Joining this late, but am in a little slump right now and thought this might help me read more.
This message has been deleted by its author.
Welcome to the group! If ever there were a place to get out of a slump, this is it.
Welcome to the group!
What did you think of the Millar book?
Thanks guys. I have been reading through the threads in this group and some others, so it's fun to finally make my own. As for the Millar book, I enjoyed it a lot, but it wasn't as weirdly charming as The Good Fairies of New York or Lonely Werewolf Girl.
Welcome!
Thank you!
60.
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
A quietly sad story about a woman who has put her life on hold because of a choice she made as a child. Trevor describes the way this choice affects all who were involved throughout the rest of their lives. The descriptions of coastal Ireland are very atmospheric - it also made me realize how little I know about the Troubles. A melancholy novel about sacrifice, patience, forgiveness, and the passage of time - it was perfect fall reading. Four stars.
Message edited by its author, Nov 9, 2009, 10:02am.
#10:
The Story of Lucy Gault was my introduction to William Trevor and I loved it. I know some people that the story did not work, but it really clicked for me. I am glad to see you enjoyed it as well.
61.
Some Hope : A Trilogy by Edward St. Aubyn
Bleakly comic but ultimately moving set of novels that cover three periods in the life of wealthy Englishman Patrick Melrose. The first, Never Mind, takes place over two days or so at the Melrose house in Provence when Patrick is five. Set around a dinner party, Patrick and his mother endure abuse at the hands of David Melrose (Patrick's father and Eleanor's husband) and the guests deal with his extreme snobbery. Told from multiple points of view, the most serious, but not without its comic moments.
The next novel, Bad News, shows Patrick in his early twenties as a drug addict as he travels to New York to collect his father's ashes. Told solely from Patrick's point of view, it had some particularly funny moments as Patrick tries to purchase drugs in various NYC locations.
The third, my favorite, Some Hope, has Patrick (in his late twenties and miserably clean) and others as they get ready for and attend a country house party. Characters seen or heard of in the first two volumes make appearances. This part especially skewers the British upper class, but also has the most touching moments. A scene near the end nicely mirrors a scene at the beginning of Never Mind, but with a better outcome, and shows that while things may never be perfect, some mistakes don't have to be repeated and that people can be redeemable. I loved
Mother's Milk in August and liked these very much too. Four and a half stars.
62.
Thus Was Adonis Murdered by
Sarah CaudwellThe second of her mysteries I've read - they feature Professor Hilary Tamar and four young and attractive barristers(?). This one takes place in Venice and London. These are mysteries where the plot itself is secondary to the characters. I find the characters and their banter entertaining. Highly enjoyable. Four stars.
Message edited by its author, Nov 12, 2009, 4:00pm.
#12: I will look for
Some Hope. Thanks for the recommendation on that one.
I have
Thus Was Adonis Murdered sitting on my shelf waiting patiently to be read. One of these days I will get to it!
I hope when/if you do read them you enjoy them - both funny in different ways, one with very black humor and the other in a witty, British way.
63.
How to Paint a Dead Man by
Sarah HallI'm not sure how I felt about this one. It took me a couple of months to read (with large breaks in between). The writing in this novel that deals with art, life, love, identity, sex, and death was often very beautiful. It was fun discovering the connections between the four different threads in the novel as the story unfolded. I would probably rate this a three and a half star novel, maybe raised half a star to four because of some of the beautiful writing.
Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 8:47am.
#14: I already added that one to the BlackHole after seeing it on kidzdoc's thread. Sounds like it will be an interesting read.
64.
Queen of the Flowers by
Kerry GreenwoodLightish mystery set in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1920s. Enjoyable - on the whole I prefer to read mystery series in order, but this mystery, while fun, does not make me NEED to go out and purchase these books in order. I will however read those that are available at my library and probably those from the author's other series (apparently contemporary) as well.
Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 8:47am.
Welcome to our friendly well read group!
Thank you! I'm definitely getting lots of good reading ideas from various threads.
65.
The Remains of the Day by
Kazuo IshiguroThe effect of this 1989 Booker Prize winner is mostly cumulative. It tells the story of very dignified, very professional butler Mr. Stevens as he journeys to meet the former housekeeper of the house where he has spent much of his life working as well as his reflections on his past career. Stevens, whose life has been subsumed by that of his employer, is very controlled throughout, and it is only at the end when he lets some of that control slip a little, that the emotional power of the novel is felt. The book also portrays some of the differences in pre- and postwar British society. Ishiguro writes beautifully, and while overall it is a very melancholy novel, there are also quite a few funny scenes. Four and a half stars.
Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 8:46am.
That book has been on my list for a long, long time, and I got a copy of it at the book fair in October. Maybe I'll make it the first book in my downsizing-the-stacks challenge.
Terri
As I mentioned to Stasia last night, I've downsized the stacks each time I move -- only to resize the stacks again.
Well, to be truthful, the downsizing of the stacks only refers to what's there now. No guarantee that they won't increase in size; I'm just going to try to start reading some of them!
19 - I would recommend it.
19/20 - My own unofficial downsize the stacks (read 5 of my own before purchasing 1) failed horribly when I heard about the bookcloseouts.com sale on the kitchen thread and I ordered seven books. Justified of course by the fact that some of them were hard to find, and one I was going to buy no matter what and it was much cheaper there than in a store, but still... it's definitely not the time of year to do that.
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