What are you reading the week of November 4, 2017?

I've finished up Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States by James Scott. Interesting, but he's more convinced of his ideas than convincing.

I've not quite completed Of the Social Contract and Other Political Writings by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but I've had enough. Having finished his proposal for a constitution for Corsica, I was looking down the barrel of his longer proposal for Poland. Neither of these were published in his lifetime, so it may be unfair to judge him by them...or perhaps more so. One item in the work on Corsica was just a scribbled note tacked on at the end by the editors. He recommended that any man, having reached the age of 40, who is unmarried and has never been married, should lose all of his rights as a citizen. This is what happens when philosophers try to give practical advice.

Good week of reading to all.

I've been savoring Potiki and Radiance, slowly sipping the nectar of each wildly different storyteller's voice.

By contrast, I've also been whipping through Four-Day Planet, delightfully subversive pulp SF from the 1950s.

Still reading Norwegian by Night, Fortress in the Eye of Time, and The Long Way Home.

I finished off a couple of my "between books." These are anthologies, collections and periodicals I read a chapter or entry at a time between the novels or histories that I read straight through in more conventional fashion.

The first was Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream: True Tales of Mexican Migration by Sam Quinones. This fascinating collection of articles by Quinones, a journalist who spent years in Mexico, provides excellent perspective about the relationship between Mexican and American culture, and particularly about the economic and societal pressures that drive so many Mexicans to seek their fortunes in the U.S. whether they become citizens or not.

The next was the February 2, 1954, edition of The Reporter. This is the second periodical from the stack of old magazines in my closet that I am going to be reading through over the next few years. The Reporter labeled itself "A Fortnightly of Facts and Ideas." According to the Wikipedia entry linked to in this post, "The Reporter had a huge influence in its day, both among policy makers and the educated public. One author, writing in Commentary in 1960, praised The Reporter as 'represent{ing} the concerns of intelligent American liberalism.' In a 1962 survey of reporters asking what magazines they cited in their work, The Reporter came in fourth place after Time, U.S. News & World Report, and Newsweek, with no other publication coming close."

I love going back in time through these old periodicals and being reminded of the issues and attitudes of the days in which they were published. For example, which modern American president made this statement during his State of the Union Address?

"The Administration is profoundly aware of two great needs born of our living in a complex industrial economy. First: The individual citizen must have safeguards against personal disaster inflicted by forces beyond his control. Second: The welfare of the people demands effective and economical performance by the government of certain indispensable social services . . . There is urgent need for greater effectiveness in our programs, both public and private, offering safeguards against the privations that too often come with unemployment, old age illness, and accident.

If you guessed Dwight D. Eisenhower, you are a winner.

This edition of The Reporter also includes:

** a fascinating critique of America's post-war foreign aide programs by Harlan Cleveland ("County agents from Kentucky and Nebraska found that there was no point in talking about growing more food when their listeners were interested only in getting a fairer share of what they were already growing.")

** an insightful article about the downfall, show trial and execution of powerful Soviet general Lavrenti Beria.

** Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s review of Louis Morton's then new World War 2 history, The Fall of the Philippines.

** A discussion, in Edward L. Katzenbach, Jr.'s article, "The Diplomatic Cost of Military Penny Pinching," of whether small, mobile atomic weapons could be made to substitute for more costly large-scale armies. ("The use of 'volunteers' to fight a foreign war is only one of the dodges the Communists have available to them. What are we to do if a 'spontaneous peoples' revolution' starts throughout Southeast Asia? This is the sort of question to which in the past no clean-cut answers could be given. If we were vague about it, we were also flexible. But if atomic cannon are substituted for men in this area, a decision on the ground will be harder, not easier, to reach." -- And this is being written in 1954, mind you.)

I still have some more "between book" reading to do, but soon I will be starting Homeworld, the first in science fiction writer Harry Harrison's "To the Stars" trilogy. It's been a while since I read any science fiction, and I'm looking forward to these books.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Mary Roach
3.5/5 stars
Author Mary Roach does love to push the bar with her book subjects and I loved her book Gulp which is all about the alimentary canal. In this book, she still is probing an unusual subject, cadavers. She writes all about the physical process of death, what happens to a person’s body after death, funeral customs, donating a body and other topics. I found this very interesting and she is quite funny and informative. This book is not for everyone but if you like unusual subjects this might appeal to you.

Fiished Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller. Enjoyed it.

Next into the rotation is The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

I finished the LTER book, The Fearless Benjamin Lay. This is a long overdue portrait of truly exemplar man, one who via empathy and intellect determined his version of TRUTH and then proselytized it and lived by it. By doing so he was critical to the development of the abolition movement. The book is thorough without being dry in describing how he developed and disseminated his ideas.

I am almost halfway through Period Piece: The Cambridge Childhood of Darwin's Granddaughter, by Gwen Raverat. Enjoying it very much!

>2 richardderus: Welcome back!

I'm still rereading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition by J. K. Rowling. The illustrations are making this reread a little more mindful.

>7 snash: I'm intrigued. Looks like a must-borrow.

>9 PaperbackPirate: Thank you! Happy to be back.

Very pleased so far with the first stories from Tom Hanks' Uncommon Type.

Drums of Autumn – Diana Gabaldon
Book on CD performed by Davina Porter
3.5***

NOTE - If you have *not* read the previous books in this series, there will be spoilers ahead.

Book number four in the bestselling Outlander series, has Jamie and Claire making their home in the colonies, in the mountains of North Carolina to be exact. Meanwhile, back in 1969-70, Brianna and Roger have found additional information about the fate of the Frasers that leads them to some rash actions.

I just love this series. It is nothing like my favorite genre (which is literary fiction), but Gabaldon writes compelling stories with characters I care about. Even the ones I hate (Brianna) keep me interested and engaged. The action is non-stop, and the sex scenes are pretty good – at least those between consenting adults.

I was pretty happy with the way she dealt with the Native Americans in this installment. For the most part they are portrayed as having a complex culture and given respect for their ways. Claire even specifically seeks the counsel of the local Native Medicine Woman and learns a trick or two (Side note: Current medical professionals are actually using maggots to debride wounds in hospitals once again … and also leeches …).

I’m certain one or more of the supporting characters will make another appearance in later books … but if that’s the case, keep that info to yourself. I want to discover this saga all on my own.

Davina Porter is spot-on perfectly fabulous as the narrator of the audio book. She has a gift for voices and accents and is easily able to differentiate the many characters. My only quibble is her voice for Brianna; yes, she was raised by two Brits, but she was born and raised in the USA and should *not* have a British accent. She should sound American.

TAGS: audio, concierge, historical fiction, library, Native Americans, nature, North Carolina, series, time travel, strong women

>11 NarratorLady: Nice to know. I just bought that book and it's on my short stack.

I finished reading Chris Bohjalian's The Sandcastle Girls on Saturday. It was an excellent, five-star book set mainly in Aleppo with the theme of the Armenian genocide. It was difficult reading in spots, as Bohjalian does not spare his readers the atrocities. Still, it was one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Then I got sick with a nasty headcold/flu or something, and I've been asleep for the better part of two days. Although Cutting for Stone is next on my to-be-read pile, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand may be what I pick up next. I ordered it last week after hearing more glowing reviews of it in this group. It arrived today and is beckoning to me in tempting fashion.

The Unquiet Grave very good!

I had trouble with Lincoln in the Bardo at first, so over the weekend I began again and found myself unable to put it down. I admire it -- and like it -- very much; George Saunders has given us a treasure. I'm already planning to reread it during the holidays -- I have a feeling I read it too fast, missed too much.

Next up: Earthly Remains by Donna Leon

Finished The Long Way Home by Louise Penny. Next into the rotation is Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente.

>16 mollygrace: That happened to me, too. I had to reread the first 30 or so pages to finally get it. I loved it, as well!

I finished Every Man Dies Alone which was a great book and also Things We Lost in the Fire which was a good, but very dark, short story collection.

So after those two very disturbing reads, I'm back to some entertaining murder and mayhem with Harry Bosch in Lost Light.

>14 ahef1963:
You have 2 excellent choices! One will make you cry and the other will make you laugh.

Educating Rita – Willy Russell
3.5***

From the book jacket: Hairdresser Rita feels that life has passed her by. She wants an education. But does Frank have anything to teach her?

My reactions:
Yes, Frank does have something to teach Rita, but she also teaches him. I love watching Rita grow and change throughout this play. I’ve never seen the play performed, nor did I watch the movie, though I remember it being quite popular back in the early 1980s. I knew the basic premise, however was still delighted to watch it unfold.

Rita is a marvelous character. Witty, and forthright. She does not suffer fools gladly, though t the outset she lacks confidence. She feel “less than” due to a lack of education, and envies the students on the university campus their lifestyle. Rita is not sure what she wants out of life, but she knows she wants more, and she sees education as a means to give her more options.

Frank is a perfect foe … a professor and has-been poet, who has more interest in the contents of the whiskey bottles than the contents of the books that line his office shelves, and behind which he stashes the drink. He’s cynical and has taken this special student only for the money.

But Frank sees something in Rita that sparks his interest. She’s so eager to learn, and he is forced to examine his own thoughts on books and literature and poetry and life based on her questions (and answers). He recognizes in her the spark of desire, and she kindles that spark in him. No, I don’t mean sexual desire … I mean that desire to live, to experience life fully, to learn new things, not because we need them for a job or a career, but because we simply want to live more fully. Rita isn’t certain what path she will choose, but she knows that, thanks to Frank, she now has more choices.

Black and White– David Macaulay
3***

This Caldecott-winning picture book tells four stories simultaneously: a boy on a train headed for a reunion; two children puzzled by the antics of their parents; people waiting for a train that is delayed; and a criminal who escapes. Or perhaps these are all one story. The frontispiece advises the reader to pay close attention to the pictures as well as the words.

It’s a clever concept and I’m sure children will delight in poring over the illustrations to find clues as to what is really happening. But I found the four stories distracting and not cohesive.

The Hidden Child – Camilla Läckberg
Digital audio performed by Simon Vance
4****

Erica’s mother has died, and when going through her mother’s possessions, she’s shocked to discover a Nazi medal. She goes to the home of a retired history professor to get information about the artifact, but he’s less than helpful and rather evasive. Two days later he’s dead. And Erica’s husband, Patrik, gets involved in the investigation.

This is the fifth book in the series featuring crime writer Erica Falck and Detective Patrik Hedström, in the village of Fjällbacka, Sweden. However, it’s the first one I’ve read; I’ll have to go back to the beginning, though to truly understand the relationships between recurring characters.

Läckberg uses a dual time line to tell this story. There are the events of 1945, when one young couple’s plans are shattered by prejudice and violence. And there is the current-day mystery of an artifact that threatens to reveal long-held secrets. There is also personal drama – a new baby, tensions at work, an ex-wife coming back. It’s a dark story, but Läckberg gives us a few moments of humor to break the tension.

I really liked the relationships between the characters. Delving into Erica’s past in this way certainly gives a different perspective on her current self, as well as illuminate the ways in which she relates to her husband, friends and colleagues. And I loved the interplay between the detectives on the team. I look forward to reading more of the series.

Simon Vance is excellent, as usual, when performing this audio. His voice simply draws the listener into the story. There are many characters to handle, and he is more than up for the task, even doing a good job of the women’s voices.

I am eating up books this month.

On Tuesday I read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, which came richly recommended by several members of this group. I liked it very much. It was sweet and old-fashioned and if I'd been in charge of the cover would have decorated with scenes from a Victorian-era chocolate box.

Today's reading left all sweetness behind as I ventured into the Finnish fantasy/horror novel Troll: A Love Story, which has left me feeling shaken up and rather like I need to wash my hands repetitively. The book was obscene, if you are using the definition of the word "offensive to moral principles; repugnant". It wasn't obscene in a sexual sense, at least not much. One scene positively reeked of indecency.

For all that, Johanna Sinisalo has written a markedly unique and unsettling fable about letting dark and untested creatures and ideas inhabit our world, and her book really tests the boundaries of love, lust, and greed. It's worth reading, as an avant-garde work of fiction, and as a new form of morality tale, but I can practically guarantee that the story will unsettle you quite thoroughly.

>23 ahef1963: I'm a fan of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, too.

I'm re-reading The Windup Bird Chronicle, and also reading Manhattan Beach and Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric. All good.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
by Gail Honeyman
4/5 stars
Eleanor has fallen in love and he is the one for her. The only problem is that they have not met yet. She has seen his singing act and it has struck a chord within her. She knows that she needs to improve herself before she can approach him and in this single act of falling for him changes her whole life. However there is a horrible secret from her past that keeps interfering with her going forward in her new life and she has to face up to those past events.
I really enjoyed this book and really was rooting for Eleanor who had everything against her and still manages to prevail with the help of a few friends and her own will to improve.

Option B is a useful self-help guide to grieving. It isn't a roadmap, though, as the author is about as far from an ordinary soul in the ordinary world as it's possible to get without being born into royalty. I gave it 4 stars for forthright and useful informative content.

Finally finished Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs which I rated 4*. And now diving into The Devil in the White City which has been on my TBR List for a few years now.

Just finished Tamarack County #13 in the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Kruger. Will start Sing, Unburied, sing by Jesmyn Ward tonight. And off and on, I have been reading Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

Meant to mention that I'm reading - or trying to read - Cutting for Stone. This is the second time I've started the book. It doesn't draw me in but I'm going to give it a more thorough chance than I did the first time around.

Bookplate Special – Lorna Barrett
Audiobook performed by Cassandra Campbell
3***

Book number three in the Booktown Mystery series. Tricia Miles, owner of Haven’t Got a Clue mystery bookshop can’t help but investigate when her college roommate, Pammy, is found dead in a garbage bin, a day after Tricia told her to find another “temporary” residence. It’s not just any garbage bin, either … it’s behind Tricia’s sister’s café, which is right next door to the book shop. Angelica had even hired Pammy, after hearing her sob story of how Tricia “kicked her out.”

This is a typical cozy mystery, with a cast of colorful characters, and a nosy amateur sleuth who simply cannot help herself when it comes to investigating a crime on her doorstep. There’s a little romantic tension as well, and a few recipes at the end. (Angelica has written a cookbook, and runs a bistro, after all.) It’s not great literature, but it’s entertaining and a quick read. And, I just love all the references to books.

The audiobook is performed by Cassandra Campbell, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite audio narrators. She has good pacing, and is an accomplished voice artist, able to handle the large cast of characters.

Miss Julia Hits the Road – Ann B Ross
3***

Book number four in the popular series starring Miss Julia, a widow of a certain age. This time she gets her hackles up when she learns that a local slumlord is evicting all the poor African-American tenants, so he can demolish the homes and build a water bottling plant on the land. Miss Julia’s housekeeper, Lillian, is one of those tenants and she decides she will find a way to save the properties.

I just love Miss Julia, who frequently gets embroiled in one scandal / scheme or another when she jumps to conclusions and/or fails to fully understand the implications of what she’s been told. But her heart is always in the right place. This time the big fund-raising effort centers on a motorcycle race, and one donor challenges Miss Julia and “other refined, quality women over age fifty” to ride along as a condition of a major donation. What’s a lady to do?!

Miss Julia is just a hoot, and I was laughing aloud at several scenes.

There are two subplots involving Hazel Marie and Mr Pickens, and Binkie and Deputy Coleman. I think the books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, but readers probably should start from the beginning to fully appreciate the relationships between the full cast of recurring characters.

NOTE This is a re-read for me, but I first read it long before I joined Goodreads or Shelfari, so I don’t have the date recorded. I’m guessing it was shortly after this book was published. As I recall, I read the first book - Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind - and pretty quickly picked up the next two or three in the series.

The new thread is up over here.