Book a Week 2016 - BW29: Ernest Hemingway

[Chrysalis Academy]

Hah, Stacia, I decided to pick up another Ben Winters book while I'm waiting for Underground Airlines, too.  I read Bedbugs last night.

 

Well: mostly read it.  I got about 2/3 of the way through, and the tension was getting unbearable.  I wanted to stop and go to sleep, but I knew I wouldn't sleep with it hanging like that, so I did what I never do: I read the end.  Then I went back and read the last few chapters, and then skimmed the interim.  Which is not the recommended way to read a book like this, but then I don't love the thriller/horror/suspense genre. So I guess it worked for me.

 

This book is pretty much Rosemary's Baby with bedbugs.  The protagonist is a self-absorbed, neurotic New Yorker who is already fertile ground for the crazies, and it didn't take much to push her over the edge.  There is enough foreshadowing that something truly horrific is going to happen that it made it a lot less fun for me to read.  I don't want to give too much away in case somebody else wants to read it. I'll just say it all came out better than I expected, somewhat unbelievably, but reinforced that this genre isn't my cuppa!    He's a really good writer, though. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about The Last Policeman, Stacia.  I liked the whole trilogy but the first book was definitely the best, IMO.

 

 

[Ethel Mertz]

Angela - Glad to hear the good report.

[Stacia]

Hah, Stacia, I decided to pick up another Ben Winters book while I'm waiting for Underground Airlines, too.  I read Bedbugs last night.

 

Sounds like we were doing about the same thing -- reading an entire Ben Winters book in one night.  :lol:  (Though I'm not sure I could/would read Bedbugs!)

 

I should have stopped, should have slept, but I worked last night, ate dinner later (& I think that kept me awake), so I started reading (after already staying up way too late on my computer). And didn't stop until the book was done... at 4:30am. :cool:  (I think I'm crazy.) Man oh man, I am way too old to be doing that. Oh well. Needing lots of coffee today.... :zombie:

 

Obviously, I really liked The Last Policeman. I think it's a type of police procedural that both Jane & Jenn would like too. It's kind of a twist on a 'regular' book of this sort because Earth is soon to be hit by a massive asteroid. So, the story is pre-apocalyptic. And while society is falling apart/deteriorating in many ways, some people choose to continue their lives as normal (vs. running amok, filling their Bucket lists, or committing suicide, which are the things many are choosing to do), including our steady police detective Hank Palace. Suicides are not uncommon with the end of the world looming & the detective responds to a suicide call but feels convinced it's a murder staged to look like a suicide. So he investigates it.

 

Because of the setting of impending doom, it raises some really interesting & thoughtful questions throughout the book.

 

What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die? Detective Hank Palace has asked this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. Several kilometers wide, it’s on a collision course with planet Earth, with just six precious months until impact.

 

Industry is grinding to a halt. Most people have abandoned their jobs. But not Hank Palace. As our story opens, he’s investigating the latest suicide in a city that’s full of suicides—only this one feels wrong. This one feels like homicide. And Palace is the only one who cares. What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die?

 

Definitely recommended if you enjoy police procedurals.

 

That said, this makes the second book in a row I've read with a dystopian/apocalyptic setting. Since that's not really my thing most of the time, I think I'm going to find something *not* in that category for my next read. :tongue_smilie:

Edited July 20, 2016 by Stacia

[Stacia]

Kareni, going back to the list you posted of 100 weird books....

 

One thing I did (way too late into the night) was search my two library systems for the books. Between both systems, they have all the books but 15. (And of those 15, I've already had/read one of them.)

 

That's pretty good. I'm pleased to know my library systems have so many weird books between them! :thumbup1:

[JennW in SoCal]

I'm sure Kareni would be sharing this link with us before long, but just had to share this from the "5 books about" series of posts from Tor.com.

 

Five Views of the English Regency  

 

There is a concise intro into the period itself and the innovations and events that helped cement the period in literature and in our collective imaginations. And, of course there are 5 book titles.  I've read and loved 3 of them -- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Master and Commander, and Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon.  I will doubtlessly search out the other 2 and read them before the year is out!

 

The author of this particular "5 books about" entry also recently had a "Big Idea" piece on John Scalzi's "Whatever" blog. It was the big idea behind his new book Arabella of Mars.  The book sounds intriguing, but the reviews on Goodreads aren't so great, and I'm not in the mood for more poorly written imaginative fiction. 

[Kareni]

Those who consider themselves armchair travelers might enjoy the book that is featured in this review:

 

REVIEW: Leading the Blind by Alan Sillitoe by Jayne from the Dear Author site.

 

Here's a snippet from the review:

 

"So many characters in romance novels travel through historic Europe and of course who could forget (Poor) Cousin Charlotte and Lucy with their Baedeker guide for Florence in “Room with a View.†This book examines the time and age when English travel through the Continent began to shift from the wealthy traveler to the tourist of modest means tramping through the sites with book in hand – complete with asterisks so nothing of major importance is missed.

 

One must first yield with as much grace as possible to the demand to carry a passport. After that, a good pair of shooting boots (already broken in) – for all the walking to be done – is in order. For the cross channel voyage there are handy phrases – expressed in four languages – to convey the degree of sea sickness one is feeling. “I am very much inclined to vomit†and “Drink some Gin: it will strengthen your stomach, and you will feel relieved†being among them.

 

The channel crossing is only the beginning of the British traveler’s woes. Apparently having one’s luggage pawed by customs agents is an age old complaint about which one is not allowed to complain. The state of hotels, collection of passports, dinner manners, relaxed dining, and abundance of cafes in France arouse considerable fervor – both good and bad – as well as some pompous moralizing by these bygone guidebooks. Once again phrase books came to the rescue with possible things one might need to say while being driven to Paris. “If you drive well, and behave yourself civilly, I shall give you something for drink-money.†Alas the handbooks also lamented the fact that many English were not that popular on the Continent by being “ill-conditioned†or inadvertently parsimonious."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Sounds like we were doing about the same thing -- reading an entire Ben Winters book in one night.  :lol:  (Though I'm not sure I could/would read Bedbugs!)

 

I should have stopped, should have slept, but I worked last night, ate dinner later (& I think that kept me awake), so I started reading (after already staying up way too late on my computer). And didn't stop until the book was done... at 4:30am. :cool:  (I think I'm crazy.) Man oh man, I am way too old to be doing that. Oh well. Needing lots of coffee today.... :zombie:

 

Obviously, I really liked The Last Policeman. I think it's a type of police procedural that both Jane & Jenn would like too. It's kind of a twist on a 'regular' book of this sort because Earth is soon to be hit by a massive asteroid. So, the story is pre-apocalyptic. And while society is falling apart/deteriorating in many ways, some people choose to continue their lives as normal (vs. running amok, filling their Bucket lists, or committing suicide, which are the things many are choosing to do), including our steady police detective Hank Palace. Suicides are not uncommon with the end of the world looming & the detective responds to a suicide call but feels convinced it's a murder staged to look like a suicide. So he investigates it.

 

Because of the setting of impending doom, it raises some really interesting & thoughtful questions throughout the book.

 

 

 

Definitely recommended if you enjoy police procedurals.

 

That said, this makes the second book in a row I've read with a dystopian/apocalyptic setting. Since that's not really my thing most of the time, I think I'm going to find something *not* in that category for my next read. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Eventually I will get around to trying the Last Policeman. It's been on my list for awhile but without a library source. I know I saw it in new books somewhere recently. When I give up my fluff I will try it.

 

Rose, No books for me about Bedbugs, ever. I couldn't even read your review without cringing. It would take me months, possibly years, to recover.

 

By way I did read Jar City. Liked it. No more for me at the moment but will go back to it. I was oddly struck by the isolation of the gene pool in Iceland which had never occurred to me. Since I was reading Jenn's Amish mysteries at the same time the similarities seemed rather glaring.

 

 

 

I'm sure Kareni would be sharing this link with us before long, but just had to share this from the "5 books about" series of posts from Tor.com.

 

Five Views of the English Regency  

 

There is a concise intro into the period itself and the innovations and events that helped cement the period in literature and in our collective imaginations. And, of course there are 5 book titles.  I've read and loved 3 of them -- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Master and Commander, and Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon.  I will doubtlessly search out the other 2 and read them before the year is out!

 

The author of this particular "5 books about" entry also recently had a "Big Idea" piece on John Scalzi's "Whatever" blog. It was the big idea behind his new book Arabella of Mars.  The book sounds intriguing, but the reviews on Goodreads aren't so great, and I'm not in the mood for more poorly written imaginative fiction.

 

All I can say is I have checked out the first in all those series recently and let them all go back unopened. I love Jonathan Strange.

[Kareni]

I know that there's been mention of Nevil Shute on the thread in the past (Rosyl, LaughingCat, Pam in CT, AVNB, Stacia ...).  Fans of his might enjoy this review of his book Pastoral.  Then, see my question below.

 

Pastoral by Nevil Shute by Carrie S

 

"Back when my mom was growing up and general practitioner doctors were the norm, people used to refer to having a family doctor. We don’t have a family doctor, but we do have a family author (as in, an author the family loves, not an author to whom we are related). All the women on my mom’s half of the family, and there are a ton of us, are obsessed with the writings of Nevil Shute. I don’t know that many Americans that stockpile Nevil Shute books like we do, but all you have to do to get a McGowan woman excited is say, “So…tell me about A Town Like Alice†and we just fall all over ourselves with enthusiasm (you can read my enthusiastic review here).

 

One of Shute’s lesser-known books is Pastoral, a lovely romance between a British bomber pilot and a W.A.A.F. officer (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force). This is a book that is deceptively low on plot. The pilot (Peter) falls in love with the W.A.A.F. officer (Gervase) while stationed in Britain. She likes him, but she doesn’t believe that she is in love with him and she isn’t interested in a relationship that isn’t serious. However, she agrees to a trial courtship to see if her feelings of fondness might actually be something deeper...."

 

 

Which leads me to the question, do you have a family author?  One series which three generations of women in my family have enjoyed (my mother, myself, my daughter) is Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo and sequels.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Which leads me to the question, do you have a family author?  One series which three generations of women in my family have enjoyed (my mother, myself, my daughter) is Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo and sequels.

 

Hmmm. I will have to think about that one a little bit.

 

It most likely wouldn't be a family author with my mom, myself, & my dd. My mom & I have very different reading tastes. Dd & I also don't overlap much in reading tastes.

 

It would be more likely that my dad, myself, & my ds would have a family author because our tastes overlap more. But I will have to think about which one (if there is one).

 

[Kareni]

It would be more likely that my dad, myself, & my ds would have a family author because our tastes overlap more. But I will have to think about which one (if there is one).

 

On further reflection, I can think of a book that my father, my daughter, and I all enjoyed ~ Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.  In fact, my daughter so enjoyed it that she went on to read the half dozen sequels.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm sure Kareni would be sharing this link with us before long, but just had to share this from the "5 books about" series of posts from Tor.com.

 

Five Views of the English Regency  

 

There is a concise intro into the period itself and the innovations and events that helped cement the period in literature and in our collective imaginations. And, of course there are 5 book titles.  I've read and loved 3 of them -- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Master and Commander, and Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon.  I will doubtlessly search out the other 2 and read them before the year is out!

 

The author of this particular "5 books about" entry also recently had a "Big Idea" piece on John Scalzi's "Whatever" blog. It was the big idea behind his new book Arabella of Mars.  The book sounds intriguing, but the reviews on Goodreads aren't so great, and I'm not in the mood for more poorly written imaginative fiction. 

 

He lost me when he said he hadn't read any Georgette Heyer!! How can you write about Regency books without having read dear GH???

[Pam in CT]

:seeya: Kareni!

I know that there's been mention of Nevil Shute on the thread in the past (Rosyl, LaughingCat, Pam in CT, AVNB, Stacia ...).  Fans of his might enjoy this review of his book Pastoral.  Then, see my question below.

 

.....

 

Which leads me to the question, do you have a family author?  One series which three generations of women in my family have enjoyed (my mother, myself, my daughter) is Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo and sequels.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

Oh, that's an interesting question.  My (eldest) daughter and I share a LOT of books, and have fairly overlapping reading interests; while my mother reads a lot but her tastes are fairly distinct.

 

Two poets come to mind that we all enjoy: my mother (who has an enormous trove of poems memorized, many dating back from childhood) has transmitted her love of Robert Frost to me and Emma both; and I gave each of them Elana Bell's Eye's, Stones (which AVNB introduced us to here, a few years ago).  Actually Emma wrote Bell a note telling her how much she enjoyed them, and Bell wrote her back so graciously.

 

Also we all three greatly enjoyed Geraldine Brooks' People of the Book, a work of fiction that connects historically authenticated dots of the long life and extensive travels of the Sarajevo Haggadah.  (I've admired pretty much all of March's books, but not all of my efforts to share my enthusiasm have gone well; I recall a particularly unsuccessful effort to press Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague onto Violet Crown.  Oh well.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

ETA thanks to Rose's catch...

Edited July 21, 2016 by Pam in CT

[JennW in SoCal]

I know that there's been mention of Nevil Shute on the thread in the past (Rosyl, LaughingCat, Pam in CT, AVNB, Stacia ...).  Fans of his might enjoy this review of his book Pastoral.  Then, see my question below.

 

Pastoral by Nevil Shute by Carrie S

 

"Back when my mom was growing up and general practitioner doctors were the norm, people used to refer to having a family doctor. We don’t have a family doctor, but we do have a family author (as in, an author the family loves, not an author to whom we are related). All the women on my mom’s half of the family, and there are a ton of us, are obsessed with the writings of Nevil Shute. I don’t know that many Americans that stockpile Nevil Shute books like we do, but all you have to do to get a McGowan woman excited is say, “So…tell me about A Town Like Alice†and we just fall all over ourselves with enthusiasm (you can read my enthusiastic review here).

 

One of Shute’s lesser-known books is Pastoral, a lovely romance between a British bomber pilot and a W.A.A.F. officer (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force). This is a book that is deceptively low on plot. The pilot (Peter) falls in love with the W.A.A.F. officer (Gervase) while stationed in Britain. She likes him, but she doesn’t believe that she is in love with him and she isn’t interested in a relationship that isn’t serious. However, she agrees to a trial courtship to see if her feelings of fondness might actually be something deeper...."

 

 

Which leads me to the question, do you have a family author?  One series which three generations of women in my family have enjoyed (my mother, myself, my daughter) is Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo and sequels.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

I loved A Town Like Alice and will definitely try some others by Nevil Shute. Pastoral might be just the ticket..

 

I can't think of a family author, or any author or title beloved by more than 2 generations of family members. I read Caine Mutiny on the recommendation of my parents and in turn assigned it to one of my boys during high school, but it isn't really something that ties us together.  On the other hand, Star Trek and Star Wars sort of spanned generations, lol!

 

And by the way, it's good to see you Pam! 

[mumto2]

My mom started me reading Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney when I was ready to move to the adult section of the library. I did the same with Dd. I added Christie to the mix who my mom enjoyed also. Thats all I can think of right now.

[Kareni]

Several currently free Kindle books ~

 

  Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

 

"Three Men in a Boat is the irreverent tale of a group of friends who, along with a fox terrier named Montmorency, embark on a two-week boating journey up the Thames. Passing by famous landmarks on their way from Kingston to Oxford, the three gloriously underprepared travelers—George, William, and J.—confront the humor in everything from assembling a tent to fending off hostile swans. Originally conceived as a travel guide, the narrative instead evolved into a sharply witty tale replete with historical anecdotes, raucous digressions, and unforgettable misadventures.

As funny and relatable today as it was more than a century ago, Three Men in a Boat was recently ranked by the Guardian as one of the twenty-five best novels of all time and by Esquire UK as one of the top twenty funniest books ever written."

 

(There is also this version: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome)

 

And another title by the same author ~

Three Men on the Bummel  by Jerome K. Jerome

 

**

When You Come Home: The True Love Story of a Soldier's Heroism and His Wife's Sacrifice by Nancy Pitts

 

"Daphne Cavin's poignant story of love, loss and sacrifice was one of the most memorable I encountered in writing The Greatest Generation. Her daughter now completes the story with this very heartfelt book. - Tom Brokaw

Based on the World War II experiences of Daphne Kelley Cavin, first published in Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation.

The war claimed Daphne Kelley’s young husband’s life, but it couldn’t keep Raymond – and his abiding love – from being with her when she needed him most.

First glimpsed in Tom Brokaw’s landmark bestseller, The Greatest Generation, the true-life love story of Daphne and Raymond Kelley went far deeper than Brokaw’s feature could reveal. Now When You Come Home provides the complete account of what New York Times book reviewer Michael Lind cited as “perhaps the most compelling†love story in Brokaw’s book.

Taking its title from a poem newlywed Daphne sent her soldier husband during World War II, When You Come Home tells of their young love in the heartland at the brink of war, and of the crushing uncertainty and fear as they find themselves a world apart. And when the poem comes back to Daphne – blood-stained by Raymond’s mortal wounds – When You Come Home shares the extraordinary event that restores the grieving young widow’s faith in the transcendent power of love."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Nan loves Three Men in a Boat--in case anyone is seeking an endorsement.

 

The NYRB had Zadie Smith write an essay on Brexit. Good insight. I'd like to quote the last paragraph but am working on my tablet which apparently doesn't want me to quote the last paragraph. Technology wins?

 

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/08/18/fences-brexit-diary/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYR%20Zadie%20on%20Brexit%20Freedland%20on%20Cleveland%20Atran%20on%20ISIS&utm_content=NYR%20Zadie%20on%20Brexit%20Freedland%20on%20Cleveland%20Atran%20on%20ISIS+CID_984a250d327c22a11ede13a3c54b711a&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_term=Fences%20A%20Brexit%20Diary

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished listening to Oliver Twist tonight.  I have to say, Oliver is one of my least favorite Dickens protagonists, he is so flat and saccharine and cloyingly sweet.  But, this book does have some great villains.  And while I can't stand the Blackstone classics narrator for all books, she actually does a pretty good job with Dickens.  

[Violet Crown]

That said, this makes the second book in a row I've read with a dystopian/apocalyptic setting. Since that's not really my thing most of the time, I think I'm going to find something *not* in that category for my next read. :tongue_smilie:

Weren't you and I going to read À Rebours? No asteroids or bedbugs in that one I think.

[Violet Crown]

I recall a particularly unsuccessful effort to press YYear of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague onto Violet Crown. Oh well.)

... sorry ... (remorseful emoticon)

[Chrysalis Academy]

My mom started me reading Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney when I was ready to move to the adult section of the library. I did the same with Dd. I added Christie to the mix who my mom enjoyed also. Thats all I can think of right now.

 

Ditto here - those are authors my mom pointed me to early, and Shannon has been kind of interested, but not super interested, other than AC.  I guess she is our three-generation author at this point. Shannon hasn't fallen in love with Georgette Heyer yet!

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Also we all three greatly enjoyed Geraldine March's People of the Book, a work of fiction that connects historically authenticated dots of the long life and extensive travels of the Sarajevo Haggadah.  (I've admired pretty much all of March's books, but not all of my efforts to share my enthusiasm have gone well; I recall a particularly unsuccessful effort to press Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague onto Violet Crown.  Oh well.)

 

I also love Geraldine Brooks!  (You did a funny, Pam, you put the title of one of her books - March - as her last name).  March, People of the Book, Year of Wonders, The The Secret Chord, all fabulous books (Caleb's Crossing is also powerful but my least favorite of hers).  I haven't introduced these to Shannon yet, though, I think they are a little too much for her, theme-wise.  I don't know, I'm having a hard time judging what she's ready for, she had read some fairly dark stuff in the fantasy/sci fi world but I have the sense that she doesn't want to go there in more realistic fiction.  Not yet.  Which is fine.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Eventually I will get around to trying the Last Policeman. It's been on my list for awhile but without a library source. I know I saw it in new books somewhere recently. When I give up my fluff I will try it.

 

Rose, No books for me about Bedbugs, ever. I couldn't even read your review without cringing. It would take me months, possibly years, to recover.

 

 

 

 

Oh man, it had the creepiest, most disturbing end papers *ever*.  'Nuff said.

[Pam in CT]

I also love Geraldine Brooks!  (You did a funny, Pam, you put the title of one of her books - March - as her last name).  March, People of the Book, Year of Wonders, The The Secret Chord, all fabulous books (Caleb's Crossing is also powerful but my least favorite of hers).  I haven't introduced these to Shannon yet, though, I think they are a little too much for her, theme-wise.  I don't know, I'm having a hard time judging what she's ready for, she had read some fairly dark stuff in the fantasy/sci fi world but I have the sense that she doesn't want to go there in more realistic fiction.  Not yet.  Which is fine.

 

Oh dear.   :001_rolleyes: Thank you.  I'll go fix that, now.

 

 

I like this idea of three-generations-reading very much.  Also off to email daughter and mother.

[fastweedpuller]

Yeah it's tough to talk about a 3rd generation of reads if your kids aren't terribly old, but...we've all loved Nancy Drew (going back one extra generation to my Nana!) and then there's Louisa May Alcott.  Should probably add Tolkein too.

 

And thanks to all for pointing out further writings by Nevil Shute and the Durrell family.  One, my mom handed me On the Beach when I was a weepy angsty teen and it has stuck with me, two for Gerry's crazy family, of course I forgot his brother was also a writer.  We'll have to pick up the other two books in his memoir set, but who could top the Bootle-Bumtrinket ??

Edited July 21, 2016 by fastweedpuller

[Chrysalis Academy]

Sounds like we were doing about the same thing -- reading an entire Ben Winters book in one night.  :lol:  (Though I'm not sure I could/would read Bedbugs!)

 

I should have stopped, should have slept, but I worked last night, ate dinner later (& I think that kept me awake), so I started reading (after already staying up way too late on my computer). And didn't stop until the book was done... at 4:30am. :cool:  (I think I'm crazy.) Man oh man, I am way too old to be doing that. Oh well. Needing lots of coffee today.... :zombie:

 

Obviously, I really liked The Last Policeman. I think it's a type of police procedural that both Jane & Jenn would like too. It's kind of a twist on a 'regular' book of this sort because Earth is soon to be hit by a massive asteroid. So, the story is pre-apocalyptic. And while society is falling apart/deteriorating in many ways, some people choose to continue their lives as normal (vs. running amok, filling their Bucket lists, or committing suicide, which are the things many are choosing to do), including our steady police detective Hank Palace. Suicides are not uncommon with the end of the world looming & the detective responds to a suicide call but feels convinced it's a murder staged to look like a suicide. So he investigates it.

 

Because of the setting of impending doom, it raises some really interesting & thoughtful questions throughout the book.

 

 

Definitely recommended if you enjoy police procedurals.

 

That said, this makes the second book in a row I've read with a dystopian/apocalyptic setting. Since that's not really my thing most of the time, I think I'm going to find something *not* in that category for my next read. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I just abandoned Far North by Marcel Theroux, which was a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic book, more in the spirit of The Road than a disaster/thriller/sci-fi version. But it was just too depressing - "unbearably sad" according to the NYT review, which I agree with.  But extremely well-written. I think I need to hold onto a little more hope for humanity and our future than is offered by such bleak views, just at the moment.  I think I will try his The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes instead.  I think he's a wonderful writer, and I feel bad abandoning his book.  

Edited July 21, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Kareni]

Yesterday, for my book group, I finished (ALERT, ALERT - this is not a romance despite the title!)

Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel  by Gary Shteyngart

 

This book has received a lot of praise:

 

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
 
SELECTED ONE OF 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
MICHIKO KAKUTANI, THE NEW YORK TIMES
 
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • San Francisco Chronicle • The Seattle Times • O: The Oprah Magazine • Maureen Corrigan, NPR • Salon • Slate • Minneapolis Star Tribune • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Kansas City Star • Charlotte Observer • The Globe and Mail • Vancouver Sun • Montreal Gazette • Kirkus Reviews

 

 

Generally, I enjoy my book group books even if I find them a challenge to finish.  Perhaps it's more accurate to say that I am glad that I have read them and now own them (so to speak).  SSTLS was not a difficult read and while I was happy to finish it that was because I was glad it was over.  It was a curious/odd/weird read, but I don't think it's your kind of weird, Stacia.  I'm quite interested to hear what other members of my book group say tonight since I felt as though my reading time could have been better spent elsewhere.

 

 

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. "Shteyngart (Absurdistan) presents another profane and dizzying satire, a dystopic vision of the future as convincing—and, in its way, as frightening—as Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It's also a pointedly old-fashioned May-December love story, complete with references to Chekhov and Tolstoy. Mired in protracted adolescence, middle-aged Lenny Abramov is obsessed with living forever (he works for an Indefinite Life Extension company), his books (an anachronism of this indeterminate future), and Eunice Park, a 20-something Korean-American. Eunice, though reluctant and often cruel, finds in Lenny a loving but needy fellow soul and a refuge from her overbearing immigrant parents. Narrating in alternate chapters—Lenny through old-fashioned diary entries, Eunice through her online correspondence—the pair reveal a funhouse-mirror version of contemporary America: terminally indebted to China, controlled by the singular Bipartisan Party (Big Brother as played by a cartoon otter in a cowboy hat), and consumed by the superficial. Shteyngart's earnestly struggling characters—along with a flurry of running gags—keep the nightmare tour of tomorrow grounded. A rich commentary on the obsessions and catastrophes of the information age and a heartbreaker worthy of its title, this is Shteyngart's best yet. (Aug.)"
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished listening to Hitchhiker's Guide book 3. Now on to #4. 

 

I started reading Sisi but then stopped. It's not that the writing isn't good, but frankly I know how Sisi's life was and ends and it's just sad. So I decided I didn't want sad right now. I may pick it up again. This book led me on a google search . I've always wondered what happened to the German/Austrian royalty cause you just don't hear anything about them. You know like you hear about the royalty in Spain, Monaco, England (of course), Denmark, and so forth and so I wondered what happened to the German/Prussian/Austrian royals. So I read a bit about the Hapsburgs from Charles I and his descendants. They are still around in Germany and Austria. Makes one wonder how things would be different if Austria had won WWI. Hitler would not have happened probably.  

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ahh, this is better! I just picked Warlock Holmes up from the library, and I'm enjoying it already!  It definitely hits the spot.

 

I am also reading and listening to The Sound and the Fury.  I'm doing both, because it's complicated enough that I need to do both to really get what's going on in the first, stream-of-consciousness section.  It also helped reading an online summary of the book and the character list, I was having a very hard time figuring out what was going on at first.  It is literally a tale told by an idiot, but I'm completely mesmerized so far.

[Stacia]

Board Recommends Releasing Detainee Who Wrote ‘Guantánamo Diary’

 

FYI, I read Guantánamo Diary last year & highly recommend reading it, if you haven't already.

 

Weren't you and I going to read À Rebours? No asteroids or bedbugs in that one I think.

 

Good point. Now the issue would be finding my actual copy of the book....

 

I don't think it's your kind of weird, Stacia.

 

:lol:

 

I remember seeing this book on various lists, but never picked it up to read it. Probably (as you point out) because it's not my kind of weird.

 

Will be curious to hear what your book club friends think of it.

 

Ahh, this is better! I just picked Warlock Holmes up from the library, and I'm enjoying it already!  It definitely hits the spot.

 

I am also reading and listening to The Sound and the Fury.  I'm doing both, because it's complicated enough that I need to do both to really get what's going on in the first, stream-of-consciousness section.  It also helped reading an online summary of the book and the character list, I was having a very hard time figuring out what was going on at first.  It is literally a tale told by an idiot, but I'm completely mesmerized so far.

 

Hope Warlock Holmes continues to hit the spot.

 

I really need to read Faulker. Am I even considered a real reader if I've never read Faulkner??? I do actually think I would love his writing.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

Hope Warlock Holmes continues to hit the spot.

 

I really need to read Faulker. Am I even considered a real reader if I've never read Faulkner??? I do actually think I would love his writing.

 

This is only my second Faulkner novel - I read Light in August about a year and a half ago.  I don't know that I was ready for Faulkner till I was a grown-up . . . 

 

I am enjoying The Sound and the Fury quite a bit, whereas I didn't like Light in August much.  That's all I got in terms of Faulkner suggestions.  Except A Rose for Emily is brilliant.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Violet Crown]

Stacia,

 

As I Lay Dying is a good "starter" Faulkner novel, I think.

[Kareni]

... A Rose for Emily is brilliant.

 

This was my first thought also.  it also has the advantage of being short.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Onceuponatime]

I finished Blood of Victory and began wondering if all spies in books have elegant lovers. Anyway, I took my boys to the library yesterday, fully intending to refrain from checking out any books for myself. I came away with Jamie Oliver's cook book called Everyday Super Food, which looks so wonderful that I dreamt about food when I took a qick nap. Also, after scanning the "new books" shelf, i was intrigued by one called The Relic Master by Christopher Buckly. It is a "rollicking historical tale" that has Albrecht Durer as the friend of a relic dealer. Did Durer create the shroud of Turin? Needless to say, I came home with it. I hope it is good because that's what I'm reading next.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Onceuponatime

[fastweedpuller]

 I don't know that I was ready for Faulkner till I was a grown-up . . . 

 

I take it as an almost bigger accomplishment that I finished Faulker's oeuvre (and I mean all.of.it) when I was in grad school for...architecture.  Yep.  Nothing like Yoknapatawpha County's residents to distract me from studio and advanced calculus and structures and building technology.

 

Frankly in college I also got bit bad by the Southern Gothic bug, so reading his stuff was a continuation.  I looked at Carson McCullers as my personal hero, and John Kennedy Toole and Eudora Welty as my fantasy relatives.  Of course this is all because I am a Northerner and I was studying something completely different at the time.  I seem to like/need literary distractions.

But this is what I mean when I wonder about re-reads from one's tender youth.  I believe Faulkner would hold up for me after 25 years but not so sure about others.  (Absalom, Absalom! is probably my 2nd fave book should I be desert-island stuck...)

 

[Violet Crown]

I take it as an almost bigger accomplishment that I finished Faulker's oeuvre (and I mean all.of.it) when I was in grad school for...architecture. Yep. Nothing like Yoknapatawpha County's residents to distract me from studio and advanced calculus and structures and building technology.

...

(Absalom, Absalom! is probably my 2nd fave book should I be desert-island stuck...)

 

You are my new Best Friend.

 

ETA: Actually I suppose that's still contingent on what your 1st fave is...

Edited July 22, 2016 by Violet Crown

[Kareni]

...  (Absalom, Absalom! is probably my 2nd fave book should I be desert-island stuck...)

 

 

 

Doubtless I speak for all of us who are now curious ~ What is your favorite book for that desert island?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[fastweedpuller]

You are my new Best Friend.

 

ETA: Actually I suppose that's still contingent on what your 1st fave is...

 

 

Doubtless I speak for all of us who are now curious ~ What is your favorite book for that desert island?

 

Regards,

Kareni

Hah!  Vonnegut's Galapagos, of course!

 

Runners-up:  Timothy Findley's Not Wanted on the Voyage and Richard Yates's Revolutionary Road.  Vonnegut for the win, though :D

[Jane in NC]

You are my new Best Friend.

ETA: Actually I suppose that's still contingent on what your 1st fave is...

Ha! And here I thought I was your BFF!

[Violet Crown]

Hah!  Vonnegut's Galapagos, of course!

 

Oh dear.

 

  

Ha! And here I thought I was your BFF!

You are again. Vonnegut ....

[Stacia]

I take it as an almost bigger accomplishment that I finished Faulker's oeuvre (and I mean all.of.it) when I was in grad school for...architecture.  Yep.  Nothing like Yoknapatawpha County's residents to distract me from studio and advanced calculus and structures and building technology.

 

Frankly in college I also got bit bad by the Southern Gothic bug, so reading his stuff was a continuation.  I looked at Carson McCullers as my personal hero, and John Kennedy Toole and Eudora Welty as my fantasy relatives.  Of course this is all because I am a Northerner and I was studying something completely different at the time.  I seem to like/need literary distractions.

But this is what I mean when I wonder about re-reads from one's tender youth.  I believe Faulkner would hold up for me after 25 years but not so sure about others.  (Absalom, Absalom! is probably my 2nd fave book should I be desert-island stuck...)

 

 

I actually started Absalom, Absalom a few years ago & loved it. But, I didn't have time to really sit down & read at that juncture in my life, so I set it aside & have meant to read Faulkner ever since. (I guess it's kind of like when I tried to start reading One Hundred Years of Solitude when I had an infant & a toddler. Bad idea to take on a big book where so many characters have the same name & one is brain dead from lack of sleep.  :tongue_smilie:  I had to come back to that book years later.)

 

I feel like a bad Southerner. I've never read Carson McCullers either. And, I didn't really like A Confederacy of Dunces when I read it (probably in my late teens/early 20s). I do love Truman Capote, though, so maybe that redeems my Southern card a little bit? And while Poe is technically a Northerner, I think he squarely falls into Southern gothic (& he's another favorite of mine).

 

Actually, I'm probably woefully under-read on Southern authors in general.

 

Hah!  Vonnegut's Galapagos, of course!

 

Runners-up:  Timothy Findley's Not Wanted on the Voyage and Richard Yates's Revolutionary Road.  Vonnegut for the win, though :D

 

Well, I love Vonnegut, but Galapagos is one of my least favorite of his that I've read!

 

Oh dear.

 

  

You are again. Vonnegut ....

 

:lol:

 

Btw, I don't know why I thought I couldn't find A Rebours. When I sat down at my desk this morning & looked at the bookshelf to my right, it was right there, even tipped out a little bit like it was ready to be picked up. Hmmmm.

[fastweedpuller]

In my defense I *did* pick Galapagos as my bestest desert-island read.  His overall message makes the best out of a dark situation...

I feel like a bad Southerner. I've never read Carson McCullers either. And, I didn't really like A Confederacy of Dunces when I read it (probably in my late teens/early 20s). I do love Truman Capote, though, so maybe that redeems my Southern card a little bit? And while Poe is technically a Northerner, I think he squarely falls into Southern gothic (& he's another favorite of mine).

 

Actually, I'm probably woefully under-read on Southern authors in general.

 

 

Well, I love Vonnegut, but Galapagos is one of my least favorite of his that I've read!

 

Stacia, have you ever heard of the short-story compilation New Stories from the South? It was published (Algonquin books) yearly from 1986-2010.   I got started with it when I was in college and on my Southern tear.  It'll fill in any gaps...most years have quite a few gems in them.  I tend to go for short stories when I am really feeling stressed and scattered, so yeah it worked better for me than things like 100 Years of Solitude did with a toddler!  But Capote, indeed...I think what started my "going deep" was a contemporary theater class in college (contemporary = post-war onward) so Tennessee Williams lit that fire.  :)
 

[Violet Crown]

In my defense I *did* pick Galapagos as my bestest desert-island read. His overall message makes the best out of a dark situation...

 

You don't need a defense. Your Vonnegut pick moved you high in dh's literary estimation, and so vicariously in mine. :)

[mumto2]

We took a drive to a quiet beach this afternoon and enjoyed a lovely walk. We were standing on the beach looking out across the water talking about how we had had seal friends the last time we had been there when heads started poking out of the water. Five seals definitely enjoyed people watching for the remainder of our visit. Ds found some nice fossils also.

 

I finished up the first book in a really fun cozy series by Donna Andrews. I read Murder with Peacocks many years ago and remembered it fondly. It didn't disappoint the second time through. The series has grown to 19 books apparently and I have read a couple more along the way and enjoyed them. This is/was one of my series that I had picked to read this year but I appear to have messed up in my planning. I really think the whole series was on my overdrive when I requested this one a couple of months ago. When I went in to get the second one I discovered there are no more after the second. I can't believe I messed up that badly. I can get scattered books from different libraries so may try to complete the goal the painful way with holds all over the place. I haven't looked at the order beyond checking for number three. I am a bit frustrated!

 

I started the third Miss Julie book. :)

[Stacia]

In my defense I *did* pick Galapagos as my bestest desert-island read.  His overall message makes the best out of a dark situation...

 

Stacia, have you ever heard of the short-story compilation New Stories from the South? It was published (Algonquin books) yearly from 1986-2010.   I got started with it when I was in college and on my Southern tear.  It'll fill in any gaps...most years have quite a few gems in them.  I tend to go for short stories when I am really feeling stressed and scattered, so yeah it worked better for me than things like 100 Years of Solitude did with a toddler!  But Capote, indeed...I think what started my "going deep" was a contemporary theater class in college (contemporary = post-war onward) so Tennessee Williams lit that fire.  :)

 

 

As VC said, no defense needed! I love Vonnegut, even if Galapagos is not a favorite of mine.

 

No, I haven't heard of those short story collections. Generally, I'm not a fan of short stories. (But, now that I'm saying that, it will be likely I'll read some collections & get totally into them, lol.) Looks like my library has plenty of the collections. I will have to grab a couple & give them a try.

 

I knew TW would come up in this conversation too. I read a couple of his plays in high school &/or college, but don't particularly remember them fondly.

 

:leaving:

 

(I feel like I'm coming across as cranky today, even though I'm not feeling that way. But I keep saying I don't like this, I don't like that, yada, yada. So, to compensate, here's something I like:

 

 

That cover just makes me smile every time I see it. Plus the story itself is pretty zany & awesome too.)

[Kareni]

Regarding Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel  by Gary Shteyngart

 

Will be curious to hear what your book club friends think of it.

 

We were six women, and we unanimously did not care for the book.  Even the person who suggested the title based on her appreciation of another of the author's works did not care for this story.  The  consensus was that none of us liked any of the characters who were whiny, needy, immature, or otherwise annoying.  One member did comment favorably on the male lead's diary entries which showed that the author was well read.

 

On the plus side, the borscht and beet salad (in honor of the male lead's Russian Jewish background) and the Korean salad (in honor of the female lead's Korean heritage) were delicious as were the brownies (no connection to the book but one rarely goes wrong with brownies).

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I stayed up late last night after the book group reading the contemporary romance The All-Star Antes Up (Wager of Hearts Book 2)  by Nancy Herkness; I enjoyed it and will read book three in the series.  (Adult content)

 

"“No strings, no rings.†That’s Luke Archer’s motto. As the champion quarterback for the New York Empire—not to mention a self-made billionaire—Luke has given up on serious relationships. Women only want him for one thing: the thrill of being with a superstar. And he likes it that way too. But when his best friend announces he’s retiring from football to spend time with his wife and kids, Luke feels like he’s missing out on something much bigger than his career.

 

The assistant concierge in Luke’s luxury high-rise, Miranda Tate fled her family’s dairy farm to come to the bright lights of New York City. She works hard to move up and sends her spare earnings home to her brother. When she and Luke meet, there’s an instant sexual attraction which turns steamy quickly, but they’re in completely different leagues. Could Miranda be just the woman Luke needs to win the most important game of his life?"

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[Onceuponatime]

 

(I feel like I'm coming across as cranky today, even though I'm not feeling that way. But I keep saying I don't like this, I don't like that, yada, yada. So, to compensate, here's something I like:

 

 

That cover just makes me smile every time I see it. Plus the story itself is pretty zany & awesome too.)

I have this in my stacks waiting to be read. I loved The City of Dreaming Books.

[JennW in SoCal]

My introduction to Faulkner was in high school or possibly college. We were assigned "A Rose for Emily" and once the teacher spelled out what exactly Miss Emily had been doing in that old house all those years, well, I was horrified. It left an indelible, profoundly disturbing image in my young and innocent mind. Don't know why I had a spate of English teachers who felt it was their duty to shock young students, whether it was a teaching philosophy in vogue in the 70s or if I just lucked out.  Whatever the case, I've not touched Faulkner since!

 

My brother has described my mother as coming straight out of a Tennessee Williams play, so I've never had any desire to read (or watch) one of those, either :laugh:  

 

But onto nerdier genre fiction!  I had a delightful day at Comic-Con yesterday and came home with 6 new books:

 

             

 

           

 

 

The most delightful book out of the bunch has to be The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace & Babbage, a graphic novel with terrific cartoon art combined with detailed footnotes from meticulous research all to tell a "what if" story about Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage. They are the minds behind the 19th century Analytical Engine, which, if it had been built, would have been the first computer. Steam driven, but a computer. She, the daughter of Lord Byron (yes, that Lord Byron) was the software engineer and he was the hardware engineer.  It is an extraordinary book, and look at the wonderful autograph I got from the author, Sydney Padua!!!  You can get a taste for her style of art and writing at her website, sydneypadua.com

 

The one panel I attended was called "Mixology". Petra Mayer of NPR Books was the moderator, and I don't know if the panel was her brain child or not, but it was so much fun. The whole idea of it was that good fantasy is like a good cocktail -- it is a mix of common elements that can wind up with vastly different results depending on the ratios of ingredients.  But the conversation seemed to mostly revolve around alcohol, with several of the authors providing flyers with recipes of their favorite drinks! They also were asked for the best drink pairing for reading their particular books.  Kevin Hearne, author of the Iron Druid series was there along with Mary Robinette Kowal, the author of the regency series I recently saw recommended on the Tor.com "5 books about".  I picked up the first book of her series and chatted wine with her as her husband is a winemaker!

 

The author of London Falling was also on the panel. While I can't remember exactly what he said that made me decide I must read his book, his off hand cozy mystery comment while he was signing his book has made me a lifelong fan.  You see, his wife is the vicar of their small town church, and he quipped they are forever having to solve perplexing murder mysteries in the area!  And he is a fan of my husband's work, so there you go -- lifelong fandom!

 

The other 3 books were give aways. I stayed home today while dh worked and the college boy roamed the halls. He returned home with 2 of Patrick Rothfuss's picture books for grown ups.  Apparently Rothfuss read one of them aloud at a panel today and my ds was hooked. If you are a Rothfuss fan, you really need to see him in person at a signing or other event because he is a great storyteller and usually side-splittingly funny.

 

Tomorrow I go back into the fray to spend time my oldest ds. He is hoping we get into the big hall of Hollywood hype to catch a Star Trek 50th anniversary panel -- we are not optimistic at our chances, but will (boldly) give it a go. 

Edited July 23, 2016 by JennW in SoCal

[Violet Crown]

Finished the ~900 page Palliser novel Phineas Redux. Few of Trollope's novels really require reading a previous novel; but this is a genuine sequel to the (also good and readable) Phineas Finn, which must be read first. Trollope is not profound or highly literary, but his novels are solidly written and skillfully plotted so as to avoid the extremes of surprise or twist endings on the one hand, and predictable, neatly tied, or too-justly distributed outcomes on the other. A little break I think before the next Palliser.

 

Came today in the mail the short book A Bitter Trial, by Evelyn Waugh--his collected correspondence with Cardinal Heenan. Which could be alternatively titled Evelyn Waugh Deplores the New Mass to a Sympathetic Ecclesiastic Ear. Niche reading, but hard to find so I am rather glad to get my hands on a book I'd been looking around for for a while.

[Stacia]

With Violet Crown's reminding, I started reading À rebours (Against Nature or Against the Grain) by Joris-Karl Huysmans.

 

I must admit that I was somewhat amused to find Poe's Pym in the protagonist's ocean-themed dining room... :laugh:

Then, when he was tired of consulting these time-tables, he would rest his eyes by looking at the chronometers and compasses, the sextants and dividers, the binoculars and charts scattered about on a side-table which was dominated by a single book, bound in sea-calf leather: the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, specially printed for him on laid paper of pure linen, hand picked and bearing a seagull water-mark.