A Book(s) Thread

[mochiko42]

Hi AGBF,

I care for three elderly relatives, since the other siblings are older than me and very impatient - they are good people but wholly unsuited to caring. They also have many small kids in one case, and a wife who is terminally ill in the other case (she's only 5. I used to look after four relatives but one died a few months ago after an illness and a traumatic end-stage, and now the remaining ones are somewhat worse. I've been somewhat at the end of my tether and exhausted even after a full night's sleep, so they've gone for a bit of respite care, as I didn't get a break after caring for the deceased relative during the final months.

I was so happy to find this site as I've allowed myself to become quite isolated due to my responsibilities, i.e. I don't see much of my friends and I don't have time for the gym or hobbies as it's difficult to get out in the evenings. In fact, some of my friends have dropped me as I don't have much time and I was particularly tied up earlier this year.

However, it's very fulfilling to be a carer and I wouldn't have it any other way. But right now I'm exhausted and glad of a break. Spending some of my savings on jewelry, and time to read!

I hang out mainly with people aged 75-90, since I take my relatives to all their lunches, Rotary clubs, Freemason meetings, miscellaneous outings, and the occasional dinner party. We've even managed three trips away to see their old friends in the last few weeks! We were visiting friends in New York state who are aged 77 and 80, and the woman, the younger, said I should discover an author called Jane Gardam, who I'd never heard of. I look up to the woman - she's very well-read and well-educated, so I got the book.

Oh, this author is just wonderful. The book is called Old Filth, and Filth stands for Failed In London, Try Hong Kong. It's a story of a British lawyer in Hong Kong (nicknamed Old Filth) and his wife Betty, who refer to themselves as Raj orphans. It flashes back and forth between the present day and the Thirties/Forties.

The author has written many books and has a list of literary prizes as long as your arm, but I'd never heard of her. The story is mysterious and the writing is wonderful - she refers to the main character as ¨swirling himself into his coat¨ and another time an elderly person calls out and it's described as a ẗhreadbare voice.¨ It's a trilogy - the Old Filth trilogy. I can't recommend it highly enough.

So sorry for the essay. I don't have that many people around to talk to!

Hi Jambalaya, it sounds like what you do is challenging but meaningful. Not an easy job being a carer, so your relatives are so fortunate that they have you. I come from a family of doctors and other medical professionals, so I observed first hand how frequently carers forget to take care of themselves and let their responsibilities overwhelm them. It's great you are making time for yourself, and glad to have you here on PS.

I am living in HK and the book you mentioned piqued my curiosity. I have downloaded the Kindle sample and will read it later this weekend. Thanks for the rec~!!

Pretty much all of Marcel Pagnol's books are a must read.I really enjoyed « Souvenirs d’enfance » (Childhood memories) and « L'eau des Collines » (The Water of the Hills).
I always enjoy re-reading Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin books ("813" is still my favourite).
A few others favourites include « Bel-Ami » by Guy de Maupassant, All the books from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, « PПиковая дама» (The Queen of Spades) by Alexander Pushkin, « Le Grand Meaulnes » by Alain Fournier, « Iliad» by Homer, The Trilogy « Vipère au poing » « La mort du petit cheval » « Le cri de la chouette » by Hervé Bazin.

Dioptase, I am sooooo happy to find another Pagnol and Alain-Fournier admirer on PS. I love Le Grand Meaulnes, and I read (and re-read) Pagnol's Souvenirs d'enfance religiously when I first discovered his books. I like Souvenirs d'enfance more than his L'eau des Collines series, even though it is more simple in theme.

Do you read Illiad in the Greek? I am all in awe of anyone who can do so, my ancient Greek has long been forgotten and my Latin these days is only rudimentary. For the Illiad, I only read the Lattimore and Fagles translations but I prefer Fagles' translations of both the Illiad and Odyssey, they are truly magnificent.. I did read some of the Aeneid in Latin way back in the day when my Latin was better, but stick to the Fagles translations (again) these days. Do you like the Greek playwrights? I admire Sophocles and Euripides but have a soft spot for the ridiculousness of Aristophanes' plays.

 

[Dioptase]

Dioptase, I am sooooo happy to find another Pagnol and Alain-Fournier admirer on PS. I love Le Grand Meaulnes, and I read (and re-read) Pagnol's Souvenirs d'enfance religiously when I first discovered his books. I like Souvenirs d'enfance more than his L'eau des Collines series, even though it is more simple in theme.

I think a good part of the charm from "Souvenirs d'enfance" is precisely because of the simplicity of its theme (but damn, the end of "My Mother's Castle" is absolutely heartbreaking). And I just love Pagnol's writing style.

Do you read Illiad in the Greek? I am all in awe of anyone who can do so, my ancient Greek has long been forgotten and my Latin these days is only rudimentary. For the Illiad, I only read the Lattimore and Fagles translations but I prefer Fagles' translations of both the Illiad and Odyssey, they are truly magnificent.. I did read some of the Aeneid in Latin way back in the day when my Latin was better, but stick to the Fagles translations (again) these days. Do you like the Greek playwrights? I admire Sophocles and Euripides but have a soft spot for the ridiculousness of Aristophanes' plays.

Sorry to disappoint, I've only read the translated version of the Illiad. I also did read some Greek playwrights long time ago, Antigone and Iphigenia come to mind.
Speaking of Antigone, Jean Anouilh wrote a very interesting modern (1944) version of the tragedy. I also liked Jean Giraudoux "Electre (Electra)" and "La guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu (The Trojan War Will Not Take Place)".
Another great classic is "Andromaque" by Racine.

 

[CRYSTAL24K]

Crystal - so glad you will have more time to read! What do you think of the Ken Follett book? I'm very aware of it but have never read it. I'm curious. Is it worth a go?

Hi Jambalaya- Yes! It is worth it. I have read it about 3 times so far in the past 10 years. A friend of mine is reading it now and she loves it! She reads about 2 books a week (am I jealous? Yes-LOL). I am glad it passed her reading standards, because if she doesn't like a book, she will just stop reading after a chapter or two.

On another note, I am so glad that you are able to take a bit of break for yourself. I can only imagine how mentally and physically exhausting it must be to be a caretaker as you have described. It is quite selfless and speaks volumes to your character.

 

[Jambalaya]

Crystal - thanks for the recommendation. I realized I've got the Follett book, but I've never read it. I'm going to try it now you've said it's good.

Mochiko - let me know what you think of Jane Gardam's book. (If you don't like it, you know you can contact Amazon customer services and get a refund.)

AGBF - I've read some of the Shopaholic books. It's true that they may be kind of silly, but they're fun. Just a laid-back, light-hearted, non-taxing read. I read a lot of books like that - very light - and they're fun while they last but I know I'm never going to read them again, so I tend to get them from the library or at book sales and then pass them on. They're a nice distraction if you're tired or you want some guilty escapism.

For myself, I like to take an egalitarian approach to reading - i.e. not everything I read has to be literary, far from it. One of my favorite books is Barbara Taylor Bradford's sweeping epic, A Woman of Substance. I loved those books 20 years ago - admittedly, they're a bit dated now.

Everybody here sounds very well-read, with the Greek classics and everything! I've never heard of Pagnol - but I have now, thanks to this thread!

 

[AGBF]

Speaking of Antigone, Jean Anouilh wrote a very interesting modern (1944) version of the tragedy.

Ah, now that I have read! I always feel so uneducated when speaking with anyone who has studied Latin, let alone Latin and Greek! But I did read "Antigone" in my high school French class. I do not remember a thing about it now, but I remember at the time finding it incredibly moving. Of course I was a teenager. I also probably only understood half of the French since my French was not, then, what it was yet to become!!!

I still toy with studying Latin (which I once started to study with the seventh graders when I was teaching high school). My husband studied the classics and I have long been convinced that they are invaluable.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Jambalaya]

Mochiko, what do you think of the Jane Gardam book? Do you like it? I'll feel guilty if you don't, since it was my recommendation!

 

[AGBF]

After reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society I took a break and read some Spenser detective novels by Robert B. Parker. I was late coming to this series, so most of the books are still new to me. I read Ceremony and A Catskill Eagle and am now reading A Savage Place. At first I was reading the series (more or less) in order, but I have given that up. I am not sure I should have done so. There is a bit of jumping around in Spenser's life that I don't enjoy!

Deb/AGBF

 

[zoebartlett]

I haven't tried Robert B. Parker's books. Thanks for the recommendation, Deb!

I just finished Daniel Palmer's book (a thriller, I suppose), Desperate. It was pretty good, and I'd like to read his other books.

I've never heard of many of the titles or authors mentioned here. Other than the occasional journal article or professional reading I do for my job, I stick with light, somewhat mindless, ah, non-literary books. I love the Shopaholic books, for example. I have been bored for a while now though, and there hasn't been much in the new fiction section at the library that's interested me. Has anyone read Elin Hildebrand? I want to love her books. I love the jackets. I just get so bored with her books that I put them down not long after starting one.

I keep remembering only after checking out this thread to try reading cozies, per Gypsy's recommendation. I love mysteries and thrillers, but I don't like how gruesome some of the violence is. I have a new Mary Higgins Clark book, I've Got You Under My Skin, and The Hit by David Baldacci to try, but I'm not sure how gruesome the stories are.

 

[packrat]

Robert B Parker has two other series that I've read, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone. They're all really good. I've not read any of the Spenser's yet.

I started reading The Kept by James Scott. I'm only about 5 pages in so nothing to report yet. I skimmed a couple reviews on amazon and it says it's pretty dark and bleak/unhappy so..we'll see if that works for me.

 

[VRBeauty]

I keep remembering only after checking out this thread to try reading cozies, per Gypsy's recommendation. I love mysteries and thrillers, but I don't like how gruesome some of the violence is. I have a new Mary Higgins Clark book, I've Got You Under My Skin, and The Hit by David Baldacci to try, but I'm not sure how gruesome the stories are.

Mary Higgins Clark's books are not going to be gruesome, and as I recall they're quite well written.

There are a couple of "cozy" mystery series that I've followed for years. Most of these are "village" cozies that I read to catch up with the village denziens as much as anything else. For some of these authors the writing vacillates - one or two books on, a book off - but they're fun reads nonetheless. Progressing generally from the coziest cozy to the least: Rita Mae Brown's "Squeaky Pie Brown" series is set in a small Virginia mountain town. It's co-written by a cat and features dialogue among several animals... need I say more? Still, they're fun books to read. Definitely cozy. Fowler's "Benni Harper" mysteries are set in a small California ranching community and feature a rancher/museum curator who also happens to be a quilter, so the titles all reflect a traditional quilt pattern. Sarah Grimes' "Home Repair is Murder" series is set in Maine island/village. One or two of her latter titles are tip-toeing into thriller territory, and some of the plots require quite a bit more suspension of disbelief, but generally these are fun reads.

Marcia Muller's series featuring San Francisco private detective Sharon McCone doesn't quite fall into the "cozy" category (to me) and ups the thriller quotient, but it doesn't get gruesome either. Like cozies though there is a cast of characters that continues and progresses through the series.

I don't generally buy books in the series I mentioned above, at least not new, because I'm not likely to re-read most of them. Thank goodness for the extensive public library system in my town! But I have been purchasing Louise Penny's "Chief Inspector Gamache" books, after checking out the first book in the series. These are meatier books that I know I'll be re-reading. I wouldn't call these village cozies even though most of the books are set in a small Canadian village - they are more traditional whodunnits with a strong element of exploring the human psyche (in that sense they remind me of PD James' mysteries). This series is also not heavy on gore.

 

[VRBeauty]

It's a two-hour drive for me to visit my father, something I'm doing regularly now that he's alone. I recently started listening to audio books on these drives. I'm really enjoying them - the time seems to go by much more quickly, and I even find myself looking forward to all the inevitable trips to the store etc. that are part of the visit. The first recorded book I tried was a new-to-me author and title. It was OK, but I know that if I'd been reading it on paper, I'd probably have skimmed through at least 1/5 of the book. So now I'm listening mostly to favorite authors and titles that I probably wouldn't be re-reading anytime soon. (There's also an element of comfort to this that I need right now.)

Years ago I tried a book on tape - yes, as in cassette tape - for a long trip. However, I found myself driving faster and faster as I got caught up in the story, so I abandoned the practice. (I have ADHD so it's not real safe for me to use cruise control - having to watch and regulate my speed helps keep my attention on the road.) I'm not sure whether I'm picking better titles now or whether I'm just that much more mature, but fortunately speed creep doesn't seem to be a problem for me anymore.

 

[mochiko42]

Mochiko, what do you think of the Jane Gardam book? Do you like it? I'll feel guilty if you don't, since it was my recommendation!

Hi Jamabalaya, how sweet of you to remember!! I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I haven't read the sample that I downloaded yet - what with the holiday weekend and all the running around, I haven't picked up my Kindle in a week.

Hopefully now that things are back to normal this week I'll have time to check out the Gardam book.

 

[AGBF]

Robert B Parker has two other series that I've read, Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone. They're all really good. I've not read any of the Spenser's yet.

It's good to know the other series are good, too. I like Spenser and co. I especially like Spenser's sidekick, Hawk. Spenser makes me laugh, although not as much as some of the wisecracking protagonists of Nelson DeMille and Brian Haig. Of course no one has me rolling in aisles and slapping my knees like Georgette Heyer, however. Her mysteries don't make me laugh that much, though. Theyr'e witty enough, but not side splitting like some of her zany comedies of manners!

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks so much for the recommendations, VR! I've written them down and will check them out when I get a chance. I've tried one of Louise Penny's books, How the Light Gets In, but I couldn't get very far. The characters were a bit odd, and I just wasn't into it at the time. Maybe I'll try again. I'll definitely look into the others, too. I used to read all of Mary Higgins Clark's books years ago, and I really enjoyed them. I haven't read one in a while, so I may have some catching up to do.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

It's a two-hour drive for me to visit my father, something I'm doing regularly now that he's alone. I recently started listening to audio books on these drives. I'm really enjoying them - the time seems to go by much more quickly, and I even find myself looking forward to all the inevitable trips to the store etc. that are part of the visit. The first recorded book I tried was a new-to-me author and title. It was OK, but I know that if I'd been reading it on paper, I'd probably have skimmed through at least 1/5 of the book. So now I'm listening mostly to favorite authors and titles that I probably wouldn't be re-reading anytime soon. (There's also an element of comfort to this that I need right now.)

Years ago I tried a book on tape - yes, as in cassette tape - for a long trip. However, I found myself driving faster and faster as I got caught up in the story, so I abandoned the practice. (I have ADHD so it's not real safe for me to use cruise control - having to watch and regulate my speed helps keep my attention on the road.) I'm not sure whether I'm picking better titles now or whether I'm just that much more mature, but fortunately speed creep doesn't seem to be a problem for me anymore.

I am a huge fan of audio books. When I am driving, I prefer something non fiction, which is less likely to distract me. You can get Great Courses series on Audible for one credit ($15) each instead of whatever absurd price they usually charge. I get one a month, generally history or literature.

 

[caf]

Last summer my daughter (16) and I listened to Tina Fey's audiobook Fancy Pants. I did not expect to like it (participated to do mother daughter bonding) but ended up liking it. You might try it.

C

 

[AGBF]

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.

I have now read the first five books in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series*, and I am thoroughly hooked. When I first began reading I had no idea that Alexander McCall Smith was still writing and that he was going to continue writing in this series so prolifically! I believe that as I write today he has 15 books published in this series alone, and he has other series going as well!

Since I last posted besides reading these five books I read Deadline by John Sandford, but I have vowed never to buy any of his books again. I am going to take them out of the library because John Camp, by his own admission, is not writing them himself and the quality of the books has fallen a great deal.

I also read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon which I thought was superb. As I write this, it reminds me that I also read two "Jason Stafford" novels (Jason Stafford is the protagonist) by author Michael Sears. He is a relative newcomer who writes suspense novels mingled with finance. His first book was Black Fridays and his second was Mortal Bonds. The books were of interest to me primarily because of the relationship between the protagonist and his young, autistic son. The protagonist of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was an autistic teenager. Both children were portrayed really sensitively and with a great deal of insight. After reading Mark Haddon's work I suspected that Michael Sears must have read it!

Deb/AGBF


*The First Five Books in The Series:
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Tears of the Giraffe
Morality for Beautiful Girls
The Kalahari Typing School for Men
The Full Cupboard of Life

 

[baby monster]

Just finished reading The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg. Very captivating read about family, food and love. The main character is slowly killing herself by overeating.

 

[blackprophet]

I recently read a book and it made me think of you Deb.

Its called Alphabetique, 26 Characteristic Fictions by Molly Peacock. Each chapter is about a letter, and very poetic.

Not what I usually read, but great nonetheless. Its also a very quick read. Literary and light, not something I find I encounter much.

 

[TechieTechie]

I usually read non-fiction before bed as a way to 'wind down' without wanting to read for hours. Some great books that I've recently read:

1. Devil in the Grove. A heartbreaking story about 4 black men wrongly accused of rape in 1940s Florida. An indictment of the failure of our legal and police systems during the civil rights era....and how the NAACP and Thurgood Marshall helped to shape our modern society. So moving at points that I actually broke down in tears. A book everyone should read.

2. Hello Gorgeous. A history of Barbara's Streisand from ages 18-23ish, just starting out in NYC and Broadway. Very interesting insights into Babs and how the business of showbusiness works.

3. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age. An interesting look at how wealth, women's rights, love and politics intersect during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Really fascinating.

Hmm, now I need to find my next read

 

[VRBeauty]

I am a huge fan of audio books. When I am driving, I prefer something non fiction, which is less likely to distract me. You can get Great Courses series on Audible for one credit ($15) each instead of whatever absurd price they usually charge. I get one a month, generally history or literature.

LD - thank you for that recommendation. I'll have to check out the titles - being able to take a good course like that for that price sounds wonderful! I'm not sure it's the ticket for me while driving - I always had to take notes in classes or meetings to keep my focus on the meeting - but it might be good for other down times.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I recently read a book and it made me think of you Deb.

Its called Alphabetique, 26 Characteristic Fictions by Molly Peacock. Each chapter is about a letter, and very poetic.

Not what I usually read, but great nonetheless. Its also a very quick read. Literary and light, not something I find I encounter much.

And this reminds me of another book: Elle Minnow Pea. It is about a fictional island that is very, very fond of words and has the pangram "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" on a monument in the main square. When letters start falling off, the island's government decides that those letters should no longer be used by anyone on the island. The book is epistolary, so it is also effected by the ban.

 

[VRBeauty]

From the A Mighty Girl website:

Happy 53rd anniversary to the beloved Mighty Girl classic A Wrinkle in Time! Madeleine L'Engle’s 1962 Newbery Medal-winning fantasy novel about the adventures in space and time of Meg Murray, her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin has been capturing the imaginations of young readers for generations.

Still one of my all-time favorite books. I remember my second-grade teacher reading "A Wrinkle In Time" out loud to the class - which means that she must have read it to us the year it came out! Kudos to her! In the little school I attended from first through third grades, the teachers took time to read out loud each day, usually after lunch or recess. I'm sure that practice has a lot to do with my love of books today. (They also started teaching us French in third grade, and would have added German had I stayed there until fifth grade. That little school was ahead of its time.)

 

[TooPatient]

In the middle of a great book. Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins (Same author as Moonstone)

Beautifully written and interesting. Hoping to finish this weekend (studies permitting...).

 

[VRBeauty]

I'm now enjoying Deborah Crombie's mystery novels. Set in England, and very well written. One nice thing about discovering a "seasoned" author is that I can read a whole bunch of their books in a short time. In all honesty that's probably not a great strategy, since certain plot devices or quirks will start to stand out and could get annoying, but... so far, I'm enjoying reading Crombie's books in fairly rapid succession. At some point I'll catch up to her and be forced to slow down anyway!

 

[violet3]

I recently enjoyed David Sedaris - "Dress your family in Curdory and Denim." I laughed until I cried.

In the same vein, I enjoyed (not as much as the above but still good) Tina Fey's "Bossy Pants,"

 

[VRBeauty]

So... whats up on the books front? I'm still enjoying new-to-me Deborah Crombie mysteries - I have a few more volumes to go before I catch up to the author. I've also found a cozy series (or two ) that doesn't bear mentioning. One is soooo annoying, thanks what I suspect is just lazy writing, but I find myself looking for books in the series anyway, well, just because. clearly I need to start hanging around better books!

We have a pretty big library system and I've been using it too the max, which allows me to be very discriminating about the books I actually buy. I'm willing to wait for the newest installments to any "cozy mystery" series to hit the library shelves.

 

[zoebartlett]

I've downloaded a few things to my Kindle, and one is the new book in Lisa Scottoline's series about Bennie Rosato and Associates. I think the book is called Betrayed. I started reading, got distracted for a few days, and still haven't picked it back up. Things are slowing down for me a bit, so I'll start reading it again this weekend. I also have her newest book, Every Fifteen Minutes, downloaded. I'll get to it eventually.

I've seen ads for Book Bub and Book Gorilla out there, so I checked it out. Most of the books on those sites don't seem to be written by well known authors, and I'm a bit skeptical of the choices they send me via e-mail. Many look like updated Harlequin romance-type books, which aren't my thing.

I've been bored by what's out there, which is one of the reasons I haven't read much lately.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Have you tried Kindle Unlimited? I don't think it is much more expensive than those book clubs things and you get more choice.

The last book I read was a disaster. Bad enough that I gave up about half way in, which is pretty much unheard for me. "The Woman in the Movie Star Dress".

 

[aviastar]

I've also been a bit slow on the reading front lately- weather is finally nice and I'm spending downtime in the garden instead.

But I've mostly been reading Brandon Sanderson for the last six months. If any of the fantasy readers are still following along pick anything of his up immediately. I started with the Way of Kings and Words of Radiance; excellent way to get hooked on Sanderson- epic, original magic system, wonderful characters with flaws and arcs, interesting and vivid landscapes and cultures. Just really excellent all the way around.

And I loved the Miss Fisher's Murders series I found through Netflix, so I picked up the books they were based on; The Phyrne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. I'm not one for straight up mystery most of the time, but I love these. I think they would classify as cozy; fabulous cast of recurring characters, just the right amount of period (1920's) kitsch, clever women bucking societal trends, happy endings, quick reads. I've read the first two and I thinks there are dozens of them.