|
Post by scrubb on Oct 20, 2022 0:24:09 GMT -5
🐝 🗝 ⚔️
The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern.
It was engrossing and lovely. That said, it had a lot of wandering around aimlessly, running into various symbols over and over. And honey. Maybe it would have been a bit better with a couple fewer hallways full of books/disappearing doors/keys hanging on ribbons/etc.
But I did really like it. I really appreciated all the allusions to books/stories I've read, and i loved that there were characters who always make sure they have a book with them, etc. It really felt like it was intended for book lovers/readers, particularly those of us who always really, really, really want that mysterious door to have a magic kingdom behind it.
|
|
|
Booktober
Oct 20, 2022 1:54:37 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by lillielangtry on Oct 20, 2022 1:54:37 GMT -5
Ah, yes, totally agree scrubb.
I'd like to reread The Night Circus by her as i devoured it, but all I remember is that atmosphere you describe.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 20, 2022 5:15:47 GMT -5
OK scrubb then I will put that on my list after all (something else I'd read had turned me off of it).
|
|
|
Booktober
Oct 20, 2022 12:36:00 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by scrubb on Oct 20, 2022 12:36:00 GMT -5
Ah, yes, totally agree scrubb. I'd like to reread The Night Circus by her as i devoured it, but all I remember is that atmosphere you describe. Yes, I loved the Night Circus but don't remember anything about it. I suspect it had less aimless wandering, as I don't remember thinking it should have been a bit shorter.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 21, 2022 5:35:25 GMT -5
51) Elif Batuman, The Idiot
This book was hilarious - there were several passages where I was weeping with laughter. It's the story of a young woman during her first year at Harvard and a summer teaching English in Hungary. The story itself is fairly straightforward but it's the character's observations and the language that the writer used that make it so funny.
I was very pleasantly surprised by how funny it was - I'd just written "Elif Batuman" on my to-read list who knows how long ago and finally managed to pick up one of her books now. I didn't know what I was in for, it could have been something serious about Turkish politics or refugees or something, but instead it was this delightful thing.
|
|
|
Booktober
Oct 21, 2022 6:14:21 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by lillielangtry on Oct 21, 2022 6:14:21 GMT -5
She's got a new one out which I *think* is a sequel to that, Liisa... although not totally sure, as I've never read anything by her.
|
|
|
Post by scrubb on Oct 21, 2022 11:53:31 GMT -5
Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending. About a man in his 60s looking back at events of his youth when something happens to bring them back, and he pursues a thread by contacting an ex-girlfriend who'd then dated his best friend after they split up.
Although I've mostly had my fill of books about self-involved men, it was a bit of a different take (in that the man was certainly not a hero in any way, or even sympathetic), and it was also a short, well structured story.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 21, 2022 13:59:40 GMT -5
She's got a new one out which I *think* is a sequel to that, Liisa... although not totally sure, as I've never read anything by her. Ah yes - the existence of the new one must be what caused me to put her name on my to-read list. Good thing that I randomly chose this one, if it's a sequel.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 22, 2022 13:56:25 GMT -5
Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending. About a man in his 60s looking back at events of his youth when something happens to bring them back, and he pursues a thread by contacting an ex-girlfriend who'd then dated his best friend after they split up. Although I've mostly had my fill of books about self-involved men, it was a bit of a different take (in that the man was certainly not a hero in any way, or even sympathetic), and it was also a short, well structured story. Wasn't that sort of the plot of "A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters"? Which is in our charity bookshop, and someone keeps shelving it in the History section.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 22, 2022 15:49:10 GMT -5
lol about the shelving
I think I remember enjoying "Sense of an Ending," but I'm so bored with literary fiction like that. So I'm not going to read his new one (or Ian McEwan's new one) unless otherwise convinced.
|
|
|
Post by scrubb on Oct 22, 2022 16:10:16 GMT -5
Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending. About a man in his 60s looking back at events of his youth when something happens to bring them back, and he pursues a thread by contacting an ex-girlfriend who'd then dated his best friend after they split up. Although I've mostly had my fill of books about self-involved men, it was a bit of a different take (in that the man was certainly not a hero in any way, or even sympathetic), and it was also a short, well structured story. Wasn't that sort of the plot of "A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters"? Which is in our charity bookshop, and someone keeps shelving it in the History section. I don't remember a single thing about that book!
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 22, 2022 16:57:16 GMT -5
I think he's dead? He's in heaven, and plays a lot of golf.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 22, 2022 18:20:46 GMT -5
I read it too and also remember nothing. Dead and playing golf sounds plausible.
|
|
|
Booktober
Oct 22, 2022 22:31:43 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by lillielangtry on Oct 22, 2022 22:31:43 GMT -5
I've had to read 2 McEwans for book club over the years and I really disliked both of them. I won't try him again.
Speaking of book club, this month we're discussing Our Wives under the Sea by Julia Armfield. It's a story of two women, Miri and her wife Leah. Leah is a scientist who goes on underwater missions. One of them was supposed to be 3 weeks but she doesn't come back for 6 months and when she is returned by the mysterious centre, she isn't the same...
The book certainly sets up a creepy atmosphere and I enjoyed the alternating perspectives. I'm not quite sure what I expected - more answers, maybe? But if it is horror, it's a slow burn, literary type of horror, so that was probably never going to happen ;-) I think we'll have a good discussion about this.
I also read Lolly Willowes by Silvia Townsend Warner, which is also a bit of a slow burn despite being a short book. Originally published in 1926, it's a sharply feminist novel about women who don't marry (in that period following the First World War, they were numerous) and how they are exploited and patronised by their families. Laura "Lolly" Willowes is one such woman, and then she rebels and there's a bit of a supernatural element. It's really very good.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 23, 2022 6:28:32 GMT -5
lillie I'm reading "Our Wives Under the Sea" right now! I am seeing it as kind of a lesbian undersea version of the Area X trilogy; enjoying it greatly.
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Oct 23, 2022 7:19:23 GMT -5
64. The Alpine Scandal, Mary Daheim. A favourite cozy mystery series set in a fictional small town in Washington state
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Oct 23, 2022 14:48:18 GMT -5
52) Julia Armfield, Our Wives Under the Sea
8 hours ago I somewhat glibly described this book as "kind of a lesbian undersea version of the Area X trilogy," which it is, but also much deeper than that; an interesting sci-fi kind of novel with an underlying theme of loving someone. And sort of a metaphor of losing them to illness, and what it feels like. Just very good and really interesting - I started it yesterday and finished it just now.
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Oct 23, 2022 18:10:34 GMT -5
65. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood. A series set in modern day Melbourne, by the author of the Phryne Fisher books. This one is a little less magical than some of the earlier ones, and deals with long lost relatives on a soap opera set, and workplace bullying. A really fun series.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 25, 2022 9:37:12 GMT -5
Ancestors, by Dr Alice Roberts. Confession--I didn't actually finish it. I just couldn't concentrate while I had it.
Roberts looks back at the history of homo sapiens in Europe, asking where our culture came from, but the section I read was really focussing on our culture of death. How and why did we start building tombs and observing death rituals. I didn't realise there was bone evidence of pre-Ice Age humans in Britain. It's rare, because most of it got smooshed by the ice, but it's there. Lots of interesting examinations of different ages of archeology, and the debates about the movement of culture across Europe.
|
|
|
Post by scrubb on Oct 25, 2022 15:04:00 GMT -5
Lilliielangtry, I hated the first Ian McEwan book I read, but really liked the next couple. Since then I've read 4 or 5 more, and while I didn't enjoy them much, I appreciated the writing in some of them- enough to keep me reading more. It helped that they were all pretty short. 😁
That said, the last one I read I disliked heartily (I think his black humor is just too ugly for me), and I think I'm done with him now.
Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Mosow. Enjoyable read. I didn't think it was great literature or anything, but it was fun.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 25, 2022 16:40:20 GMT -5
I really enjoyed A Gentleman. A lovely sort of caper story.
|
|
|
Post by sophie on Oct 25, 2022 18:05:17 GMT -5
Yes, I really liked it.. I think it was one of my favourite books couple of years back
|
|
|
Post by sophie on Oct 26, 2022 0:02:01 GMT -5
Indians on Vacation by Thomas King. King is a wonderful writer; he is also of a rather mixed up heritage: Canadian, American, Greek, Cherokee. He puts his own background into this novel which has an older couple (of a mixed up heritage!) going to Prague to follow the path (known because of postcards sent home) of uncle Leroy a hundred years ago and find the family medicine bundle. Mishaps abound as well as the main character’s alter egos. I really enjoyed this book. Poignant, funny, witty and grouchy … all wrapped up in a good story of what makes a relationship.
|
|
|
Booktober
Oct 26, 2022 2:42:51 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by tucano on Oct 26, 2022 2:42:51 GMT -5
Looking for recommemdations for light, easy to read mysteries. Nothing gory.
Has anyone read any of the Richard Osman books (Thursday Murder Club etc).
|
|
|
Post by lillielangtry on Oct 26, 2022 5:00:10 GMT -5
Yes, the first one. I really enjoyed it and so did everyone I spoke to who read it. For my relaxing crime reads, I turn to the Andrea Camilleri Montalbano books, I've got one on the go right now. But I think it's ozziegiraffe who is really queen of the cosy mystery recommendations!
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Oct 26, 2022 5:35:47 GMT -5
As it happens, I’ve just finished #66, The Man Who Died Twice, the second Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club book. What I love about them is they show people who live in a retirement village as real people, who are capable of surprising things.
Other favourites include Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher set in the 1920s, Corinna Chapman set in modern day Melbourne). Donna Leon’s Brunetti books, set in Venice, Louise Penny’s Gamache books, set in Quebec, and quite a few themed series. (Animals, B&Bs, needlework, school psychology……)
|
|
|
Post by tucano on Oct 26, 2022 6:48:59 GMT -5
Oh, I love the Montalbano series on TV, but can never remember the plots so that could be a good suggestion, thanks lillie.
|
|
|
Post by tucano on Oct 26, 2022 6:49:37 GMT -5
And thanks ozzie.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 26, 2022 8:39:11 GMT -5
Looking for recommemdations for light, easy to read mysteries. Nothing gory. Has anyone read any of the Richard Osman books (Thursday Murder Club etc). I've read both, and would echo the other reviews; easy to read but not badly written. The characters aren't tied to stereotypes, and frequently use the stereotypes to their advantage. I had no idea Osman was going to be such a good writer. I mean, he's not Nobel prize material, but he's very funny and paces the action so that you can put the book down to sleep but are looking forward to picking it up again. The Montalbalno books always make me hungry. The Donna Leon books are good too. Harlan Coben's stories are a little gritty, but the main PI can be quite funny about himself. His wealthy martial artist friend isn't quite believable.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Oct 26, 2022 8:39:36 GMT -5
And whatever Ozzie recommends.
|
|