A Book(s) Thread

[AGBF]

I maybe just don't have the mind to appreciate Vonnegut. Slaughterhouse Five had "everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" and also "so it goes" So it goes was in there about 100 times. Alackaday and [censored] my luck sounds familiar, it probably was quoted in a Stephen King book and that's why I've heard it haha.

I remember them as anti-establishment, packrat. As subversive. And I loved that. He was one of my heroes.

Deb

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I just indulged myself. I bought a first edition Charles Dickens book-- 1839. It has to be sent to rehab to get it in shape. The condition is good. I'm a bit excited about it. I know he is not fashionable, but I love his stuff. Everything always works out.

We recently had a thread where someone wanted an old womans' rings for some relatives. Bequests were discussed, so I told my son who gets the first edition. One of my nieces, a teacher in England will be the proud owner of a London first edition.

Deb, for me the Russian writers are the greatest. They are really my favorite. I read them when I was much younger and wondered how i would feel about them now. I re-read one, The Insulted and the Injured, and did find it less emotionally satisfying than earlier.
But, I carry those first impression with me and don't think I will re-read anymore.

Just finished a Patricia Cornwall book. I'm still digesting.


Annette

 

[AGBF]

Deb, for me the Russian writers are the greatest. They are really my favorite. I read them when I was much younger and wondered how i would feel about them now. I re-read one, The Insulted and the Injured, and did find it less emotionally satisfying than earlier.
But, I carry those first impression with me and don't think I will re-read anymore.

First, congratulations on the first edition Dickens. That is a treasure.

Second, we are complete opposites in terms of the Russian literature. I have a complete gap in my education where Russian literature should be. I am literally clueless about it. I would welcome your comments on any of the reading I have done or might do!

Deb/AGBF

 

[VRBeauty]

Right now I'm needing literary comfort food, so I've been interspersing new reads (the Louise Penny books) with books from Alexander McCall's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. MMa Ramotswe and friends are providing just the balm I need.

Normally I each "new" book in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series when it come out in paperback, and then pass it on to my SIL when I've finished it, so for this re-read I've been picking up books at the library. The ongoing narrative thread in the series meanders so slowly that it's not that important to me to re-read the series in sequence.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I recently learned that authors such as Nelson DeMille, and James Paterson have a staff of writers who help them write their books.
Patterson writes a detailed outline and they write the rest. This is how he is so prolific. DeMille does give some credit to his young helpers, but is this something new or do others do it as well?. I think its cheating, although I don't feel that strongly. Just making conversation. It was a surprise to me though.


Annette

 

[AGBF]

I enjoyed Crime and Punishment very much, but wanted to discuss it with someone. It might have been a good book to read with a book club if the book club were filled with intelligent people! I did speak about it with my husband over the phone on several occasions, and may again, but that wasn't enough. I found myself reading essays and blurbs about it on the Internet. I do not think that I am ready to take a major plunge and to read an entire book about it, but I know that I have not scratched its surface yet. I read a good translation and it had footnotes, but I certainly did not stop reading at every footnote, thereby breaking the flow of the narrative, just to read it! And even if I had pored over every footnote, I would have missed a huge amount of what Dostoyevsky wrote! It was, however, fascinating and I am very glad that I read it.

I have my usual store of "trash" (i.e. comfort reading) put by. I have The Shooting Party ordered. I also went onto Amazon and ordered two books by Angela Thirkell from her Barsetshire Series (the first two books): High Rising and Wild Strawberries. I had never heard of her before, but she appears to write books that are readable (i.e. more "comfort reading"). While looking at her books I was pointed to Barbara Pym, whom I had totally forgotten! As a young woman I went through a Barbara Pym stage and read everything she wrote. Now I don't even recall why I liked her, just that I loved her books and that they were about women. So I ordered Jane and Prudence, which I remember once owning before, and will have to reread it! I hope that my taste hasn't changed and that I like her as much as I did when I was young!!!

Deb/AGBF
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[Lady_Disdain]

My latest book was a biography of Jane Digby. That woman rocked!

 

[bbziggy]

Hi,
I'm reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey written by the Countess of Carnarvon.
It is pretty interesting so far. If you love the show Downton Abbey this will be a good choice to read. This is the real story of Highclere Castle.

 

[zoebartlett]

Today's the first day of summer vacation for me and I just got The Interestings from the library. I've heard it's really good and I can't wait to begin reading.

 

[katharath]

I like this time of year, I've been reading some of the new stuff for summer. I read Diana Gabaldon's newest Outlander book, which I enjoyed (and btw, I'm very excited to watch the show!!). I also read Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes (not bad), Jim Butcher's latest Harry Dresden novel (great), and Hermann Koch's The Dinner (very good but tense). Right now I'm re-reading The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, just for a fun and more relaxing read.

 

[packrat]

Mr. Mercedes was not bad...does that mean not good or just kinda ok? I've got Doctor Sleep sitting here to read too.

 

[katharath]

Edited - double post

 

[katharath]

I thought Mr. Mercedes was a decent book to pass the time with. I liked Doctor Sleep better, although not a whole lot better. I'm one of those King freaks that reads everything he writes, though. I think of his books as being sort of like cheesecake - there's good cheesecake and great cheesecake, but never cheesecake that I won't enjoy at least a little. If that makes sense - that's how I feel about King's work.

 

[packrat]

Ohhh gotcha, ok. I'm a bit of a nut about him (tho not one of the nuts that catalogs every reference to the Dark Tower in every book) and read everything, even if it takes me a while to get around to it.

 

[AGBF]

If we're just throwing books out there without analysis, I'm reading King and Maxwell by David Baldacci. This is easy.

Deb

 

[katharath]

Ohhh gotcha, ok. I'm a bit of a nut about him (tho not one of the nuts that catalogs every reference to the Dark Tower in every book) and read everything, even if it takes me a while to get around to it.

Lol, I'm kind of a Dark Tower nut, I'll admit it .

 

[katharath]

If we're just throwing books out there without analysis, I'm reading King and Maxwell by David Baldacci. This is easy.

Deb

My apologies, I'll try to be more informative with any future posts.

 

[dragonfly411]

Just popping in quick to add the two I am reading right now.

Game of Thrones - I have had this book for a very long time, but hadn't actually picked it up. I am SO GLAD I did! I am just loving the story line, and the author is very descriptive A) about food and B) about the animals. This is something I really love in authors for some reason. The show follows the story line quite closely, which I find quite impressive!

Also reading The Backyard Homestead. I like it in many ways, it has great layouts for edible landscapes and gardens. I just wish it were a little less simplistic. My garden needs some soil help, my plants have all been very slow to grow, or in the worst case have died back after a bit of small growth. I feel like a garden failure.

 

[AGBF]

If we're just throwing books out there without analysis, I'm reading King and Maxwell by David Baldacci. This is easy.

My apologies, I'll try to be more informative with any future posts.

I think you misinterpreted my post. It wasn't aimed at you. I just suddenly saw a lot of short postings instead of a lot of long ones and it looked easy to chime in with a mere tidbit.

Deb

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Okay, allow me to elaborate.

I read A Scandalous Life, a biography of Jane Digby by Mary Lovell. Jane Digby was Lady Ellenborough and part of a divorce case in 1830's England. Since divorces were judged by Parliament, it was expensive, very public and required the right connections to get the case heard. There were only one or two a year and the Ellenborough divorce was one of the most famous. However, that was just the beginning of Jane's life. She believed in true love and romance, which led to her following her lover to Paris and then to Germany, 3 more marriages, 2 more divorces and a few more lovers. She knew Balzac, Ludwig of Bavaria, Richard Burton and countless others. She even kept touch with her ex-husbands and exchanged friendly letters with them, who often offered advice and practical help.

As her life progresses, it becomes more and more exotic. After divorcing her Greek husband, she told him to leave Greece, since she didn't want to leave her house (he went to Italy). She became the lover of a military chief of a band of mountain men (who was also a general in the army for his help during the Greek independence). After she found out that he had an affair with her maid, she decided finding a good lady's maid was harder than finding a good man, so she told her to pack up and they left for Beirut. There, she met the Bedouin Arabs, fell in love again with a man 20 years younger and became a valued member of a tribe. She led group of travelers across the desert, participated in war and found time to build a beautiful home. And, no, these are not spoilers. Everything is mentioned in the introduction.

She was really an amazing woman. Of course, she was no saint. She had her faults and made several bad decisions but she had a good heart and a remarkable personality. Not to mention a lot of charisma.

 

[katharath]

If we're just throwing books out there without analysis, I'm reading King and Maxwell by David Baldacci. This is easy.

My apologies, I'll try to be more informative with any future posts.

I think you misinterpreted my post. It wasn't aimed at you. I just suddenly saw a lot of short postings instead of a lot of long ones and it looked easy to chime in with a mere tidbit.

Deb

Thank you, Deb. I must admit that I think I did misinterpret your post. I felt badly for perhaps not following the "rules" of this thread! I appreciate your last post, and now I feel better - but in the future I really will try to be more informative. I enjoy this thread and would like to contribute

 

[VRBeauty]

Enjoying Louise Penny's "The Brutal Telling." I have to admit that I'm not always crazy about the mystery element of her mysteries, but I like her writing and the ongoing characters enough to get wrapped up in this series.

I recently lost my mother and I'm concerned about my father, the introvert of the couple, spending all his days in front of the computer reading cynical news feeds. We passed his local library on the way back from a medical appointment and I suggested we stop in. He headed straight to the mysteries section as I knew he would (like father, like daughter!) and we ended up with two library books and several 25 cent paperbacks from the "friends of the library" sale table. My father was smiling when we left the library. There are times when the escape provided by books is good for the soul, and I hope this is one of them.

 

[blackprophet]

For all the King freaks in the thread: What did you think of Under the Dome? Should I give it a shot?

 

[marymm]

Hey VRBeauty, I just finished The Brutal Telling - I'm going through the Inspector Gamache series right now for the first time and am really enjoying Ms. Penny's writing and character development.

The other series I'm currently reading is the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross - these are fun to read, and a bit akin to the Mitford Series (with the Miss Julia books more "light" in my opinion).

I just finished the new Jo Nesbo book (The Son) which was quite good - I mistakenly had thought it was the next Harry Hole book but it is a stand-alone book with no continuing characters from the Harry Hole series - still a good read though.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

May I rant just a little? I hate reading unfinished series.

I can deal with the Dresden Files. The books come out at a reasonable rate and, although there is an evolving back story, the books have satisfying ends of their own (ok, except Changes and I am glad I started reading the series after Ghost Story came out). But I have been waiting for the sequel to Shades of Grey for years and the expected publication date has been pushed back several times. Now, I find that the 2015 date is no longer for the next book in the trilogy but for a sequel. I think that Jasper Fford found out while writing that he needed a lot more back story than he could comfortably include in the second book but it is so very annoying. I want to know what happens!

 

[violet3]

Today's the first day of summer vacation for me and I just got The Interestings from the library. I've heard it's really good and I can't wait to begin reading.

LOVED "The Interestings!" Please come back and say what you think of it as you progress. I loved the relationships between the characters in that book, and found them to be really real in their description. It was funny, sad, and moving all at the same time.

 

[violet3]

For all the King freaks in the thread: What did you think of Under the Dome? Should I give it a shot?

I have yet to start "Under the Dome," but it was passed on to me by my dad and brother - BOTH LOVED IT! Also, they both loved "11/22/63" in case you're looking for more choices. I have so much in my book que, I haven't gotten to either of them yet!

 

[AGBF]

For all the King freaks in the thread: What did you think of Under the Dome? Should I give it a shot?

I have yet to start "Under the Dome," but it was passed on to me by my dad and brother - BOTH LOVED IT! Also, they both loved "11/22/63" in case you're looking for more choices. I have so much in my book que, I haven't gotten to either of them yet!

I did not speak up about Under The Dome as I have not, yet, read it. I have, however, read 11/22/63 and I liked it very much, just as your father and brother did. It was quite long, but I never wanted it to end. I felt the same way about Firestarter, although the books were entirely different. I was completely engrossed in it.

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Okay, allow me to elaborate.

I read A Scandalous Life, a biography of Jane Digby by Mary Lovell. Jane Digby was Lady Ellenborough and part of a divorce case in 1830's England. Since divorces were judged by Parliament, it was expensive, very public and required the right connections to get the case heard. There were only one or two a year and the Ellenborough divorce was one of the most famous. However, that was just the beginning of Jane's life. She believed in true love and romance, which led to her following her lover to Paris and then to Germany, 3 more marriages, 2 more divorces and a few more lovers. She knew Balzac, Ludwig of Bavaria, Richard Burton and countless others. She even kept touch with her ex-husbands and exchanged friendly letters with them, who often offered advice and practical help.

As her life progresses, it becomes more and more exotic. After divorcing her Greek husband, she told him to leave Greece, since she didn't want to leave her house (he went to Italy). She became the lover of a military chief of a band of mountain men (who was also a general in the army for his help during the Greek independence). After she found out that he had an affair with her maid, she decided finding a good lady's maid was harder than finding a good man, so she told her to pack up and they left for Beirut. There, she met the Bedouin Arabs, fell in love again with a man 20 years younger and became a valued member of a tribe. She led group of travelers across the desert, participated in war and found time to build a beautiful home. And, no, these are not spoilers. Everything is mentioned in the introduction.

She was really an amazing woman. Of course, she was no saint. She had her faults and made several bad decisions but she had a good heart and a remarkable personality. Not to mention a lot of charisma.

Thank you so much for this thoughtful review, Lady_Disdain. You have piqued my interest and I may read this book even though I rarely read non-fiction and it appears to be non-fiction! (This group did get me to read in The Devil in the White City, which is non-fiction, which shows your influence on me!) You write very well, and I appreciate your taking the time to elucidate the plot of the book so clearly. It, and Jane Digby, do sound fascinating!

Thanks again.

Deb

 

[zoebartlett]

Today's the first day of summer vacation for me and I just got The Interestings from the library. I've heard it's really good and I can't wait to begin reading.

LOVED "The Interestings!" Please come back and say what you think of it as you progress. I loved the relationships between the characters in that book, and found them to be really real in their description. It was funny, sad, and moving all at the same time.

So far, so good, although I'm still at the beginning. I'm just getting to the part where the author describes each character's adult life. I'm the "Christmas letter" part, if you remember that. I'll let you know what I think as I read. I'm glad you liked it, Violet! Have you (or anyone else) read Meg Wolitzer's other books?