Group Reading Log: May 2012

Happy May Day, everyone! (Do we all like how the "other" image involves reading? :)

I'm currently reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, about the slums of Mumbai. It's "narrative non-fiction" and it's seriously peeving me off. It fails to pack the powerful wallop of a well written fiction book; and it fails to pack the powerful wallop of a well researched non-fiction book. I'm not trusting anything she says because I don't know how she knows what people are thinking or feeling (really? they told you all those internal thought processes, some months after the facts?). It's all "tell, don't show", and while I agree the story is important, I'm not sure if this is how I want to read said story.

I'm giving it to page 50, and then returning to Testament of Youth if it doesn't pick up.

Mr Bear & I are reading Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief together. It's rather fun, but it's also rather annoying. Still, it's a nice change from a Lego catalogue, so I'm not complaining. (Boy, is he Lego obsessed.)

And still occasionally reading Essential Dykes to Watch Out For which is proving great fun. Reminds me a lot of my youth, only lesbian. :)

OK, so I finished a book while the month turning over (reading way past midnight): The Drop by Michael Connelly. This sort of reading is escapism for me. I do think this guy is a good writer, but it's not for everyone. Airport fiction, but when you're travelling through a part of your life over which you have no control, this sort of reading is suitable.

I've read one Connelly, The Poet and I found it creepy rather than thrilling. Although I don't diss the need for airport fiction at times.

Stopped reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers at page 50 (happily coinciding with a chapter break, too!). It did improve, but not enough for me to care to continue.

Have now picked up The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna for bookgroup. Good, so far!

Okay, had brain burn out. (Miss Boo's 7th birthday party on the weekend, noisy neighbours having a very noisy party and the police went to the wrong street - THREE times, and work reshuffle. That last one is a good one, although it's keeping us all on our toes.)

Have put the *excellent* The Memory of Love to one side and am juggling The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (good fun) and an incredibly trashy yet highly readable YA paranormal romance (I'm not proud) called City of Ashes, the second in its series.

One day I'll get back to the serious stuff, but that day will not be soon.

The Thin Man is well worth a read, I want to have Nick and Nora as best friends, and the prose is nice and clean, and the plot is nice and complex. Good stuff.

City of Ashes got a bit too angsty towards the end, but I'm still hooked on the series. Will get book #3 out soon, but not too soon.

Now reading Rex Stout's Fer-de-Lance, the first Nero Wolfe mystery. Awfully good stuff, so far.

Fer-de-Lance was quite fun, and I'll certainly be continuing (helps that I bought it as an omnibus* with the second book :).

And I also finished Essential Dykes to Watch Out For. Very disappointed that it ended, I got completely suckered into their world! Kinda like Doonesbury, only lesbian.

Have decided to spend this month alternating between crime and YA. Hence am now reading The Coming of the Whirlpool by Andrew McGahan. It is a good adventure story, going places I wasn't expecting, but I would like more female characters (and a less patriarchal society in the book).

* Is it an "omnibus" if it's only two of 30-something books in a series? can't think of a better word, though.

Hm. Anyone else out there?

The Coming of the Whirlpool ended up being a very good read, and he is going to tackle that silly patriarchal society, hurrah!

Now reading Gods of Gotham, which is impressive so far.

I'm here. I'm reading On a winter's night a traveller , which is my serious read. I've just finished reading a couple of books that I'm almost too embarrassed to mention. One was by Nicci French – Catch Me When I Fall really bad, but if I'm going to read that sort of pulp, I have to wallow in it, and Beneath the Bleeding by Val McDermid which, although being the same genre, was half-way intelligent.
I'm really enjoying the Italo Calvino book, but work is getting in the way of me concentrating on anything serious.

Nice to see you here! I was feeling a little isolated. :)

Gods of Gotham was a great historical crime novel. Recommended for those who like their crimes gruesome.

Then moved on to The Calcutta Chromosome which I was a bit disappointed in. Not a great fan of conspiracy theories, I always lose track of the details.

And it's now June! New log up over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/137888#