ChrisG reads up a storm in 2022
Conversazioni75 Books Challenge for 2022
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1ChrisG1
I thoroughly enjoyed participating with this group for the first time last year and I'm ready and rarin' to go for 2022.
A little about myself. I'm a CPA in the Portland, Oregon area, 63 y/o, married with 3 adult children and 4 grandkids (so far). I've always been an avid reader, although the pandemic has caused me to ramp it up quite a bit. 50-60 books a year was my norm. Then in 2020, I read 98 books & last year it went up to 128.
Aside from my reading addiction, I'm also a long-time singer, an activity I've enjoyed since early childhood. My main outlet for that for the last 32 years has been barbershop quartet singing. I've also directed my church choir and a local barbershop men's chorus.
A little about myself. I'm a CPA in the Portland, Oregon area, 63 y/o, married with 3 adult children and 4 grandkids (so far). I've always been an avid reader, although the pandemic has caused me to ramp it up quite a bit. 50-60 books a year was my norm. Then in 2020, I read 98 books & last year it went up to 128.
Aside from my reading addiction, I'm also a long-time singer, an activity I've enjoyed since early childhood. My main outlet for that for the last 32 years has been barbershop quartet singing. I've also directed my church choir and a local barbershop men's chorus.
2PaulCranswick
This group always helps me to read; welcome back to the group, Chris.
3FAMeulstee
Happy reading in 2022, Chris!
5thornton37814
Have a great year of reading!
6SilverWolf28
Happy New Year!
7ChrisG1
1. Buffalo Girls by Larry McMurtry. First book finished for the year! I've been working my way through McMurtry's books at the pace of one every month or two. Like Lonesome Dove, this story is an homage to the fading of the wild west. Most of the characters are based in history - Calamity Jane, Dora DuFran, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull, along with some made up cohorts.
8ChrisG1
2. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Can't say this one did much for me. The characters all struck me as empty, even pathetic people, so it was hard to care.
9ChrisG1
3. Much Obliged, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - I'm nearing the end of the Wooster and Jeeves books (1 more to go) and am already in mourning. However - there is much more Wodehouse out there & I expect to follow this with the Blandings stories later in the year. If you haven't read Wodehouse, you much check him out!
10ChrisG1
Following the example of the ubiquitous Paul Cranswick, I've assembled a reading plan - both overall & for this month. Overall, I'm participating in the British Author Challenge and the Asian Book Challenge. I'm working my way through the works of specific authors, including: Larry McMurtry, PG Wodehouse, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and CS Lewis. I'm also reading through some series, including Sharyn McCrumb's "Ballad" series, John Le Carre's "George Smiley" novels, Craig Johnson's "Longmire" series, and will shortly begin Chesterton's "Father Brown" stories. I'm also going to be tackling the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list, and generally mix in some modern and classic literary fiction. I do try to also mix in the occasional history, biography or memoir. In addition, I have a list of "books on my Kindle I haven't gotten around to."
January plan:
Animal Farm - Orwell (100 Best)
Oblivion(Short Stories) - David Foster Wallace - 2000’s
** Buffalo Girls - McMurtry
Pride & Prejudice - Austen & LEC/HP
Kindness Goes Unpunished - (Longmire series)
** Much Obliged Jeeves - Wodehouse
** The Sun Also Rises - Hemingway
The Inheritance Trilogy (Vol 1) - NK Jemison - (Kindle)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Le Carre (George Smiley Series)
The Innocence of Father Brown - Chesterton/ (FB series)
Beautiful World, Where Are You? - Sally Rooney
Sharpe’s Assassin - Bernard Cornwell
My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk (Asian Author Challenge)
The Last Battle - CS Lewis (British Author Challenge)
** = completed
Looking at how long the waiting list is for Beautiful World at my library, I'm unlikely to get to it this month.
January plan:
Animal Farm - Orwell (100 Best)
Oblivion(Short Stories) - David Foster Wallace - 2000’s
** Buffalo Girls - McMurtry
Pride & Prejudice - Austen & LEC/HP
Kindness Goes Unpunished - (Longmire series)
** Much Obliged Jeeves - Wodehouse
** The Sun Also Rises - Hemingway
The Inheritance Trilogy (Vol 1) - NK Jemison - (Kindle)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Le Carre (George Smiley Series)
The Innocence of Father Brown - Chesterton/ (FB series)
Beautiful World, Where Are You? - Sally Rooney
Sharpe’s Assassin - Bernard Cornwell
My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk (Asian Author Challenge)
The Last Battle - CS Lewis (British Author Challenge)
** = completed
Looking at how long the waiting list is for Beautiful World at my library, I'm unlikely to get to it this month.
12ChrisG1
>11 PaulCranswick: Ha - it seemed an appropriate adjective ;)
13ChrisG1
4. Sharpe's Assassin by Bernard Cornwell. I'll read pretty much anything Cornwell bothers to write.
14ChrisG1
5. The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze. This book was somewhat of a disappointment for me - not because it's badly written, or inaccurate, but because I felt the author fell short of what he claimed to be trying to achieve - an examination of the global, rather than merely European, aspects of the war. While there was certainly some coverage of that aspect, it was still very much a minority of the content. I found myself skimming some of the chapters, as I've read enough about the European aspects of the war. If you haven't read about the Napoleonic Wars, this is a fine summary. It just wasn't what I was looking for.
15ChrisG1
6. My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. This is my first installment in the Asian Book Challenge. While there was much to like about this novel, I can't say I loved it. For me, the major flaw was the tediously repetitive discussion of art. Certainly, book illustration was at the heart of the story, so it needed to be covered, but it was just beat to death with constant redundancy, which made large sections of the book a chore. I did enjoy the viewpoint shifting approach to telling the story, including using non-human, or even non-living narrators, such as a corpse, the devil, a tree, a horse, and Death. So, 3 stars for it's strengths, but a penalty for the drudgery of the redundant art discussions.
16alcottacre
>7 ChrisG1: I have not yet read that one. I will have to rectify that.
>10 ChrisG1: Nice plans! Good luck with them.
>15 ChrisG1: I, on the other hand, loved the art discussion so the repetitive nature did not bother me. I hope your next read is better for you, Chris!
>10 ChrisG1: Nice plans! Good luck with them.
>15 ChrisG1: I, on the other hand, loved the art discussion so the repetitive nature did not bother me. I hope your next read is better for you, Chris!
17ChrisG1
7. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre
18PaulCranswick
>15 ChrisG1: I liked it much better than you did, Chris, but I do get your barbs about the art discussions. I could have done with a book 200 pages shorter quite happily.
Have a great weekend.
Have a great weekend.
19ChrisG1
8. Animal Farm by George Orwell. Put this on the "I can't believe I never read this" list. Of course, I'd heard so much about it that I felt I already knew it, which turned out to be true. Still, very well written & profound in it's tragic simplicity.
20ChrisG1
9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Before reading this, I perused the reviews on Goodreads & saw, amidst the many professions of adoration for it, a few that said - "nothing ever happens!" - invariably these were from men. Ok, I read the book & no, it's not an action thriller, but yes, plenty "happens." I found it a delightful read & can understand why it's so beloved by so many.
21thornton37814
>15 ChrisG1: I don't think it will ever be on my favorite reads either, but I do think it will stay with me for a while.
>20 ChrisG1: I just read a review written by one of our male English professors who recently read it. He was quite impressed with Austen. I was surprised he'd never read it before.
>20 ChrisG1: I just read a review written by one of our male English professors who recently read it. He was quite impressed with Austen. I was surprised he'd never read it before.
22ChrisG1
10. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis - final installment of The Chronicles of Narnia. Also serves as my January entry for the British Author Challenge.
23richardderus
Hallo Chris, wandering by to return your visit. Your point in >15 ChrisG1: was, for my tastes, a feature not a bug. I wonder whether an edition of the book with illustrations wouldn't have sold the process discussions better.
Ah well, it's decades in the past now.
Ah well, it's decades in the past now.
24ChrisG1
>23 richardderus: Perhaps. But my complaint wasn't so much about the volume of art discussion as it was about the repitition of the same ideas...over & over & over &.....
25ChrisG1
11. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton. I bought a paperback compilation of all 5 Father Brown books last year, so this was my first taste of it. Quite enjoyable light reading.
26PaulCranswick
>35 ChrisG1: It is a long time since I read the Father Brown stories, Chris, but I do remember that they are enjoyable and not too demanding.
Have a lovely weekend.
Have a lovely weekend.
27ChrisG1
12. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. From my reading plan, this comes from both my Limited Editions Club collection and the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list. The first Wharton novel I've read & I thought it was quite good.
28ChrisG1
13. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson, third in his Longmire series & my favorite so far. Unlike the first two books, it takes place outside of Sherrif Longmire's Absaroca County - in Philadelphia, where his daughter lives. If you like the mystery genre & haven't tried this series, I strongly recommend it.
29richardderus
>25 ChrisG1: I read them in the 70s and 80s, IIRC, and watched some of the TV series when it was on Netflix. Chesterton's world feels so comfy and threatless to me, and that made the reads truly cozy.
Happy week-ahead's reading.
Happy week-ahead's reading.
30ChrisG1
14. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. As you would expect from Vonnegut - that was pretty darned weird. Entertaining, but weird.
31ChrisG1
15. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney. This is a case of reading a book outside my wheelhouse, but I'm glad I read it. It's the first novel I can think of where a realistic amount of communication between characters involves texting. I won't claim that's a highlight, but it makes sense.
32PaulCranswick
That is interesting Chris following Kurt Vonnegut with Sally Rooney rather like going from sturgeon straight to kippers!
I do like kippers by the way.
I do like kippers by the way.
33ChrisG1
>32 PaulCranswick: Ha! - Yes indeed, I'm letting my reading choices go all over the place, getting lots of ideas from our fellow group members.
34ChrisG1
16. A Gentle Answer by Scott Sauls - a fine meditation by a Presbyterian minister on the value of choosing a humbler, gentler path to dealing with the many conflicts of our time.
35ChrisG1
January Reading Summary:
Books read: 16 (new record)
Pages read: 4896
Longest book: The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze - 642 pgs
Shortest book: Animal Farm by George Orwell - 141 pgs
Average book length: 306 pgs
Book of the Month: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Dud of the month: None this month - I had some minor criticisms of a few, but generally liked all the books this month.
Books read: 16 (new record)
Pages read: 4896
Longest book: The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze - 642 pgs
Shortest book: Animal Farm by George Orwell - 141 pgs
Average book length: 306 pgs
Book of the Month: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Dud of the month: None this month - I had some minor criticisms of a few, but generally liked all the books this month.
36ChrisG1
February Reading Plan:
To the End of the Land - David Grossman - Asian Book Challenge
Bleak House - Dickens
The King Must Die - Mary Renault - British Author Challenge
East of Eden - John Steinbeck
The Mill on the Floss - George Eliot - LEC
Another Man’s Moccasins - Longmire
Ghostriders - McCrumb (Ballad Series)
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion (21st Ctry)
The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald - LEC, 100 best
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead (Pulitzer)
Life & Times of Michael K - J.M. Coetzee (Booker)
The Everlasting Man - G.K. Chesterton
Oblivion(Short Stories) - David Foster Wallace - 2000’s (carryover from January - long wait at library)
I've started on To the End of the Land and The Everlasting Man. I don't expect to read as many books in February-April, due to tax season.
To the End of the Land - David Grossman - Asian Book Challenge
Bleak House - Dickens
The King Must Die - Mary Renault - British Author Challenge
East of Eden - John Steinbeck
The Mill on the Floss - George Eliot - LEC
Another Man’s Moccasins - Longmire
Ghostriders - McCrumb (Ballad Series)
The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion (21st Ctry)
The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald - LEC, 100 best
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead (Pulitzer)
Life & Times of Michael K - J.M. Coetzee (Booker)
The Everlasting Man - G.K. Chesterton
Oblivion(Short Stories) - David Foster Wallace - 2000’s (carryover from January - long wait at library)
I've started on To the End of the Land and The Everlasting Man. I don't expect to read as many books in February-April, due to tax season.
38ChrisG1
17. The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton. This is my first non-Father Brown Chesterton book, being recommended to me by my previous pastor (I'm a Methodist, Chesterton, a Catholic). In the first half, he takes on the idea that "man is merely an animal." If so, he says, we are decidedly bizarre one - citing art, philosophy, and the capacity for reason. In the second half, he goes from "man is not just an animal" to "Christ is not just a man." Chesterton was a compelling thinker well worth anyone's time to ponder.
39richardderus
>36 ChrisG1: Never let it be said there's no interesting stuff to read out there. You've hit many of the best in several categories!
Happy February's reads. I hope tax season is manageably busy.
Happy February's reads. I hope tax season is manageably busy.
40ChrisG1
>39 richardderus: I'd call myself a late starter (I'm 63). I've always read a lot, but almost all of my reading has been genre fiction (SciFi, Fantasty, Mystery) until this last year I made a commitment to reading more literary fiction & nonfiction. It's been stimulating & challenging. You don't bat 1.000, but it's worth the effort.
41ChrisG1
18. To the End of the Land by David Grossman. One of the things I'm loving about participating in the Asian Author Challenge (and other such challenges) is how it stretches me to try new things. This is a gem of a novel, but I have to confess it took awhile for me to warm to it. The first segment was confusing and disorienting. I figured there was a purpose & I plowed through. And there was. While it's long-ish (576 pgs), it wouldn't normally take me 10 days to get through a novel of that length. But I simply didn't want to read it in large chunks & for me, that was probably the best way to read it.
42ChrisG1
19. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. My first book from this author & won't be the last. This one will be hard to top, not only as book of the month, but also for the year.
43ChrisG1
20. The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski. If you like good sportswriting, you could hardly do better than this book. Posnanski put together his own personal list of the 100 greatest baseball players of all time & wrote an article about each. Sprawling over 800 pages, Posnanski has something of interest to say about each of his choices. He gives special attention to players from the negro leagues, and also included the legendary Sadaharu Oh of Japan.
44PaulCranswick
>41 ChrisG1: I am so pleased that the challenge has proven useful so far, Chris. I am really enjoying it too.
>42 ChrisG1: I couldn't top it last year myself. It was the best thing I read in 2021.
>42 ChrisG1: I couldn't top it last year myself. It was the best thing I read in 2021.
45PaulCranswick
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46ChrisG1
>45 PaulCranswick: Excellent! Did you notice the "practice" icon? Heh heh, I've used it to play a bunch of games.
47ChrisG1
21. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm glad I made the commitment to finally read a lot of the classics of literature. The Great Gatsby is a novel I looked forward to enjoying - and I took the trouble and expense to buy a fine Limtied Editions Club edition to heighten the enjoyment (see pics below). Alas, the production of the LEC was much finer (to my taste) than the writing. I found the prose to be pedestrian (and at times laughably bad), the dialogue stilted and the plot ordinary. I mean, it's far from the worst novel I've ever read, but I'm at a loss to understand why it's so highly regarded. Anyway, enjoy the photos - LEC did a great job with it.
48ChrisG1
22. No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield. A well crafted suspense thriller with a surprising twist. Very enjoyable. Just nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe award for Best Novel.
49PaulCranswick
>47 ChrisG1: That looks almost as elegant as Fitzgerald's prose, Chris.
50ChrisG1
>49 PaulCranswick: The production values of the LEC edition are excellent, I must say.
51ChrisG1
23. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson. The 4th installment of Johnson's excellent Longmire mystery series.
52ChrisG1
24. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I picked this book because I heard Joan Didion had died & thought I should read something by her. I had no idea what it was about, so was unprepared for the content (no spoilers here), but naturally, it was emotional to read it & I was amazed at her ability to put the events of that year into words - to share that time with her readers. Great stuff - highly recommended.
53PaulCranswick
>52 ChrisG1: Didion was a writer who challenged her readers to think and to feel. I think that she will be one of the writers whose work will endure.
54ChrisG1
>53 PaulCranswick: I really appreciate her prose style - and her willingness to be so transparent with her readers.
55richardderus
>52 ChrisG1: It was amazing what Didion endured and overcame. It's sad to me when I find a writer because they've recently died...happens every year...but also secretly satisfying because the oeuvre is complete, so the extent of the potential commitment is clear.
>47 ChrisG1: Handsome edition indeed.
>47 ChrisG1: Handsome edition indeed.
56ChrisG1
25. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Luke by Arthure Just Jr., Thomas Oden & others. Part of the multi-volume set of commentaries using the writings of the ancient church fathers. Excellent resource I'm using in my daily devotional reading.
57ursula
>52 ChrisG1: I'm currently reading this one, for the same reason. I did know what it was about going in, but at about 40% of the way through, I'm really impressed with her ability and willingness to lay her feelings and thoughts bare.
58ChrisG1
February Reading Summary:
Books read: 9 - from a record to a below average figure, as expected due to tax season
Pages read: 3325
Longest book: The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski - 869 pgs
Shortest book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 200 pgs
Average book length: 369 pgs
Book of the Month: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - close runner up was The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Dud of the month: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - this rating is relative to it's reputation - see my "review" above.
Books read: 9 - from a record to a below average figure, as expected due to tax season
Pages read: 3325
Longest book: The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski - 869 pgs
Shortest book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 200 pgs
Average book length: 369 pgs
Book of the Month: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - close runner up was The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Dud of the month: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - this rating is relative to it's reputation - see my "review" above.
59ChrisG1
March Reading Plan:
Confessions - Rabee Jaber - ABC
The Painted Veil - W. Somerset Maugham - BAC
Cadillac Jack - Larry McMurtry
Much Obliged, Jeeves - P.G. Wodehouse
The Dark Horse - Longmire
The Life & Times of Michael K. - J.M. Coetzee
Ghostriders - Sharyn McCrumb (Ballad series)
The Mill on the Floss - George Elliot
Bleak House - Dickens
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Nine Stories - J.D. Salinger
Also, finish The King Must Die by Mary Renault, the February BAC book. Thought I'd have finished it, but life (and tax season) dictated otherwise.
Confessions - Rabee Jaber - ABC
The Painted Veil - W. Somerset Maugham - BAC
Cadillac Jack - Larry McMurtry
Much Obliged, Jeeves - P.G. Wodehouse
The Dark Horse - Longmire
The Life & Times of Michael K. - J.M. Coetzee
Ghostriders - Sharyn McCrumb (Ballad series)
The Mill on the Floss - George Elliot
Bleak House - Dickens
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Nine Stories - J.D. Salinger
Also, finish The King Must Die by Mary Renault, the February BAC book. Thought I'd have finished it, but life (and tax season) dictated otherwise.
60ChrisG1
26. The King Must Die by Mary Renault - the February British Author Challenge, finished it a day late, ah well. A modern interpretation of a myth told with a mythic feel. Well executed and enjoyable.
61PaulCranswick
>59 ChrisG1: Wow you have some quite heavy reads planned for March, Chris.
I look forward to seeing how well you do.
I look forward to seeing how well you do.
62ChrisG1
27. Confessions by Rabee Jaber, for the Asian Book Challenge. The author is from Lebanon, which is also the setting of the novel. Memory - it's significance & reliability are major themes of the novel, and the sense of identity (or lack thereof) that arises from it. The protagonist had a major identity crisis (not much of a spoiler, as it is revealed early) stemming from his discovery that his family were not his biological relatives - that the man he considered his father had rescued him as a small boy in the midst of an attack on the car he was in & was the only survivor. They took him into their home, nursed him back to health and gave him the name of a son they had lost to a kidnapping. It is, in many ways, symbolic of war-torn Lebanon which created an abundance of orphans. Highly recommended!
63ChrisG1
Made it by the skin of my teeth!
Daily Quordle #39
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64feca67
>59 ChrisG1: I like the look of the Salinger short stories, I might give that a go - I'll be interested to see what you think of it
65PaulCranswick
>63 ChrisG1: Well done Chris - that game is a challenge! Haven't played it for a couple of days to give my poor brain a rest!
Have a lovely weekend.
Have a lovely weekend.
66ChrisG1
28. Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee - my first read of Coetzee & I expect I'll read more. Also the 1983 Booker Prize winner.
67m.belljackson
>47 ChrisG1: Thanks for posting the intriguing Art Deco pictures - too bad the boring angst of the rich Great Gatsby didn't match up.
68ChrisG1
>67 m.belljackson: You're welcome - I'd hoped some might enjoy that craftmanship.
69ChrisG1
29. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
70ChrisG1
30. The Painted Veil by W. Somersent Maugham. My March entry for the British Author Challenge & a strong novel. Highly recommended
71ChrisG1
31. Ghost Riders by Sharyn McCrumb. 7th in her "Ballad" series & for me, the weakest effort so far. She never really settled in to tell a story, rather choosing to tell several, with little to do with her usual characters in the town of Hamelin, instead drifting between various characters from the past in the Civil War era, only occasionally returning to the present & not really tying it into the other threads.
72ChrisG1
32. Cadillac Jack by Larry McMurtry. McMurtry is one of my favorite authors & I am slowly making my way through his vast body of work. The main character in this novel could be somewhat an autobiographical one. McMurtry, in addition to being a writer was an avid book collector and loved to spend his time scouting through every possible avenue - estate sales, flea markets, auctions, etc. Jack McGriff, the title character does the same, but with non-book antiques. His adventures & challenges with women in that context make for an entertaining read.
73ChrisG1
33. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson - 5th in the Longmire series and a good one.
74ChrisG1
34. Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz - totally a coincidence the titles of these last 2 books. I've read every book in the Orphan X series, but this one was a dud.
75drneutron
>74 ChrisG1: That’s shame. I’ll probably read it for completeness, though.
76ChrisG1
>75 drneutron: These reactions can be highly individual - just my reaction to it.
77ChrisG1
35. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - an old favorite, probably my 4th time reading it. Lewis was brilliant at allegorical fiction & this brought the idea of Christian assumptions into a science fictional story in a very original way.
78ChrisG1
March Reading Summary:
Books read: 10
Pages read: 3038
Longest book: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
Shortest book: Confessions by Rabee Jaber
Average book length: 304 pgs
Book of the Month: Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee
Dud of the month: Dark Horse by Greg Hurwitz - this one just didn't work for me
For the second month in a row, I didn't get to some of the books in my reading plan - notably the "heavier" reads. Probably best not to schedule those during tax season. And yet - I'll put them on to the April list, since half of the month will be post-season...
Books read: 10
Pages read: 3038
Longest book: Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz
Shortest book: Confessions by Rabee Jaber
Average book length: 304 pgs
Book of the Month: Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee
Dud of the month: Dark Horse by Greg Hurwitz - this one just didn't work for me
For the second month in a row, I didn't get to some of the books in my reading plan - notably the "heavier" reads. Probably best not to schedule those during tax season. And yet - I'll put them on to the April list, since half of the month will be post-season...
79ChrisG1
April Reading list:
Home Fire - Kamila Shamsie - BAC
My Part of Her - Javad Djavahery - ABC
The Mill on the Floss - George Elliot - LEC
Bleak House - Dickens
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Anything for Billy - McMurtry
The Last Samurai - Helen DeWitt (2000’s)
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe (Cranswick list)
The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad
Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen - P.G. Wodehouse
Home Fire - Kamila Shamsie - BAC
My Part of Her - Javad Djavahery - ABC
The Mill on the Floss - George Elliot - LEC
Bleak House - Dickens
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Anything for Billy - McMurtry
The Last Samurai - Helen DeWitt (2000’s)
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe (Cranswick list)
The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad
Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen - P.G. Wodehouse
80ChrisG1
36. My Part of Her by Javad Djavahery, my April entry in the Asian Book Challenge. Much of the story takes place in pre-revolutionary Iran. The protagonist is relating the story to an unidentified third party. It brings home the waste and foolishness of the revolution, the destruction of a society at the hands of the mullahs.
81PaulCranswick
I will re-read The Painted Veil later in the year as part of my plan to reassess the best work of my favourite writers.
I have Bleak House lined up like you and aim to start giving it some TLC from next week.
I have Bleak House lined up like you and aim to start giving it some TLC from next week.
82ChrisG1
37. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, my April entry in the British Author Challenge. Shamsie's writing is terrific - I couldn't help but be pulled along. This story moves forward with shifts in perspective between the major characters & each such shift makes the story grow. The difficulty of being Muslim while British is demonstrated through the lives of her characters & the many ways it affects the choices they are able to make. Highly recommended.
83ChrisG1
38. East of Eden by John Steinbeck. There is some argument over whether this novel or The Grapes of Wrath was Steinbeck's best. I loved The Grapes of Wrath, but loved East of Eden even more. For me, it's a more complete novel - the characters are more deeply developed, the human motivations are stronger. The Grapes of Wrath had a quality almost like myth - the characters were archetypes. That's not a bad thing at all, but I'll confess I like a novel with strongly developed characters better.
84ursula
>83 ChrisG1: I think East of Eden is the superior novel, too. One of my favorite books overall, in fact.
85ChrisG1
39. Anything for Billie by Larry McMurtry. McMurtry went on a bit of a "Western" jag after the success of Lonesome Dove. In addition to sequels and a prequel to LD, he took on some of the legendary characters of the "Wild West" and gave it his own spin. I think mostly he decided to have fun with this story & I took it in that spirit. I won't claim it's one of his best, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
86richardderus
I'm another who believes East of Eden is Steinbeck's best...though I *like* Winter of Our Discontent and The Short Reign of Pippin IV the best of his oeuvre. But I am weird.
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen? Can't wait to hear what you think of it!
Aunts Aren't Gentlemen? Can't wait to hear what you think of it!
87ChrisG1
40. Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by PG Wodehouse. With this volume, I believe I have made my way through the entire series. As always, an enjoyable romp with the usual elements - Bertie being pulled into Aunt Dahlia's plot, getting involuntarily pulled into a lover's quarrel between a former girlfriend and her new love interest, and, as always, Jeeves bailing him out.
Wodehouse lovers, what would you recommend next?
Wodehouse lovers, what would you recommend next?
88richardderus
The Mating Season! Bertie pretending to be Gussie Fink-Nottle...belly laughs for days.
89ChrisG1
>88 richardderus: Oh yes - loved that one! Have you read any of the Castle Blandings books? I'm thinking of tackling those next.
90richardderus
>89 ChrisG1: I don't love those as much as Jeeves and Bertie, myownself. Leave it to Psmith was okay, but not superb. The Earl is...well, I think he's quite cruelly drawn actually. But your mileage may vary.
91ChrisG1
41. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. My first Eliot - I'd heard good things about her & began with great anticipation. Based on the first 100 pages or so, I wasn't sure I would like it. But, as I've learned reading other 19th Century British authors, one must expect them to spend a good amount of time "setting the scene." And the writing style of the time is rather "wordy." That said, I can truly rate this right up with any of the best of Dickens and Austen. The tale became an emotional roller coaster & a fine example of stories that present the moral dilemma and the consequences of letting one's passions get the better of one. Highly recommended.
92ChrisG1
42. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - I drew this selection from Paul Cranswick's 100 Authors, 100 Books list he recently published. The protagonist (Okonkwo) is, in many ways, not a particularly sympathetic character, especially to our Western sensibilities. His story is interrupted by the insertion of English missionaries into the lives of the Igbo people of Nigeria. The resulting clash of cultures clearly was changing the ways of his people. Strongly recommended.
93richardderus
>92 ChrisG1: One of my earliest, and still a favorite in memory, African reads. I'm happy to know it got your approval as well.
>91 ChrisG1: Patience is a virtue when dealing with the novels of earlier times.
Enjoy the next ones as much or more, Chris.
>91 ChrisG1: Patience is a virtue when dealing with the novels of earlier times.
Enjoy the next ones as much or more, Chris.
94ChrisG1
April Reading Summary:
Books read: 8
Pages read: 2478
Longest book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Shortest book: Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse
Average book length: 310 pgs
Book of the Month: East of Eden
Dud of the month: None - I'm always happy to leave this section blank.
My lightest reading month in some time, largely the result of tax season & a bit of a crash following.
Books read: 8
Pages read: 2478
Longest book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Shortest book: Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse
Average book length: 310 pgs
Book of the Month: East of Eden
Dud of the month: None - I'm always happy to leave this section blank.
My lightest reading month in some time, largely the result of tax season & a bit of a crash following.
95ChrisG1
May Reading List:
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - ABC
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Alan Moore - BAC
Erasure - Percival Everett - Cranswick list
Bleak House - Dickens
Junkyard Dogs - Longmire #6
A Farewell to Arms - Hemingway
Best American Short Stories 2015
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson (BIWTR)
The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead (Pulitzer)
The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad
I'm excited about this list - currently in the middle of The Secret Agent & B.A.S.S. 2015.
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - ABC
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Alan Moore - BAC
Erasure - Percival Everett - Cranswick list
Bleak House - Dickens
Junkyard Dogs - Longmire #6
A Farewell to Arms - Hemingway
Best American Short Stories 2015
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson (BIWTR)
The Underground Railroad - Colson Whitehead (Pulitzer)
The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad
I'm excited about this list - currently in the middle of The Secret Agent & B.A.S.S. 2015.
96PaulCranswick
>92 ChrisG1: I am so pleased that you liked it, Chris.
I will ape you and make The Mill on the Floss my first Eliot later this year as your >91 ChrisG1: review has swayed me and I recently updated my copy as my old Wordsworth edition print was so dense I know I would not have bothered to strain my eyes trying to get through it (why do they do that?).
I will ape you and make The Mill on the Floss my first Eliot later this year as your >91 ChrisG1: review has swayed me and I recently updated my copy as my old Wordsworth edition print was so dense I know I would not have bothered to strain my eyes trying to get through it (why do they do that?).
97ChrisG1
>96 PaulCranswick: I have the good fortune to own a Limited Editions Club copy, with large print & generous margins.
98ChrisG1
43. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad - my first Conrad novel & I give it a solid 3 stars. Which is to say, I liked it but didn't love it. A picture of espionage involving late 19th century anarchists in London. The plot took some surprising twists as it hurtled to the end, which was the best part of it.
99PaulCranswick
>98 ChrisG1: I find Conrad's prose style a bit too dense and dry to enjoy reading his books but I do recognise both his importance as well as his brilliance to be able to write such stories when English was not even his second language; it was his third and he was only fluent in it in his twenties.
100ChrisG1
44. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson. 6th in the Walt Longmire series, which is just so consistently good. Well crafted mystery tales, in an interesting setting. While I've spent most of my life in the 'burbs, I did have a 6 year stint living in a high desert town in Eastern Oregon, near an Indian reservation & with characters similar to those in these novels, so I can readily identify with it.
101ChrisG1
45. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore. This is my British Author Challenge entry for May and I'll just say it's "okay." I'm not a huge fan of the Graphic Novel genre, but it's not bad for a quick, light entertainment.
102ChrisG1
46. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway - by far my favorite Hemingway to date. Have read the Complete Short Story collection and The Sun Also Rises so far. A tale of an American volunteer in the Italian Army during WWI - semi-autobiographical, as Hemingway served in the same capacity as his protagonist.
103ChrisG1
47. Erasure by Percival Everett. This was a pleasant surprise & my favorite book of the year so far. It's a strange combination of family drama, as the main character's mother declines with Alzheimer's, among other situations, and also a biting satire of racial politics in the literary world. "It made me laugh, It made me cry," is a stereotypical review, but this one did & both for good reason. I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.
104PaulCranswick
>103 ChrisG1: I have heard good things about Percival Everett, Chris, but his books are simply not available here. I will look to order them from Book Depo.
105RBeffa
>83 ChrisG1: East of Eden is my favorite Steinbeck.
Thanks for dropping in to my thread. The Painted Veil surprised me and it is one of those books that I feel will stay in my memory for a long time. Some books I seem to forget in a very short time.
Thanks for dropping in to my thread. The Painted Veil surprised me and it is one of those books that I feel will stay in my memory for a long time. Some books I seem to forget in a very short time.
106ChrisG1
48. The Best American Short Stories 2015 - I like to mix in short story collections along with other reading & have been working my way through this volume over the last 2 weeks. As always, these collections are a mixed bag, but overall I thought the editor selected a strong group of stories.
107ChrisG1
49. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. My second book by this author and another homerun. He's just a heckuva novelist & the subject matter was compelling. The underground railroad is something I learned about as a schoolchild, but only that it existed & sketchily what it did. This certainly brought it to life through the eye of Cora, the strong, determined young woman who braved the uncertainties of escape. I'll not reveal any of the plot - read it for yourself - highly recommended.
108richardderus
>107 ChrisG1: If you're a Prime member, their TV version is well worth the price of the membership by itself.
Happy week-ahead's reads.
Happy week-ahead's reads.
109ChrisG1
>108 richardderus: Oooh! Thanks Richard, I'll check that out.
110PaulCranswick
>107 ChrisG1: I will get to it soon too, Chris. I loved The Nickel Boys and I am sure that I will like this one too.
111ChrisG1
50. Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior. Both a memoir and a book about reading. Prior is a literature professor & each chapter is about a different book & how it relates to her development as a person and a reader, as well as a woman of faith. I had previously read her later book: On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books, which uses a similar format, but each chapter uses a book to demonstrate Aristotle's virtues (and others), and so is not autobiographical. Both excellent books and recommended.
112ChrisG1
51. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This is my Asian Book Challenge selection for May. I'd heard about this book for years & had high expectations and wasn't disappointed. Hosseini is an excellent story teller and takes the reader on quite an emotional roller coaster ride. Highly recommended.
113PaulCranswick
>111 ChrisG1: Books about reading - what's not to love?
114ChrisG1
52. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Classic story - would have been called YA, had that been a term back then. Haven't seen the movie based on it, as I heard it was poorly done.
115richardderus
>114 ChrisG1: Honestly, I disagree that the film was poorly done. But I'm often an outlier because I don't expect films to be exactly and precisely identical to my expectations.
116ChrisG1
>115 richardderus: I'll confess you're the first person I've heard say that. It certainly fell well short of finanacial expectations for the studio & I suspect that reflects the extent to which they deviated from the source material & therefore disappointed fans. It's always a risk with adaptations.
117richardderus
It's less about disappointing fans with changes than casting a young Black woman as Meg. The campaign to label it "disappointing" started after she was cast and before there was any publicly-available footage for these "fans" to be "disappointed" by.
118ChrisG1
53. The Confessions of St. Augustine - One of the great religious classics. I've been slowly reading this, along with a companion volume as part of my morning devotional time. Augustine describes his spiritual journey as a search for Truth & finding it in the Catholic Christian faith, after pursuing any number of philosophies of his time.
119ChrisG1
54. I Burned for Your Peace by Peter Kreeft. The companion volume mentioned above to Augustine's Confessions. Kreeft is a philophy professor at Boston College. I found this helpful, as Dr Kreeft was adept at pulling together the primary themes of the Confessions in an understandable way to my more modern mind.
120ChrisG1
55. Last Call by Tim Powers. A weird tale - weird as in Stephen King - featuring poker with tarot cards, ancient gods living as otherwise ordinary people. I had read one other Powers novel, also with that supernatural power interracting with ordinary people. A good read if that kind of thing is your jam.
121ChrisG1
56. How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr. The content of this book is less provocative than it's title. And it's only provocative to an average white American. We simply don't think of ourselves that way. The most powerful nation in the world? Sure, but not an "empire." I won't get into the details - read the book (which I recommend). But there's no doubt that the USA has had most of the features we associate with empires since early in our history. We are no longer expanding our territory, but our military and economic reach and dominance are unmistakable.
122richardderus
>121 ChrisG1: It's really only here, inside the wall so to speak, that anyone would even bat an eye at the American Empire's physical reality.
No one else has the luxury of illusion.
No one else has the luxury of illusion.
123ChrisG1
May Reading Summary:
Books read: 14
Pages read: 4367
Longest book: Last Call by Tim Powers - 550 pgs
Shortest book: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Average book length: 312 pgs
Book of the Month: So many worthy choices - I'll pick Erasure by Percival Everett, followed closely by A Farewell to Arms, The Underground Railroad and The Kite Runner
Dud of the month: I didn't particularly like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I'd call May my best reading month of the year to date, quality-wise.
Books read: 14
Pages read: 4367
Longest book: Last Call by Tim Powers - 550 pgs
Shortest book: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Average book length: 312 pgs
Book of the Month: So many worthy choices - I'll pick Erasure by Percival Everett, followed closely by A Farewell to Arms, The Underground Railroad and The Kite Runner
Dud of the month: I didn't particularly like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I'd call May my best reading month of the year to date, quality-wise.
124ChrisG1
June 2022 Reading List
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy - ABC
Queen Lucia - EF Benson - BAC
The Last Picture Show - Larry McMurtry
Perelandra - C.S. Lewis
The Leopard - Giuseppe di Lampedusa - LEC
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy - Kindle
Hell is Empty - Johnson (Longmire)
Hell of a Book - Jason Mott - BIWTR
The Moon and Sixpence - Maugham - HP
The Year’s Best Science Fiction #8 - Gardner Dozois
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - Annie Dillard - Pulitzer
The Poems of John Donne
Currently working on The Poems of John Donne, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek & The Year's Best Science Fiction #8. Perelandra and The Last Picture Show are rereads, although it's been many years for both of them.
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy - ABC
Queen Lucia - EF Benson - BAC
The Last Picture Show - Larry McMurtry
Perelandra - C.S. Lewis
The Leopard - Giuseppe di Lampedusa - LEC
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy - Kindle
Hell is Empty - Johnson (Longmire)
Hell of a Book - Jason Mott - BIWTR
The Moon and Sixpence - Maugham - HP
The Year’s Best Science Fiction #8 - Gardner Dozois
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - Annie Dillard - Pulitzer
The Poems of John Donne
Currently working on The Poems of John Donne, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek & The Year's Best Science Fiction #8. Perelandra and The Last Picture Show are rereads, although it's been many years for both of them.
125RBeffa
>124 ChrisG1: I think that the Years Best Eighth annual is one of the best that Dozois ever did. It includes the first Ted Chiang story, Tower of Babylon, and many other stories that are great SF, with only a few duds. Hope you like it as much as I did.
126ChrisG1
>125 RBeffa: So far, so good - a LeGuin Hain story & Greg Egan futuristic cop/biotech thriller.
127ChrisG1
57. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Non-fiction in 1975. Dillard's skill at weaving beatiful sentences is undeniable. For me, however, the meandering aimlessness of this book began to wear on me 1/3rd of the way in & I found myself skimming through & paying less attention to what passed before my eyes.
128ChrisG1
58. Breaking the Stronghold of Food by Michael L. Brown - As I'm on a quest to lose a great deal of weight & recognising that my biggest problem is my addicitive relationship with unhealthy food, I was interested in Dr. Brown's personal story - actually both he & his wife who lost a combined 180 pounds. This book is written to a Christian audience, so if that's not your thing this may not be for you.
129ChrisG1
59. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. In addition to this month's Asian Book Challenge entry, it also checks off the Booker Prize list. The story is a gradually revealed mystery, jumping to varying timelines. It was a bit disorienting for me, mainly because Roy did not label the timeline shifts, you had to figure it out as you read. So I was initially frustrated, but it made more sense as I got further into it.
130ChrisG1
60. The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry. Last year, I decided to make my way through all of McMurtry's books & it's been a sheer pleasure. I'd last read this one at least 30 years ago & hardly remembered it at all, but I'm glad I picked it up again. The main character is a young man during his senior year in high school and some months beyond, so something of a "coming of age" story. And likely semi-autobiographical, as McMurty grew up in the same rural Texas panhandle area & the time frame would have matched his time there. If you've not read McMurtry, you couldn't do better than to start here.
131richardderus
>130 ChrisG1: ...and the film version was absolutely brilliant!
All the good reading you're doing, Chris...it makes the warm-glow fairy use me for target practice.
All the good reading you're doing, Chris...it makes the warm-glow fairy use me for target practice.
132ChrisG1
>131 richardderus: LOL - you do have a way with words, Richard!
133ChrisG1
61. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson - #7 in the Longmire series. As much as I liked the TV series (a worthy binge-watch if you haven't already), I like the books even more. I suppose it's mostly a function of being more a reader than a screen-watcher. But the wry first person narration of Sheriff Longmire is a pleasure to read & the characters are more multi-dimensional. Recommended.
134ChrisG1
62. The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham. I read this book quickly, but will likely be much longer in digesting it. The story of an artistic genius (loosely based on Paul Gauguin) as viewed by his sometimes acquaintance - a novelist whose life frequently intersected his. The artist is not a particularly admirable man, in terms of his character & the way he treats his fellow humans, and is exceptional only in his devotion to his art and the unique greatness he achieves. The novel succeeds due to the brilliant story-telling skill of Maugham. This is now the 3rd of his novels I've read, all of which I can highly recommend.
135ChrisG1
63. The Poems of John Donne About a year ago, I discovered the Limited Editions Club and decided to start collecting some of their volumes. I ventured into a local book store and bought 10 volumes - a majority of what they had in stock - and this was one of them. Over the last three weeks, I've been working my way through this book & I'll confess it was a challenge for me. I've never been a poetry reader & the archaic language and spelling in this book increased the challenge. But I'm stubborn & I made it through. Not sure that I gained much from it, but by golly, I did it...
136ChrisG1
64. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott. Winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. The unnamed protagonist is an author who is on book tour for his smashing debut "Hell of a Book" and is having a mental health breakdown in the process. He has hallucinations that blend with reality & that's been true since his - as is gradually revealed - tragic and traumatic childhood, which he has largely blocked out of his conscious memory. Well written & highly original in approach & and an excellent read.
137ChrisG1
65. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson. A fun little romp of a story of an English village and it's putative "Queen's
" schemes to maintain her social supremacy.
" schemes to maintain her social supremacy.
138ChrisG1
66. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. He actually said very little about what Christian Orthodoxy is and spent most of his effort on pointing out the weaknesses of orthodoxy's critics. In spite of that, I found following his arguments to be a fine exercise in logic for my mind.
139richardderus
>137 ChrisG1: Miss Mapp was the real nasty piece of work in that series. Lucia was awful, true, but she wasn't cruel in that vengeful, revenge-driven way.
140ChrisG1
>138 ChrisG1: I'm undecided about reading any more of the series. I enjoy trying new (to me) authors, but I can't say it's something I connected with - at least at a level to drive me to read further.
141ChrisG1
67. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. Second installment of his sci-fi trilogy. I last read this in college, so much of it was quite fresh. Lewis built upon his Christian cosmology established in the first volume with a tale of a new Eden, along with a new Adam & Eve being subjected to temptation on the young world of Perelandra.
142PaulCranswick
Some great reading going on over here, Chris and I am of course pleased that Maugham continues to satisfy.
143ChrisG1
68. Rocannon's World by Ursula LeGuin. I've added Le Guin to my list of authors whose works I want to explore further. This is the first installment of her "Hainish Cycle" which is not so much a "series" as it is a group of novels and short stories which share the same fictional universe. Le Guin is considered one of the greats in science fiction of her generation & the first woman to acheive that status.
144ChrisG1
69. On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed. A short collection of essays, not only about the origins of the holiday, but also about the author's & her family's experience of living in Texas as African-Americans, both that which was common in America and what was unique to Texas. She writes from a perspective of love for her state - the kind of love that perseveres through good & bad, not sparing the ugly realities. Recommended.
145richardderus
>144 ChrisG1: A really interesting collection. It's on the library holds list.
>143 ChrisG1: It's really different from the later entries in that Storyverse, but they're all very good reads indeed.
>141 ChrisG1: I enjoyed the trilogy when I was young. I would question its foundational ethics today, but I ain't one for re-reading.
>140 ChrisG1: No need; you've got the gist now, if it's not making you whinny and paw the dirt for more, skip to the next best thing.
>143 ChrisG1: It's really different from the later entries in that Storyverse, but they're all very good reads indeed.
>141 ChrisG1: I enjoyed the trilogy when I was young. I would question its foundational ethics today, but I ain't one for re-reading.
>140 ChrisG1: No need; you've got the gist now, if it's not making you whinny and paw the dirt for more, skip to the next best thing.
146ChrisG1
70. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L' Engle - second in her Time Quintet. After the first book dealt with the cosmic crisis in outer space, this one took the battle to inner space.
147ChrisG1
June Reading Summary:
Books read: 13
Pages read: 3028
Longest book: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott - 323 pgs
Shortest book: Queen Lucia by EF Benson - 136 pgs
Average book length: 233 pgs - I've definitely trended shorter lately - getting lazy?
Book of the Month: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
Dud of the month: No duds this month (yay!)
I was a bit less ambitious in June, for some reason, but enjoyed all that I read.
Books read: 13
Pages read: 3028
Longest book: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott - 323 pgs
Shortest book: Queen Lucia by EF Benson - 136 pgs
Average book length: 233 pgs - I've definitely trended shorter lately - getting lazy?
Book of the Month: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
Dud of the month: No duds this month (yay!)
I was a bit less ambitious in June, for some reason, but enjoyed all that I read.
148ChrisG1
July Reading Plan:
Persuasion - Jane Austen - BAC
The Seventh Day - Yu Hua - ABC
The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemison - SFF Challenge
The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? A Memoir - Seamus O'Reilly - BIWTR (long wait from the library, so we'll see)
The Harvest Gypsies - John Steinbeck
Divorce Horse - Craig Johnson - Longmire short story
Planet of Exile - Ursula Le Guin - Hainish Cycle
The Harlem Shuffle- Colson Whitehead - 2000’s
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - Booker Prize
The Abolition of Man - CS Lewis
Texasville - Larry McMurtry
Looking forward to my first Margaret Atwood novel. Have started on The Silmarillion & The Fifth Season - so far, so good.
Persuasion - Jane Austen - BAC
The Seventh Day - Yu Hua - ABC
The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemison - SFF Challenge
The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? A Memoir - Seamus O'Reilly - BIWTR (long wait from the library, so we'll see)
The Harvest Gypsies - John Steinbeck
Divorce Horse - Craig Johnson - Longmire short story
Planet of Exile - Ursula Le Guin - Hainish Cycle
The Harlem Shuffle- Colson Whitehead - 2000’s
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - Booker Prize
The Abolition of Man - CS Lewis
Texasville - Larry McMurtry
Looking forward to my first Margaret Atwood novel. Have started on The Silmarillion & The Fifth Season - so far, so good.
149RBeffa
>143 ChrisG1: Rocannon's World was one of the earliest science fiction novels I read - certainly my first Le Guin. I re-read it in 2015 and still enjoyed it and probably appreciated it a little more.
150ChrisG1
71. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Expectations were high for this, as the author won multiple awards for it. And well deserved. The premise, the world-building, the character development, plot twists & turns - all excellent. If you're a sci-fi/fantasy reader, you will like this. I'll be sure to read the 2nd & 3rd installments.
151ChrisG1
72. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. I've primarily been interested in Lewis for his fiction, but have been wanting to read his essays & other non-fiction work. The themes in this work, predating so many social and scientific "advances" is eerily prescient. The extent to which appeals to "progress" and "science" are used to tear down the wisdom of the ages (which he refers to as "the Tao"), is dead on. He sees through them as the naked power grabs they are - totalitarian in nature - to show that humanity can "conquer nature" and replace it with an allegedly more enlightened regime which will merely reflect the preferences of the power grabbers (my lingo, not his). This is occuring today on both left & right. Lewis doesn't distinguish left & right, probably because he wrote this in the era of Hitler & Stalin, Mussolini & Mao. We've clearly learned nothing, as so many seem to desire to head in those directions.
152ChrisG1
73. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. A highly personal notebook that Lewis wrote in the wake of the passing of his wife. YMMV, but I found it a very worthwhile read.
74. Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson. A short story in the Longmire series. Not much to it.
I'll confess I've been in a bit of a reading slump, only completing short works in the last week. My attempt at The Silmarillion was mercifully aborted today - just can't get into it at all. I made an attempt at Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and it was just....not for me.
Of course, I just now found out that my "summer cold" that hit me last week is covid - I retested this morning after a negative test last Thursday - so maybe that's it. Symptoms have been nothing different than a typical summer cold - mostly nasal drainage down the throat, causing sore throat, cough, plus some nasal congestion & sneezing. No fever, no headaches, no loss of sense of taste or smell, etc....I'll definitely give credit to being double boosted.
74. Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson. A short story in the Longmire series. Not much to it.
I'll confess I've been in a bit of a reading slump, only completing short works in the last week. My attempt at The Silmarillion was mercifully aborted today - just can't get into it at all. I made an attempt at Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin and it was just....not for me.
Of course, I just now found out that my "summer cold" that hit me last week is covid - I retested this morning after a negative test last Thursday - so maybe that's it. Symptoms have been nothing different than a typical summer cold - mostly nasal drainage down the throat, causing sore throat, cough, plus some nasal congestion & sneezing. No fever, no headaches, no loss of sense of taste or smell, etc....I'll definitely give credit to being double boosted.
153ArlieS
>152 ChrisG1: Have a virtual hug from afar, and hopefully your covid symptoms will stay at the level of a cold - with even the reading slump being gone soon.
155OwenHeinicke
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156PaulCranswick
Thank you as always for books, thank you for this group and thanks for you. Have a lovely day, Chris. Miss you around here.