What are you reading the week of September 22, 2018?

I had a productive reading week. I finished up Tristram Shandy which I enjoyed even though the author and I both seemed to lose interest for a time about three quarters of the way through. Still, it finished on a strong note.

Tuesday morning, I learned that the new Cormoran Strike novel, Lethal White, was being released that day. So, at lunch I hopped in my car, drove down to the B&N, grabbed the first copy that I saw and bought it. That night I settled down in my reading chair, removed the dust jacket, and cracked open the book. My first thought was, "Why did they use such a large font? It looks like a kid's book." Then my brain slowly worked it out. I picked up the dust jacket and there in the upper left corner were the words "Large Print"...but apparently not in a large enough font. :-D

Lethal White is good, but a little annoying with it's focus on the romantic aspects of Cormoran and Robin's lives. The "will they ever get together" story line grows tiresome quickly. Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe never accidentally kissed on the lips. I don't think this novel would pass the Bechdel test. But the mystery is engaging.

I just finished the summer 2018 issue of The Sonder Review, a literary journal. My best friend had a short story published in it, which of course I loved, but the artwork and other stories were varied and thought-provoking too.

Next up is Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg for Banned Books Week.

Still reading The Lions of Al-Rassan, The Stone Sky, and The Prisoner of Heaven.

The Widow Clicquot – Tilar J Mazzeo
3***

The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It.

Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born on the eve of the French Revolution. Her wealthy father read the signs of change and positioned himself to ride the wave, saving his textile business, his homes, his fortune and his family. When Barb-Nicole was of age, she married Francois Clicquot, the only son of another wealthy textile merchant, whose family had begun to dabble in wine. As fate would have it, Francois died before his vision was realized, but his young widow took over and cornered the market before anyone realized what she was doing. The dynasty she built remains today as one of the premier champagne houses.

The author, in an effort to not misrepresent, frequently qualifies statements with “perhaps” or “might have.” Mazzeo herself writes about this lack of information.
It is a surprisingly thin biographical record, considering Barbe-Nicole’s celebrity and accomplishments, and writing this book has been an exercise in the oblique. … I wanted to discover not just what she did and when she lived, but how she was able to imagine for herself a different future and how she was able to negotiate those familiar crossroads of grief, despair, and opportunity.

I appreciate that Mazzeo was stymied by scarce records, few (if any) letters or documents that would support a definitive and declarative portrait, and that she wanted to produce a work of non-fiction, not a fictionalized biography. But the result, in my humble opinion, is a book that gives me facts but never brings the lady at the center of the story to life.

I love champagne, though I admit to never having sampled Veuve Clicquot. I also love reading about strong, independent women, especially when they were clearly ahead of their time. But I was bored for much of this book. I wanted more of Barbe-Nicole, herself.

Cold Sassy Tree – Olive Ann Burns
Digital Audiobook performed by Grover Gardner
4****

Thirteen-year-old Will Tweedy narrates Burns’ historical novel which takes place in the small Georgia town of Cold Sassy Tree circa 1906. It starts when his grandfather, E Rucker Blakeslee elopes with Miss Love Simpson. It’s a scandal, given that Blakeslee’s wife was buried just three weeks prior, that Miss Simpson is only half Blakeslee’s age, and even worse, Love is a Yankee!

Oh ,what a treat this novel is! The characters are richly drawn, and cover the gamut of personalities. I was completely engaged in the story from beginning to end, laughing aloud several times as I watched the residents engage in gossip and speculation. Change is a constant theme … from the personal relationships to the introduction of automobiles, the citizens of Cold Sassy Tree manage to adjust, sometimes with grace and other times with more than a little consternation.

Will is a wonderful observer with the curiosity of a young boy, especially when it comes to relationships between male and female adults. I loved the pranks he played and the tall tales he wove. And was touched by the tenderness of his first love.

Grover Gardner does a marvelous job performing the audio. He has a lot of characters to interpret and does a great job of Will Tweedy and Grandpa Blakeslee. He even does an acceptable rendition of the female voices.

Finished listening to The Kill Room by Jeffrey Deaver.

Next for listening is Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.

>2 PaperbackPirate: Congrats to your friend! Coincidentally, my son had a piece printed recently, as well, in The Sonder Review. It was in the Winter 2018 edition.

I finished Dancing at the Rascal Fair and loved it. Doig had a way with words that makes even the mundane poetic. This week I’m reading Wild Fire, Ann Cleeves’ final entry in her Shetland series.

Finished The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. Still a favorite.

Next up is Lethal White by Robert Galbraith.

I lost my job last week, suddenly and completely out of the blue, and (not surprisingly) am having a heck of a time concentrating on reading. I am managing about ten pages a day of Camilla Lackberg's The Girl in the Woods. but little else. Starting the job search again tomorrow, and hopefully that won't take too long.

Working on The Dinner List;Where The Crawdads Sing; and The Unwanted Guest

>9 ahef1963: Oh no, that’s so distressing and I’m sorry you’re going through that!

Best wishes to you on the job hunt and hope you find something better!

>9 ahef1963: I feel so sorry for you. Been there, had that done to me. Good luck on the job hunting!

>9 ahef1963: Been there, done that. I hope the job hunt goes well and quickly, and that you find something even better than you had.

>9 ahef1963: Sorry to hear. Hope it goes quickly.

I finished The Ninth Hour. I can't say I enjoyed this book but it has more to due with my own prejudices; antagonism towards all religion, catholicism in particular, than with the merits of the book. I kept reading it for the great descriptions of people and places.

#9> ahef1963- sorry to hear that- hoping your search is fruitful and brings you something fabulous

The Awakening
Kate Chopin
3/5 stars
Edna Pontieller is struggling as a parent and a wife. She decides to move out of her home to live on her own for the first time in her life doing what she wants to do, leaving her children and husband to focus on her happiness and desire for independence and love for another man. This 1899 book is considered an early work of feminism and according to Wikipedia was censored though not banned. It initially had bad reviews and went out of print until interest in the book was revived by those interested in women authors’ works. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/27/books/books-of-the-times-a-woman-who-portraye...

9>ahev1963-I am rooting for you.

Still reading Bismarck, Just started The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki. This novel takes place in Austria during the 19th century. And so far appears to be a read worthwhile and enjoyable,

The Little French Bistro – Nina George
Audiobook read by Emma Bering.
3***

Marianne is 60 years old and feels trapped in a loveless marriage. On a trip to Paris with her husband she decides she has had enough and walks out of dinner intent on throwing herself into the Seine. Running away from it all she winds up in Britanny and finds a community of friends who embrace her and help her find her inner strengths. And love.

I was not a big fan of George’s previous hit – The Little Paris Bookshop - but, like that earlier title, this was a selection for my F2F book group. So here I am again.

It’s an okay story and there are some moments that are really tender and enjoyable. But mostly I found it just ‘meh.’ The whole Celtic Druid connection didn’t work for me at all. However, I did like how Marianne eventually comes to take charge of her life. There’s one scene in a church confessional that is particularly entertaining!

George also peoples the town with a variety of residents, all of whom seem to have some story of love gone wrong. And some of these side stories are very entertaining.

Emma Bering does a marvelous job performing the audio. She sets a good pace and has a pleasant voice. She has many accents to deal with and really shines voicing the many characters, bringing all their individual characteristics and quirks to life. I was never confused about who was speaking.

>17 Travis1259:
I read and enjoyed The Accidental Empress from the library. I've been to Budapest so I enjoyed reading that in the novel. Sisi's story concludes in Sisi: Empress on Her Own.

A Separate Peace
By John Knowles
3.5/5 stars
The book is set at the beginning of WWII amidst the tumult of that period and Gene and Phineas (Finny) are best of friends at a boarding school on the East Coast where they reside. One day while hanging out with friends, the two friends climb a tree to jump into the river as an initiation. Gene impetuously jostles the branch and causes Finny to fall and break his leg. Finny has to leave school causing Gene to have to deal with his feelings. Did he do it on purpose, was he jealous of Finny?

Started on Memoir The Color Of Water by James McBride fascinating reading.

I finished The Swallows of Kabul. It was a very grim tale of two couples living in the ruins of Kabul. I found the violence and lack of communication between people difficult to take.

The new thread is up over here.

>9 ahef1963: Sorry to hear about your job situation. Good luck with the job hunt.

>9 ahef1963: ahef1963: Dang! Best wishes on the grueling process known as "the job hunt".

>7 Copperskye: Congratulations to your son! That's exciting. I had never heard of The Sonder Review before but I think I'll be checking it out again.