David Sedaris's podcasts are hilarious, too. It's great to hear his own voice reading his stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardnr
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David Sedaris's podcasts are hilarious, too. It's great to hear his own voice reading his stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardnr
Amity and Prosperity about fracking
Isabelle Allende's In the Midst of Winter
Shaara's The Frozen Hours set in the Korean War
Potok's The Gates of November
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
Sometimes Amazing Things Happen by a doctor who worked on a prison psych ward
Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
Oops, this should be in What Are You Reading? Can it be moved? I type so slowly now that I am on a tablet.
Thank you Alan.
The menopause thread got me to check out Ourselves Growing
Older for a reread? I also found Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
One Mind, by Larry Dossey, MD. About the collective consciousness, I think. I've barely started reading.
Cure - about how our illnesses are shaped by our minds. Lots of interesting research on placebo effect.
Good Life Lab - about a youngish couple who leave their NYC jobs and move to New Mexico to lead "intentional" lives.
Finished Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra. Memoir of how she and her 4 siblings grew up with an alcoholic mentally unstable mother. (I don't say "raised by" because they really had to raise themselves.) They all managed to survive and are now functioning adults, although still carrying the scars.
I'm always interested in true stories of those who manage to overcome their harsh circumstances, and in this case it was interesting to read how the foster system can both help and hurt in these situations.
Just finished Americanah last night. I loved it.
I am reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. So far it is a good book! I read one of his other books, No Longer At Ease. It was good too, though ultimately quite sad.
Recently read:
Sylvan Street by Deborah Schupak. I enjoyed it. A group of close neighbors finds a million dollars - what to do?
Dead Air by Iain Banks - the protagonist a "shock jock", is a bit full of himself. Not Bank's best writing.
Enlightment Now by Stephen Pinker - not my cup of tea, and could have been much shorter.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. This is a seriously good literary sci-fi novel. I thoroughly recommend it.
The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy. Re-reading one of my favorite books. He wrote so many fine novels.
The Flight of the Silvers and The Song of the Orphans - the second book in this series by Daniel Price just came out, and I'm having to read the first one again. I remember liking it a lot the first time around!
The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George - if you like George, you know what to expect, and this is not a disappointment. Awfully wordy at 690 finely printed pages, but she is a master stylist, and her characters and gorgeous descriptions never fail.
I loved The Woodlanders too!
Finished The Chalk Man, a murder mystery set in England in 1986.
I dont know why I read murder mysteries, they just make me mad. I blame Rosa for her enticing reviews.
I will say that this one had a good long set up with lots of complexity in the plot, and good characterization. But there was too much going on, yet the end was lazy.
I am still casting about, looking for a novel as good as The
Goldfinch.
On Goodread website several reviewers say “good luck with that!” So I guess these novels are not forthcoming.
Donna Tart,
I would like to clone her. She writes very slowly. i have read all three of her novels. Need more.
I just finished Joyce Maynard's Internal Combustion, about the Seaman murder in Detroit. An interesting read.
I have that book; I don't mind Maynard's non-fiction--though otherwise, she's not a favorite. I haven't read it yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
Pinkytoe's Cure intrigued me, so I downloaded it from my library. I was prepared to get my back up by the condescending way the "placebo effect" is usually portrayed in the media, but so far, I'm enjoying it. It reminds me of Bill Moyers' Healing and the Mind, with updated information.
Today I checked out:
Chabon Pops - so far good
A Beautiful, Terrible Thing about a marriage to a narcissist - readable but not high art
The Ecocentrists - jargony and too academic; I likely will not finish it
At the Dark End of the Street about Rosa Parks's work with rape victims before she became famous
Just picked up The Overstory which I gather is about the secret life of trees told in a series of interwoven stories.
I feel like such a lightweight, but I am reading Stephen King's latest, The Outsider. So far, so good. Not for the squeamish, the story involves an unspeakable act of violence against a child.
IL: I don't even read that many murder mysteries! You should try some of the Lisa Genova books. She does a great job with her characters and gives them horrible incurable neurological diseases, so no fear of happy endings! I do also think you might like Lawn Boy. There were some well-drawn characters in that one too, although not as richly done as The Goldfinch. It was kind of fun and quirky. I like quirky!
Sounds really cool, pinkytoe. I'll have to check it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkytoe
I recently read Gene Logsdon's A Sanctuary of Trees: Beechnuts, Birdsongs, Baseball Bats and Benedictions and I was surprised at how much it captivated me.
My ladyfriend is reading that. I got her into King about six months ago when she read Under The Dome right after I did.Quote:
Originally Posted by rosarugosa
She says The Outsider is gripping!
Last year, I read The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden. It takes place in Russ during the 1500's. It's about the daughter of a minor lord who has inherited the gift of seeing the local and household spirits that are beginning to fade away as people embrace Christianity and forget about the old ways. Her second book in the trilogy is The Girl in the Tower. I listened to it. Both are so well-written and really drew me into that world. I love learning about different folklores. I'm waiting on volume 3!
Today I got White Girl Bleed A Lot by Colin Flaherty from the university library. I am actually quite surprised that a book like this is allowed on the university campus.
I am dubious about the premise of this book and about the author. But I am curious about opposing views to me own, so I am going to at least attempt to give it a read.
"Future Home of the Living God" by Louise Erdrich.
This book left me with a lot of questions. It is a dystopian story set in the not too distant future, in the form of a young woman's diary. Erdrich is a great writer but this novel seems like it's missing bits, as though she didn't really think it through.
I'd be interested in what other people thought of it.
Finished another Joyce Maynard, this a novel, Under the Influence. Quite good, actually!
Also Sarah suzanka or whatever her name is "the Small life " or :the not so small life" or something which takes her small house ideas and applies them to one's life.
Catherine, we ought to do a book club study here on this one--okay, looked up the title, and here it is:
https://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Big-Li...=sarah+susanka
This is exactly kind of thing you are talking about in your new house sustainability stepping back thread.
This week I will start:
Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
A Birth Year by Louise Erdrich
The Past and Future City: How Historic Preservation is Reviving America's Communities
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
While traveling, I read The Book of Joy by HH the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Wonderful read! Lots to think about.
Speaking of Louise Erdrich, I wish she'd write a biography; there's an interesting story there.
Jane this one is autobiographical but only covers one year in her life.
I am rereading The Little Prince.
I am also about to start Emperor of The Amazon by Marcio Souza.
The Essential Ghandi.
Whoever said read Calypso by David Sedaris....it was fabulous. Thank you!
That was me - so glad you enjoyed it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardnr
Columbine--by Dave Cullen--is up next.
I need a book, i was thinking about one without so much death and murder and horror, that didn't last. BUT I can't always recall what i have already read by Patterson and a few others. Sigh, i should read the Stephen King, I have Sleeping Beauties on audible but didnt put audible on my new phone
Zoe Girl, if you like light sort of murder mysteries, try Gone Girl if you havent already read it. It is sly. There IS a violent part, so I dont want to lie about that, but most of it is cat and mouse mystery chase.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoe Girl
I think thats the account of Columbine I read. liked it a lot for in depth examination of Eric and Dylan.Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
Rereading (via audiobook) Anna Karenina. On hold at the library is "The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age" by NYT reporter David Sanger.
Most recent book completed: "How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live A Modern Life"
by Massimo Pigliucci.
More Than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting. Really insightful so far.
I am currently reading The Book of Joy with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams. It isn't a book I ever would have chosen, but it was a gift to me at my retirement, so I felt like I should try to read it. So far, so good, although I think it could be condensed somewhat. It does not offend my atheist sensibilities, to my surprise.
Zoe Girl, this seems like something you might like. Catherine too, since I know you like the Dalai Lama. I think someone mentioned thisbook up-thread, but I cannot find the reference, so apologies if one of you already mentioned it.
IL I loved that book! Never saw the movie however, There are lists that tell you similar books I think,