Tad's Books in 2009, Part 2

Part 1 of the thread was getting a bit long, so time for a new one.

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Ratings refer to my experience reading the book, not to any judgment about literary merit.

= I can't believe anyone liked this.
to = Disliked, ranging from "didn't finish" to "may have skimmed some"
to = Neutral, ranging from "just fair" to "passed an afternoon"
to = Recommended, ranging from "mildly" to "strongly"
to = Favorites

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The first part of the thread had the following books. LT has apparently hung retrieving this many touchstones, so just click the star rating to jump to the review for that book and for the touchstone.

1. Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
2. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland
3. Roads of Destiny by O. Henry (reread)
4. Robin Hood by Paul Creswick
5. Princep's Fury by Jim Butcher
6. This Day All Gods Die by Stephen R. Donaldson
7. The Antipope by Robert Rankin
8. The Chapel of Princeton University by Richard Stillwell
9. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (reread)
10. Juan de la Rosa: Memoirs of the Last Soldier of the Independence Movement by Nataniel Aguirre
11. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin
12. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
13. Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
14. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
15. Sweet Silver Blues by Glen Cook (reread)
16. The Barbed Coil by J. V. Jones
17. Defining the World: the extraordinary story of Dr. Johnson's dictionary by Henry Hitchings
18. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
19. The Coffee Trader by David Liss
20. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson
21. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
22. The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian
23. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
24. Dwight D. Eisenhower by Malcolm Charles Moos
25. Playing the Piano for Pleasure by Charles Cooke
26. Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian
27. Sleepwalking Land by Mia Couto
28. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
29. The Story of D-Day: June 6, 1944 by Bruce Bliven
30. Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel
31. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
32. Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell
33. Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder
34. Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
35. Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith
36. Emmet Gowin: Changing the Earth by Jock Reynolds
37. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough
38. Shyness and Dignity by Dag Solstad
39. World War Z by Max Brooks
40. Oedipus the King by Sophocles
41. The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian

Whisper1 sent me this book after she had read it...



: Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison

Memoir
246 pages

This book is a series of anecdotes drawn from the author's career as a professional game guide in Africa. The stories are told with a light touch, a bit of humor and, quite clearly, a deep love of animals. The book is not a naturalist's study of animals, but we get a nice series of vignettes of the wildlife in Botswana.

Though he does not hesitate to skewer the rude or stupid tourist (such as the individual who almost crashed the bush plane because he insisted on lunging over the pilot to take pictures), by far the most common target of his stories is himself. He applies a great deal of self-deprecation as he talks about running his Land Rover underwater, trying to drive an elephant out of camp by standing in front of it blocking the only exit, becoming one of "those" bird-watching people.

About the only regret one can feel is that Allison doesn't have a greater gift for comic writing. Many of the stories are inherently funny and I found myself smiling quite a bit. However, in the hands of a true humor author, I probably would have been guffawing. Still, he does a good job and there's never a dull moment.

If you're interesting in a quick, pleasant, humorous read and have any interest in African wildlife, I would recommend this book.

Tad

Thanks for the link so we didn't have to hunt for you!

This is the last weekend for the book sale so I will finally be able to get back to "real" reading! Next week, that is. The last two weeks have been "reading in snatches"--but I finished two books which I hope to get reviewed before midnight tomorrow. They were both great, so at least what reading I did was fun! (Three Men in a Boat & The Old Beauty and Others by Willa Cather)

Looking forward to the review of the Botswana book--I'm doing an Africa category this year--if I ever have a chance to get it started! However, there are 10 months left in the year so I haven't given up yet. :-)

I hope your hand is better so you can get back to playing soon!

#2: I am anxious to see your review of that one. It sounds very interesting!

Whatever You Do, Don't Run plops onto the pile!

>3 MusicMom41:: Carolyn,

I'm glad you liked Three Men in a Boat; it's a book I love. I haven't read the Cather.

Yes, the hand is much better. I'm back to Bach.

Ooooh, book #42 = must read!!! I love animals... oh so much... I just finished a book about a wildlife researcher who spent several years in Kenya studying elephants, so this one sounds like a perfect companion.

#7: So what was the title of the book about the wildlife researcher, Faith? Enquiring minds want to know!

Oh, sorry! LOL. It was Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants by Katy Payne. Hopefully I'll get around to posting a review on my thread today... I just haven't had a moment to coherently express my thoughts about it yet :)

#9: Have you read The Wilderness Family yet? If not, you might give it a try!

I missed the whole hand thing -- how'd that happen? well I'm glad to hear you're able to play again. Injuries can be pretty nerve wracking! Still enjoying your thread :)

I must say I am in awe of your rating system with colored stars no less. Very cool! I will try and keep up with the Part 2 version of your thread.

Message 9
Faith, I'm adding this book to my list. It sounds delightful.

: A Cloud of Witnesses for the Royal Prerogatives of Jesus Christ: The Last Speeches and Testimonies of Those Who Have Suffered for the Truth in Scotland since the Year 1680 by Anonymous

History
144 pages

As the subtitle says, this is a collection of the final words of various Covenanters who were executed in Scotland in the late 17th century.

On October 31, 1517, a young Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper criticizing the Catholic Church to a church door and started a long period of religious struggle. Luther received almost immediate support in Scotland from John Knox, and Protestantism became firmly established in that country. The Scots entered into a series of covenants to support one another in maintaining "the most blessed Word of God and His congregation"—from this they became known as Covenanters.

Relations with the Catholics in Scotland were tense, often erupting into bloodshed, but the Covenanters gradually swung Scotland over to the Reformed faith. However, after the Restoration in Scotland, the Catholics once more surged into some power. The years of 1661 to 1688 became known as "The Killing Time" as Covenanters were ruthlessly persecuted and martyred.

Why did I read this?

Well, my great-to-the-seventh grandfather, Archibald Allison, is one of the people included in the book. He was a minister in the parish of Evandale in Scotland and was hanged at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh on August 13, 1680 for participating in the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in June of 1679, and the Battle of Aird's Moss in July of 1680, and for refusing to recant.

I found the book to be a lot of fun. The language of the times is not something you hear nowadays, full of pomp and display. I loved how so many would swear to be brief in their remarks...

Wherefore, unworthy as I am, I am come here, and beg your ear and attention, ye who are spectators and auditors, if the Lord shall permit me to speak a few words; and I shall be but brief.

...and then continue on for another 10 or 15 minutes. Of course, were I about to be executed, I might drag it along as much as I could, also.

I have two copies, a facsimile edition of 612 pages and a modern transcription of just the text of 144 pages. I read the latter but enjoyed looking through the former for all the wonderful engravings and line drawings showing the places and people.

It's really not something I'd think to recommend for general reading unless you're fascinated by this period in history, but I enjoyed it.



Edit because LT forums apparently truncate and put an ellipsis if you hyphenate too much and I hit that limit with "greats".

Tad, I find this fascinating. My family is certainly Scottish but I don't know if we have any Covenanters in our history. I must try to get my hands on this. Good review - thanks!

>15 tiffin:: tiffin

If you want to download a .pdf of the book, you can find it here.

Got it, thanks Tad. I find reading online difficult for any extended period of time but I could do it in sips. Cruel, hard times, weren't they.

I think I'll put A Cloud of Witnesses on my 999 biography list. Thx. I have Scottish ancestors too, but I think mine were reprobates :)

Tad

Thanks for the link. I've tagged it and I may try reading my first book "on screen" for that one. My Dad's Grandmother was from Scotland and I remember him talking about some ancestors being martyred for their faith. I don't know if this is what he was referring to but I think it would be fascinating reading regardless. The quality is really nice--especially the illustrations!

>10 alcottacre:: No, I haven't read that one yet... but it looks like I should! On the list it goes!

A bunch of snow last night, so my youngest and I spent the morning with pancakes, real maple syrup and a book.



: The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

Young Adult, Fantasy, Newbery Honor, ALA Notable
221 pages
Re-read

This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I'm sure that colors my perceptions but I still find it an absolutely wonderful story.

Set in the Land Between the Mountains, the Minnipins live in their twelve villages, each full inhabitants wearing their green cloaks, living in cottages with green doors, and doing their best not to stand out from the what a "proper" Minnipin should be. All except for five individuals in the town of Slipper-on-the-Water: Gummy, Walter the Earl, Curley Green, Mingy and Muggles (no, you Potter-heads, that's with a capital 'M'). These choose to be different from their fellow citizens, each for his or her own reason—some because they want to be different, some because they don't really care that they are different, and some out of protest because they feel that no one should be prevented from being different.

Driven from their village out of fear that they will ruin its chances of winning The Gammage Cup for the Best Village, the five discover that the age-old enemies of the Minnipins, the Mushrooms, have found a way into the valley and are planning an invasion. Of course, our five rise to the occasion, defeating the enemy and saving their village.

Kendall writes very well, showing you her world instead of telling you about it, and the story draws the reader along irresistibly, full of puns and playful games with everyday words. The characters in the story are beautifully written, each fully fleshed out and well-rounded; the reader cannot help but fall in love with them. There is a clear message in this story of protest against intolerance and conformity for its own sake. The adult reader might find it a trifle heavy-handed (given that it was written at the end of the McCarthy hysteria, it should not be surprising), but younger readers will likely take it in stride. Some readers find an allegorical relationship between the invaders and Cold War Soviets, and are disturbed by the matter-of-fact complete destruction of the former. Personally, I find this a stretch and think that, sometimes, a Mushroom invader is just a Mushroom invader.

For me, the real strength of this book, beyond the writing, is the timing of the message. It's targeted at an age where children are starting to struggle between the desire to become individuals and fears of standing out. I might not put this book (and its sequel, The Whisper of Glocken) in the absolute top rank of young fantasy—the top four or five books of the genre—but it pushes hard up against them.

I've seen the cover art on the current edition and it is absolutely horrendous. Don't let it dissuade you.

great review!! the book sounds lovely, and it also sounds like something Roald Dahl might have written - I just wishlisted it on Bookmooch :D

Posted my comment on your Club Read thread--just saying that I love both those books as well and hope my copies are in that box in the attic, else I lent them out and never got them back.

Tad. Great review! I'll try to read The Gammage Cup soon.

And, what a nice way to spend with your child..a book, the snow and pancakes!

I was going to read his Independent People, but Wandering_star's review convinced me to read this book.



: The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness

Literary Fiction, Nobel Prize, Reading the World
246 pages

On the surface, this is a coming-of-age story of a young orphan, Álfgrímur, being raised by foster "grand-parents" who are poor in a material sense but rich in friends and spirit. Alongside that, you sense that this is also a coming-of-age story of Iceland, itself—a puberty that is making many bad choices, but occurring nonetheless.

This book fools you. The several story lines seem like unconnected sketches: Álfgrímur's desire to be a lumpfisherman, his love of singing, his odd relationship with his relative, the mysterious and reclusive opera singer, Gardar Holm, all seem to be simple scenes in the story of his childhood. This isn't an unpleasant experience; Laxness' warm and simple presentation, reminding me of a folk tale, paints a dryly humorous picture of a large cast of colorful and interesting characters, gives us many amusing anecdotes, and slyly pokes fun at everything from government to proper manners to Eastern religion.

As the book draws to its close, however, we find those story threads weaving together into a larger story line, a satisfying morality tale about what is valuable in life, about the disappointing nature of pride and fame.

Distinctive, thoughtful, never trite—a real find.

Two lovely reviews, Tad. You've made me want to read both.

ditto what tiffin said...

Great reviews! I'm adding both The Gammage Cup and The Fish Can Sing to my pile.

>28 allthesedarnbooks: I'm with ATDB -- wonderful stuff! thx Tad :)

Added both to my TBR - thanks so much! And thanks to wandering_star as well for recommending the second one!

ditto!

I'm adding them both to the Continent, too! Great job on the reviews, Tad.

Both great reviews but the latter appealed more to me and I never turn down two such highly rated from you.......you're stingy with those ratings. So, the latter is on my lookout list!

I was originally going to try the 999 Challenge this year. Here are two books that I had for that effort, one from "(Over?) Hyped Books" and one from "Books About Piano".



: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

General Fiction
205 pages

This quirky, jocund book has been zealously reviewed googleplexes of times.

Ok, just kidding. I won't give up my day job. :-) Without the pangrams...

This book has been reviewed so many times on LT that I don't feel there's much need for me to discuss it at any length. The word-play is the basis for absolutely everything in this parable about totalitarianism, mostly of the religious sort. Its plot is about par for a late grade-school novel and there's little depth to the characters we meet.

For the first half it was interesting to watch how the elisions were accommodated, the word choices that avoided certain letters. However, by the time Dunn was making awkward phonetic spellings, cute and simple had become cutesy and simplistic…the slight plot and flat characters weren't strong enough to demand the work required of me.

For my taste, this falls into over-hyped and I can only give it a mildest of recommendations due to the interesting idea.

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: Grand Obsession by Perri Knize

Memoir
371 pages

Perri Knize's memoir is the story of her somewhat obsessive search for "her" piano. It starts with a quest for an "inexpensive upright" and quickly morphs into a journey through piano store after piano store, playing hundreds of pianos, uprights being discarded in favor of grands, budget escalating month after month. She finally finds the perfect piano, has it shipped from New York to her home in Montana, and find that the sound she loved has gone. What follows are literally years of attempts to get that sound back into the instrument. These attempts draw in an astonishing circle of people who love pianos. We meet the technician who put the original sound on her piano and can recreate it, but only for a 24 hour period, and the man who sold her the piano who then gives away his profits on the deal by flying people and parts out to Montana because he cannot bear the thought of her losing that perfect experience she once had. We follow her to Austria, where she meets the men who cut the trees for the soundboard, and to Germany, where she meets the individual craftsmen who built her piano, in her attempt to understand what made the particular sound she is seeking.

Of course, you cannot help but realize that the story of the piano is only the surface. The subtext is a story about the pursuit of a passion in life, the quest to understand and achieve something that completely fulfills you.

This book absolutely resonated with me. I'm an adult beginner on the piano, chockablock with all the "I'm too old to do this" that one might expect. I could feel her utter frustration and despair in this quest, and her utter elation when she moved forward and, somehow, it lifted me up and made me want to push harder.

If you love the piano, read this. If you love odysseys about inspiration and passion, read this. If you simply are interested in well-written memoirs, read this. If you don't fall into one of those categories, it's still a good book and I recommend you at least take a look. In summary, a strong recommendation.

to depending upon your interests. For me, it was the latter.

As a sort of postscript about piano books...

Borrowing a copy of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank was what got me interested in books about piano...well, that and starting lessons. I recommend it if you haven't read it.

MusicMom41 had me read Chase's Just Being at the Piano and Cooke's Playing the Piano for Pleasure. I've still got Tunstall's Note by Note, Adams' Piano Lessons, Barron's Steinway: the making of a concert grand and Hafner's A Romance on Three Legs to go. I guess there were a couple more slots in the category, but I decided not to do 999, so it didn't matter.

Grand Obsession doesn't sound like the kind of book I'd usually pick up, but your review has bumped it onto my wishlist. Thanks!

Tad

I love your review of Grand Obsession. I will have to read that book because I understand that obsession.

This is my story of finding the "perfect" piano. When I finally finished my degree in music (I changed majors the first time around and went back many years later to get that degree in music) Hubby decided it was time for me to finally get my Grand Piano. It was going to be a baby grand and we budgeted carefully to afford it. Then we started shopping. To make a long story short I played over a hundred pianos in several cities in 4 states over a period of several months before I finally sat down at the one I now own--a 7 1/2 foot "conservatory" size grand that we both were sold on the minute I started to play it. It completely blew the budget but the sound was so wonderful I had to have it. We took out a loan and my husband put off buying his new car (which he badly needed!) until the piano was paid for. It was bought out of state but the man who owned the store was a piano technician as well as a dealer and after my piano was acclimated to its new surroundings he he came to my studio and spent most of a day there to be sure that I got the sound I had loved in his store. We have never regretted it. We have had several cars since then but my piano is worth more now than when I bought it. Not that I would ever sell it!

>25 TadAD:: The Fish Can Sing sounds great.. on the list.

On the subject of books about the piano, the pianist Susan Tomes has written a couple of good ones - I'm told, I've not read them myself but my father-in-law has and he's pretty fussy about what he endorses.

I tried to play some Debussy a couple of weeks ago and was thrown into a slough of despond at how badly my playing has deteriorated over the years :(

Carolyn,

A great story. There's a lot of similarity between your story and Perri's; it should be interesting for you.

I've never searched for a perfect piano. Two pianos walked into our house, a Steinway Model 1940 Console from a relative and a Kawai KG grand from a friend who couldn't keep it. The former is the kids' piano, the latter mine. I think it sounds just fine, but I don't get shivers listening to it so I suspect there's something I'd like better.

However, could that come from simply getting the tuning and voicing I wanted on the Kawai? I don't know enough to talk to the technician about it, yet. He says it's a very nice piano...I'll just take his word for it right now.

Also, spending a lot of money seems way premature given my abilities. I'm still not sure I can learn to play, let alone searching for the perfect instrument.

You should definitely try the book.

FlossieT,

I've added her Beyond the Notes to my list. Thanks.

Beyond the Notes has been on my "to buy" wish list for quite a while. I keep hoping I'll find it in a book store so I can "impulse" buy it. But I think it will have to be a deliberate Amazon order--which I have been avoiding doing since I went "bananas" near the end of last year on Amazon! This book got a rave review in Gramaphone when it came out a few years ago and the author is a fantastic musician. You can't go wrong with this one--I'm pretty sure, without ever having seen it!

Tad ~ agree with you on Ella Minnow. I finished it a few days ago. The concept was interesting to begin with but I got a bit bored with it after the first 100 pages.

Tad, I have to get that piano book, Grand Obsession too. I have an upright baby grand from the late 1800s and she is absolutely beautiful. Every Christmas as a child, all I asked for was a piano. I finally got this one, my wedding gift from my husband. Lovely review.

#34: Grand Obsession definitely needs to go on the Continent. I read both The Piano Shop on the Left Bank and Piano Lessons last year and enjoyed them both. One of these years, I might actually get a piano to go with all the books about them!

>34 TadAD: and 38 Grand Obsession is now on my list too. Wish my piano story had the same ending! We bought a house after 5 years of living in a studio apartment. So the husb wanted to buy me a piano. We hunted and I played. I became obvious that buying a new dream piano was not feasible. Turned out the house we bought was really a white-washed ruin and was going to be a major money sink. So I started looking for a used one. Ended up in Belgium at the home of some restorers who had 25 instruments they had completed. While the color wasn't my thing, I found a piano whose sound was so rich and comforting, something resonated inside me and I loved it. When hubby went to close the deal they mentioned an unseen Bosendorfer with 'better touch' and 'better sound' for, of course, a few K more. That's the one that came home and it was sooo disappointing as neither the touch nor the sound are to my taste. It's way prettier though...

: White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

#7 in The Hollows series
Supernatural
504 pages

While this series has been one of those little pleasures for when I'm in the mood for something very light, this seventh volume didn't do it for me.

What I thought was going to be the main storyline, the hunt for Kirsten's killer that started up in the last book, began the story well but was then dropped until the last 50 pages, where it was wrapped up in a wham-bam fashion almost as an afterthought.

In between, we have a mish-mash of things falling into one of two categories. There is tiresome formula. Rachel has troubles with yet another boyfriend. Anyone surprised?...no. Al jerks Rachel around? Anyone surprised?...no. Rachel and Ivy have trouble defining their relationship. Anyone surprised?...well, only in the sense that I thought they finally put this one to rest in the last volume.

The other category is things that seem to come out of left field. Without giving too much away in spoilers...Rachel suffers some serious public relations problems. This is not particularly surprising given what she's had to do over the stories. What is a "huh?!?" moment is that she takes this lying down, almost like she's bought into the "demon marks = black witch" concept. That's so out of character it's just jarring to the reader.

The second "where did this come from?" thing is the whole Pierce subplot. Did I miss a book; is this really #8? (no) It's dropped in like we've known about it for six volumes already.

I hope that the next volume in this series gets back on track. Otherwise, this series won't hold my attention very long—we've seen similar series implode.

#47: Yikes! One not to get. Thanks for the warning.

: The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian

#7 in the Aubrey/Maturin series
Historical Fiction
382 pages in hardcover

Another well-done episode in this series. The dry humor as Jack and Stephen marvel at the others lack of expertise outside their field provides a lot of laughter.

"The chronometer is used for finding out latitude I believe."

"To tell you the truth, Stephen, most people rely on the sextant for their latitude: the timekeeper is more for the other thing—east and west, you know"

"East and west of what, for all love?"

"Why, of Greenwich, naturally."

"I am no great navigator—" said Stephen.

"You are far too modest," said Jack.

O'Brian takes a break from ship-to-ship action in this one, but it is never dull. This series continues to move ahead strongly.

Thanks for sharing the quips :)

#49: If I ever finish up the Hornblower series, I am tackling the Aubrey series. Thus far, the only book by O'Brian that I have read is his biography of Joseph Banks.

Tad
Nice to see that you were able to follow a not so great book with a good one.

>51 alcottacre:: Last year (pre-LT), I re-read Hornblower and the Hotspur, which was one of my favorites from when I read the series years ago. I still loved the characters—I think I always will—but I was really struck the comparison between Forester's and O'Brian's writing ability. O'Brian is a whole level above.

It might be a a different target audience; I'm not sure if Forester was writing for YA or not. O'Brian is definitely targeting an adult audience. I don't mean sex or violence (though there is the occasional four letter word), but in terms of interests, humor, etc.

>52 Whisper1:: Yes, indeed. I was quite disappointed. I hate it when authors get me interested in a series and then tank (*cough* Laurel Hamilton *cough*).

You mention on your other thread that The Tomb might be on your reading horizon. I have it sitting here in the TBR piles, as my intro to Repairman Jack. Let me know when you start--maybe we could co-read on this one.

>55 ronincats:: I already started it, Roni.

Well, guess that tells me what my next book will be!

This one was on drneutron's recommendation.



: The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson

Thriller, Supernatural
425 pages

Jack "repairs" situations...provides a bit of justice in situations where the law cannot or will not fix a problem. The book is a blend of the thriller/detective genre with a supernatural element. In this episode, Jack is dealing with a vendetta that stretches back a century and a half, threatening the daughter of his girlfriend with death at the hands of horrors from Indian legend.

Wilson makes this work reasonably well. On one hand, the plot is a bit straight-forward and the story is predictable enough that there's not a huge amount of tension. Yet, somehow in spite of that, Wilson pulls it off. The characters are entertaining, you can't help rooting for them, and the whole thing moves along quickly with plenty of action.

This is just the kind of grab-a-drink, suspend-disbelief, sit-back-for-a-few-hours type of book that works on Saturday afternoon when you're in the mood for a little guilty pleasure instead of something that makes you think.

The title is a bit of a non sequitur, however—it seems to have no relevance to the book.

: Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories by Ghassān Kanafānī

Literary Fiction, Short Stories, Reading the World
115 pages

This volume contains a novella and six short stories that, through one mechanism or another, all speak about the plight of displaced Palestinians. Ghassān Kanafānī was a spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine prior to his murder and, based on that, I expected the stories to have an overtly anti-Israeli slant. However, Kanafānī's approach is more subtle and, ultimately, more moving. Instead of imposing an ideology on the reader, he simply shows us the effects…the stark consequences to individuals and families.

I liked each of the stories here; they move in unexpected directions. In "Umm Saad", we hear the martial words from the mouth of a mother rather than her fedayeen son as we might expect. We get a reworking of the Biblical story of the Mark of Cain in "If You Were a Horse…", almost a Greek tragedy in the inevitability of fate. Most had a twist to the ending…an almost O. Henry-ish moment that causes the reader to re-think the meaning of what he has just read, making them deeper and more poignant. Particularly moving are the titular novella in which three men attempting to escape into Kuwait become an allegory for the entire Palestinian condition, and "The Land of Sad Oranges" showing us the destruction of a family as they are dispossessed.

Excellent.

>59 TadAD: Great review, as always, TadAD! Will look the book up!

ditto message 60.
This is a great thread..dangerous to the TBR pile, but wonderfully delightful...

: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Newbery Medal
137 pages

This young adult novel is set during 1943, when the population of Denmark banded together to smuggle the Jewish population of the country to neutral Sweden ahead of the Nazi roundup. 95% of the Jews in the country were moved to safety (another 4% were eventually rescued from the death camps). Lowry based quite a bit of the story on actual events and individuals.

This isn't the best book to be awarded the Newbery Medal; the story feels a bit lightweight, particularly in respect to the feelings and spirit of the non-Jewish population. However, it's not the worst either with the fairly typical profile for a Newbery book—smooth reading, sympathetic characters, strong moral message.

Perfectly suitable for the younger end of the YA spectrum.

Tad
I'm on a quest to read many Newberry Award books. I saw this at my local library Saturday but didn't bring it home. Based on your comments, I'll hold off on this one and read others before it. Your post is timely.

I liked Number the Stars as a kid, but it was never my favorite, because it does seem to lack depth. Lowry's The Giver is one of my favorite books of all time, however.

#59: Men in the Sun sounds like a great read, Tad. Thanks for the recommendation!

>59 TadAD:: ditto what everyone else has said. Sounds like a fascinating book that i wouldn't have found otherwise - thank you.

: Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Science Fiction
250 pages
Re-read

Based upon an argument (outside LT), I decided to re-read the bulk of Bujold's Vorkosigan books in roughly series order; Shards of Honor is first up. I first read this book about 20 years ago and remembered thinking it wasn't the most shining component of the series. Unfortunately, a re-read has done nothing to change that opinion…if anything, it has made it stronger. It's one of her earlier works and it shows.

This book introduces us to Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan, the eventual parents of the main character of the series, Miles Vorkosigan. The plot is pretty simple. Their planets are going to war with each other; they fall in love; he rescues her from a sadist when she's captured; once repatriated, she realizes she doesn't fit into her own world anymore; they get married. If that seems a bit simplistic it's because going into it any further exposes how trite and slight the plot really is.

Just as an example: the book opens with his troops attacking her non-combatant exploration party on a neutral world, killing one of her friends and almost killing her; she recovers consciousness as his prisoner. Nonetheless, 30 pages into the book she's eyeing him thinking, "Even if the shape of his square strong hands was a dream…" Wow, Stockholm Syndrome on steroids! Of course, in this, she's way behind him since he later confesses he fell for her when he first found her lying unconscious in a gully.

At this point in the series, the world-building is extremely sketchy, the writing a bit stiff, and the characters quite flat. Though his series later falls off, Weber did the introduction of a strong female lead much better in his Honor Harrington books. Basically, this introduces the universe and a couple of the characters to the reader.

This is not the book to start with if you want to see what this popular series is about (unless you're re-reading). Barrayar, which won the Hugo, is probably the right point and, coincidentally, is up next.

As a postscript, it still tickles me that the Barrayarans use a title of rank from the Russian mafia as a prefix for the names of their nobility. Of course, given the strong Russian background you see in the planet, and the glimpses of how that nobility became noble, it makes perfect sense...

Thanks, Tad, for the very timely review! I just brought home Cordelia's Honor from the library to try out this author. Your review has not only reinforced your advice--from last year--to skip Shards of Honor, it has also given me enough information so I feel comfortable skipping it! With as many books planned that I am really excited about reading I'm happy to be able to skip 253 pages that wouldn't be worth the effort! :-)

Luckily, I won't be reading it right after Tigana--I have The Blue Sword to read in between.

I really like Shards of Honor and if you don't read it MM you will miss the 'short story' that I love so much which is at the end (at least I'm 98% sure that's where it is. Just checked and a friend has my copy so I can't verify atm). I also don't see how Barrayar would make sense without it! (No, I don't have a real opinion on this ;->)

ETA Upon reflection I'd have to say that Shards of Honor is my fav in the series until you get to Komarr (Book 12)...

I think most women like Shards of Honor more than most men. We just fall in love with Cordelia's personality, story be damned. BUT since you have both books in the volume you have, you can compromise by reading the epilogue of SOH before starting Barrayar.

For me it's more Aral Vorkosigan, his conflicts with duty, his honor and their love affair. :)

>70 suslyn:: Honestly, suslyn, that "short story" was far and away the best thing about that book. In fact, I'd say it was quite good.

The trouble with SoH is that I like the characters that Bujold intended, especially Aral and his conflict between love and duty, but (imo) didn't deliver. I like writing where the author gives me what she intends, rather than where I have to imagine what it would be like in the hands of someone who could do a better job. That doesn't even have to be someone else...five years later she was doing a better job, herself.

We were talking about this at work today (where the whole re-read thing started) and I really wasn't alone in my feeling that Bujold does a pretty lousy job on motivation for her characters—Cordelia falling for Aral as early as she did is not really convincing. If she could have built the romance more slowly and believably, I would probably have overlooked the other characters doing things for uncertain reasons, though others at the table were outraged at the way a few other characters acted. One nice thing about a bunch of techies...there are always many opinions about anything having to do with science fiction.

I disagree that Barrayar won't make sense. I'm reading it right now and the backstory slowly comes out, which is fine. Her world-building in the first one was so thin that the reader's really missing little about the universe. So, it's really Cordelia's and Aral's personalities, which are portrayed in the first few chapters of the second book quite well. I didn't read SoH first...I think it was my third or something, and I never really felt any "what's going on here?" moments.

>71 ronincats:: Roni, well, I can't really debate that, not having the correct chromosomes. There are many books where the male/female reponse is quite different, I admit.

I will say that the women at work think that Cordelia is a flaming idiot in the first part of the book—they tend to agree with Susan that it's Aral who carries SoH, that his sense of honor is what makes the couple likable at first. They end up liking Cordelia, but really not until one gets to joining Aral on his Barrayar and then into the second book.

I don't dislike Cordelia. I don't know that she's my favorite "strong heroine" in science fiction, but my objection to the book is not her. It's Bujold's poor writing: thin plot, unbelievable and stereotypical character motivations, etc.

However, we needn't all agree. If we did, it would be boring.

I was going to retract my 'barrayar' not making sense statement. If there is one thing Bujold is good at it is making sure each piece can stand alone. So I agree with you :) What fun that you get to discuss this with coworkers -- sounds like a super aspect for a work environment.

Tad, I got what it was you didn't like about SOH. But I have heard lots of women readers say they do like it, on various listservs. Just providing that POV.

: Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

Science Fiction, Hugo Award
339 pages
Re-read

A discussion by Bujold says that there were six to seven years, and a couple books, between the writing of Shards of Honor and this book. Those years were well-spent—Barrayar corrects many of the faults of the first book.

The characters are much more three-dimensional; in particular, Cordelia and Sergeant Bothari come across with more depth and emotion. Aral Vorkosigan doesn't change as much, but he's really a fairly minor character in the book...it's about Cordelia. Assuming you're reading in chronological order, this book is where you start to get a real sense of the Barrayaran culture, particularly with the presence of Count Piotr Vorkosigan, who only had a cameo in the first book.

The plot is nothing original...a fairly straightforward power struggle leading to escape, survival and recovering the throne...it's fairly easy to predict who will live/die, win/lose and end up hitched. However, this story type is none the worse for having been used before and it moves along at a good pace giving the reader exactly what is expected. Probably the easiest analogy is to think of Rudolf Rassendyll transplanted from Zenda to another planet, with lightflyers instead of horses, disrupters instead of blades (though a sword does figure prominently in the story).

As I said when reviewing Shards of Honor, I think this book is the best place for someone new to the series to start. It's got a better plot. It's got better characterizations—you can get a feel here for the characters you'll see in the succeeding books, and you see them just as they are stepping into their roles. You get a much better sense of the world.

Should it have won the Hugo? In the balance, I think yes. Overall, it was a weak year with no dominant contender. Many think Vinge's The Summer Queen should have won, but I think this might be a trifle better and it's moving up from Shards whereas the other book was moving down from The Snow Queen.

The Warrior's Apprentice is next on my list, but I may take a break for a while as I'm a bit Vor-ed out.

Thx for the reminder on The Summer Queen . I have it but had forgotten it. Too bad it's a step down from The Snow Queen! I liked it a lot.

>77 suslyn:: It's not bad, Susan...it's just that The Snow Queen was very good. I haven't read any Vinge in quite a while. Maybe I'll dust her off this summer.

Prop2gether recommended this one in last year's 75 Challenge group.



: The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

Fiction
70 pages

West's short book (almost a novella, really), was written in 1918. It is the story of a man returning from the war, suffering from shell-shock, and unable to remember the last 15 years of his life. Grappling with this are three women: Kitty, his wife of ten years; Margaret, the woman whom he loved 15 years ago; and Jenny, his cousin, who narrates the story, and whose thoughts provide the discussion of the damage caused by war.

Poignant, stark, no less moving or apropos for being set in the war of nearly a century ago rather than today's conflicts—an almost perfect gem of a book.



PS: About the only complaint I could have is with the edition. I wish I had ordered the 198 page Garden City edition instead of the Digireads paperback. The latter caused my eyes to swim from the small font and very closely-set lines of text.

#79: Nice review, Tad.

I will definitely have to find one with larger print. Thanks for the heads up about that!

ditto what Stasia said

I've had this sitting on Mount TBR for a couple of years now so I think it should get bumped up after your review - especially with four and a half stars!

Adding the Rebecca West, Tad. Thanks for the review!

Tad
I'm simply stopping by to say hello.

Hi Tad - if you like Rebecca West, I would highly recommend her biography by Victoria Glendinning, which I read yonks ago. She is an fascinating lady and had interesting relationship with H.G. Wells.

Hurro Tad. :)

Coming to your thread is dangerous....the book by West sounds marvellous. I imagine I might find it hard to get hold of here, without resorting to the nasty Amazon machine.

I love Bujold's fantasy - actually I've read somewhere she's much better in that genre than Sci fi...

Oh, no, severn, her science fiction is quite good as well! You would have to look far and hard to find as large and dedicated group of fans as those who love Miles Vorkosigan.

Oh, no, severn, her science fiction is quite good as well! You would have to look far and hard to find as large and dedicated group of fans as those who love Miles Vorkosigan.

Oh yes? Hm...good to hear of another opinion! Mind you, I've never been a sci fi gal...not sure why...

>84 Whisper1:: Hello, Linda.

>85 kiwidoc:: kiwidoc. I think you're right. I've done a bit of poking around about her on the Web and she seems like a fascinating character, full of contradictions. Any person who can come up with "He was every other inch a gentleman." and "I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute." is someone I will find interesting. I shall definitely try your recommendation.

"yonks ago"...now there's a fun expression I've never heard before!

>86 Severn:: Severn. I'm not sure how I'd balance them against each other. They were all read too long ago. A year or so ago, I would probably have said...based solely on memory...that her fantasy was slightly better. However, then I read the first two of the The Sharing Knife books and found them really rather poor efforts...so who knows? I'm slowly re-reading the Vorkosigan books, so perhaps I'll have a better opinion after that.

Just came in to see what you were up to, Tad. *wave*

: The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia and Laser Hair Removal : Laurie Notaro

Humor
240 pages

First, a calibration of humor: I find Calvin Trillin generally funny—I find David Sedaris generally annoying; Sarah Vowell amuses me—Chelsea Handler bores me. If your tastes run along a different path then keep in mind during the following that YMMV.

There are some excellent moments, both the small phrases that bring a snort of laughter and complete essays. "Leaving, but Not on a Jet Plane" (a tale of selling her house) and "The Extended Warranty, the Extended Waistband, and the Repairman Who Almost Became a Hostage" (about the tribulations of getting her treadmill fixed) were consistently enjoyable. The high point is "Ready or Not", in which she abandons all but the mildest humor in telling us the story of her dogs...the favorite who died and the little puppy that eventually replaced her. In this, Notaro proved she can write movingly and convincingly.

Unfortunately, I have an upper limit of "1 or less" when it comes to being amused at penis and vagina jokes—we are treated to many. I have an even lower limit for potty humor—there's plenty including a whole essay on the subject of her husband touching poop during a sewer backup.

I finished the book, but most of it had that feel of grade school humor: little kids snickering in their "gross equals funny" world. Even if I found that kind of thing funny, I could not escape the feeling that she was simply trying too hard. There was none of the effortless flow that makes good humor such a pleasure to read.

Oh well, it was a free book.

A gift from alcottacre...



A Talent to Annoy: Essays, Articles and Reviews, 1929-68 by Nancy Mitford

Essays
217 pages

Nancy Mitford was one of the famous Mitford Sisters who so delighted, enraged and scandalized Europe and America, particularly during the inter-war years. This collection of some of her essays, articles and reviews...plus many excerpts from her letters to Evelyn Waugh and others...provides an interesting picture of anything upon which she turns her particular upper-class, somewhat right-wing, astringent gaze. One can see where the title came from; there is a dry, cutting edge to many of her pieces ("Rome is a capital city only in name; in fact...it is a village...centered around the vicarage.") that I find delightful but, were you to be the target, might annoy.

Some of the pieces, particularly her work for Vogue, are humorous, short essays: "The Shooting Party: Some Hints for the Woman Guest" and "The Secret History of a London Wedding". These display a disarmingly uncomplicated style...simple reflections that make no overt effort to make the reader laugh and, therefore, do so quite easily. When I reflect upon them, I realize that they were simple much in the same way that a top athlete makes what he or she does seem simple.

Other entries illuminate a small moment in history, such as "The Last to be Broken on the Wheel", that details the end of that particular practice in France. Or, they might provide her commentary on the events she experienced in her life: "France, May 1968: A Revolution Diary Parts I & II".

The only thing that keeps this from being a 4-star book for me is that I don't speak French. She expects that her reader does, particularly in the series of articles she wrote (at Ian Fleming's arrangement) from Paris for The Sunday Times. In these pieces, many of the punchlines are in French. While I can puzzle out a few, it is a lot of effort and many are simply beyond me.

Worth reading...if you speak French, definitely worth reading. I shall certainly seek out some of her novels, particularly those feature the upper-class society of Great Britain of which her family were eccentric members.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Fiction
384 pages in hardcover

Completing my "two Austens a year" for 2009, this is my second favorite of her works so far after Pride and Prejudice and edging out Emma.

#92 - I really enjoyed your review on The Idiot Girl, although it's not a book I've read or ever plan to! But, what I really enjoyed most is your opening humour calibration paragraph - just for the fact that I haven't heard of a single one of the people you mention :)

Out of interest - Where does George Carlin place on your meter? I've actually heard of him, but only because, last year, a friend gave me the audiobook version of Carlin's When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?. Although the book fell flat in places, Carlin's plays on the 'English language' were very good.

Kiwi and I are the only two I know of here who use "yonks" as part of everyday conversation. Loved your review at #96 and liked the humour gauge (I had only heard of Sedaris and I find him predictable).

>92 TadAD: Also re your humor calibration. I'm familiar with Calvin Trillin (being a former Kansan, Yay, Kansas City Star!) and David Sedaris and concur with you on both. don't know the females, though.

Good to see you around. Was starting to worry after not hearing anything from you for a whole week!

>95 petermc: & ff:

Calvin Trillin example: Travels with Alice ()
David Sedaris example: Me Talk Pretty One Day ()
Sarah Vowell example: Take the Cannoli ()
Chelsea Handler example: My Horizontal Life ()

I put George Carlin in the middle somewhere. I read his Brain Droppings a couple years ago and would say, "Sometimes funny, often very funny, sometimes forces it a little."

This explains why I have so many of your recommendations on my TBR list. I've not read Sarah Vowell but I'm parallel with you on the others! I especially like Trillin's political poetry. It doesn't matter which side you're one; he just goes for the rhyme! I just finished Deadline Poet Or, My Life as a Doggerelist and roared.

#93: Sorry you did not enjoy it more Tad.

Tad

We do have similar tastes in some areas! I really enjoy Calvin Trillin--Tepper Isn't Going Out had me laughing out loud; but I would say Sedaris (Naked is the one I read) was more sad and pathetic--dysfunctional families are not funny for me. I've heard of Sarah Vowell and plan to check out Wordy Shipmates; don't know Chelsea Handler and now won't try to find her. :->

I'm "collecting" Nancy Mitford books--looking at used book sales, etc.-- to do an "in depth" read of her work probably next year. Last year someone on LT mentioned a lot of her work and I got interested. I can see where trying to read essays where the "point" of the piece is in a foreign language could be annoying. Did she do that deliberately, do you think?

We also agree in the order of the top three Jane Austen books.

Now you know why I come to for advice! :-D

>100 alcottacre:: Stasia, don't be sorry at all, I did enjoy it! 3½ stars is a "I recommend you read this" rating. I just wish I spoke French so it could have been "strongly recommend". I am very grateful for the gift!

>101 MusicMom41:: I don't think she intended to annoy (despite the title of the book) by the French. She just wrote for the well-educated Brit of her time period.

She does note that she thinks translation of books is a minor crime against the author since it never gets it right. I don't have the book right here, but the sentiment was, "Translations never do justice. Publishers should publish in the original. People would, as a consequence, learn more languages. More minor indigenous authors would get published because people spoke their language."

Ok - I stole yonks from Tiffin (I think). Tiffin is has her very own vocabulary of descriptive exclamations.

I must read some Sarah Vowell - I saw her latest in the library and considered myself too old at 50 to appreciate the youthful political banter??

I wish someone would have written me that letter to the heroine at the end of Persuasion - it is sooo romantic!! If my boyfriends of yore had plagerized it,
I would have been totally won over. Perhaps my son can use it (language stylized to the 2000s of course)?

I too love Calvin Trillin and dislike David Sedaris but must confess I was turned off by the only piece by Sarah Vowell I ever tried to read. And I'm a Nancy Mitford fan, so I'll look for the essay collection.

I too love Calvin Trillin and dislike David Sedaris but must confess I was turned off by the only piece by Sarah Vowell I ever tried to read. And I'm a Nancy Mitford fan, so I'll look for the essay collection.

: Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

Historical Fiction, Newbery Medal, Young Adult
332 pages

The story follows Jefferson Davis Bussey, an awkwardly-named boy from Kansas who joins the Union Army to fight against the raiders who threaten his home. The story moves quickly and is full of action as Jeff learns that soldiering isn't quite what he expected, experiences his first battles as a Union soldier, and then is forced into joining the Confederate Army while posing as a civilian on a scouting mission.

The backdrop of the novel is more interesting that your typical East Coast Civil War novel. Set out in the western war of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, the book highlights the struggle over the question of "free or slave?" for the Territories, and the divided loyalties the issue caused. It also shows the choices and internal fractures confronting the Cherokee, Seminole and other Native American tribes as they tried to maintain some vestige of autonomy.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the book is that there is no "right" side and "wrong" side in the way the war is portrayed; we are shown good and bad in both armies. By the end of the book, Jeff is honestly conflicted over where to give his allegiance. To the North lie home and family, a cause in which he believes, and the Army to which he gave his oath. To the South lie the individuals who have befriended him, men he has come to respect, and the girl whom he loves. In the end, both sides are portrayed just as individuals: tired, hungry, scared and fighting for a variety of reasons that have more to do with protecting families than political posturing back East.

In summary, not a bad read for any young adult readers in your household. Recommended...maybe even strongly once I think about it some more.

#106: Boy, that one brings back memories. I think I read it about 100 years or so ago, lol.

Tad..
Thanks for your recommendation of Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith. I am on a quest to read the Newbery award winning books. I haven't heard of this one as yet, thus I'm delighted to add it to my tbr pile.

#106 Tad

I have a feeling I will have to add this one to my list--I''m not only reading Newbery Winners this year, it also fits into the Civil War category. Nice review!

Carolyn, I read A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. I finished this today and laughed so hard that even my sheltie's ears perked up.

If you, like me are meandering through the Newberry books, I highly recommend this one!

Tonight's read is Missing May by Cynthia Rylant...a stunningly remarkable book.

And, I agree ..Tad, your review is great!

Linda

I read your reviews. they both sound great and I've added them to the list!

: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous

General Fiction, Mystery
131 pages

This novel by Algerian-born Lakhous definitely falls into the category of a Good Find. The quirky title and interesting cover caught my eye in the library. Sitting down to try it, I ended up reading it cover to cover in one shot. It's not long, but it's definitely entertaining.

The book is one part mystery and two parts commentary on the immigrant experience. Lorenzo Manfredini has been found murdered in the elevator of an apartment building in Rome where he lived. Amedeo, another resident, disappeared at about the same time. Further, the police have just discovered that Amedeo, though speaking flawless Italian and knowing Rome better than most residents, is actually an immigrant.

From this starting point, Lakhous has ten other residents and the police inspector speak for a chapter each and provide their perceptions of Amedeo. They all, except the last, admire or love him and are firm in their convictions that he simply cannot be the culprit. However, the revelation of his foreign status leads each to wander off into their own thoughts on immigrants: ranging from those who are also immigrants struggling with Italy, through Italians who resent the presence of foreigners, to those who view even those from a different region of Italy as less civilized. Interspersed with each of these voices is Amedeo, commenting on the person who just spoke, explaining them more fully, pointing out their prejudices, valuing them.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny at some points, but there is always an undercurrent of seriousness, of somber comment on what it means to be an immigrant. There is also observation on the blindness of prejudice and stereotyping.

A quick read that will certainly repay the time—a strong recommendation.

Tad
Four star recommendation is quite a good sign from you. Thus, I"m adding your most recent read to the ever-growing tbr pile.

Tad

Book #60 sounds like a winner. My library doesn't have it in the entire Central Valley so I'm going to buy it. It really sounds like something I will love and I will need a short read in the next few weeks. :-)

#112: I am like Carolyn in that there is not a library close to me that has a copy, so I will have to track it down elsewhere, but it looks like something I would really like. Thanks for the recommendation, Tad!

: The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes

Historical Fiction, Newbery Medal
246 pages

Hawes tells the story of Philip Marsham, an orphan who runs away to sea to get away from the unloving woman who takes care of him. His ship is seized by pirates and Philip is forced to join them or be killed. Eventually, the pirates are taken and Philip is brought to trial for piracy and finally exonerated. He tries to return to the various places and people in his life that he thought he wanted, but all prove disappointing and the book ends with his return to the sea.

Hawes has populated the book with many well-drawn and vivid characters, but I could never summon the necessary liking for Philip to make it all work. Some books are set up so the reader is supposed to find the protagonist unpleasant, but this wasn't one of them. However, instead of rooting for him, I found him arrogant, self-absorbed, ungrateful and generally boring.

I also had trouble with the language. Period dialect is fine in its place, but trying to parse "A wee healsome drappy an' then the guid vittle. Dinna be laithfu'." seriously detracted from what is, at heart, just an adventure story. Even the prose not spoken by characters had a stilted quality to it.

Newbery Medal or no, I cannot recommend this one.

I'm sitting here laughing out loud at "A wee healsome drappy an' then the guid vittle. Dinna be laithfu'." Coming from a Scottish family, I have to say that's laying it on with a trowel. Attempted trans: a small healing drop and then the good food. Don't be loathe. At least I think the author meant loathe..."laithfu'"really isn't quite a real word (although laithful is and it means something more to do with religion, I think), nor do I think "healsome" would be used and "drappy" is definitely baby talk. It sounds like someone's imagined version of how an eighteenth century uneducated Scot might speak. Thanks for the good laugh, Tad.

Hmmm, last year when I started the 75 Challenge in the summer, I set two goals: 1) to read 75 books by the end of the year and 2) to read 75 non-SF/non-Mystery/non-Fantasy books by my LT anniversary.

I just realized my 1 year anniversary on LT was this week. I just counted and there were over 100 non-genre reads...so I guess that goal was met! ;-)

Congratulations Tad.
And, while I'm on a quest to read most, if not all of the Newbery award winners, I think I'll either skip The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes, or I'll read it toward to end of the journey.

I too laughed at your descriptions.

Congrats on meeting your goals, Tad! I remember when you first came on the group, and were not sure how to structure your goals. I was one of the first to post in your thread, being such an experienced member of the group (I found it and joined at the end of June!). ;-)

Congratulations, Tad. It's always nice to reach a goal--and to broaden your horizons!

Perhaps I should set a goal to read 75 SF/Fantasy by this time next year. I have a good start--I've completed that 999 category already and I've still got quite a few on my list to read. :-)

Congratulations on both your Thingaversary and meeting one of your goals! Well done.

Congrats on the goal achievements! And I'm one of the lucky ones whose library system has one copy of Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio and it's on the shelf, so I should get my greedy little hands on it by Monday. It sounds great!

>92 TadAD:: thanks for the handy humour calibration :) The more time I spend on LT, the less lonely I feel in my dislike for David Sedaris, which I had previously believed to be relatively unusual.

>96 tiffin:: I use "yonks" fairly regularly in everyday conversation but not so much written down. Quite a common expression in the UK, I'd say.

And congratulations on your anniversary too - I'm glad it's helped you broaden your reading!

: Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh

Science Fiction
680 pages
Re-read

I first read Cyteen in 1988, the year it came out. Now, 21 years later, Cherryh has produced a sequel and I felt I needed to go back and refresh my memory of the first book. Cyteen is her densest novel, both in terms of sheer volume and in terms of untangling the various story lines and characters…so dense, in fact, that some publishers broke it into three volumes. If you're somewhat familiar with Cherryh's works, this takes places in her Alliance-Union Universe, one of the two settings where she places the vast majority of her books, and takes place on Cyteen shortly after the Company Wars…roughly after Rimrunners and before Forty Thousand in Gehenna.

Ariane Emory was one of the handful of geniuses so significant that the government declared her a Special Ward of the State, immune to most laws and controls. The greatest geneticist and psychologist of all time, she is the head of Reseune, the laboratories that produce the most important product of her planet: people. The "azi" are cloned humans, sculpted both physically and mentally to fit a niche, anything from doctor to soldier to farm worker, and vital to humanity's expansion through space at a speed that outstrips birth rates. Absolutely ruthless, more than a little sadistic, a manipulator of people almost without peer, Ari is also the dominating political force in Union. Then, at the height of her power, she is assassinated.

Cyteen is the story of Ari 2, an effort by Reseune to recreate Ariane Emory. Creating a genetic double is trivial for her labs, but previous attempts with other great minds have shown that the clone is usually brilliant, but the spark of genius is usually gone. Based upon Ariane Emory's own theories, they pursue a plan that nurture is as important as nature in this effort, and that they must construct an upbringing for Ari 2 that exactly mirrors that of her predecessor…right down to disappearances due to death…while keeping her ignorant of her situation in a world that is polarized upon learning of her existence, a world where blackmail, coercion and even murder are not uncommon tools.

Cherryh's science fiction is almost always heavily psychological and sociological in its nature, and this one is, perhaps, the most so. If you're not familiar with her work, this isn't the book you should try first. It's too dense; it assumes too much background knowledge of her universe. However, if you have read a bit, particularly those stories set on this side of human exploration (as opposed to the Chanur books which take place out the other way in the galaxy), this ties a lot together, giving us a good look at the azi, closing out the War years and leading the reader into the Gehenna story line.

As a side note, Asimov is famous for the Three Law of Robotics which, by their very simplicity, form the organizing principle for human control of robotics in his (and followers') stories. One of my favorite moments in Cyteen is almost an echo. The motivational makeup of a particular azi was normally monumentally complex—computers kept track of the rules and interactions—but, what motivation to do you give to an azi who is being sent to colonize an unknown world? The Three Statements: You are sent to build a new world…discover its rules. Live as long as you can. Teach your children all the things that seem important. From that, she was able to give us everything else.

Tad, I checked that one out of the library, began to try to read it, and then realised I couldn't remember a darn thing about the first book(s), so took it back. Will need to do a reread before I check it out again.

Tad, you have convinced me to read more of Cherryh's books. I will add Cyteen to the Continent and hopefully get it read some time this year.

>126 tiffin:: tiffin, same here. I started Regenesis and, three pages in, was saying, "Hmmm, I don't remember how that happened," and decided I needed to go back for the Cyteen re-read. In the end, I was glad I did it anyway. On the second time around, knowing how the story ends, I noticed and appreciated more things through the book.

I'm now about 100 pages into Regenesis. So far, it seems fine, but we'll see how the next 450 pages go.

>127 alcottacre:: Stasia, what else of hers have you read?

#130: Thus far, only Downbelow Station and Rimrunners I think. I may have read others, but those are the only 2 that spring to mind immediately.

>130 TadAD:: Those are good; Downbelow Station is probably my single favorite volume.

Cyteen will prove to be quite different for you. Both of those are very much science fiction in the sense of spaceships, battles, etc. Cyteen has nary a spaceship in it. In fact, other than the fact that it takes place on a different world and human cloning is well advanced, there's little to mark it as science fiction.

Still, it really fleshes out her universe: the azis like Talley who were so important in Downbelow Station make more sense, ditto the azi in Serpent's Reach; it really gives a whole new perspective on Forty Thousand in Gehenna since we now know the origins of the human colony there; we even get a better understanding of what's going on with humans pushing into alien space in the Chanur books.

I know you haven't read all of those but, if you do, someday...

ETA: As I think I've said before, I think Cherryh is the best SF writer currently writing. Of course, not everyone feels that way...the introverted, psychological style of writing doesn't appeal to some. Still, I think a lot of fans do agree...her Foreigner series (different universe) seems to be read by a lot of people.

#132: Thanks for the additional info, Tad. I will try and read some more of her work over the course of the year. It will fit in neatly with my goal of reading more science fiction and fantasy this year.

I'll chime in here. My fav Cherryh is The Cuckoo's Egg. I didn't really care for her fantasy trilogy which some love. I adore the Foreigner series too.

Tad, I agree with you on your placement of Persuasion -- it is good! Glad you enjoyed it.

Congrats on meeting your goal!

OK Tad

Thanks to you my scifi/fantasy category is already full and I still have nine more months to read and a long list of your suggestions to choose from! Of course, to be fair, Roni should share some in the blame; some of her suggestions are on that list, also.

I have decided that I should split the category and make two--Science Fiction and Fantasy. I suspect the category I have now is heavier on fantasy so I need to catch up on science fiction--and also free up some room for more fantasy, which I am loving. I have never read anything ever by C.J. Cherryh.

Bottom line: What's the first science fiction book I should read by Cherryh (I'm practicing my spelling!)?

Also I need some help here--
This is what I have read so far in this category:

1. Willis, Connie: Doomsday Book (1/6/09)
2. Campbell, Jack: The Lost Fleet: Dauntless (1/11/09)
3. Bradbury, Ray: The Martian Chronicles, the 1997 revised and updated version (1/13/09)
4. Cook, Glen: Sweet Silver Blues (1/17/09) (could also be Mystery)
5. Stephenson, Neal: The Diamond Age (1/30/09)
6. Connolly, John: The Book of Lost Things (2/6/09)
7. Dahl, Roald: The Witches (2/28/09) (I will probably move this one if I need room later.)
8. Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana (3/16/09)
9. McKinley, Robin: The Blue Sword (3/29/09)

The Campbell, Cook and Bradbury books are all scifi. Are any of the others?

When I read The Left Hand of Darkness how should I classify it? Also, Barrayar?

Thanks for helping! :-)

Willis, LeGuin, and Bujold--the books you name are all considered science fiction, although all have written fantasy as well. The Stephenson also. The last four are fantasy.

You might want to start Cherryh NOT with Downbelow Station or Cyteen. These are dense, multiple viewpoint books that require (at least on my part) quite a bit of attention and energy. Rimrunners is more limited in scope and a good introduction to the political structure of her Alliance-Union universe. I loved Forty Thousand in Gehenna and many others of her earlier science fiction. She does great aliens. I got exasperated with her fantasy trilogy. The books of Cherryh I reread periodically, however, are her Chanur series. I love the politics, the different species, and the character of the hani.

>135 MusicMom41:: MM

1, 2, 3, 5 are science fiction, though #1 is only marginally so.

4, 6, 7, 8, 9 are fantasy.

In my opinion.

I would classify both Left Hand of Darkness and Barrayar as science fiction.

On the subject of where to start with Cherryh: it kind of depends if you want to give her a try and not chew up a lot of your reading time with one author, or if you want to dive in deep. I'm going to assume the former.

In that vein, I'd recommend one of her lighter, shorter, and standalone books. She has written many excellent books, but a number of them require you to read multiple volumes to complete the basic story.

Here are a couple that fit that bill that you might like; I've read them both several times and enjoyed them.

Merchanter's Luck: It's one of the "lightest" of Cherryh's books in terms of concentration required; has a greater "feel good" component than many of her other books. A quick read.

Cuckoo's Egg: This is the one Susan mentioned. A bit more complex plot than Merchanter's, but still fairly short.

ETA: Btw, if I misjudged what you are looking for, send me a message. I wrote a quite long "dissertation" on all her science fiction below, then realized it would bore pretty much everyone (it was boring me) and deleted it. ;-) Suffice it to say, I have many thoughts on her.

Hi TadAD, just stumbled onto your thread. I enjoyed your review of Grand Obsession as its subject matter has twanged some of my heartstrings (the few that are there - ha), as my piano is coming out of storage in a couple weeks. I have been without it for over 3 years, and I miss it greatly. So, I will be putting the book on the ever-growing TBR list!

>138 Cauterize:: I hope you enjoy it, Cauterize.

Thanks, Roni and Tad. That helps a lot. I can see I need to create 2 categories--but what's nine more books to read when one is already drowning! ;-)

: Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh

Science Fiction
585 pages

I've waited 21 years for this sequel to Cyteen and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. My reactions were mixed, but I felt that Cherryh didn't do her best work on this one and her editor certainly didn't do his...

I'll start with the negatives. The book is about 250 to 300 pages too long. The plot doesn't really get cracking in true Cherryh "everything breaking loose at once" fashion until about page 400. Of course there should be a build-up to that point but this build-up probably didn't have much more than 100 pages of real content to it.

Instead, we got some curious filler—it's like we were seeing Ari through a glamour lens...all soft focus and back-lit. Ari of the first book was sharp, decisive, a bit edgy; she may have been inexperienced and a bit naïve at first, but the reader had no doubt she was the smartest one around and she was going to "Get" her enemies, not vice-versa. The 18-year-old Ari of this book tries to invite kids who moved off-world in pre-school years back to live with her so she can hang out with childhood playmates, spends pages oohing rapturously about the decoration of her new apartment. Huh?

I really missed the characters from the first book. Ari went vapid for 400 pages; Ari Senior's recorded messages no longer figure into the story line; Catlin and Florian (two of my favorites) become two-dimensional backdrop scenery...there because bodyguards never leave Ari's side, but we no longer see important things from their perspectives nor gain any more insight into their thoughts.

So what saves this book from 1½ to 2 stars? Well, on the character front, we got a lot more of Justin and Grant, plus their interactions with Jordan. Though not the main characters of this story, they become much more real to us, though I have to say it seems like Jordan took a double dose of the Stupidly Nasty Pill since the first book. Their little subplot keeps the first part of the story from being a skimmer. The "real" Ari comes back for the final 185 pages.

Secondly, her world-building skills are as good as ever. Cyteen, Reseune Labs and all the other places in the book are intensely real; you feel like, "yeah, yeah, I know this place!" There are so many new things introduced in this book, that I actually wonder if it's a vamp toward a third volume that heads in new directions.

Thirdly, once the action kicks in, it's Cherryh: fast-paced, twisty, exciting. The questions left hanging from Cyteen get answered in a way that I found satisfying—they made sense not only in terms of the first book, but in terms of the larger Alliance-Union body of work. Just closing the book on the "who killed Ari 1?" question made this worth the read for me.

In the final analysis, it's not one of her best works, but it's not her worst. An editor ruthless enough to cut 250 pages out of the beginning of the book would have made this a top-notch Cherryh work.

If you're someone who will read the entire Cherryh canon, by all means pick it up. If you're just dabbling, choose others of her works. You have to have read Cyteen or none of it will make sense.

Is it just me, or are more and more popular fiction books coming out with ballooned page counts? Are editors getting lazy? Is there some marketing advantage to a few extra hundred pages?

I find myself saying more and more, "that needed a better editor!"

I've been hearing the same thing an AWFUL lot in the last few years, TAd. And have run into it quite a few times, myself, although I'm having trouble coming up with specific examples off the top of my head. I know that in the recent Group Read of A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, the general feeling was that it certainly would have benefited from editing out 100 or so pages.

I've noticed a lot in the fantasy book genre. It seems authors are doing so much backstory and build up that they are forgetting about the main plot. I can't think of any off the top of my head at the moment, but several have left me wondering why they needed to add it.

: On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

Politics, Philosophy
187 pages

After finishing this book, I'm of the opinion it should be required reading in high school. It is not that I agree with Mill on all points—I certainly don't—it's that he's asking the right questions. Essentially, he starts a discussion on what it means to be a citizen of a community and what it means to be a just government. He highlights the often-overlooked distinction between the premise that, in a democracy, power should be in the hands of the majority and the very different premise that the majority, having that power, should be free to do as it chooses.

Of course, he reaches certain conclusions: "…the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." These conclusions can be attacked from both directions. From a more conservative position, one can question what appears to be his assumption that a society is nothing more than a collection of individuals, that no concept of shared values has a place in it. One might also question his delineations of "harm to others"…they seem somewhat shallow and limited to direct causality. From a more liberal position, one might take issue with his statements that backward societies should not enjoy full privileges because they are not "capable". One might question whether he is really trying to protect individuality or whether he is trying to protect the intellectual elite from the "despotism of collective mediocrity."

It does not matter. These questions are certainly as relevant today as they were just before the Civil War, and the attempt to answer them seems important to me.

Great review. I'm a sucker for any sort of philosophy books - especially those that ask questions still valid today - but hadn't even heard of this one. John Stuart Mill's name is, of course, familiar from school but I don't remember much anything of what we were taught in class about him. Also, the nice thing about a book 187 pages long is that you can read it online without hurting your eyes too much.

Tad
Congratulations! I note on the LT home page that you received a "hot review" for your well written comments re. Regenesis.

Tad, you really do write some fabulous reviews. I bet you could convince me to spend some time reading the phone book if you gave it a good review!

Tad

Congratulations for a "double Whammy"-- both Regenesis and On Liberty are hot reviews! Way to Go! You own 20% of the "hot Review" thread! ;-D

LOL!

I can't wait for the day when all of the Hot Reviews belong to 75ers!

Carolyn
If Tad owns 20% of the hot reveiws, that sounds like good stock options. Tad, you might invest in yourself and would have a greater return than the current stock market. Anyway, your LT friends are betting on you. Your reviews are great!

I saw this on aquascum's thread and it seems several people are trying it. My impression is that the BBC seriously underestimates people...or else I seriously overestimate them.

I would also note that "The Narnia Books" is a superset of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", and that "Complete Works of Shakespeare" is a superset of "Hamlet"...so not quite sure what is going in their little minds...

The BBC apparently believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here:

How do your reading habits stack up? bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (in progress)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy (in progress)
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy.
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I copied and pasted this on my thread, Tad. I guess there is too much of Shakespeare for them to list but Hamlet is a biggie in the oeuvre?

Perhaps, tiffin.

It appears to be one of the many variants of the BBC/Guardian list of 100 Most Popular books that are floating around. It seems that...at least for the Guardian version...readers were asked to submit their top 10 books and that 100 were the ones that ended up with the highest rating.

I wonder what the 100 Favorite would be for LT members? The Zeitgeist listing is rather useless in this regard, but it would be interesting to know.

I wonder what it would be for this group? I'd have to think a bit to list my top 10.

Tad

I just posted the following message of MusicMom (Carolyn's) thread:

I'm wondering how the list was compiled, ie who choose that those were THE books to read.

Maybe the 75 book challenge group could come up with our own list. It would be interesting to see how many of us read a list of specific books...Perhaps at the end of the year we could do a survey and each add a book to the list.

LOL, I just made a thread for it.

>159 TadAD:: link...? (pretty please, for those of us that find it hard to dig myopically through all the threads :))

How is the best way to find people who like the same books as you?

Well, there are a couple. I'm guessing you are somewhat new to LT?

First, find groups that seem to be on topics you like...chances are the people in them will share some book interests with you.

Second, when you enter a book you like, check out what recommendations are made by other members for people who read that book. Those people might have the same tastes as you do.

Third, on your profile page, there is a section on the right called "Members with your books". These are people with libraries that are closest to yours.

However, take all this with a grain of salt. Just because people have books you do doesn't mean you share opinions about them.

For example, last time I checked, StormRaven was the member of the 75 Challenge who has the highest overlap with me. Since we're in the same group and have a high overlap, you'd think he would be a good yardstick for me. However, we don't have the same opinions on many books. On the other hand, some other people who only overlap me with 150 books or so seem to react to them exactly the way I do and I view them as my best barometers of how I will like a book.

ETA: The best approach is really just to start poking around and find people whose opinions you trust and read what they post. Between the 75 Challenge, The 50 Challenge, Club Read, etc., you can find a very wide variety of tastes.

One of the best ways is to enter a bunch of your favorite books, then look at the Members with Your Books field in the right column on your profile page. With only 15 books in, there are three people who have 12 of those books--but that is out of over 1800 books on up. The more you enter of your books, the more precise that will become.

The other way is to do what you are doing here--go to groups that match your interests, and through reading the threads find those members whose tastes match yours best.

We have a group of people who read a lot of YA lit here, but you might want to look at the Read YA Lit group and also the group reading Newbery Award winners, given what you have in your library so far.

edited to correct typos

You still beat out Storm Raven for me, Tad, 552 to 542 books! And our tastes are much more similar to each other than to him, FWIW. We posted at the same time!!

>162 BooXO789:: Umm, I just checked your profile, which I probably should have done before posting. The screen name meant nothing to me, though your profile does. We'll talk later.

: Just Enough Liebling by A.J. Liebling

Essays
534 pages

Last year I read Secret Ingredients, a compilation of food-related articles originally published in The New Yorker magazine. A few authors were particularly enjoyable: Calvin Trillin is a long-time favorite author and I'm well familiar with M. F. K. Fisher, but A. J. Liebling was an unknown to me prior to that book.

This book contains 26 of his articles and essays, divided into sections on dining in Paris, World War II, New York City, Boxing, the Press and politics in Louisianna. If you can imagine essays written by a beat reporter, that will give you some of the flavor of these pieces. They are funny and sophisticated, full of gusto for life, and not a little bit of self-regard: "...Fowler's Modern English Usage, a book I have never looked into. It would be like Escoffier consulting Mrs. Beeton (The author of the first modern cookbook)."

Was this "just enough" of Liebling? On the whole, I'd say yes. I wouldn't have minded a bit more on Paris and World War II; they were wonderful...while the attractions of a long excerpt about a con man ("from The Honest Rainmaker") and the Louisianna politics had faded by their respective ends. Overall, however, I really enjoyed these pieces.

: We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth

History
232 pages

In the winter of 1943, a fishing trawler with 12 men—eight sailors and four commandos—landed at the coast of Northern Norway above the Arctic Circle with plans to start up a guerilla operation against the Nazi occupiers. They were betrayed by Quislings almost on the first day, the boat was attacked and sunk, and 11 of the men were killed.

Jan Baalsrud escaped just 100 yards ahead of the German troops chasing him, through sub-zero weather while soaking wet (he had to swim through ice-filled water twice that first night), with a bare foot (one toe shot off). These were the easy moments.

In the coming weeks, aided by the Norwegian farmers of this remote region, hunted by Germans, he made his way to neutral Sweden. Along the way, he endured severe frostbite, gangrene, an avalanche, a major concussion, repeated starvation, multiple blizzards, a self-performed amputation, being buried for days, abandonment on a mountain plateau (wet) for weeks.

The impact of this story is that it is non-fiction. In a work of fiction, this might not be believable even in a Dirk Pitt book. As history, about the only thing that might compare with it is Shackleton.

The book flows along quite quickly. About the only off-key note is the author's portrayal of the Sámi...or Lapps, as he calls them (most articles indicate that the Sámi consider the latter term derogatory). His descriptions are generally patronizing at best, offensive at times. Unfortunate, since two of the Sámi complete Baalsrud's rescue.

Howarth's writing falls short of inspirational but the tale is amazing and worth reading.

#167 / 168 - Wow! Two books right up my alley. Thanks! And, vis-a-vis We Die Alone, as Mark Twain said, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."!

Tad, I was on the edge of my chair just reading your review of #66...good grief! I can't even imagine doing a self amputation. He must have been incredibly tough.

ETA: good Twain quotation, petermc.

Yikes, 2 more to add to the Continent from your thread, Tad! You are a dangerous man :)

Tad

Book 66 sounds incredible--on the pile it goes! Thanks for the information about Lapps wanting to be called Sámi. I didn't know that and I think it is important to be aware of what people--individuals or groups--wish to be called.

163 and 165: Its nice to be noticed.

Tad, another great book added to my tbr pile. Book 66 sounds very good.

: Doghead by Morten Ramsland, translated by Tiina Nunnally

Fiction
383 pages

I so wanted to love this book. It won a number of Danish literary awards. It had a litany of rave blurbs from Publishers Weekly, Booklist and others. The plot sounded funny: Asger Eriksson's grandfather, Askild, was a survivor of Buchenwald and commonly thought to be a war hero, turns out to have been a smuggler who made a fortune running liquor, an engineer who tried to design boats based upon Cubist paintings, and a generally unpleasant liar and cheat.

But I didn't...

The first half of the book was just baffling—Ramsland seemed a devout student of surreal humor, with its reliance on non sequitur events and bizarre situations. Asger's father who spent his childhood filling his unusually large ears with mud, snails and rotting matter to try to make them shrink; babies being born down...well...into a privy; children tricking their grandfather into drinking glasses of urine; kids who can hear the dead; and so on. I like my Absurd either meaningful or funny. It was too dark to be funny and I wasn't able to piece together meaning.

The second part of the book began to take on more of the outline of a tragedy as three generations of a dysfunctional family wrestled through class struggles, marital struggles and generational struggles. It finally pulled together as Asger and his sister come to terms with their family.

For me, it was too little, too late—given the raves, I guess I just am not wired to understand this type of book.

Sorry it wasn't a good read for you. However, Thank heavens here's one I don't have to add to my burgeoning TBR pile! ;-)

ETA Tina Nunnally is supposed to be a very good translator of Scandinavian literature, so it's probably the book, not the translation that is the problem.

>176 MusicMom41:: Yes, she translated Høeg's Smilla's Sense of Snow, which was my first read this year, and I enjoyed the translation. I'm sure it was that Ramsland and I just aren't on the same wavelength.

Tiina, btw :-) It took me three tries to type it when I did the last post. The fingers just want to type Tina.

ETA: I think I'm just not a fan of surrealism...either in fiction or art. Ernst and Dali leave me just as cold.

I like my Absurd either meaningful or funny. It was too dark to be funny and I wasn't able to piece together meaning.

Yes, your examples just sounded gross; they would just make me feel very uncomfortable if there wasn't a reason for the author sharing them. Love the cover though!

I saw Doghead in a bookstore last week, and kept looking at it because I thought I ought to like it. But it just didn't grab me, and now I'm glad it didn't!

I think I will be giving Doghead a pass as well. I am with bonniebooks - your examples just sounded gross!

I needed something light during the hurly-burly of the weekend...



: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

Fantasy
418 pages

In Turn Coat I get exactly what I asked for after reading Small Favors: the sense of marking time while the characters change directions is gone as Harry & Company start to deal with the Black Council. For those familiar with the series, it starts with an interesting hook: Morgan shows up at Harry's door claiming Wardens are hunting him down for something he didn't do. For those not familiar with the series, let's just say this is complete role reversal. I also got my wish of seeing more of Thomas and less of Murphy for a while (did Mr. Butcher somehow read my comments?).

It was fairly easy to pick out both the Who of the traitor (and even some of the How) early in the book but it didn't really matter. The story has plenty of action as Harry tries to fight the usual passel of minor bad guys plus a nightmare from Native American mythology while trying to stay ahead of the Wardens and keep Morgan alive. Harry's love life heads for the shoals again but I'm becoming resigned to this...I guess it's just part of the whole hard-boiled detective thing along with the trenchcoat and smart mouth.

Unlike his Codex Alera series, which definitely feels like there is an end in sight, the Dresden books feel like they will be around for many episodes. I think this is a good thing.

One of these days I will get around to reading the Dresden file books. I actually own the first one. It's here somewhere . . .

Oh I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I pick one up every couple months and am working my way through the series.

: Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt

Mystery
355 pages

I picked this one up based upon dihiba reading it last year. I confess that the first attraction was that it's set in Algonquin Bay, a thinly-disguised North Bay, Ontario—a place I've gone every summer since I was born. Well, I got a two-fer-one since, not only did I get to laugh with nostalgic glee when the main character stops at the Sundial Lodge in Orillia (I loved the French Toast there as a kid) but I also got a very enjoyable police procedural.

This story introduces us to what looks to be a series partnership. First, there is John Cardinal—experienced detective, slightly jaded, wife hospitalized for clinical depression, something funky in this past. We also meet Lise Delorme—younger, a bit more idealistic, transferred from Special Investigations (Internal Affairs for us Americans) to Homicide...oh, and investigating Cardinal at the same time as they investigate murders.

John has long suspected that a couple of missing kids were murder victims rather than runaways, but the only place he got was hot water with his superiors for wasting time. However, a mutilated body found in an old mine shaft causes everyone to realize they have a serial killer on their hands. In some ways, Blunt's story is fairly typical: existence of serial killer is noticed, new victim is taken, police race against the clock to get to killer before one more death. On the other hand, he has given us some very engaging characters who grow steadily throughout the story into very real people.

The author chooses to introduce us to the killers quite early in the book and we get many scenes from their perspectives. Unlike some procedurals where the tension is "who did it?", the tension here is the race between the two story lines.

I will note that, if you found something like Silence of the Lambs a bit too gruesome, you might not enjoy this. The killers are pretty twisted and it's all laid out for the reader. If you can take that kind of thing in stride, this is worth reading.

I'll definitely be back for the next one.

...it's so nice when books are set in a place you know and recognize, isn't it? I recently picked up The Shadow of the Wind on my trip to Barcelona just because it was set there. I can't wait to read it and see how he describes the city, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait until my boyfriend finishes it. Thanks for the detailed review!

I can't read this kind of thing, Tad, but I do love that it's set in North Bay.

Well, it's on my list. The whole series looks pretty good!

I have a Giles Blunt paperback that's been neglected for a long, long time,Turning Angel. I think I'll put it in the trailer for the camping trip. t
Thanks for the review.

: Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

Supernatural fiction, humor
268 pages

This was a recommendation from drneutron last year. An amusing take on the supernatural genre—a welcome respite from all the oh-so-serious vampire books out there. I've been a little under the weather and this was just the kind of light-hearted thing I needed when a little light-headed with fever.

I read Martinez' The Automatic Detective a couple of years ago and think I prefer it but, if you at all enjoy this kind of spoof, it's hard not to laugh as Earl the Vampire and Duke the Werewolf try to stop the end of the world from being invoked by a 17-year-old cutie using pig Latin.

#189: Sorry to hear you have not been feeling well, Tad. I hope you are better now!

ditto what Stasia said.

Are you feeling better?

Mending, thanks. At least no longer alternately freezing and sweating with fever.

#192: Good to hear! Hope you are all better soon.

: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Drama, Comedy
264 pages

A very welcome waypoint on the journey of reading all of Shakespeare. It had all the "usual" plot devices: love triangles, mistaken identities, cross-dressing women, shipwrecks...the whole works.

lunacat and kidzdoc pushed me into finally reading this one after much hemming and hawing...



: Blindness by José Saramago, translated by Giovanni Pontiero

General Fiction, Nobel Prize, Reading the World
293 pages

I'm not sure that there's a whole lot I can say that won't be found many places about this copiously-reviewed book. The story follows the basic structure of a post-apocalyptic novel: a catatrophe strikes—in this case, an entire city (at least) is stricken blind—and the reader watches as well-ordered social interactions turn to fascism, then to barbarism and finally cease to function altogether. We follow a handful of individuals through the entire process, including the first man to be afflicted and a woman who is the only person in the story not to lose her sight, as they struggle first to cope with their situation and then to reclaim a bit of their humanity.

What makes this novel a bit different that most of this type is the way Saramago uses literary devices to draw the reader into the world of the blind. Individuals are not named; all are simply described by their role in the story..."the doctor's wife" or "the first man who went blind". Nor are they visually described except when being looked at by a sighted person who is actually concentrating on the way they look. We don't even know their nationality, though slight cultural clues would lead one to think western Europe. This gives everything a hazy overcast; we can't quite bring our identification into sharp focus.

Most notably, you can only tell who is speaking through concentration; you cannot tell who is speaking simply by looking for the usual visual clues we get in reading. There are no quotation marks; in fact, question marks and other punctuation beyond commas and periods are gone. Nor is dialog broken in paragraphs—a verbal interchange is almost always represented as a single, long sentence, with only capital letters and the rare "he said" to clue the reader that the voice is changing. For example, picking up in the middle of a conversation that has been going on:

..., How have you managed since the outbreak of the epidemic, We came out of internment only three days ago, Ah, you were in quarantine, Yes, Was it hard, Worse than that, How horrible, You are a writer, you have, as you said a moment ago, an obligation to know words, therefore you know that adjectives are of no use to use, if a person kills another, for example, it would better to state this fact openly, directly, and to trust that the horror of the act, in itself, is so shocking that there is no need for us to say it was horrible, Do you mean that we have more words than we need, I mean that we have too few feelings, Or that we have them but have ceased to use the words they express, And so we lose them, I'd like you to tell me how you lived during quarantine, Why, I am a writer, You would have to have been there, A writer is just like anyone else, he cannot know everything, nor can he experience everything, he must ask and imagine, One day I may tell you what it was like, then you can write a book, Yes, I am writing it, How, if you are blind, The blind too can write, You mean that you had time to learn the braille alphabet, I do not know braille, How can you write, then, asked the first blind man, Let me show you.

This is disconcerting at first, opaque and confusing, but you quickly learn to find other clues, "listening" intently to the threads of the conversation. I went from my usual dislike of an author who eschews quotes (it irked me, for example, in Solstad's Shyness and Dignity) to thinking it made this book work as well as it did.

It's easy to read this story as allegory for any one of a number of events of our times. However, it's not necessary to do so...the story is gripping enough to be read simply for its own sake, whether as political commentary or distopian science fiction.

Though I would not be comfortable saying this is one of the 10 Best Books of the Century (as I've heard some opine), I definitely give it a strong recommendation. I shall certainly avoid the movie for fear of spoiling it.

I'm glad you liked it as much as you did. I always get slightly apprehensive when I recommend a book so strongly. There is the chance the person doesn't like it and then somehow blame me for 'pushing' it onto them with my comments. And yes, I have received somewhat personal criticism before for having recommended a book which someone then disliked.

Thanks for recommending it. As for people who dislike something they tried on your recommendation...all you can do is ignore them if they get nasty. It's all opinion and, if some people can't remember that, it's their problem.

I just noticed your "hot review" on the LT home page for your well written comments re. Blindness. Congratulations!

Congrats on your hot review, and hope you are feeling a Tad cooler now!! Get well soon.

Still lurking -- just don't have much to say :)

kiwidoc
You have a "hot review" listed on today's home page. You, Tad, Tiffin and Kidzdoc are all listed! Way to Go!

congrats tadAD, excellent review!

: American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella

Non-fiction, Memoir
259 pages

At its heart, this is an Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Buffalo: its origins on the continent, paleontological record, biology, range and habitat, 'buffalo' vs. 'bison', sex life, history with Native Americans and European settlers, reasons for hunting close to extinction, traditional methods of killing, anecdotes about buffalo hunters, fur types, uses for various parts of the animal, what is involved in being allowed to hunt one, how many Ted Turner owns, why the buffalo on the nickel is clearly captive...

The history is lightweight fare, more Bill Bryson than Shelby Foote, yet, Rinella writes well enough and I found it entertaining as well as informative. The basic outlines are probably familiar to everyone but there are lots of tidbits (for example, I never knew that a beaver coat was made from buffalo hide—the 'beaver' being a type of fur found on some specimens).

The education is doled out within the framework of Rinella's hunting expedition. Every year the Alaska Department of Fish and Game runs a lottery for a small number of permits to hunt a single buffalo. Most are never used as the hunting is fairly difficult. The minor difficulties are those imposed by the Department, including: no artificial light, no laser sights, no night-vision scopes, no machine guns (!), no explosives (!!). The major difficulty is imposed by Ahtna, Inc., the Native American corporation that owns the land around most of the major rivers. The buffalo are generally in the interior land, where you are allowed to be. However, getting there is another matter since Ahtna prohibits trespassing and prosecutes everyone who disobeys. Since there are no airstrips in the places you want to go, you have to follow the rivers, staying under the high water mark (i.e., on public land), then trek up small tributaries until you bypass the Ahtna land, then start bushwhacking your way into the interior through almost impassable scrub.

Rinella gives us a blow-by-blow account (definitely not in G-rated language) of his attempt to hunt one in the dead of winter. Just reading about it is exhausting, not to mention he nearly drowns, has a few nervous moments with grizzlies and gets frostbitten after immersion in an ice-filled river. He is able to convey a second-hand appreciation of the beauty, grandeur and isolation he encountered, and of the impact made when coming face-to-face with the largest land animal of North America. He also manages to convey his love of the outdoors and love for wildlife. This last aspect is what creates a bit of a discordant feeling for me in the book. He actually expresses this discord himself:

…how can I claim to love the very thing that I worked so hard to kill? I've thought of this often lately, yet I haven't been able to answer it with force and conviction. For now, I rely on a response that is admittedly glib: I just do, and I always will.

That answer is glib. I don't have a problem with someone hunting for food (Rinella spends days trekking all the meat out); I fish and I eat what I catch. I don't think that appreciation for wildlife and hunting are incompatible. However, the first 200 pages of the book work very hard to conjure some feeling of outrage at the casual killing of the animals and then, literally within a single page of the book, he looks up, unexpectedly sees some buffalo walking by, grabs his gun and shoots one with no pause and no more comment than, "The seriousness of what I'm about to do feels like a great weight."

It came a bit out of left field. I'm sure his moral and emotional landscape is more complex than it seems—some time later he says he feels an amalgamation of guilt, thankfulness for the food, appreciation of the animal's beauty and a regard for its history—however, none of that comes out during the passages describing the event. I don't think poor convictions; I think poor writing.

On the whole, I found the book entertaining and informative enough to give it a mild recommendation. I'm glad I read it. Depending upon the subject, I might read another Rinella book in the future, though I won't be active in seeking them out. One last caveat: from the time he describes shooting the animal until the end of Chapter 14 are a series of some fairly graphic descriptions of butchering the animal. If this isn't something you can stomach, be prepared to let your eyes skim.

Thanks for the description. For some reason, I cannot read a book or watch a movie wherein an animal is hurt or killed. But, I do appreciate your well written review.

#203: I think I will pass on that one, too, Tad, but I appreciate the review!

>204 Whisper1: & 205: I was curious about buffalo. I think that, if that's not a big thing for you, avoiding the book is a good plan. I can only give it a mild recommendation.

I was curious about buffalo I love that. Bet you were a fun boy to be around. :)

>207 suslyn:: Hmmm, how am I supposed to take that? :-)

I saw this one on aquascum's thread...



: Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, translated by Anthea Bell

Mystery
341 pages

The basic story is a mystery: a shepherd is murdered and the book is told from the perspective of his sheep as they try to unravel who did it. It sounded lighthearted, perhaps a bit fluffy, but it might be fun...and, certainly, it has received positive reviews. In the end, I only found it fair. The personalities of the sheep were well done—human-like, but certainly not human—and I enjoyed them. However, the plot could not carry the story: disjointed, lacking in depth, and occasionally venturing off into the metaphysical, which didn't fit the book's type.

: Ulysses by James Joyce

Fiction
816 pages

I don't really know what to say—perhaps: I "read" all of it, "got" maybe half of it, "liked" less than a quarter?

For the reading, I approached it with trepidation, as words like "unreadable" and "incomprehensible" have often been bandied about. I didn't find it unreadable. It was difficult at times—the constantly changing writing styles, the profusion of pronouns instead of names, the common use of foreign languages, the...umm, irregular?...punctuation—all make this tough sledding at times, but it's difficult to read, not unreadable.

As for the getting, I think that much of the novel simply shot right past me. I'm reasonably familiar with The Odyssey and was able to follow that macro structure of the book. However, I know that much of the allusion and innuendo simply did not register with me from this book about which Joyce once said he "put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant." I understand that there are entire books...large books...devoted to explaining what is going on in Ulysses. Well and good, but that's more work than I'm willing to put into a book I didn't enjoy that much.

And, as for that, the truth is that I like stories in my stories, and I didn't enjoy Joyce as a story teller. There's no real question he's good at limning characters. There's even less doubt that the man had a command of the English language that was not short of dazzling. However, we never established a rapport with each other as writer and reader. I would find a portion of it interesting or funny and start to immerse, only to run into twice as many pages of text that I found mind-numbing in their opacity.

Does the fault lie with me? I'm willing to concede that it does simply because I cannot judge. I don't have the knowledge or training to decipher this work. I can only say much of the reported depth escaped me, evidently lost in unseen allusions and obscured by experimental writing techniques. For those familiar with Clarke's maxim on advanced technology and magic, here is my own variant: "Any literature, sufficiently abstruse, is indistinguishable from the un-profound."

In the end, I'm glad I read it so that I have an opinion rather than just hearsay. I would suggest that readers try it and decide for themselves, even if that means invoking the 50 Page Rule—it is, after all, often billed as one of the greatest books ever. However, for me it was neither moving, nor enlightening nor enjoyable. I'm content to be a cultural Philistine on this one and leave it for the intelligentsia.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Well, there we go:

* 75 books, a few short of 24,000 pages

* Some I consider real winners (Three Day Road, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Midaq Alley, The Fish Can Sing, Grand Obsession, The Return of the Soldier, Blindness)

* A couple clunkers, but that's OK.

* Met my goal of a couple Austens; have added authors from 10 new countries for that objective; only one Shakespeare toward reading them all, but the year is young and I'll get some more in.

* Some fun group reads, particularly with Carolyn. :-)

Congratulations! Wow, 75! It's nice to know which are your favorites; I don't know any of those titles, so I'll have to go check them out. Loved your review of Ulysses. Your comments remind me of school, and all the over-analyzing of books that went on in my English/Literature classes. I always loved reading, but many of my fellow students didn't and I often thought, "And they never will if they think this is how or why people read!"

Congratulations on 75 books, and what a way to go over the top! I've never tried Ulysses but have read much about it--I really liked your review. Now, what are you going to do for the next 2/3 of the year?

>214 bonniebooks: & 215: Thanks. You must be the two who gave it a Thumbs Up! :-)

Oops, thanks for reminding me! I read it on the fly while getting ready for work this morning, and so hadn't done it yet. Now I am one of the THREE giving it a thumbs up!

Book # 75

Great review! No wonder you didn't have time for Battle Cry!

I've had Ulysses for years and have never had the nerve to attempt it. You have encouraged me to at least give it a try. Years ago I read Portrait of an Artist and remember being okay with it--didn't love it, probably 3 stars and not difficult. Much more recently I read Dubliners and rather enjoyed that. However, I've been intimidated by the report of difficulty with the much longer, more experimental Ulysses. I, too, would like to have an opinion rather than hearsay. ;-)

Duh--I was so focused on commenting on the review I missed the significant fact the you have achieved the year's goal in 1/3 the time! Congratulations!

Add my congratulations to the others for your 75 book milestone! I'm glad to see which have been your favorites.

Well done for reaching 75 books. May there be many more good ones to come

Well done on the 75 - and I'm glad you made it with Ulysses, even if, by the sound of it, you aren't ;-)

I really loved it (did a dissertation on it for part of my uni course), but can see why it's difficult. It definitely does help to read with annotations or a 'handbook' - there's one whose cover I can remember vividly that was particularly good, but can't remember who it was by or what the title was (although I suspect Richard Ellmann and an American university press of some kind).

Woo Hoo! You go, Tad!!

Thanks all.

>221 FlossieT: - Rachael, perhaps that would have changed the experience; I don't know. Certainly, when I read Shakespeare...especially the Histories...I like to have an annotation nearby.

In a way, I had the same reaction I get when I look at a Dali painting or listen to a piece of Schoenberg music: I understand that they've taken the art form in a new direction—creativity is at work rather than mindless iteration of the past. I understand that there is meaning and depth there that I am not grasping, that those with a more educated palate probably can appreciate.

But still, despite those understandings, I don't want to look at Dali; I want to look at Cézanne or Vermeer. I don't want to listen to Schoenberg; I want to listen to Bach or Beethoven.

I confess it raises niggling doubts of myself in my mind (*smile*). But, in the end, I have to be content that I'm the geeky guy who always liked Science and Math more than English class. :-)

ETA: I'll probably try A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man at some point. From what I hear, it's much more accessible. Just not soon...

>223 TadAD:: Portrait is quite different to Ulysses - much more readable. If you really want accessible Joyce, Dubliners can't be beat - The Dead is an absolute masterpiece.

I don't get Schoenberg either. But I do love Dali.

TadAD, I liked your musings on Ulysses. I've read it once and plan to read it again sometime with a skeleton key. I don't love the book but I do admire the heck out of it. That might sound strange but there are other books I don't particularly like but consider great works. I'm definitely not going to turn into a Joycean scholar and enter the endless debates and interpretations of his output though.

>224 FlossieT:: I've actually never looked at Dubliners before. I just went and read the description and it sounds like something I'd like (said with great caution given recent Joyce experience). Perhaps that will be my next read of his instead of Portrait. Thanks.

This raises an interesting discussion point.

I'm 52. Given average life expectancy for males, I just spent ~.1% (1/1040th) of my remaining reading time on a book I didn't especially like or understand. My friend, Peter, just asked me, "why?" I find myself slightly inarticulate on the answer.

I like to read books I end up enjoying. After I finished my most recent "good one" (Saramago's Blindness), I remember thinking, "that was worth it!" I didn't have that feeling with Ulysses—in fact, I knew 1 day into that week of reading that I probably wouldn't have it.

Peter's opinion is that there are more books out there than I can possibly read that fall into the category of works I am reasonably sure of enjoying. So, why not read them instead? I could probably just tell him some cockamamie thing about "stretching my boundaries" but truth is, I'm just curious about a whole lot of things, including, "what's that book like?"

What are your thoughts? Do you bother to read stuff you aren't sure you'll like? If so, why?

#227: Do I bother to read stuff I am not sure I will like? Yes

Why? Because I never know until I try it whether I will like it or not (case in point: World War Z, which I ended up loving). If I hit 50 pages and the book is not grabbing me, I will put it aside. Most of the time I will give a book at least 2 tries before deciding it is just not for me.

Tad

Portrait of the Artist as I remember is rather like a "coming of age" novel but seems portray two possible kinds of life for the protagonist. It has been years since I read it and it was for a college class where we discussed it. I remember thinking it was quite convoluted. However, it was a lot better novel than Catcher in the Rye which was read as a comparison piece. (I was not an English major--this was for our required 4 semester Western Civilization course.)

Dubliners is a collection of loosely related short stories and I suggest you start with that if you want to read another Joyce soon. They are really well crafted and paint a picture of Dublin. All of them are good a some are gems that you will want to read again. (as always--IMHO!) I read these just a few years ago and think they may be the most accessible works Joyce wrote.

#210: so only two bags full...

#211: I'm very much of the same mind as you about Ulysses, which I also read all the way through (although when I was considerably younger so less conscious of the percentage of life reading time lost in doing so). Unlike you, I started with Portrait and worked my way through his other works towards Ulysses so was somewhat attuned to Joyce's use of language by time I got there. I have no memory of it being hard. In fact, forty years later all I'm left with is the faint satisfaction of knowing that I did read it but with absolutely no memory of what the book was about, on any level. I really liked your analogy to music but my favourite line of all was "the truth is that I like stories in my stories". Yes!

#228: Stasia, I do too, because I want to stretch my comfort zone out now and then, to shake up my complacency and make myself work a bit. The Boys in the Trees was like that for me this year: I have a hard time reading certain subject matters because my imagination is so vivid that certain things terrify, hurt, haunt in a way which becomes almost a torment. I had to pick that book up several times before I could make it through to the end. It was beautiful writing and Swan told the story with haunting delicacy but I had to fight to hang on to get there.

Tad,

Of course it is worth trying "stuff I am not sure that I will like". One of the things that I enjoy most about LT is reading about books and authors I would never have found or might never have tried if I did not belong to this group. Most of us who consider ourselves to be serious readers--I think--are willing to try things we are not sure about in the hope we will find something wonderful.

The question for me is whether it is worthwhile to continue to read something I know I don't like just because "I am supposed to read this". I have no problem putting aside some popular literature that I don't like, but it is more difficult to discard something that is supposed to be great literature once I start it.

And I have two years on you, but, since I am of the female persuasion, probably have the same life expectancy. Put in that context, I think I am just going to pitch it when I don't like it!

Tad, I am in awe of you for having made it through Ulysses! After reading both A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Dubliners, I put off Ulysses indefinitely - I just don't know if I could handle more of that man. I had a prof in university who spent his entire academic career studying Ulysses, writing about Ulysses, etc., and he still admits every semester as he teaches it for the umpteenth time, that he really has no idea what it is about, and that everything he tells the class about it could be totally incorrect! Personally, I just can't handle that kind of confusion in my life! LOL

Anyway, congrats on making it through a literary milestone :)

Oh, and how is your daughter doing? The one who was just beginning to get into reading - did you ever find some new books for her?

#230: Tui, I have the same problem with the vivid imagination, which is one of the reasons I cannot read horror. I have tried several times, I just cannot get past my imagination working overtime. It is really the only genre that I will not attempt any longer.

Your review of Ulysses is great. It said so very eloquently what I wanted to say about a recent "great" book I read that I simply could not connect with. In those situations, I'm willing to accept that the problem is with me, not the book, and it is what it is. I'm with Lisacurcio in that I also have a hard time dropping something that's supposed to be great literature, no matter how much I dislike it.

I did read Ulysses in college, and got through it with coaching from a talented professor, but remember almost nothing about it. It is a book I'm trying to decide whether to spend some of my (limited) reading time left.

Anyway--thanks for the great review.

Interesting self analysis Tad. I appear to be the exact opposite of you in that I only read books that I am fairly sure I will like, and avoid anything that I already think I might dislike.

Given that I am 30 years younger than you.....I find that intriguing. Do we push ourselves more as we get older and want to expand our knowledge? Should I be reading more things that challenge me and save the 'good' books for as I get older and start running out of reading time?

Far too much thought for a saturday morning lol

#235: Do we push ourselves more as we get older and want to expand our knowledge? Should I be reading more things that challenge me and save the 'good' books for as I get older and start running out of reading time?

I have found that I push myself very hard as I grow older because I realize how much I do not know.

As far as running out of reading time as you grow older, as much as I hate to say it, there is no guarantee that you are going to live another 50 years, so read the good stuff now! If you live another 50 years, you can go back and re-read and I bet your appreciation and perspective have changed.

#236

Hmm.........convincing argument. I'm now torn between reading what I know I'll love, and picking books up from LT recommendations that I have little interest in. Where would I find a common ground? How do I expand my reading?

Again, too much thought for a saturday morning.

#37: How about picking out LT recommendations that you know you will love?

I only seem to pick books from LT recommendations that fit into my specific areas of reading: lighter sf, fantasy and historical fiction (medieval or tudor). I remain very cautious and sceptical of things that don't fit into those areas and I'm not sure how to get myself to expand my reading without reading things that I won't like and continually impose the 50page rule on.

#239: Since everyone reads things at some time or another that they do not like, I see no way of avoiding that problem. Surely you have run into this even in your favored genres? It does not keep you from reading in them, though, I bet.

Possibly I'm simply procrastinating in order to avoid stretching my boundaries!!

>235 lunacat:: Do we push ourselves more as we get older and want to expand our knowledge?

I have no idea if we push ourselves more as we get older. On one hand, my reading is certainly more varied now. On the other, I've got sort of a wandering curiosity and am easily intrigued by someone else's enthusiasm. What started off as a deliberate move to read something out of the rut has now become a natural consequence of more things seeming interesting.

I don't think there's any moral high ground in reading more widely. We read to satisfy some inner need and, if you're happy with what you're reading, then you're happy.

On the other hand, if you want to expand your reading, maybe push out slowly using some transitive jumps—put together a small list of books you really like, explaining why, and ask others to recommend things that are similar but fall outside the "lighter sf, fantasy and historical fiction (medieval or tudor)" description. Sort of "I liked the swashbuckling in the fantasy Jhereg"..."Ok, maybe try Captain Alatriste; it's also swashbuckling" type of thing.

ETA: Or, take a list of recommendations outside your comfort zone to the library and impose a 20 page rule and find one that seems like it's not bad. :-)

>235 lunacat:-242 This is an interesting topic Luna! I feel like I am choosing books that are outside my comfort genre more and more as I get older - I am 28.

There have definitely been books that I forced my way through and when finished thought, "bummer I could have spent the time reading something enjoyable." However, I also feel like I satisfied a nagging curiosity after finishing a book that wasn't my style

I also do not often re-read books because I am always looking for something new. I would like to read as many books as possible, but there are books that deserve multiple readings that I one day hope to re-read.

I was hoping as I got older, my curiosity for new books would settle down and I could re-read books I really enjoyed. This is probably wishful thinking though

This thread is getting a bit long for me, so I've moved to Part 3.