What Are You Reading the Week of 12 January 2013?

Tillie Olsen (14 January 1912 to 1 January 2007) was born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Wahoo, Nebraska and moved to Omaha while a young child. There she attended Lake School in the Near North Side through the eighth grade, living among the city's Jewish community.

At age 15, she dropped out of Omaha High School to enter the work force. Over the years Olsen worked as a waitress, domestic worker, and meat trimmer. She was also a union organizer and political activist in the Socialist community.

In the 1930s she joined the American Communist party. She was briefly jailed in 1934 while organizing a packing house workers' union (the charge was "making loud and unusual noise"), an experience she wrote about in The Nation and The Partisan Review. She later moved to San Francisco, California, where in 1936 she met and lived with Jack Olsen, who was an organizer and a longshoreman.

She married Jack in 1944, on the eve of his departure for service in World War II. San Francisco remained her home until her 85th year when she moved to Berkeley, California, to a cottage behind the home of her youngest daughter. She died on January 1, 2007, in Oakland, California. (from Wikipedia)



Olsen's major works are:

Tell Me A Riddle
Three short stories, including the bright shining star of her career, "I Stand Here Ironing," plus the title novella. Published in 1961, this series of interconnected-by-character pieces is a revelation. No hoity in her toity! Olsen wrote about life as lived by ordinary folks, women who ironed and cooked and cleaned for their families, men who went to work at physically grueling and spiritually void jobs, and the children they did this for in hopes that the little ingrates (us) would have a better life.

Silences
Non-fiction study of the voices we've forgotten or never heard. AMAZING work of scholarship, reaching into places The Groves of Academe had ignored for so very long before it was first published (1978). Olsen brought along with her the experience of being silenced by her domestic duties within motherhood and (later) marriage. She single-handedly brought back into the academic conversation the works of Rebecca Harding Davis, an early feminist American writer, though frankly the lady's novels are pretty bloody tough sledding to read 150 years on. Her reading lists of forgotten writers make the book worth buying anyway.



Though she published little, Olsen was very influential for her treatment of the lives of women and the poor. She drew attention to why women have been less likely to be published authors (and why they receive less attention than male authors when they do publish). Her work received recognition in the years of much feminist political and social activity. It contributed to new possibilities for women writers. Olsen's influence on American feminist fiction has caused some critics to be frustrated at simplistic feminist interpretations of her work.

In particular, several critics have pointed to Olsen's Communist past as contributing to her thought. Olsen's fiction awards, and the ongoing attention to her work, is often focused upon her unique use of language and story form, a form close to poetry in compression and clarity, as well as upon the content.

Reviewing Olsen's life in The New York Times Book Review,Margaret Atwood attributed Olsen’s relatively small output to her full life as a wife and mother, a “grueling obstacle course” experienced by many writers. Her book Silences “begins with an account, first drafted in 1962, of her own long, circumstantially enforced silence,” Atwood wrote. “She did not write for a very simple reason: A day has 24 hours. For 20 years she had no time, no energy and none of the money that would have bought both.” (from Wikipedia)

Awesome, Richard!

Nice intro. :)

Thank you, richard.

Richard, you inspired me to read "I Stand Here Ironing" late last night -- not for the first time - the first time was in an education class in college long, long ago. But it's one of those works of art that always hits me, each time I encounter it -- fresh, for the first time, raw and powerful, crystal clear, like the crystal stair of Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son.". John Leonard wrote of Olson:

'There are some stories that don't translate into any other medium. They should stay in their books to surprise us, leaping from ambush. When she wrote Tell Me a Riddle, Tillie Olsen, like William Blake, covered paper with words "for the angels to read."'

Thank you, Richard.

I hadn't even heard of Tillie Olsen before but I'm off right now to hunt down one of her books, she sounds amazing! Thanks Richard.

Reading The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan.

ETA - Better still, I just found 'I Stand Here Ironing' online! - http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/jvivian/files/i%20stand%20here%20ir...

Tell me a riddle is a wonderfully written story. Thanks, Richard.

Still reading The building of Jalna After that's finished I'm looking at Evelyn Waugh's The loved one

I have just finished reading the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Tomorrow I will be watching in the cinema the movie version.

#7 I'm going tomorrow too! It's one of my all-time favourite books so I hope the film doesn't disappoint.

That's such a fascinating bio, Richard. Thanks! I have to admit I've never heard of Tillie Olson, either. I appreciate you bringing her under my radar.

I'm still reading King Solomon's Mines, which has pretty much shaped up to be as I thought it would - a prototype of an Indiana Jones type adventure. Fun stuff!

I just read 'I Stand Here Ironing'. Richard, thank you so much for bringing Ms Olsen to my attention! What a beautiful, heartbreaking story (especially, I suspect, to all mums). I definitely want more of this author.

Just "mooched" a copy....looking forward to reading "I Stand Here Ironing".

I'm still working on A Traveller in Time and Godly Seed, along with the 700-page elephant in the room, Titian: His Life.

After that I've got Charlotte Sometimes and The Round House to sink my teeth into.

Finished The Possible City: Exercises in Dreaming Philadelphia last evening. My experience is with Center City and the book looked at the whole city.
While I may not have been enamored with all of his suggestions, many were good and all inspired thought.

Just finished The Age of Miracles, which I have to say, was less than miraculous to me. It was just okay. I kind of wish I didn't waste a week reading it. It often put me to sleep.

#11 Hemlockgang - If you can't wait, I've posted a link to the story online in #5.

Oh, I'm so pleased to have awakened a bit of interest in Mother Olsen! She was a revelation to me, when first encountered in 1991. I was working for Delacorte Books and Delta, the trade paper imprint, put out a reprint of her stories. "I Stand Here Ironing" hit me like a falling wall. I fell for this beautiful, concise, simple (the way a Chanel suit is simple) language telling its quotidian story.

Had she written as much as Joyce Carol Oates, I'd still mourn the untold stories...but the scarcity of her output makes me intensely grateful for the bits we have.

Bjace, I almost chose Mazo de la Roche for this week! It's her birthday, too.

Richard, what a wonderful beginning to the week. I had heard of Tillie Olsen but had never read her.

Who could resist "No hoity in her toity!" On to the list she goes and thanks so much for the introduction.

Hi Anne! How nice to see you! Oh my yes, Olsen's a goddess in my pantheon, and I want her to be better known.

#15> Booksloth, thanks...however, whenever possible I like to hold what I read in my hands......besides, I have loads of BookMooch points to "spend". :-)

I'm about half way through Shavelings in Death Camps. Not making much progress on anything this week.

I just started reading The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling early this morning. So far so good.

#19 I know what you mean, me too.

I just finished the short Steampunk novella Kilts and Kraken which was okay, but I enjoyed the first 2 books in the Gaslight series better.

Now started The Ghosts of Varner Creek, the debut novel of Michael Weems. Checked the Amazon reviews just now and see I'm in for a dark and depressing time ahead. Oh well, I'll pick something breezy next time to counteract it.

Still on Nostromo. Hope to get in finished this weekend, though. As I remembered, it's very slow getting started, but at around page 200 or so (out of 460), you realize you're hooked. That's a long way to go, I know, and I always try to wave people off of Nostromo if it's going to be their first Conrad. But still, it's Conrad, and the insights into human nature are, as always, sparkling.

I am working on Little, Big by John Crowley. I am finding it challenging to read. The writing style is very choppy and I find I have to read it carefully in a quiet room or else I end up having to read paragraphs over again. However it does intrigue me and due to the many wonderful reviews it has I have decided to persevere. It's probably good for me to have a book that makes me slow down and really concentrate.

Thanks Richard, what a fascinating woman. I will look forward to the beginning of the weekly thread even more now, with someone new to meet each week!

I hadn't heard of her either, thanks for the link Booksloth, have saved to read later :o)

I am halfway through The Forgotten Garden, and haven't yet got back to the short stories in Dear Husband

Thanks Richard. I am defnitely intrigued by Tilllie Olsen. I'm on a mission to read some of her work.

I shall also be following up on Tillie Olsen, my local library chain have none of her novels, so I shall just have to visit Amazon!!

Wow, I too had never heard of Tillie Olson. Thank you so much for the wonderful bit of education this morning. So many wonderful writers just never made it for us to know about.

I finished Zeke and Ned and really enjoyed it. I popped up a quick review since there was only one other here. I am now reading Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep and Enough Wool to Save the Planet, which I heard about here. It is a nice, little, funny, interesting, memoir of sorts. So far, enjoying it a whole lot.

Next up will be Hearts on Fire, Twelve Stories of Today's Visionaries Igniting Idealism Into Action by Jill Iscol, which I just received today via the Early Review Program.

Then I have to get back to my second month of Nuts About Reading at my library. HOORAY, I picked "Western" ... so I have to read a Western (and another NF and Fiction selection) - it is kind of a weird triptych program. So c'mon, give me your best (I have read and loved Lonesome Dove, Bendigo Shafter, The Sisters Brothers and now, Zeke and Ned ... I don't care for Cormac McCarthy!!! You guys always rock with ideas!

I'm just now starting Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.

Thanks Richard. It's always great to find a new author. Just started ER book, The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville. It's another twist about what would have happened if Germany had won World War II. And, so far, so good for this thriller.

#29..Try any by Annie Proulx. Have you read Doc by Mary Doria Russell??

Loved Doc!

Finished Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett and started Putting Lipstick on a Pig by Michael Bowen.

#30, bookwoman247, I've got Barchester Towers on my list for next month. I read The Warden last year, so I'm interested to learn what happens next.

Finished The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James

#28. I too looked Tillie Olsen up at our local library, and nary a book! So, I'll have to try Amazon as well. Amazon will wonder why the sudden rush on her books. Richard -- This could be bigger than Oprah's book club was!

#29 I put Zeke and Ned on my Wishlist after reading your review. Thanks for posting it. Haven't read Larry Murtry before, but know a lot of folks like his books. Wlll explore further.

Richard, great opening!!! I worship Tillie Olson. She hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as she deserved, and sadly her books can be hard to find.

Right now I'm about 2 pages into Letters to a young novelist by Mario Vargas Llosa. At this point, I'm thinking it will be filled with a lot of very personal comments from Vargas Llosa and will be more likely to tell the reader about his life and how he thinks than how to write. Fine by me.

I am about to begin Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver.

I am so so pleased that Tillie Olsen struck such a chord around here! She's a wonderful writer, and well worth our limited number of eyeblinks to read.

The anti-Olsen is what I've just read and reviewed, Angela Thirkell's last book Three Score and Ten. I gave it at least one and a half stars more than its literary merits would earn, because it is what it is: the last of its kind, the end of a series, the only autobiography we'll ever have of its creator. It's in my thread...post #27.

The Lifeboat was a wonderful read, as was The Invisible Gorilla. Next I'm getting started on I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir.

I am really loving Sheepish ... so a big thanks to whomever mentioned it here. It is so nice to laugh, giggle, snort and just spend time with these friends on the farm. It is grey and cold here in IL and it's a nice reprieve from the depressing reads thus far. Nice break and very enjoyable!

Seems the ballots have been tallied and the winner announced, but I'd still like to cast my vote for the wonderful new format - thank you, Richard! And I think I've found my February short story collection, too :)

Currently reading Out of the Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression by Jan Wong, and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a very well-written, fascinating, informative, brave work - which she had to self-publish because her former employer (a newspaper) convinced her publisher to kill it. Hence, the shameless plugging. (I would have plugged it anyway, though: it's an addictive read).

It must be the week for old titles as I just finished reading Honorable Schoolboy by John LeCarre. It is easy to see why he is considered a master of the genre. I will be reading the third Smiley book before the end of the year. He really created the atmosphere of Phenm Phen and Saigon in 1975. There was a ine in the book that went something along the ones of - That Cambodia was so peaceful in the midst of all the violence and the collapse - that really stuck with me. There is no worry that this type of novel will go out of style when it has writing that good.

I am now giving all my attention to The Gravedigger's Daughter.

Still reading Parade's End.

>46 benitastrnad:: Glad you liked Honourable Schoolboy! That one was probably my favourite of the Smiley novels.

>47 libraryrobin:: How are you finding Parade's End? I just finished it myself over Christmas and am looking forward to the miniseries.

As for myself, I am spending this rainy afternoon with Sharon Kay Penman's When Christ and His Saints Slept.

>5 Booksloth: Thanks for the link to the PDF of the story, Booksloth. I've downloaded it onto my Kindle. (And thank you, Richard, for bringing Olsen to our attention.)

Thanks for the link to I Stand Here Ironing, Booksloth. Here's one for Tell Me A Riddle http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/jvivian/files/i%20stand%20here%20ir...

This week's reading:
I just finished an audiobook of The Blessing Way and almost stopped because of Bergen McKee's (the main white male character) perception of Ellen Leon, the female character. Tony Hillerman in his memoir Seldom Disappointed (which I'm also still listening to) describes his mother as strong, intelligent, brave and inspirational, so you can imagine how disappointed I was to find Ellen perceived as fragile and, if not stupid, at least closed minded. However, later the part Native American main male character, Joe Leaphorn, shows that McKee not only had a false impression of Ellen but was a little too involved in his own testosterone surges to view the big picture. I am liking Tony Hillerman so much that I'm putting aside my paper reading of Mrs. Woolf and the Servants in order to finish 2 more Hillerman's by my RL book club meeting on Friday - Dance Hall of the Dead and Listening Woman.

I've laid aside The Emperor of All Maladies the past few days, as I've been completely sucked into Under the Mercy Trees. I'm also slowly reading Evolving in Monkey Town in the evenings before bed.

I've reviewed the quirky, wonderful stories in 420 Characters: Stories over in my thread...post #15.

First appearing on Facebook, they're all marvels of concise, lovely language telling fractions and fractals of stories we might never know, or never forget.

@CarolynSchroeder, I've not yet read Doc, but it's my next planned read.

Other favorites include:
Conagher by Louis L'Amour
The Man Called Noon by Louis L'Amour
The Cherokee Trail by Louis L'Amour
True Grit by Charles Portis

Finished Into The Darkest Corner, a very good thriller! Still in the same mood so I am moving onto my next audiobook, The Cold Spot by Tom Piccirilli.

I fo ishedLife of Pi today and started on Snow Days of the Wimpy Kid series

Joyce ~ Glad you are enjoying the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries! I finished the series years ago (I think the last one The Shape Shifter was from 2006) and am so sad Hillerman is not still around to write more. It may be time for a reread of the series.

Finished The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and thought it was well deserving of its Newbery Honor. Half-way through Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, started The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and going upstairs to begin Snow

All this talk of the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee stories makes me want to go back and read all of them. Strangely, I ran across Hillerman's autobiography Seldom Disappointed this last week. My real life book discussion group was casting about for a memoir to read and this one was mentioned. Ultimately, we settled on Glass Castle because it turned out that only one person in the group had read the book. We got a good laugh because it has been so popular and yet none of us heavy readers, except for one, had read it. I may have to read the Hillerman memoir on my own. Another one for the to-be-read list.

I finished A Field of Darkness the snarky, well-written debut mystery by Cornelia Read last night and began The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern this morning.

#59 Oh yum! The Night Circus!

>59 nancyewhite:, 60 One of my all-time favorite books, for no good reason...and I hope The Night Circus beguiles you, too, Nancy.

Very glad to see you, BTW.

#44- I'm glad you are enjoying Sheepish, I thought it was a lot of fun.

Richard- I really like this new format. I was not aware of Tillie Olsen, but after your introduction I plan to check her out.

I'm starting Fever: A Novel by Mary B. Keane an early readers selection. It is about Mary Mallon, better known to most as "Typhoid Mary."

I finished and REVIEWED Elizabeth Strout's newest novel The Burgess Boys. This may be her best book yet. My copy came to me courtesy of Early Reviewers.

Now I'm reading A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell. This is the first novella in his acclaimed Dance to the Music of Time. I am participating in the year long reading of that series of twelve novellas. The thread is right here in case anyone is interested.

# 63 brenzi..Lucky you with The Burgess Boys I have pre-ordered thru Amazon, available 26th March, I have also pre-ordered the Jane Gardam latest Last Friends it will be available from April 2nd.

I am really enjoying (so far) Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver it for me is a massive read 436 pages!!and it is also very heavy to hold!! it reminds me some of Prodigal Summer by Barbara, this is one of my favorites.

I finished and loved Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet by Catherine Friend.

Now reading 420 Characters by Lou Beach and Hearts On Fire by Jill Iscol.

#29: I highly recommend Deadwood by Pete Dexter...

#50 Thanks Joyce for the link, I have saved it with I Stand Here Ironing, from Booksloth as my local library doesn't have anything by Tillie Olsen.

I have finished The Forgotten Garden and will stick to my short stories Dear Husband for a bit.

64 hazeljune

Prodigal Summer is probably my favorite of hers. Good to hear you are enjoying Flight Behaviour just as much. I can't wait to read it!

Oh, Tell Me A Riddle is the site for I Stand Here Ironing. I thought they were 2 different things. What a powerful story.
I finished Tony Hillerman's memoir, Seldom Disappointed, which he wasn't. His parents prepared him well for a life of hard work and appreciation for whatever came his way, which was a lot of work and a great deal of deserved honor (though he didn't think he deserved his WWII medals any more than any other infantryman who didn't get them.) I probably should have read the memoir after I finished reading his mysteries because there are enough spoilers to take the edge of the books, which are so good. He says that when he's at book signings people will frequently assert that they don't read mysteries but they love his books because of all they learn about Indian life and culture. Funny, that's exactly what I would have said. He thinks it's because we can't give ourselves over to the pure pleasure of reading without balancing it with education. He was quite a brilliant and accomplished man. I'm glad I met him through his books. I finished The Blessing Way and will finish Dance Hall of the Dead tomorrow. Even though I already know "who done it" because of the memoir, I still have all that Indian culture to absorb.
I think next up on audio will be Bloodsucking Fiends because I'm up for a little caustic humor.

Here's my review of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell:

http://kammbia1.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/book-review-34-the-sparrow-by-mary-dori...

This is a powerful novel and a must read for all serious readers. It's been awhile that a novel had me excited and saddened after I finished reading it.

Marion

#70..Kammbia, I have access to a copy of The Sparrow I passed it on to an in-house library, I found the science fiction part of no interest at the time, however after reading your review I intend to have another try.

I did love Doc by Mary Doria Russell, I believe that she is working on a follow up of Doc, I shall be keeping an eye out for that.

Hazel

Hazel,

Thanks for the kind words on the review.

As for someone who does read science-fiction, I had to be objective in my review about that part of the novel. It could easily detract non-readers of science-fiction away from the story. It was dense even for me.

However, the novel's strengths out weight that part of the story.

I will have to look out for Doc as well.

Marion

#64 Think of my ROOTS challenge will ya! Here am I innocently trying to resist Flight Behaviour and then you come along and tell me it reminds you of Prodigal Summer. How am I meant to resist that?

I am reading Think of a number by John Verdon; it is great so far :)

I loved Prodigal Summer too, but I keep hearing Flight Behavior is over-preachified, even for the converted, which I am one of! So looking forward to the final verdict!

Finished It's Game Time Somewhere which I enjoyed since it explained to me why my sports enthusiasm was waning. It's not just an age thing. The author found the joy of sports still prevalent in all the "second tier" sports played for the mere joy of playing.

I'm also very much enjoying Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence

So, I finished reading Shock Talk: The Exorcist Files last night, which despite starting out pretty good ended up being not as horror-filled as was promised in the synopsis! :) Today, I just started reading Ceremony of the Innocent which is another huge book of about 500 pages.

Brought home Kate Morton' s new novel, The Secret Keeper. Excited to start it.

Currently reading Peter Ackroyd's The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein... next on the list is The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter... and then Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life by Gerald Martin will finish out a 25-book list I started in August...

Today I received and started reading Animals Nobody Loves. I owned the book as a teen and read it repeatedly, but it's been a number of years since it graced my bookshelves.

I've reviewed a very successful read of Howards End is on the Landing, a reader's memoir through books by writer Susan Hill. Quite a lovely trip through her home library. Review is on my thread...post #263.

>58 benitastrnad: benitastrnad ~ I'm sure Seldom Disappointed is a good read, being as Hillerman wrote it and he is a very good writer, but I don't think your book club will be disappointed to read The Glass Castle, which was one of my top favorite books of 2012.

#78 Hi framboise, look forward to hearing about The Secret Keeper, I have just discovered Kate Morton with The Forgotten Garden and loved it.

Finished The Cold Spot and have reached the end of my suspense binge! Now, on to Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea.

Once I was in a book club that read contrasting or comparative books a couple of months. It would be fascinating to read and discuss both The Glass Castle and Seldom Disappointed to contrast two such different childhoods. Hillerman's was full of poverty but love, guidance and mutual respect, and Walls' was full of poverty, neglect and mental illness. Amazing that they both grew up to become so successful, though I have to think Hillerman must have been much happier.

I finished Dance Hall of the Dead which had an absolutely perfect ending that was not spoiled by my already knowing who did it and another major surprising occurrence. I guess that's my definition of a good mystery - one in which the solution of the mystery is only part of the enjoyment of the book. Leaphorn doesn't just try to solve the mystery, he tries to make sense out of life, not always successfully, but his attempt is well worth the read. The fact that he is not vengeful or cynical, not the usual hard drinking self destructive detective makes these books a joy to read.
Now I'm reading his next book, Listening Woman and listening to another Indian crime story Iron Lake. I think those will be my last venture into this genre for the month unless I get to A Thief of Time.

#78/83 I'm so looking forward to The Secret Keeper coming out in p/b over here. Kate Morton really is the queen of the new gothic and every book of hers I read, I fear will be the one that comes as a let-down. Hasn't happened yet though. :)

Fiona, while you're waiting for The Secret Keeper, you can always fill the time with The Diostnat Hours and The House at Riverton - both are great reads.

I finished Hearts On Fire by Jill Iscol and others and it ended up being pretty mediocre, despite its subject matter. I put a short review up, as this was an ER book.

I am now reading the wonderful 420 Characters for my second January selection over in our Short Story Read Along. If you are stalled in reading, or in a book funk (which happens to me once in a while), I am pretty sure this would be a great choice to jumpstart any engine. Just great, great fun.

I am also starting my Western selection Billy Gashade by Loren D. Estleman and it is a bit of a slow start, but after fast movers, such as the two previous selections, I am giving it time for me to settle in and let the story develop. So far, it is a very different from any Western I have read.

I'm just starting Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor. I've been saving it for my first day of chemo, as it seems a very easy, gentle read.

That means I've put Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope on hold. Poor Trollope will have to be on hold for quite a while, even though I was enjoying him very much. My ER book, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri arrived yesterday evening, so I will read that before getting back to him.

>87 CarolynSchroeder: I'm disappointed with you on Hearts on Fire. Darn. And so pleased you're enjoying the whimsical 420 Characters!

Struggled to round about the halfway point in I Remember You before deciding I didn't really give a hoot about these tiresome people. LT has some great reviews in Swedish and German (thank you, Google Translate) so I can only assume something gets lost in translation.

Now reading the very short Free Will by Sam Harris.

In anticipation of the upcoming baseball season I started Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. go Yankees!!!

And I just finished Free Will! It was only 66 pages long. Off to ferrett around for the next full-length book.

ETA I think it's going to be The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

Anna Karenina is done, and I'm glad I met Levin and Kitty, but could have done without Karenin, Anna and Vronsky. I'm now a ways into Low Town and enjoying it.

Finished My Booky Wook by Russell Brand and Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates.

Now moving on to This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski

#87 Carolyn, If you like the way Loren D Estleman writes try The Undertaker's Wife, it is one of the best historical fictions that I have ever read, you will find it a very different type of western.

# 86 Booksloth..........adding them to my list as we 'speak' :o)

#96 Well done you for figuring out what I meant! Have corrected the typos now.

I finally finished my re-read of Nostromo, as well as the mystery short story collection I, Richard by Elizabeth George. Both are described in my brand new 2013 50-Book Challenge thread!

I've started Rhino Ranch, the last in Larry McMurtry's wonderful Thalia, Texas series that begins with The Last Picture Show.

Thanks hazeljune! So far (work has been a bugger X 50 this week) I do like his writing. I do have to slow down and switch down a few pegs from some of the "easier" reading fiction I've read lately. That said, it sort of has that feel like with Gone With the Wind, where it is incredibly pleasurable, a little more dense than some ... but ultimately may be a very rich and rewarding experience. I like the character development very much so far. I'm just a bit in. I was shocked how many Westerns Loren Estlemen has written, he is really not very well known whatsoever. There is even a biography on the "hanging judge" Parker (who I just read about in Zeke and Ned).

#83 & 86: Just over 100 pgs into The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. Yes, FionaWh, you should check out her other novels. I discovered her a few years ago and zip through her books in days. I recommend them all. You might also like one similar, gothic novel that I read a few years ago called The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It was SO good I keep checking if the author has come out with another, but to no avail!

#100 ....and adding her book as well - have well and truly discarded my plan of not adding any books to my TBR pile this month lol !! :o) :o)

I had a wonderful start to the year in my 50-Book Challenge (I don't know how to highlight a link), but work is starting to creep in and the lovely summer holiday is only part-time now - damn!

#91> Now cdyankeefan. You know there is only one team in baseball to root for..So my I recommend October 1964 by David Halberstam. :D Go Cards!!

#102 lol corgi man!! I actually don't have a lot of faith in this years edition of the ny Yankees -it's an older team and I have a lot of concerns over how Mariano Rivera and my personal favorite Derek Jeter will respond after their serious injuries from last season

I am reading The Silver Spoon Effect by Lionel Levy. Great Caribbean-American paranormal novel.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AXZ2VMC

I finished and loved 420 Characters and put up a short review.

Now deep into Billy Gashade by Loren D. Estleman and really, really enjoying the writing, world and new view on some old events. But it feels like I'm learning about this time/place anew. If you like Western historical fiction, I agree that this author is really worth checking out. I guess he does mysteries or PI stories, which is what he is mostly known for. But this Western is written a cut above many I have read, and also, different. Our protagonist is a pianist from a wealthy family forced on the lam by events in NYC surrounding the Civil War draft in 1863 (which favored the rich as one could pay to $300 to avoid being drafted) and falling on the wrong/deadly side of the Irish/Scot oppositionists. He is only 16 and clueless and sent on his way to Lawrence, Kansas to avoid his an untimely demise. We see issues of slavery, class and abuses of power through his eyes, as he learns about the turbulence of the times. Anyway, GOOD so far!

I finished A Question of Upbringing which is the first novella in the year long Group Read of the Dance to the Music of Time epic by Anthony Powell. We're reading one novella per month. If you're interested the thread is here.

Now I'm reading We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance

I've started reading The Miracle Inspector by Helen Smith. A member giveaway book.

Still reading Animals Nobody Loves. It's a good read, I'm just not finding time to read as I wish, so the progress is slow.

Inspired by some comments in this group, I just finished The Jim Chee Mysteries: People of Darkness/The Dark Wind/The Ghostway, which was quite good.

When it comes to the Hillerman mysteries, I find it's better to read them in order of publication. Not absolutely necessary, but the relationships between Chee and Leaphorn and other characters do develop over time and add to the pleasure of reading the books.

I'm still reading Ivan Doig's The Bartender's Tale.

I just finished Listening Woman and have to say it's my least favorite of the Leaphorn mysteries - heavy on mystery resolution but, I can't say light on the Indian culture but maybe it's that it's light on reflecting anything meaningful in my life. Now I'm back to Mrs. Woolf and the Servants and it feels good to return.
I do love historical fiction focusing on westerns so have requested a couple of Loren D. Estelman's from the library.

111.. Try for The Undertaker's Wife it is a gem, my library chain have 40 of his books listed!!

I am still making my way thru Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver, I am getting to love the main young married couple and their two children, the mother in law from hell is really something!!

I am almost at the end of my short story collection Dear Husband, not overly enjoying it though.

I went to the library today - just to drop off a form for my grandson's participation in the summer reading programme - honestly I had no intention of getting any books out, none at all as I still have 2 from the last pile to read......I even told myself as I passed through the doorway into 'heaven' I will not bring any books home............so, here's what I got lol;
a NF Underworld London: Crime and Punishment in the Capital City and Call the Midwife. I also bought Terry Waite's book Taken On Trust from the used book trolley for $2. Such willpower!!

I have to say my grandson has enjoyed his first year of the summer reading programme. He is 4 years old so just eligible to participate. Over the Christmas break he has to read books from the library and "report in" at least once a week. Basically the kids from 4 to 12 give a verbal book review to one of the librarians (very cute listening to the little ones). Teenagers do written book reviews. Each time they report in they receive a little prize, and then there is a finale party at the end. There is a theme each year and the children's section of the library is decorated accordingly. One year when my own kids were doing it the theme was camping and the kids had to crawl into a small tent to give their report.

The programme is very popular, and it is so positive seeing all these keen and enthusiastic young readers.

#108 fuzzi, you're a braver soul than I am. I don't even know what the book is about but I feel a tear start to well up every time I read that title.

I'm just starting A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri, an ER book I won from the Nov. batch. It's too soon to tell how it's going to go.

I just finished up Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor, which I loved! It was very British, and sweet and poignant.

>110 mollygrace:, Normally, that's what I try to do, but this was rather a case of the dreaded "It's all the library had" syndrome, a very unfortunate disease.

I'm currently reading There was a Country by Chinua Achebe, his memoir about living through the Biafran War, as well as a period mystery, The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber.

FYI

PBS made some of the Tony Hillerman novels into a series back when they were still doing their own series and not buying all of them from the BBC. Our library had them in its VCR collection till they got rid of the whole collection.

This morning started The 39 Steps by John Buchan. I first read this many, many years ago when I was about 12.

I had to put aside Ceremony of the Innocent for the moment as I'm not getting that caught up in the story just yet. I picked up Rose and am looking forward to discovering what this book is all about! :)

#113: FionaWh, I hope you enjoy Call the Midwife. I read it after seeing the recent series on PBS (which was a faithful adaptation).

That library program sounds really good for the kids. Sounds like something we should have here in the states!

#119..if the Rose novel that you have is by Martin Cruz Smith I am sure that you will enjoy.

(114) @Booksloth, it's not about abandoned pets, but a look at animals that are hated or despised. The author does a study on each animal, peppered liberally with personal recollections.

Some of the animals I've read about so far are octopus, wolf, rat, spider, bat...you get the idea.

It's a really interesting book, and well-written, too.

Finished the remarkable The Toilers of the Sea! Here is the link to my review:

http://my2013readingjournal.blogspot.com/2013/01/toilers-of-sea-by-victor-hugo.h...

Now to start Silent House by Orhan Pamuk, one of my all-time favorite authors!

#121 hazeljune - It most certainly is Martin Cruz Smith! I'm looking forward to reading the book now! :)

#120 I saw the series too and loved it so really looking forward to the book :o)

I think the library programme is fantastic. Encourages the children at an early age to think about the book they are reading and be able to re-tell the story.
At four he obviously can't read the books himself yet, but "reads" them to his three year old sister.
I just think even being in a library teaches children so many lifeskills (do I sound just a little obsessed).

Finished Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton which I found very entertaining. It speaks to the struggle involved in contemplating or actually escaping the family and culture one's born into. It is also an exquisite examination of human emotions and motivations.