What are you reading the week of September 20, 2019?

I'm back to reading Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC which is good, but I wish that it had more illustrations. Long descriptions of ancient carvings and clay cylinder seals are difficult to follow without an image as reference. I've had to resort to online searches to find the specific imagery referenced. Meanwhile I've passed the three quarter point in my reading of The Molecular Biology of the Cell. After a thousand pages and three months, I still have a little more than 300 pages to go. It's difficult to read more than 15-20 pages at one sitting. If I try, I find it it much to absorb at once. So, I limit myself to an hour or an hour and a half a night.

The Thing with Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human by Noah Strycker.

I enjoy reading about birds and nature type books, even fiction that centers around the natural world.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Vendetta in Death by J.D. Robb (5 stars)

(latest Eve Dallas tale/2060s/NYC)

*Thanks to my library's Wowbrary.com email, I was #1 in line for this new novel*

I just started Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross for my book club. I love historical fiction but I'm a secular lady so I hope I like it.

>2 perennialreader: I really enjoyed The Thing with Feathers. I gave it 5 stars. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

I've just started Regeneration by Pat Barker.

It looks like our fearless leader jumped ahead six days? ~
today is Saturday, September 14 ~ LOL

Still reading David Copperfield, The Long Call, Luna: New Moon, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction November/December 2018.

I'm reading Action at Aquila, an historical novel about the American Civil War written in 1935 by Hervey Allen, who is best known, I think, as the author of Anthony Adverse.

Finished The Long Call by Ann Cleeves. Mostly enjoyable. Some of the characters are going to take some getting used to.

Next up is The Gnome and Mrs. Meyers by Susan Klein.

I finished Cathleen Schine's novel, The Grammarians, about identical twin sisters with a passion for words. I really enjoyed this book.

Now I'm reading The Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon.

I finished The Land that Never Was which was an account of a Scottish man who lived a life of fraud and deception with impressive audacity. He sold land and promoted settlement of a land that did not exist gaining converts on the basis of fake military prowess and an elaborate set of brochures and documents.

Week of Sept 20? It's only Sept 15 ....

The Disappearing Spoon – Sam Kean
Audiobook narrated by Sean Runnette.
3***

Subtitle: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Who could have imagined such a volume written about that chart that hangs in every high school chemistry classroom? I’m an admitted science geek. I loved the “Mr Wizard” TV show when I was a kid. (He encouraged us to perform all sorts of experiments using our mother’s kitchen utensils and supplies.) I never wanted a Barbie doll, I wanted a chemistry set and a microscope! So, I’ve had this book on my TBR list since it first came out. And I have to say that I’m a little disappointed.

It’s not that Kean is a bad writer; he isn’t, and he’s quite thorough in exploring this topic. His enthusiasm and fascination for the periodic table comes through. But, it was just too much even for this science geek. Some parts were far more interesting to me than others. I loved the chapter on poisons, for example. I was less enthralled with the political infighting on what name to give to a newly discovered element.

Also, I made the choice to listen to the audio format. Sean Runnette did a fine job of performing the audio. However, the sometimes dry subject matter made for a more difficult listening experience. I might have enjoyed this more in text.

Just finished the elegant & disturbing novel, The Memory Police.

Next up for listening is a short story collection, Florida by Lauren Groff.

Yesterday I watched TV and did housework, and didn't take the time to start The Ghost Road. Today the Amazon people delivered Stephen King's latest book, The Institute, and with apologies to Pat Barker, The Institute is jumping the queue and I'll be reading that next.

>12 snash:

LoL!! Your Scotsman sounds like a 1920s Miami land "developer."

Hi, I am currently reading 'The Ungrateful Refugee: by Dina Nayeri. Very informative and eye-opening, especially in view of our nation's dialogue regarding immigration.

Finished reading the very interesting Early Revie selection, Operation Columba: The Untold Story of The Secret Pigeon Service by Gordon Corera.

Next up to read is another Early Review selection, In The Shadow Of Wolves by Alvydas Lepikas.

Finished Inland which I am pretty sure will be on my top ten list of the year, if not on top.

Started A Place For Us Been wanting a family saga to read that didn't need to to be any more than it was, and I think this is it. A well written books with complex characters and a plot that makes sense. about a third of the way in, liking it very much thus far

>17 Limelite: I thought of that similarity too but this was back in 1823 and the settlers who were lured there were faced with a wilderness rather than the well ordered society they were promised.

The Map of Salt and Stars – Zeyn Joukhadar
4****

I carried our memories all this way, the story of what happened to us. It was heavy on my shoulders this whole time, but I didn’t fall down.

Joukhadar uses dual story lines and two young heroines to tell this story of family, loss, perseverance, grief, love and success. Nour’s story takes place in 2011; she has returned to Syria from Manhattan with her mother and sisters, after her father’s death. But it is not the safe haven her mother expected, because war is tearing the country apart. Rawiya, is a 12th-century girl who, legend has it, disguised herself as a boy to travel with renowned mapmaker al-Idrisi. Her story is the favorite one of Nour’s father’s tales and Nour recites it to herself as a way of keeping her father close. But there are parallels to the girls’ journeys, one as she explores new lands, the other as she flees across many countries to find safety once again.

I liked both Nour and Rawiya, and loved some of the supporting characters. Both girls must navigate through harsh territory and face numerous dangers from both the environment and the people they encounter. Both sometimes rely on being disguised or taken for a boy. Both find an unlikely champion / savior on more than one occasion. I was a little suspicious at first about Abu Sayeed, but came to love him and the gentle way he helped and protected Nour and her family. Like Nour, I relaxed in the safety he provided: I am covered with a thick rind of safety, like an orange.

I did find myself more drawn to Nour’s modern-day story, probably because I’m less inclined towards “fairy tales” at this stage of my life. Dual timelines seems to be all the rage in novels these days, as well as dual narrators. But it’s a difficult style to pull off well. Joukhadar is a talented writer, but I felt tossed back and forth, getting invested in one story only to be yanked across centuries to a completely different scenario when I turned the page. I enjoyed the legendary tale but would have preferred to read a book that was set entirely in the present.

Still, Joukhadar gave me a compelling read with well-drawn characters and some interesting parallels. I also rather liked the opening of each part of the novel, where the author gave us a passage from a seemingly ancient text, printed, in each case, in the outline of that country. I checked the author notes but didn’t find any specific citation, so I assume that Joukhadar wrote these passages, rather than quote them. Though they fascinated me, they represented yet another style / storyline to try to get straight within the context of the entire book.

At one point Nour reflects on a scar left on her leg: Life draws blood and leaves its jewelry in our skin. This novel doesn’t draw any blood, but will definitely leave its mark on the reader.

NOTE: Author is a transgender male. The book was originally published with the author listed as Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar.

I finished The Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon and now I'm reading Precious and Grace by Alexander McCall Smith.

I’m about half way through Louise Penny’s latest, A Better Man. It’s nice to be back with the familiar characters but as usual, it took a few chapters for me to get used to the sentence fragments.

I'm still reading Stephen King's latest, The Institute, (228/561 pages), but this one's a hard one. It's about kids with psychic abilities being kidnapped and taken to the institute of the book's title, where they are given injections, and painful medical procedures and physical abuse, and it's difficult to read. I'll continue, because I know that Mr. King will get these kids out, but out of all the things he's ever written, this is the worst sort of terror I've had to experience.

Finished The Gnome and Mrs. Meyers by Susan Klein. Cute.

Added Pure Instinct by Robert W. Walker to my reading rotation.

Started this OverDrive audiobook ~

Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine (pulled plug early on)

(psych thriller/dysfunction of Baltimore high society/a murder sets off an unexpected chain of events)

I just finished Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart, a sweet little book about 2 girls from Iowa working in New York City during the summer WW2 ended before they head off to university.

>25 ahef1963: oh, looks like I won't be reading that one; subject matter is one of my no goes, for the most part.

Heist Society – Ally Carter
Book on CD read by Angela Dawe
3***

First in a series

From the book jacket: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

My reactions:
This is a fun, fast, young adult novel with a likeable main character and a totally implausible plot. I did like the intricate plotting, and was glad that the romance was kept somewhat on the back burner. The teen gang ranges across continents, from New York to Paris to London to Italy back to Paris, New York, London, etc. Who wouldn’t want to live this billionaire-lifestyle, even if just vicariously? Private jets, mansions in multiple countries, and a butler/valet who is one-step-ahead at all times, anticipating your every need even before you realize you need it. Loved Marcus!

Angela Dawe does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has enough skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.

>24 Copperskye: I was at my physical therapy appointment yesterday and among the magazines and newspapers in the waiting area was a copy of Louise Penny's Still Life!

Is the wait THAT long that you can read a novel?! LOL

>28 nhlsecord: oh that sounds delicious! thanks for the rec; btw have you read any of Dawn Powell's books? She was a writer during the same period and wrote wonderful novels about life in NYC back in the day; She's a bit like Dorothy Parker, lots of satirical wit and bites. Time to be Born is a good place to start (btw she started writing just before WWII, but close enough)

>31 BookConcierge: Lol, as much as I’d love the opportunity to read, let’s hope not!

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street – Helene Hanff
4****

In a follow-up to her hugely popular 84 Charing Cross Road Helene Hanff takes us to London. Written as diary/journal entries on her first (and last) trip to the city she had dreamed of visiting. Alas, her favorite bookstore, which she immortalized in her earlier book, was no more, but the success of that first book resulted in instant friends.

I loved how enthusiastic she was about seeing the literary landmarks she had so long dreamed about. I loved her reactions to differences and how she managed to “go with the flow” - particularly loved her exchange with the front desk when she wanted her dress pressed and her first experience ordering a “martini” (Hubby and I shared quite a laugh over that episode). Just makes me wish I had known Hanff in person and had the chance to travel with her … no matter where. I think we would have found something to captivate and enthrall us.

Definitely read 84 CCR first, but you’ll want to read this one as well … especially if you’re planning a trip to London.

Finished listening to the lyrical short story collection, Florida by Lauren Groff.

Next up for listening is my Early Reviewer selection, Inland by Téa Obreht.

Enjoying this library audiobook ~

Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander (4 stars)

(1880s/a spinster and a helpful heir to an earldom/Paris trip to track down a missing traveler)

I finished two books by Alexander McCall Smith: Precious and Grace and a children's book featuring Precious Ramotswe as a child, The Great Cake Mystery.

Now I'm reading Sweet Caress by William Boyd.

nvm

Dived into John le Carré's A Small Town in Germany. The prologue is simply masterful in establishing place, atmosphere, tension, suspicion, and danger.

All that happens is one man follows another until the man being followed gets into a car, causing the tail to exclaim aloud. This gets the attention of a policeman as the car pulls away. After a short and pleasant exchange over his ID, the tail walks away, deep into the shadows of the dark street. Only then does the policeman react to the picture on the ID in sudden recollection and sprints away. Finis.

Excited to tuck into the meat of the book.

Finished reading the excellent piece of historical fiction, In The Shadow Of The Wolves by Alvydas Šlepikas.

Next up to read is The Great Fall by Peter Handke.

I finished and reviewed Lie With Me: A Novel, which earned all five stars from me. Molly Ringwald did a very able job of translation and made its brevity work for it...not always an easy thing to do in English.

>40 hemlokgang: is that the one about the wolf children? read an artical recently about some survivor, such harroring storiews - just don't think I could read that

trying to read the book of salt having trouble with the narrators voice, but Im interested so I'll keep on

Also reading The Great Believers Well remember that time period, but i am finding much here I did not know

>32 cindydavid4: Thanks, I'll hunt them up!

Finished Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald. Liked it better this time through.

Added The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang to my rotation.

Started: Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
The #4 and finale installment of the best selling YA "Three Dark Crowns" series
Update: Reading Queens of Fennbirn prior to this new novel is a good idea--there are references to the novellas.

Finally wrote mini-reviews of The Only Son, disappointing and tedious CanLit from the 1980s, and Dominicana: A Novel, disappointing and tedious immigrant lit from this month.

I finished Where the Crawdads Sing. I was engrossed enough to anxiously read it to see how it turned out but parts of it seemed unbelievable.

Having recently returned to reading after a five year break of not reading at all, choosing all sorts of various books randomly from local second hand book store. Cannot settle on just one book, so reading all simultaneously as to how my mood takes me. Just finished The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Very much enjoyed it, but it did go on a bit long. Yesterday totally finished The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, always loved the films but had never read the book. Currently re-reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Started off with Hollywood Husbands by Jackie Collins.....as you can see all quite random

Geez, I really screwed up last week didn't I. :-)

>46 richardderus: Happy Birthday, Richard! I knew your birthday was coming up on the 20th. I guess I had that in mind when I was creating the new thread. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :-)

The new thread is up over here.

>No worries. Maybe two week time span can work better than one.

I'm like you, >48 ClipseyKloo:. Reading mood comes and goes. Back into The Proud Tower. Excellent stuff. So detailed and lively that I feel like a fly on the wall or I'm in a privileged gossip session. Also just started A Small Town in Germany. John le Carré can create an atmosphere like no one else and tell a story like a master.

Want to start a book with a delightful title, Bad Day at the Vulture Club by Vaseem Khan. Seems Khan has written a series of mysteries featuring this particular detective of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency. Sounds irresistible.

>49 fredbacon: Thanks, Fred! I'm a whopping 60 this year.

>37 mollygrace: I love Alexander McCall Smith!

>53 BookConcierge: I love him, too -- the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books are so meaningful to me.

Still reading Cat's Eye by Atwood and loving it and the never-ending book The Instructions.

>55 JulieLill: The new thread for the week of the 21st has a really similar title.