What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
FINISHED:
Suder is Percival Everett’s debut novel and it explores freedom, identity, and madness through the life of a baseball player named Craig Suder. When Suder goes into a slump his coach puts him on injured reserve and urges him to get it together. Suder grabs a phonograph, a record, and a saxophone and takes off on a rather bizarre roadtrip. In his now well-known satirical humor Everett shows us how unpredictable life can be.
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter. Vince Camden is in Spokane as part of the witness protection program that came from his testimony in a NYC criminal trial. Vince was flipped for running a credit card scam so he’s not a bad guy but he’s also not such a great guy. Now he has trained for a bakery where he specializes in donuts which provides cover for the past life he needs to escape—until the day the past comes calling.
Angel Down by Daniel Krause, read by Kirby Heyborne. I tried reading the book but couldn’t get into it in print so I decided to move to the audio. To my shame I knew nothing about narrator Kirby Heyborne but now I want him to get any and all accolades equal to Kraus’s Pulitzer. Turns out he’s an extremely talented and accomplished fellow with over 300 audiobook recordings. I can’t say enough about how much I loved this story of the WWI trenches and the field of battle as delivered in the brilliant narration by Heyborne.
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter. I gave up on this one because it was not my kind of humor.
She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated by Izadora Angel—a very stylistic telling of Bulgarian tradition and desire unmet. A finalist for the International Booker Prize
NOW READING:
AMERICAN RAMBLER: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald, read by the author. A memoir/historic travelogue that is both informative and entertaining. Not afraid to share his colorful, cider fueled experiences, Fitzgerald follows the trail of Johnny Appleseed while delivering the history of John Chapman, the man on whom the legend is based.
WHEN TREES TESTIFY: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L Williams—the author is a botanist specializing in trees and she shares both her own memories of trees along with some of the racial history and significance that is associated with trees.
A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia—a novel about a family history that a young man discovers while caring for his aging grandmother.
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@Gabi_J I just learned of an upcoming novel City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi on 7/28. It is about a trio of women who experienced a measure of freedom during the American occupation in Afghanistan. Now the Americans have withdrawn and the women’s lives have been drastically affected. This sounds like a possibly interesting follow to our read of The Finest Hotel in Kabul.
I finished Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn. It’s an account of his parents’ time in the Weather Underground (1960s-1980s). It was very interesting; I was growing up during those years (graduated high school in 1979), so I remember some of the events mentioned, and it shed light on a lot of things I didn’t understand at the time. It’s an amazing piece of investigative journalism. I can’t imagine how much time the author spent interviewing people and digging through records. I’m looking forward to speaking with him when he’s here next week.
In audiobook format, I finished The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman for our 1000 Books to Read Before You Die side read. It had its moments, but I need to pull out Mustich’s book & see why it’s on the list. (By the way, anyone’s welcome to join us for this side read; we read one book a month. June’s read is Rum Doodle, and for July we’ve chosen Captain Blood by Raphael Sabatini.)
I get to start A Pair of Aces today by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, two of my favorite historical fiction authors. This will be for our book club discussion next week. Then it’ll be The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson in prep for her visit here.
In audiobook format, I needed something mindless, so I started the first Harry Potter book (the new full-cast edition). It took me a while to get used to the recording - it’s more like a radio play, with sound effects - but I’m finding it entertaining. Not sure if I’ll get the next one or not. The series started getting very dark and complex after a while, and I don’t know that I want to invest the time.
Quick plug: We’re looking at starting an extended read of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy starting Monday, June 1. We’re planning on about 100 pages a week (so about 15-20 pages a day!). If you’ve ever wanted to tackle this one (and it’s an amazing work of historical fiction) now’s your chance. Between breaking it into chunks so it’s less intimidating and having the support of other like-minded readers, it’s a great opportunity to see why many consider this one of the best books ever written.
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I finished The Original by Nell Stevens. My reaction to the book is rather bipolar. Parts of the book dragged and failed to hold my attention, but the ending surprised me and seemed perfectly loyal to the characters. It came together so nicely.
Now, I am reading Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li and have a feeling it is going to kick my butt. The content matter is intense and triggering, dealing with two suicides. It is beautifully written and engaging.
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Thank you for thinking of me, I had to kick a book off my Libby hold list to add City of Widows but the description intrigued me.
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I am reading ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons, and it is delightful. I hear the movie version is great too, has anyone seen it?
Last week I read ‘Enormous Wings’ by Laurie Frankel and gave it a hearty 4 stars. Has anyone else read it?
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Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney for book club.
Queen Esther by John Irving. I am loving the references to Cider House Rules.. Had to rewatch the movie.
After finally returning from vacation with little time to read or catch up on BB “chatter”, I finished reading and enjoying The Calamity Club. While the characters and story are fictional, the reality of orphanages, sterilizations and strict laws restricting women in the 30’s are historical true. Stockett’s debut novel was The Help.
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This past week I read the June read of the 1,000 Books Before You Dye: A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. A plot set in 1940’s Louisiana. I started this book with mixed feelings. I found this to be a heartbreaking story with lessons of racism, injustice and self-worth. It will be an interesting discussion.
After reading “Ask the author the questions and answers” of James Lasdun book The Family Man:Blood and Betrayal The House of Murdaugh inspired me to read the book. It covers the events that led to the investigation and new perspectives of the 2023 murders of Alex Murdaugh’s wife and son.
This afternoon I finished Grape Juice: An 831 Stories Romance by Eliza Dumais. A fun romantic story of a New York woman escaping and finding romance in the vineyards of France. My first read of the stories, and I know it will not be my last.
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Finished “When No Else Will” and it kept me involved for 2 days. Enjoyed being able to participate in the BB’s online discussion. Covering woman’s rights and illegal abortion clinics of the 30’s, It is a book not to be missed. In fact, because of it’s strengths, I am finding it almost impossible to continue on my path to finishing “Yesterday” and get into “Fame Sick” by Lena Dunham. As i had shared last week, I had listened to “Yesterday” while traveling earlier this month and I must admit I am following its storyline better with the written word. As for “Fame Sick” I am really finding it difficult to get into. I saw Dunham on a recent television program and thought it might be an interesting read. Anyone else reading at this time?? If so your thoughts, what am I missing???
I just finished “Love By the Book” by Jessica George, which turned out to be rather different than I expected–and I mean that in a positive way since I was expecting a light rom-com but it centered on the changing nature of female friendships as we get older (altho they were in their early 30’s, which seems young to me!) and how to develop new relationships.
Next up in “Harvey Girl”, the latest by Dana Stabenow–hoping it will be a lighter mystery since I’m in need of some carefree reading. I’m on hold for “The Calamity Club” at the library–looking forward to that one.