mkunruh's 75 books in 2011

I dread a blank slate, so it's great that I have a book to list.

1. Whitechapel Gods - S. M. Peters

And I'm currently reading Just Kids and The Slap. Smith is more naive than I expected, and although I know Christos Tsiolkas is deliberately pushing buttons they're not mine (on the whole) and I'm enjoying the experience.

Hi Miriam! I saw your introduction post and laughed because I always say I'm a very parenthetical kind of girl. (How can someone not love using parentheses!)

I also want to read more Dickens this year. I have Oliver Twist on the waiting list, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. I'll definitely check back to see which Dickens' books you pick and how you like them!

Hello Miriam, just dropping by to say that I got you starred. I will be interested in seing what you'll read (and the parentheses – I looove parentheses (and often get my self lost in a jungle of them)).

Have a great reading year!

Welcome!

Welcome to the group, Miriam!

Welcome Miriam, I read all over the place too!

Thanks for the welcome!

#2 & #3 > debbie and FrkFrigg, I know!

debbie, I'm waffling between A Tale of Two Cities (for obvious reasons) and Hard Times. I've also never read A Christmas Carol, but think that one might be best for December.

#6 > sibyx, nice to know I have company. I'll keep an eye on your reading list for ideas.

2. The Ravine - Paul Quarrington. I didn't expect to like this one, but I really did (with caveats).

#8: What are the caveats, Miriam?

The central concept of the book (the traumatic event in the ravine) is unbelievable, and combined with the ending comes off as lame. Also his loose style, which adds to the enjoyment, also makes for some really choppy and heavy-handed narrative moments. The female characters are also just props for the plot (although that's part of the whole conceit, so I can give him a pass on that), but I had a gas reading it and was quite charmed through much of it.

#10: Thanks for the input!

Passing through, saying hi. I'll have to stop by to hear your comments on Dickens.

#12 > sounds good.

It was a busy week, so I was slow to finish the two books I had on the go. But

3. Just Kids - Patti Smith

4. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas

Both were interesting reads. I'm still processing Just Kids, but I thought that The Slap was very interesting, and although people's response to it our strong, which could mean a book that is more focused on the 'issue' than being a novel (if that makes sense), I thought it a strong novel with interesting things to say. Plus, I was surprised and pleased to discover that it wasn't cynical.

I've blocked Library Thing at work (new groups do not increase productivity) and evenings are usually kid filled, so I'm a bit behind in listing the books I've read.

5. The Soucouyant - David Chariandry (touchstones aren't loading). This novel has been sitting on my shelf for a number of years. It was long listed for the Giller in 2007 and short listed for the Govenor General Award, and I picked it up then because of all the books that year it looked the most interesting. Chariandry teaches English at Simon Fraser, and co-founded Commodor books (the wonders of Wikipedia), a press with a focus on Black Canadians. Chariandry's book was teetered on the edge of being overwritten, but the language and the subject (dementia and racism) keep it from teetering over. I thought it was tender, engaging and I'm glad I read it. I also really liked learning more about Black Canadians, this is not a topic discussed much in Canadian fiction (or history).

6. Sins of the Seventh Sister - Huston Curtiss. This is a "hoot" of a novel/memoir (to borrow a friends description). I had issue with how he skimmed over some really hard issues, and there is very little exploration of his mother's vigilante justice. But his point of view is liberal (the KKK, Jim Crow Laws, the role of women, homophobia and anti-semintism are all addressed in some manner - often at the end of a shot gun) and the 'memoir' is told from the point of view of a 8-9 year old, which gives him some room.

As a companion, and a bit of a antidote I'm reading The Warmth of the Other Sun. And for my RL book club I'm reading Boyle's The Women.

Funny about the touchstones. I tried one of the titles (Sins of the Seventh Sister) in the next post, and the touchstones worked. Is there a trick to them that I don't know?

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833