Wordy Shipmates. I'm a third of a way in and not enthralled. It's not what I was expecting. I wanted to get engrossed in 1640 Boston but she spends most of her time making leaps into the present suggesting an influence without any particular proof other than similarity of attitude. I suppose I'll finish it and go search for something better.

Still reading People of the Book. Ahh, now I know what people are talking about! Intriguing read....

I just finished Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Wheldon - it was extremely good! I almost feel like I rushed through it and need to go back and savour it a bit more. I'm also listening to Dawkins' The God Delusion, and just started The Sex Lives of Cannibals last night. It's very entertaining, and a nice break from the other books I've just finished.

Yesterday, I finished This One Is Mine by Maria Semple and posted it to my topic page on The 75/2009 Book Challenge.

Then, I began three new books. Life Sentences: A Novel by Laura Lippman
http://www.librarything.com/work/6330634,

The Namesake: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, and an ARC that I received through Early Reviewers, titled How Do I Love Thee? A Novel of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Life by Nancy Moser.

I'll see which one wins out in being completed first.

PS Life Sentences: A Novel won out. See post #158

WH

Message edited by its author, Apr 16, 2009, 8:36am.

Finished Anthony and Cleopatra, McCullough's last in the Masters of Rome series. Just OK for me.

I have now started the first of Sandra Gullard's trilogy on Josephine Bonaparte, The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.. It is actually pretty good; for some reason I was afraid it would be too 'chick lit' for me.

I spent a rainy Saturday running around making Spring Feast preparations, and due to unforeseeable troubles, the feast was canceled!

So I have a beautiful, sunny, breezy, rain-washed Sunday to laze in the sunshine with my dog and read.

Just finished deception point by Dan Brown. Half way through Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella. This one makes a pretty good summer read!

Late last night I finished The Master by Colm Tóibín; then started East of Eden by Steinbeck. I've been looking forward to reading this one for awhile.

Currently reading The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders by Marshall Browne. I found this title somewhere in the LT posts. So far, very good atmospheric mystery set in Italy.

Still working on His Illegal Self. Also started Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage which takes place in Brazil.

Still reading & enjoying The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer but bcs. I'm reading a digital edition on the computer it's going more slowly than with a book. Truly enjoyable though whenever I'm reading it.

Still listening to The Shifting Fog by Kate Morton on my commute to work. Very relaxing commuter read.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 12:41pm.

#60 ~ What did you think of The Master? I keep meaning to read that one (it's in my library and TBR).

I finished First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria and so did not like it, forced myself to stay up until I finished it last night (for Early Reviewers).

I just picked a random book out of my library and what a pleasant surprise, I'm starting A Son Called Gabriel by Damian McNicholl ... a kind of off the beaten path story about a Catholic (gay - I think) boy coming of age in Northern Ireland in the '60s and '70s. It reads like a memoir, very engaging and hooked me right in. I feel like I'm back in Ireland.

Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2009, 1:19pm.

Since I posted yesterday morning I finished A Lucky Child and started and finished Wintergirls. This morning I started Expecting Adam and am still listening to The Help.

Reading Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada. This is the first translation of the 1947 German text. I'm a quarter of the way through the 500+ pages and it is hard to put down. Brilliant. Review to follow...

I cried "uncle" on p59 of Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon, part of a group read here on LT; it was written in 1930 or so, it's true, but nothing as ephemeral as passing time can excuse the line, "A century after the founding of the first world state a rumour began to be heard in China about the supreme secret of scientific religion, the awful mystery of Gordelpus, by means of which it should be possible to utilize the energy locked up in the opposition of proton and electron."

*buzz* you're out, Dr. Stapledon, and thanks for playing our game!

>62 - I really liked The Master = even though I've not been a James fan and it's written in a Jamesian style, I found it compelling. It's a very slow, quiet heady read, not a lot of action, so be prepared for that. Now I want to read more Henry James!

I am reading Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton

I finally finished Tortilla Curtain only 2 weeks late for book club. It was a very good read but the ending I did not like--I now have questions.

Just starte The Condition and so far its grabbed me --am enjoying it immensely.

#19 - thanks for the warning about The Irregulars. I've been looking at it longingly, but had managed to resist. Now I'm glad I did. Definitely wouldn't want to pay HB prices for it.

#65 - OMG! You have suffered enough. Wishing you much better luck with your next book.

#65, Richard, kudos for making it to page 59. What do other group members think?

I did finish Naked last night. Now I'm blazing through Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs.

Well, I started The Kindly Ones by Jonathon Littell last evening. I just have to get past all of the of the German officer titles. I'm not into it far enough to give an opinion. It is holding my interest after 59 pages.

I had to give up on More Die of Heartbreak by Saul Bellow - 125 pages into the book,and I just couldn't stand his rambling style any longer. I know it's supposed to be a good book, but can he just get to the point already?!!

It's a good thing I was also reading 3 volumes of Ted Naifeh's graphic novels in his Courtney Crumrin series so I managed to at least keep my sanity

29: FicusFan : Yet another book of yours to add to my extensive wishlist. Hand of Isis sounds interesting. I've always loved historical fiction and if you can mix in a good hunk of gods as well, then I'm there.

Reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith now that I've ditched Bellow's book.

Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2009, 8:07pm.

I'm continuing my re-read of "Anna Karenina"...about 2/3 finished...liking it.

Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2009, 8:17pm.

#29, Cameling, it was an ER book, though I would have gotten it myself if it hadn't come through ER. The gods are there, but subtle. You might want to read my review

http://www.librarything.com/work/6017586...

I finished The Perfect Summer by Juliet Nicolson.

It was interesting, had lots of details, a narrow focus, but needed a bit more context. It is subtitled 'Just Before the Storm' , but the only thing I can come up with is WWI. It was 3 years off however, so not really 'Just Before'. They were going through social change and conflict over it on several levels, but I imagine that is true all the time everywhere. If not the society would be dead.

I thought she could have set the stage a bit better at the start too. I had some familiarity with the time period, not sure if someone who is new to the subject would be lost or not.

It is a look at the summer of 1911, and the people mentioned are used as examples of the classes, incidents and the tone she was including in the book, their stories are not the point of the book. Have seen reviews were people are confused about that, because it does move around and people and their stories pop in and out.

Not sure what I will read next. I have 2 more required books, but I they are short and I can read them next weekend. So I can pick something I want to read.

Message edited by its author, Apr 12, 2009, 9:37pm.

>61: jmyers24- I loved The Tender Bar. One of the best memoirs I've ever read.
>64: jbealy- I'm over halfway through "Every Man Dies Alone" and I agree with you, absolutely brilliant!

I have decided to finish Tell Me Where it Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout

It is a memoir of a Veterinary surgeon and a look at a composite day at a huge animal hospital in Boston: Angell Memorial ( or whatever they are calling it now). I have taken several of my cats there over the years when they needed to see a specialist.

I started reading when I brought it home but put it away to read a required book. It is light and fluffy and supposed to be full of hope and humor.

Ficus - your review had made me move Hand of Isis up my wishlist!! haha...

I'm making up for lost time....whizzed through ER book The Final Arc of Sky and now am about a third of the way through of Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh. Loved the first one, and am really enjoying the Mrs. Kimble book.

51: cafepithecus >> I hope you enjoy Beasts. It's dark but I found it hard to put down. Liked it a lot.

>70 AMQS, good question...here is the Group Reads-Sci Fi discussion thread for you to check that out.

>72 cameling...oh dear! That sounds like an unhappy experience. I like Bellow's recursiveness, but because I trust him to end up somewhere more interesting than where he started. YMMV, of course.

>71 cindysprocket and, from long ago, morfam: I have heard much about this book, and have formed a poor impression of it from that hearing; I can't see myself tackling such a HUGE read soon, since (at the subtle urging of msf59) I am re-immersing myself in the flawed-but-gorgeously-rich world of Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra and that doorstop is gonna be a while in the readin' lemme tell youse. Since morfam, a gentleman of peccable but high taste, is a booster of it, I have put The Kindly Ones on the TBR pile.

And if I hate it, this fall, when cameling and I go to Saskatoon on our Russell Quant tour, I will stop over in morfam's current hide-out and kick him. His 18-year-old will have a source of mordant humor for days.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I'm really caught up in this and antsy to finish. It's a fun book full of flamboyant characters.

Went to a book signing for Joel Goldman yesterday; his The Last Witness was nominated for an Edgar. I asked what writers he read and he rattled off the usual such as Connelly, Lescroat, & Pelicanno, so I asked him what off-the-beaten-track author he would recommend and he said I should read Lush Life or Clockers by Richard Price. Then I asked him what international author he would recommend whose work had been translated into English and he said Out by Natsuo Kirino, which he said was an absolutely fantastic crime novel. Just thought I'd pass that on.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 12:39pm.

I'm still reading Titus Groan, and also The Amulet of Samarkand. Really enjoying both of them.

#81 dchaikin--Loved Shadow of the Wind. It's got a bit of everything.

I have, for my sins, perpetuated another meme in its own thread over here...

This time it's a questionnaire about reads, reading, and reasons.

I've just started in Seven Up by Janet Evanovich. :)

This weekend was great for reading. I finished Four Seasons: a Novel of Vivaldi's Venice, which I found to be a captivating period piece; Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, a quick yet thought-provoking novel I finished in one sitting; The Sugar Queen, which I loved as much as Addison Allen's first novel, Garden Spells; and Wounded: A Love Story which was a page-turner for me.

Wounded: A Love Story is a very contemporary take on mysticism and stigmata and is told in a series of POV segments of the various characters, which include: a former prize-winning journalist now junkie, a poor single mother, a skeptical evangelical pastor, a gentle Catholic priest, a certifiable religious zealot, and even an over-sized transvestite drug dealer. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to what is going to happen next throughout the story. An excellent read!

Next up is Embers by Sandor Marai, which I have been looking forward to reading.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 1:01pm.

Instead of doing what I was supposed to be doing, I just sat down at lunchtime and read Cold Comfort Farm. Stella Gibbons is my hero. One of the funniest things I've ever read.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 2:07pm.

I'm reading a few books right now. For the baby First Meals & More...it has some good things in it but I'm not sure on all the things they are saying. I'm also reading Sense and Sensibility and for the lighter moments Houston We Have a Problema.

Started Comes the Dark by Michael Prescott. Just a simple little mystery/suspense type of deal.

#89 schmapp - If your looking for books on feeding babies solid food, consider a book by Ellyn Satter called Child of Mine. We found it fantastic.

I think I'll be finishing up Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken tonight.

My oldest had a dentist appointment today, which gave me plenty of time to finish up Mischief Maker's Manual by Sir John Hargrave (review In the Shadow of Mt. TBR). It was a fun book that gave me some evil ideas >:-D~

Ain't it funny how time slips away?

There just are not enough hours in the day for me to read the many books I have on my shelf right now. I'm one of those readers who like to savour and leisurely enjoy a book, frequently returning to a particular phrase or chapter. I envy those wot can read a book in hours, as opposed to days, or have that gift wot enables them to 'speed-read' and have great memories.

Me, I forget the title of a movie once the lights go down and we're ten minutes in. I can't dial more than three numbers on the telephone before I have trouble remembering who I'm calling. And don't get me into an elevator alone!

So, going from fish to kippers, where I'm heading with this, is the fact that I have just finished up two excellent novels dealing with the same subject matter. Infant mortality, and marriage breakdowns.

Glad you asked. Fireworks by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop, a promising debut novel that has as its heart, the death of a four-year-old son in a traffic accident and the unfortunate consequences that results in the parents relationship falling apart.

The other book I read before that was Before I Wake by Robert Wiersema. Again, the story centres around a two-year-old, who is killed by a speeding truck. Once again there is disharmony within the family, but the novel has meaning and honesty and is dramatically written, by a local author from Victoria, Canada.

Meanwhile, after reading those books, I have been going around the house ranting and raving with a glass of good scotch in hand, doing my best impersonation of Richard Burton laying it on Liz Taylor in scenes reminiscent of 'Virginia Woolf'. Talk about your typecasting. My wife naturally thinks Dad is completely bonkers and continues to ignore me until this phase has played itself out.

She has already threatened to send me to purgatory in Saskatoon this fall in order to celebrate Mary Quant's birthday or some such happening, but so far, my mordant wit is proving itself the better. Damn, I might do Kiss Me Kate next....

I just reviewed a gay male romance novel (shut up! they do so exist!) called Captain's Surrender by Alex Beecroft. Short version is, even the "ewww ick" homophohobes will find nothing to complain about, since there is precious little sex and that not explicit, but a compelling character study of an adult dealing with coming-out issues and the enormous identity shift of being honestly open to love for the first time in one's life. That's an issue we can all relate to, since it happens to each of us sometime! (I hope.)

The review is over here for the adventurous, in post 25.

morfam...Mary Quant! ROFL I never made that connection. See ya in Saskatoon.

good review, richardear :)
I may have to add that one to my list....

I just finished #47 The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill

Fantastic read! The author handles even the most horrific details with kid gloves, softens them. At the end if the book, she slams you with reality.

I will be looking to read the next in the series..

The Mage's Daughter by Lynn Kurland

>>>>>96 mckait - I've added The Various Haunts of Men to the Wishlist. It looks great. I'm hoping it's available for the Kindle (once Amazon fixes their 'glitch' and I'm willing to spend money with them again)!

I just finished Voluntary Madness (which for some reason is just confounding the touchstones today) a non-fiction selection about a woman who is suffering from depression and tries treatment in three very different facilities. While interesting, I would not call it "great" nor would I claim it to be a "must read". I am also still reading The Hour I First Believed which I am absolutely loving and can hardly put down. Which leads us to the fact that I am STILL READING The Red Convertible a collection of short stories. I am really enjoying most of these stories (a few are a bit out there for me though) but am having such a hard time putting down the Wally Lamb book and The Blind Assassin before this that I actually had to return the book to the library and ask them to please, pretty please let me check it out again. Luckily, there weren't any holds on the book so I have a few more weeks to get through it. I am also getting ready to start The Zookeeper's Wife which is a non-fiction selection about World War II.

>96 mckait, after that review I am almost willing to trust Susan Hill again. That The Man in the Picture debacle still resounds in my ears....

Well, I've finally finished Nixonland and also Dirty Little Angels which I promised to review and I'm sort of percolating that review, but I'm currently reading The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga for a real time book discussion this week and I am reminded by Aravind's hero Balram Halwai of Saul Bellow's Augie March, the tough talking, play all the angles, character of "hard boiledom." Next I am eyeing Team of Rivals but my serendipitous pile of TBRs is also beckoning.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 10:35pm.

I'm reading Level 7, an apocalyptic novel(la) about a soldier who is sent to an underground military complex to guard a button in case of a nuclear attack. Very engaging and pretty short so I expect to finish it before I go on holiday this Friday (I always like to start a new book at the start of my holiday... don't really know why... ^^).

#103 Vonini - am adding Level 7 to my wishlist. I'm morbidly interested in novels about apocalypse and/or nuclear war. So thank you. And have a great holiday :-)

I'm currently reading, and very much enjoying, Half of a Yellow Sun. I think Adichie is a genius.

I finished Tell me Where it Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout, about a veterinary surgeon's day at work in a Boston hospital. It was a quick read, had some sad moments and some funny ones.

The writing jumped around a bit. He would start something and then use it to reminisce. He talked about the philosophy of care, and the balance between care and cost and when to call it a day.

I am now reading The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer
It is a mystery set in modern day Istanbul, Turkey. The main character and the murders revolve around transvestites. It was translated into English. There are a few oddities with the language, but it is mostly written well and flows. The only problem is I don't much like the POV character. S/he is nasty to others, self-absorbed, and likes to look down on people. The mystery process is a bit shaky too. Pick someone as the killer and look for ways to prove they are the killer, rather than working from the evidence out.

It is book 1 in the Turkish Delight series and I already have book 2 The Kiss Murder.

#102 richard, do it.. I really liked that book..
ficus... I have eyed that one more than once, but having "Been there done that" I just don't think I could deal with it. Just reading your description took me back to some of the many emergency and ( non emergency ) moments at the clinic.
Glad you enjoyed it though.
I am reading Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank, and Other bits of Delicate Southern Wisdom by Celia Rivenbark.

#102, srubinstein, Nixonland was one of my favorites from last year, and led me to re-read Norman Mailer's Armies of the Night and Miami and the Siege of Chicago, both equally wonderful, again.
Unfortunately I was one of the few who wasn't so charmed by Adiga's The White Tiger, but well understand your comparison to Bellow's Augie.

#88 jfetting, When I read Cold Comfort Farm a few years ago, I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to discover it! So funny! And the movie, available from Netflix, is pretty good too.

#107, LouisBranning, I'm with you on being underwhelmed by The White Tiger.

I just finished The Drinker by Hans Fallada, one of the grimmest books I've read in a long time. I've started two books, and am not sure which one I'll focus on: The Adventures of Sindbad by Gyula Krudy, the author of the strange but compelling Sunflower, and In The United States of Africa by Abourahman A. Waberi.

Starting Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, after having finished the fabulous Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 10:35am.

>109 Sibylle, JS&MN lives as one of my favorite reads. I lounged around for a week, dipping in and out of it, diving into long, discursive footnotes and then letting them give me rapture of the deeply written (syntactical narcosis?)...well, I hope you enjoy it.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu awaits if you do.

Just started The Shack. It's tough going at first but much better after about 80 pages.

mckait, it really isn't too sad. Its interesting to see his day, and there are good discussions of the philosophies involved.

I really liked The Shack once I got past the gooey-ness at the start.

I also was not a fan of White Tiger.

I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

I'm currently reading 'Skipping Christmas' by John Grisham. I don't really like it. I'm reading it in Dutch.

Just before that I finished 'Le concile de pierre' by Jean-Christophe Grangé (also in Dutch, no idea what the title would be in English), this one I really enjoyed.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 2:49pm.

I have given up on the Kindly Ones. After 80 pages. I'm not sure if that counts toward the Pearl rule since the book is over 900 pages. I won't say anything bad, I just couldn't get into it. I did get my ER book Annie's Ghost by Steve Luxenberg. It looks pretty interesting and I feel guilty if I leave an ER book on my tbr pile, too long.

#114 satur9: Have you seen the movie, Skipping Christmas? I also have the book, but I've not gotten around to it. I loved the movie, but seeing you don't like the book, I wonder how different the two are.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 2:35pm.

#115 thekoolaidmom: No, I didn't even know there was a movie after the book. So I can't compare. It'd be interesting though, to see the movie.

I am currently reading "The Alchemyst" by Michael Scott. I recently purchased "What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell and I hope to start that one soon. Why is it there's never enough time to read all the great books out there?

Cindy- Are you giving up on theKindly Ones, or are you going to try again? I know there are a lot of mixed feelings about that book, but some love it.
Sorry to hear so much dissent on The White Tiger. It's been in my tbr, for quite awhile.I picked it up after hearing so many favorable reviews. Go figure, huh?

Still ficus, I think I will pass on Tell me Where it Hurts, but have alreadly picked up Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell as well as The Ladies of Grace Adieu thanks to you and richardear, not to mention BetterWorldBooks.com. Oh and five others ( five for $15 no real shipping charge, who can resist?)

Today I'm starting GraceLand by Chris Abani. This book doesn't show up on the possible touchstones for this title but the book is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/17921/b....

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 3:28pm.

#104 jbeast - I have just finished reading (Half of a Yellow Sun) and was totally engrossed. Fantastic characters, horrifying story. Not normally my choice of book, a bit too real I would imagine, but I loved it.

I am now reading (My Antonia), ((Willa Cather)). I am a Cather virgin. After years of meaning to get around to reading her I finally am. Good solid book. Well written. I will read another of hers.

I started in Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy today for a group read on LT. :) It's easier to read than I expected and I quite like it so far.

I'm currently reading The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. I like the idea that Nick Charles is a happily married detective. Makes a pleasant change.

The style is not as plushy writing as in The Maltese Falcon, but not as dry as The Continental Op. Which is a ghastly story!

I really missed this thread!

I just finished Bayonet! Forward!. My Civil War knowledge is increasing.

#119 msf59: May try again this winter on The Kindly Ones. I will have more indoor time and be able to concentrate on it.

I'm reading Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. I'm enjoying it so far.
I'm pretty sure my next book will be The Believers by Zoe Heller. This might be the cold medicine talking but I'm pretty sure What Was She Thinking is one of my all time favorite books. So deft! So witty!

Hi, I finished Every Man Dies Alone a few weeks ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. An amazing work. I also had difficulty putting it down.
Hans Fallada himself is quite the interesting character too.

I finished my Feb ER book, Split Estate, and absolutely loved it - a heartbreaking story of loss. Without the ER program, I never would have discovered it!

There was some talk on this thread (I think) several weeks ago about Jim the Boy by Tony Earley and since it sounded interesting, I picked it up at the library. I'm about half way through and love it. I'm alternating between being misty eyed and smiling as I read.

I also just picked up Chris Cleave's Little Bee and may try that one, too.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 10:24pm.

#129 coppers, Hooray! Jim the Boy is a great little book that doesn't seem to be well-known. Hope that changes, and hope you continue to enjoy it.

#127, 128, enaid, Zoe Heller's The Believers is superb and every bit as good as What Was She Thinking. The Hans Falada book Every Man Dies Alone is truly one of a kind too, totally unputdownable.

coppers, Hooray! again for Jim the Boy, one of my all-time favorites, and don't forget its wonderful sequel The Blue Star too.

#122 VicFewster - I know exactly what you mean about being a bit too real. I'm about halfway through and there have been some nasty bits. But the writing is so excellent, and the characters very believable. I also don't find the politics too difficult. I'm glad you enjoyed it, though enjoy is probably not the right word here.

If you haven't read Purple Hibiscus by her I would recommend that. It was one of my favourites last year. A much gentler story, with the same great writing.

I am nearly finished reading The Mysteries of Udolpho this week and I have really enjoyed it! I love the idea of this group and will use it to keep me on track with my 50 books in 2009 target.

Have started The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp and How to Be a Good Atheist by Nick Harding.

I'm a big Jim the Boy fan too. I also loved Half a Yellow Sun and have Purple Hibiscus in the TBR pile, so will read that soon.

I just finished A Son Called Gabriel which was pretty good, in parts, excellent. But it really needed to be edited down some. He goes on and on and on about certain things, which while at first are interesting, but made it hard to finish. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because wow, huge surprise ending. Overall recommended, but certainly graphic in sex dept. (gay lifestyle too), so need to be able to handle that.

I am now starting Absurdistan and I'm entirely unsure what to think of it so far. It's kinda funny, but the accolades are mindblowing, so I want to give it a fair chance. Strange little book, for sure.

I report, with a moan of despair, that Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra has defeated me again.

I thoroughly enjoy the writing, and I feel immersed in the world he's created, and I am itchy as hell that the sheer volume of verbiage requires this to be an elephantine tome that's too heavy to rest on my belly comfortably and too thick to stay open on a flat surface and frankly, the editor should have cut almost half this book out!

*ahem*

Back to the shelf it goes. I will NOT give up! Permanently, that is.

Richard

I was a bad boy with your latest 'meme' thread, but I did enjoy the spanking I received from the wife.

I finished A Prayer for Owen Meany yesterday (a re-read), and had to let it sink in for a while. I'll start The School of Essential Ingredients tonight.

Okay, ugh, putting down Absurdistan ... I have sort of a rule, anytime the protagonist/author talks about, or makes references to, his genitalia 10 times or more in a few pages, it's gonna be a struggle for me. I don't, per se, have anything against the male private part but that being said, I think I've learned a good enough deal in my 40+ years of life. Also, it feels so dated and insulting (I guess that is the point - dark satire) to so many people. It tries to be Confederacy of the Dunces but fails. Weird ... but not in a good way.

So picking up Crow Lake ... from my library TBR pile. Has good reviews here.

I used to faithfully finish all books I started. I don't do that anymore, too many books and life is quickening ...

Message edited by its author, Apr 15, 2009, 2:28pm.

#139 -- I loved Crow Lake.

>137 morfam, I saw that Bergman comment...you wicked lad! Mrs. Morfam has a handful in you AND an 18-year-old who shares your "Y" chromosome. She has my sympathy.

#139 and #140: Crow Lake is wonderful indeed.

#139, CarolynSchroeder, I was never so happy to abandon a book as I was when I tossed Absurdistan after a hundred pages.

#139, CarolynSchroeder, I read an excerpt of Absurdistan in the New Yorker and that was enough to make me not read the book, in addition to the fact that I had been very frustrated with Gary Shteyngart's earlier book, The Russian Debutante's Handbook: it started off great, when the protagonist, was still in New York, but then got just too off-the-charts crazy for me.

Last night I started the absolutely hysterical (at least so far!) and immediately engrossing Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford. I had only acquired it in the last few weeks and wasn't planning on starting it ASAP but by happenstance, it was quite favorable chatted up a lot on the LT New York Review Books Group last week which moved it to the forefront of my imaginary and fluid To Be Read list. So wry, so acerbic. . .so Jessica Mitford. I will be sad to see it end.

Still reading The Time Traveler's Wife (I ended up reading The Celestine Prophecy and The Secret rather foolishly after I'd started it. So, I've just picked TTTW up again. It's a fantastic book so far and I've only just got to page 76, so loads more to come!

Also trying to read You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay as a bit of 'self improvement' but I think I'll end up sticking with TTTW for now because I find I can't really concentrate on more than one book at a time - even if one is fiction and one non-fiction!

Had to give up on American Places. I like most of what Wallace Stegner writes, but this one is a dated screed by an old man. Why isn't it like it was? There are too many people. Almost everyone is ignorant and believe it or not, women don't belong on road work crews. And that was after just 50+ pages.

Started George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion.

Message edited by its author, Apr 17, 2009, 3:57pm.

I was just notified that someone added a note on the What Are You Reading thread for January 10. Guess they didn't see the date?

Just started How to Talk So Kids Can Learn At Home and in School. Self explanatory :o)

Finishing up The Secret Holocaust Diaries: the Untold Story of Nonna Bannister. Nonna was Russian child-- Russian Orthodox church-- whose family had the worst of it from both the Stalinists and the Nazis. (Can you imagine :(

To keep from starving she and her mom sign up to go to a work camp. She survives but her mother ends up in a concentration camp.

#150 ThePam - How do you like "How to Talk..."? I've read a couple other books from these authors and found them really nice.

Finished Life Sentences: A Novel

... and have started again/am still reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

I saw the film "The Namesake" with Kal Penn (Pre-House, and Obama), that was directed by Mira Nair, which was originally released in 2006. It is an excellent film. Now I'm reading the book for our next Book Club meeting.

Still have the ARC of How Do I Love Thee? A Novel of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Life by Nancy Moser as the LTER book I want to tackle sittting on the bench.

WH

Message edited by its author, Apr 15, 2009, 10:45pm.

womansheart - I loved The Namesake and thought the movie was an excellent adaptation (I'm usually disappointed in movies of books I liked).

I'm just finishing off God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens. An interesting read, but his writing style isn't doing much for me, as I have to keep re-reading pages since I've lost the thread of what he was saying. I've enjoyed it, but he is very digressive.

Next up, I'm going to try and finish some of my half-finished books. I seem to be creating my own Mount TBHR (To Be Half-Read).

No problem mckait to each his own. I did find that Tell Me Where it Hurts was the first author chat on LT a year ago. I tracked it down and have put the link to the chat in my review of the book. It was interesting to read even though I was too late to participate.

I also finished The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer. Set in modern day Istanbul, it is about transvestites who are being murdered, and one who has to solve the crime because the police won't. It was interesting, odd, and edgy. It was also very thought provoking about gender roles and perception. I had a real hard time with the POV character. Anyway I also wrote o review, though it may not be PC.

I am now reading Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer for a RL book group. As a side effect of a scientific experiment, people's consciousness, but not their bodies, travel to the future and then return. People have to learn to live with the foreknowledge about their lives that they picked up in the future.

Finished The Mysteries of Udolpho and really enjoyed it. Next book Cranford!

#152 womansheart

I have read books that "felt" like life sentences, but .....not that book :)

As for Life Sentences, who is the author of that one? There are an astounding number of books with that name :P

Don't you just hate it when T-stones don't work ... sigh

#157 - Hi, mckait -

Life Sentences:A Novel by Laura Lippman, the author of the Tess Monahan mysteries with Balitmore, MD as the locale.

Just in case the touchstone doesn't work, here's the link:

http://www.librarything.com/work/6330634

Thanks for your post. I've been thinking of posting on your profile. Unfortunately, been under the weather since Sunday, April 12. I'm coming out of the valley of the shadow this morning and the left over ratatouille my husband made yesterday, lifted my spirits eaten with a primo bialy and an egg, sunny side up.

Speaking of sunny - I love almost anyone's cover of the old song from the thirties - "The Sunny Side of the Street." Both Willie Nelson and Louie Armstrong do great versions. Peggy Lee, I believe does one with Benny Goodman or one of the Big Bands of the day. Check out YouTube if interested in listening.

You see, people. Don't get me started ... I've been isolated in bed for four days!!! LOL

WH

#151

Hi DChaikin. I've just started and while the format is familiar I haven't got to any examples of school applications so I can't say much yet.

I think their techniques are very useful, although I'm battling to stop my knee-jerk reactions.

I am about to read Tiny Clubs by Geoff Wyss (tstone not working for this one). Then a breather between book club discussion books and I'll take up Jung Chang's Wild Swans.

#132 jbeast. I am adding Purple Hibiscus to my TBR pile - o dear, not another one. I keep finding myself in a bookshop and end up buying books that aren't on my TBR list. I'm beginning to get annoyed with myself!

I am making my husband read Half a Yellow Sun. He doesn't normally like fiction but I think he may like this. I still can't stop thinking about the book and all its characters.

At the request of a good male friend, I've started Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. I've been a decidedly contemporary fiction / young adult / chick lit reader for a while, so it's a huge leap for me to plunge into science fiction! I was heavy into "Star Wars" novels in middle school, but haven't read anything since. I'm on page 52, and I have to say... I'm liking it! It feels good to branch out of what I would "normally" read and try something different. Now I get to pick one of my favorite books and force him to try it! He's been good before -- he read Sarah Dessen's Just Listen at my request! :)

#152 -- womansheart --

Lahiri's The Namesake is, without a doubt, my favorite book of all time! I was up until four a.m. reading it night after night, crying my eyes out. Something about it really, really struck home for me. I loved the film, too... for different reasons. Both are excellent. I hope you love it as much as I did!

I've just started The Last Days of the Romanovs and I'm not quite sure I want to continue it. I'm having trouble staying interested.

Reading Hand of Isis by Jo Graham, an LT ER novel set in the Egypt of the first century BC. Also started The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, another LT ER novel that I just received yesterday. I'm very much enjoying both so far. *crosses fingers*

#158...

That sounds really good and onto the wishlist it goes..
I will definitely be reading that one! Thank you :)

Sorry to hear that you were under the weather.. I was too for a few days, so you have my total sympathy. I spent two days of my spring break from work
( of 5 days) in bed. drat. I am better, and glad to hear that you are too :)
I am happy that you did stop by my profile :) and hope to see you there and here often! Your husband cooks? wonderful! Mine does not, but believe me all three of my sons do, and so does y daughter, although she too found a husband who cooks.. yay!

Haven't read much - too busy and then it got nice outside! Soon I can read on the porch - just as soon as we get the yard in shape!

163: writemeg- I have not read The Namesake yet, although it is in my tbr, but if you haven't read her 2 short story collections, they are both incredible and I highly recommend them!

I finished The Big Over Easy by Jasper Frorde today and really enjoyed his wit. I think it's his best since The Eyre Affair.
#139 CarolynSchroeder- I had a similiar problem recently with No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. She's very imaginative and a good storyteller when she's laying out the plot, but so many of the stories involved creepy sex. A teacher becoming obsessed with a 14 year-old, a man drugging his co-worker. It made my skin crawl.

Finished another book from Mount TBHR, Remainder by Tom McCarthy. In the end, I found I couldn't quite put it down, so I read the remaining two-thirds this morning. I always get so engrossed in a good book, and the protagonist was so obsessive that by the end of the morning I was starting to sympathise with his disconnection! An excellent book, and a contender for my top 10 of the year, no doubt.

Well, I finished Jim the Boy. What a wonderfully charming, gem of a book! So, I stopped at the library on my way home and picked up the continuation of the story, The Blue Star. I'm almost hoping for lots of snow tomorrow so I can stay home by the fireplace, curled up with a great book!

#163 - Huh, I was a bit underwhelmed with The Namesake. I thought it was good, but not great. I've heard great things about Interpreter of Maladies though, so I will try her again. I'm curious what you loved about the book. I'm always interested when people's perspectives are different from mine.

Well coppers, (& jhedlund), last I heard was that we're supposed to get 12-36 inches. I guess if it's going to snow it should really snow. Reading by the fire sounds great!

Are you seriously expecting snow?


I would be sulking, book or no book.... :P

I just finished The Madness of Modern Families, which is a rather astute little book along the lines of Grumpy Old Women - a TV tie in, I think, but I didn't see the series. Now I'm moving onto one of my towering stack of library books, Robbing the Bees by Holly Bishop, a history of bees and honey which promises to be delicious!

I just finished up I, Robot and am still working on Eye of the World and The Third Reich At War. I'm also in the middle of Journey into the Whirlwind, a book by a Russian woman who spent a considerable amount of time in the Gulag system of Stalinist Russia. I've set it aside for a few days until I finish the others, though.

Message edited by its author, Apr 17, 2009, 7:44am.

Read To The Nines by Janet Evanovich last night. Also read a few pages in Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane by William Peter Blatty this morning, I can't read it in one go. I started this book sometime in January or Februari, but I just can't concentrate on the story for long. Might be because of his writing, because I do like the story.

I finished Crow Lake and loved it. Just a great novel person's novel to sink into ... thoughtful, beautiful, atmospheric. Thanks everyone for the thumbs up, I do definitely consider what you say.

I'm not sure what is next, I have an Amazon shipment coming today which includes Animal's People (and The Secret Magdelene but I'm saving that for my Europen flight in a couple weeks) but also started, sort of casually Rick Bragg's memoir All over but the Shoutin' and he's a REALLY engaging writer.

168: msf59 & 172: jhedlund

I've read Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies and absolutely loved it, too -- in fact, I read the whole thing in one long afternoon this past winter! Her voice is so lyrical and stunning . . . what I love about it is what I love about The Namesake, too -- the small details she inserts in the stories that, I think, other authors would overlook. Mentioning the way someone holds their head or how they take their tea or . . . a myriad of other things, I guess. Lahiri immediately draws you into each and every story, and her ability to drop us into the middle of scene -- in the case of her short stories, time and time again -- is what makes her such a fabulous writer! I usually don't like short stories. I hate feeling like after thirty pages, I've finally gotten to know someone only for the story to end. But with Lahiri, you feel like you know the characters immediately -- and then feel very sad when you have to leave them!

With The Namesake, I guess I just really related to Gogol's feelings of displacement, transience and being "caught" between two worlds. I'm not Indian-American -- nor am I the child of immigrants -- but Lahiri's ability to make us feel what Gogol is feeling, and see what his parents have seen, was magical. And avoiding spoilers, the life-altering event that takes place toward the end of the novel, with Gogol's father, really affected me. I've dealt with a similar issue and found it all so tender, heart-breaking and just realistic to how I once felt that I actually broke down in heavy sobs. It's not often that I find a book with an ability like that! I can certainly appreciate that it's not a book for everyone, but it gets my absolute highest recommendation. Plus, lovers of the written word will appreciate Ashoke's great love of literature . . . it's so great, in fact, that he names his only son -- well -- Gogol! Just magnificient.

Okay, I've written a novel here myself . . . but I always get going when I talk about Lahiri! :)

mckait, we are seriously GETTING snow here. So far not much of it is sticking, but it's expected to go on until late tomorrow afternoon. It's not so bad because it's probably saving us from scorching to death this summer. Plus, there's already a couple of 70 degree days forecasted for next week.

writemeg - that's certainly a beautiful answer you gave to my question. The details that she put into the story were what I did enjoy about it. I remember, for example, the scene where he makes a rubbing of a name on a gravestone. I thought that was particularly poignant given all of the consternation over his own name. Since reading the book, I have had an experience with my father that would probably make me see the whole book differently now (I'm sure you know what I mean, but I don't want to include spoilers). That said, your comments make me look forward to Interpreter of Maladies. I, too, am not usually a short story fan, but the book has received such accolades that I didn't want to pass it by.

I finished Liberty's Daughters last night, and am starting Nickel and Dimed.

I just finished The Shack and am have just started Bonfire of the Vanities. It should be a great weekend!

Finished People of the Book last night (loved it) and started The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I'm only 28 pages in and am enthralled. Bodes well for the weekend.

Message edited by its author, Apr 17, 2009, 1:39pm.

Behold, Here's Poison and Black Plumes. I feel the need of some British Golden-Age attitudes towards life and order.

I've just started Dreams from my father by Barack Obama. It's the latest book for one of my book clubs. Accessible and interesting.

#179, 180, etc - At the risk of beating a dead horse, regarding the Lahiri discussion above, I am a great fan of her's but The Interpreter of Maladies is probably my least favorite of her books. I also don't consider myself a fan of the short story but I absolutely loved Unaccustomed Earth!

And just an aside, I cannot believe how hard is is snowing right now...

coopers & jhedlund--so sorry for the snow--I think here in New England we might actually be done with snow. It was 70 today.

I loved The Namesake book and movie (I love Kal Penn). I have her other 2 books and will now move them up the TBR pile.

I finished Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada. After reading Lark and Termite, I did not think I would read a better book this year. Wrong! This is an outstanding novel that grabs you immediately, shakes you and never lets loose. Amazing!
I just began another Nazi-themed book, a complete coincidence, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I'm less than 80 pages in but WOW! The author's use of language is utterly awe-inspiring. Will this topple the Fallada book from the top-spot? Stay tuned!

>188,
I just started The Book Thief too, just a little bit ago. I'm only about 40 pages in, but enjoying it so far.

I'm on the third of the Philip Pullman trilogy, His Dark Materials. The Amber Spyglass pulls all three together and is a very compelling read.

I haven't posted anything here for a while but will try my hand at it again. I've just started Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, at the suggestion of my best friend. I've only just started but I'm already impressed by the writing. Is anyone else out there a fan?

msf59 and DevourerOfBooks - Ohhh, The Book Thief - one of my all time favorites. I hope you both continue to enjoy it!!

I just started Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, and I've already whizzed through about half of it in one evening! I'm also slogging through Anna Karenina, and I started Jingo by Terry Pratchett last night. School's been getting super busy lately, which is making me feel a little guilty about reading instead of doing homework... :D

I'm currently reading Q & A: A Novel by Vikas Swarup, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, Alice in Exile by Piers Paul Read and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

I'm an Atlas Shrugged fan Imanivrn ... it's been years since I read it (also listened to the audiobook with my Dad on a road trip), but its characters and core store stick with me many a day.

I put down Rick Bragg to finish for my categorical book club (I have biography/memoir for May). So far it seems pretty good. I guess I feel I've read about enough dysfunctional alcoholic families to last a lifetime, but his writing is pretty engaging. He writes of the deep, poor white South in a way I haven't quite read before ~ passionate and respectful, yet honest.

So "wandered into Barnes and Noble" and bought/started Someone Knows my Name by Lawrence Hill which has long been on the TBR list ... it's awesome and I cannot put it down. I'm thinking I have a think for Canadian writers. Very few do I not care for lately.

There is a thread for the new week here

http://www.librarything.com/topic/62789#...