I thought the Chicago Trib article was funny, but would have liked more quotes. I was amused that someone is 15 pages from the end of Conrad’s Lord Jim. I think I have three or four pages left to Heart of Darkness! Read it for English in 10th grade, never finished it.
I just finished Wolf Hall, and I must say, I thought it needed an editor. I’d have enjoyed it much more if it had been tighter. I also thought writing it in the present tense was dumb, and created more distance not less.
Oh, Heart of Darkness…what a memory. I had to read that for my first term of college English. I thought I would never get through it. I can still remember sitting on my bottom bunk, where it was rather dark, thinking, uh-oh–is this what being an English major is all about?
I have no patience with books I don’t care for. If I don’t like it after 50 pages, it’s out. There are too many other books to read. I used to finish everything, when I was younger and life seemed unlimited.
I am rereading Dracula after not having seen it for about 30 years. Pretty chilling. :eek:
I’ll recommend The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, an odd but compelling and thought provoking novel that to my mind begs for a book club discussion.
I abandoned Wolf Hall after 100 pages without an iota of guilt. There I was, eager to plunge into a long and satisfying historical novel, instead finding myself in an impenetrable literary swamp. Kudos to anyone who finished it, though. I find reading books I don’t like to be incompatible with a finite life expectancy.
I, too enjoyed Cutting for Stone. The author really has a way of creating a sense of time and place, and the setting had me scurrying to the computer for a quick lesson on Ethiopian history (which I might add, Verghese manipulated somewhat for the purpose of his tale–not sure how I feel about that).
The Road is a book that will remain on my top ten list forever. I started it one evening ad found myself so enthralled that I ended up finishing it in one sitting, staying up late into the wee hours. I don’t know if it was the total immersion or the quiet and dark of the house or both, but the book made an indelible impression and still haunts me. (I didn’t see the movie because I didn’t want my experience spoiled by someone else’s vision.) But when S read it, he thought it was dreadful and didn’t finish it, and I began to worry about a possible hospital nursery mixup…
mommusic, I think Dracula, especially the first few chapters, is the scariest book I’ve ever read.
Agree about The Road. A stunning tour de force. It’s one of the few books I’ve read that will forever change the way I look at our world.
I just finished the memoir “Street Without a Name: Childhood and Other Misadventures in Bulgaria” by Kapka Kassabova. Reviewer says “A well-wrought memoir about growing up in Bulgaria during the dreary Communist years”. Really enjoyed this compelling book.
Just finished reading a new novel by Peter Hedges called “The Heights”. I literally could not put it down! Funny, smart and engaging. It is set in Brooklyn Heights but you do not have to be a New Yorker to love the neighborhood where the story is told. Mr. Hedges wrote “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” another favorite of mine, and also wrote and directed the wonderful movie “Dan in Real Life” so you get an idea of what his writing is like.
Oh god, I can never list just one…
The Book Thief - First got it years ago, but I reread this constantly, because it is just so good. Its melodramatic, but this book changed my life - I view literature differently because of it. My favorite book, to this date.
People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks is a great author, I liked her other books as well. It was very inspiring, in a way, and managed to cover centuries of upheaval without loosing its focus and meaning
Northanger Abbey - I love Jane Austen, this is my favorite book of hers. Its so humorous and sarcastic, yet dark, at times, loved it…
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - very good! I first checked it out because I was told it was like Harry Potter, but it definitely is not. Its good in its own way - but the magic aspect is totally different. Clarke’s tone reminds me of Jane Austen
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. A fascinating parallel story of science and the family of a woman whose cells are used in thousands of biology labs around the world. Author is Rebecca Skloot.
I also just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It isn’t heavy duty, but I really liked it. It is set right after WWII on the Channel Islands that were occupied by the Nazis. It is a romance and a story about the war, written in letter form. Has some romance, and is a good book for “book lovers”.
^ intparent, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was one of our CC Book Club choices last summer. Here’s the link if you want to read our chatter:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html</a>
Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel and A Brave Vessel by Hobson Woodward.
I just read a book that I thought was wonderful: The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. It takes place in the 40’s and is set in Seattle. It is a love story with a lot of historical facts of the Japanese internment.
I am an avid reader and I loved “The Elegance of the a Hedgehog”. I finished it two weeks ago and I think about it every day. Warning, it’s not light reading, take it slowly and savor it.
Look Again by Lisa Sotomire.
It’s a great fiction page turner! A great find
I think you might be referring to the book Look Again by author Lisa Scottoline.
Love this thread. It is where I get my ideas for what to download next on my kindle.
I really liked The Shadow of the Wind and Let the Great World Spin. I think I will download The Road today - can’t wait to start.
Oh, also liked the The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larson. Some of it was a little too graphic for me, but they were both great “pageturners.”
I finished Wolf Hall, but I have to admit it was a struggle. I thought the excessive use of the pronoun “He” made it really tough to follow who was speaking or thinking.
“Hell” by Robert Ollen Butler.
It is about an anchorman who lands in Hell and he doesn’t know why. It is a dark comic portrayal of what Hell might look like. With the Bee Gees appearing in their powder blue spandex jumpsuits as Hell’s minions, you get an idea of what you are in for with this book!
Mary13
I’m sorry I missed the discussion of the Guernsey Potato book. My family on my Dad’s
side comes from Jersey, Channel Islands my Dad lived through the occupation of
the Islands. I’ve been to the islands a few times - beautiful.
What I’ve recently read:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett - really good.
Consequences by Penelope Lively - okay.
World War Z - Zombie Wars - I love “End of the World” books but not with Zombies!
One Second After - William Forstchen - an EMP shuts off everything and how people
survive. Interesting.
mauretania, that’s interesting! I didn’t know anything about the Islands until I read the Guernsey book. I’ve seen photos online—the landscape looks stunning.
Since I see you’ve also recently read The Help, you might want to look at our discussion from February: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/839908-help-february-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/839908-help-february-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>
And note to worknprogress, the CC Book Club will be discussing The Shadow of the Wind beginning April 10th: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/874004-shadow-wind-april-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/874004-shadow-wind-april-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>