What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
FINISHED:
Nonesuch by Francis Spufford. Marketed as fantasy this spellbinding novel takes a look at an alternative WWII London where there are dark and mysterious happenings as time travelers are on a fascist mission to rewrite British history.
Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden—I think Weiden has mastered the often illusive challenge to make a sophomore novel better than the first. This time he brings along several of the characters from the first but their purposes now are being realized in different ways as they try to unravel the murder of a tribal medicine man.
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, read by the author. Memoir of the relationship between the author her mother, who she calls Mrs Roy, a woman she both loved and feared. 
NOW READING:
Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly—for Pride month I’m reading this novel of polyamory and also because it was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan—reading this one because @kim.kovacs said I should.
3 Likes
I’m still plowing through “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockard, which I like but it’s almost like she’s trying to include every aspect of Mississippi during the 1930’s–foreclosures, orphanages, alcoholism, prostitution–that at times my head nearly spins. I trust she will get it all wrapped up in the end but I’ve found myself putting it down just so I can take a deep breath to get my bearings. But it’s still one of the better books I’ve read this year.
2 Likes
I am reading Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, a collection of short stories edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Like most short shory collections, some are good and some are great. It is a glimpse of a culture that I knew nothing about.
Last week I finished Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li. I recommended it with extreme caution for anyone grieving as it deals with child suicide. It is beautifully written but I cannot imagine a scenario in which I subject myself to it again.
Next up, either Ars Poeticas, the Pulitzer winner for Poetry, Taiwan Travelogue, the International Booker Prize winner, or Endling, a seemingly intense novel set in Ukraine.
1 Like
Hey @Anthony_Conty. I wouldn’t call Endling intense. I don’t know how that might play into your decision making but I didn’t take it to be a heavy book. There is an aspect of dark humor, often found in Ukranian novels, that the author talked about when she was here to answer questions
I’ll throw my vote to Taiwan Travelogue because I would love to hear thoughts from another reader. I have heard virtually nothing about it except for the fact it won the award.
1 Like
Stay with it. The issues were related in reality. It’s a good story.
1 Like
‘The Year of Living Danishly’ by Helen Russell for book club (its good but could be edited a bit). Last week I read an ARC of ‘Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurt’ by Ben Reeves. It’s a deep story about life featuring a character who is Death. The title is a line from Slaughterhouse-Five. I’m still thinking on this one.
1 Like
I’m going to visit Prince Edward Island so I’m reading the Anne of Green Gables books. Right now I’m on Anne of Avonlea. It’s so fun!
6 Likes
This week I read Contrapposto by Dave Eggers for review. It’s about two friends who meet as children and have an on-and-off relationship for the next 60 years. It’s got some beautiful writing and I enjoyed the story, but the author does tend to get a little preachy about the state of the art world (both main characters are artists). Next up will be Merry-Go-Round Broke Down for the book club here. (And no one has gotten their copy yet. I actually bought a copy so I wouldn’t get too far behind.)
In audiobook format, I finished Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. It was just kind of meh for me. Much of my listening takes place in the morning, and there were a number of graphic sex scenes that were just too much that early in the day. I’m now listening to Mother of Rome by Lauren Bear in prep for her visit next week. She’s also the author of Aphrodite in Pieces, which was featured as a BookBrowse Book Club pick a few weeks ago.
And in between my other reading, I’m enjoying War and Peace for our side read.
I am chunking my way through War & Peace and really enjoying it, particularly the audiobook version narrated by Thandiwe Newton. Also, listening to Mad Mabel and The Ascent of Rum Doodle.
I read a bit of the Taiwan Travelogue and set it aside, primarily because I wasn’t feeling the book at the time. Will go back to the book eventually but before I do I am going to dig a bit into Taiwan’s history. One of my bookish friends loved it.
Thanks @Gabi_J, good info. I probably need to wait until I have a more open schedule.
Just finished “Whistler” and all I can say is, it’s as good as reviewed. I see it made #1 NYT best seller list. It may be Patchett’s best ever.
Also I am half way through “View From the East Wing” by Jill Biden. I am enjoying it. She is definitely dedicated to her role as teacher, wife, mother, and most of all, the former first lady of our country. As the book jacket comments, she is a ordinary woman who has lead an extraordinary life. I was especially taken with her chapter on the lost of their son, Beau. She shares how difficult it was to try and keep Beau’s illness private at his request One never truly gets over a loss of child and she confirms it by sharing her quiet thoughts of grief.
And lastly I almost through with “The Chelsea Girls” for discussion on BB. It’s fun to remember swinging London and the days of Twiggy and wearing the “Mini” skirts.
Welcome, I hope you enjoy your Prince Edward trip. Anne is a book to be savored often. it is one of my lifelong favs. Have you watched it on PBS?
I finished Patchett’s and Stroud’s new books. Currently reading One Leg on Earth by Aguda
This past week I finished THE FAMILY MAN by Elinor Lipman. I had put this book on hold to read James Lasdun book THE FAMILY MAN that investigated the Murdaugh trials. Elinor Lipman’s book was a familiar story of a stepdaughter reconnecting with a past stepfather.
While I was updating my IPAD I read THE CHELSEA GIRLS by Catherine Loyd. The book will be in the book club online discussion starting June 25. An entertaining story of how the clothing designer Mary Quant started the trend of the mini shirt and fame for the model Twiggy in the early 60ʼs.
The ask the author discussion with Jaleigh Johnson inspired me to read her new novel THE REIMAGINING OF THE THORNWOOD HOUSE. It was a fun feel-good of how magic brought a new life into an old house.
I’m continuing my journey of reading Part II of Tolstoy’s WAR AND PEACE.
2 Likes
I finished Calamity Club this week. It was entertaining and I can definitely see it being made into a movie like The Help. Last night I started Life and Death and Giants by Ron Rindo.
1 Like
Hey @Holly_K. I just purchased the audio of Rindo’s book. Would live to hear your thoughts.
I remember watching the 1985 version when I was a kid. I need to rewatch it! Reading the books have been so fun!
1 Like
Checking out the shortlists for the Orwell Prize I discovered another book about Kabul that sounds really interesting. I’m sharing here in case you are interested. It seems to give another perspective on the women who have been affected. Our Kabul experience has left such an impact on me that I keep wanting more.
Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett