August 2018: What are you reading?

August already !?! What 1001 books are you reading this month?

I just finished A World for Julius and will be reading Molloy and Pavel's Letters.

Just wrapped up Last of the Mohicans (blech), and am into The Betrothed. I don't know what's happening.

I just finished Hard Times by Charles Dickens and have started Under the Skin by Michael Faber.

Just finished reading The General in his Labyrinth by Garcia Marquez, only to discover that it is not on the list! On the one hand it wasn't all that good (to me, at least) so I'm reassured about the list's choices; on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have pursued it to the end had I known I wouldn't get "credit." But since the end was quite good, it's just as well I was ignorant.

As a historical novel about a figure and period about which I know nothing, this book made me understand why so many people are critical of Wolf Hall which I adored. Both books have some similar traits. They are well-researched and they introduce a massive cast of characters who did play significant historical roles. This is fine if you already know who the important people are and have a vague idea of the roles people will play in the story, but it's incredibly annoying and confusing if you have no idea who really matters and who is just going to disappear in 5 pages. So I found The General very hard going. Sometimes I just wanted to skim past all the people and details. And then in the last chapter or so I came to appreciate the intimacy it gave me with the death of a great man.

So that would have been my review here, if it was on the List! Next I'm moving on to Artist of the Floating World, the group read.

>2 ELiz_M: You have just read or are about to read some books that I enjoyed a lot. I will be curious to see what you think of them!

I have gotten behind on the group reads, so after finishing Return of the Soldier I will try to make up for that. The Violent Bear It Away is finished but not yet reviewed and Under the Net is underway. Hopefully I will also catch up and read An Artist of the Floating World before the end of the month.

I have just started listening to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I think I'm glad I'm listening to it and not trying to read it as Hugo seems to use 10 words when 1 would do.

Reading July's People by Nadine Gordimer, which is uncomfortable (as intended) but short. I just needed something short to finish before I take off for The Netherlands next week and start my stack of books from the Dutch version of 1001!

I'm reading A Bend in the River which I'm finally taking off the shelf after Naipaul's death a couple of weeks ago.

Oh my, I'm bad...nothing in August for this list! Will get on it in September!

So far this month, I've finished Pavel's Letters, The Day of the Dolphin, A Severed Head, and Molloy. Currently re-reading Possession and avoiding The Kindly Ones.

ETA: I am so behind on reviews that I may never catch up, but apparently, accidentally, Molloy was my 800th book.

Congrats on 800!!

>11 ELiz_M: Wow! Missed that update - congratulations!

>11 ELiz_M: Wow! 800! Congratulations!!

Congratulations!

>11 ELiz_M: wow, that is impressive! Congratulations.

>11 ELiz_M: So cool - congratulations.