Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in April 2017 !


Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

I had a great time reading this month. I just picked up what sounded interesting and went with it.

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox (audio; 2-star) - I enjoyed hearing the stories behind the Carol Burnett Show, having watched it weekly all those years ago. However, this book was tedious and repetitive. Also, Carol's narration was lackluster.

In the Memory of the Forest (4-star) - an interesting mystery, which is quite different than the one in the blurb. Well-written. It's sad that this author passed away so soon. He only wrote this one book.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (2-star) - this story seemed more of a collection of eccentric people than an investigation into a killing. Fun to read but not much to take away from it.

Brave New World (2-star) - although I enjoyed reading this, it was a bit shallow. I found parts of it rather dated and other parts surprisingly modern.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (4-star) - a wonderful, warm story. I'm a big Lisa See fan and this one rates up there. A young Chinese woman gives birth to an illegitimate child, considered a "reject" in her society. In order to give the child a chance to live, she leaves it at an orphanage. This is a sotry of growth, love, acceptance and more.

Cages (4-star) - a graphic novel focussing on an apartment building. Everyone lives alone & separate but each person's life affects the others in an intertwining way, showing each person's connectivity to the whole of humanity. The graphics were well done; blending from very detailed photographs to very simple, minimalistic line drawings. They blend together flawlessly, enhancing the story.

Nice mix, Petra !

I thought I might be able to get one more in this month but I decided on a nap instead. LOL

So here are my April reads.

The Harder They Come by T.C. Boyle
Fiction
Rate: 4/5
I read this with my library group and also did a Buddy read here.
I enjoyed the writing and the story very much. It's a disturbing read that is very loosely based on true events.

Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers
non fiction
Rate: 3+/5
I found the book a bit repetitious. However, I did think the book explained some concepts quite well. I especially liked how she explained the "gap". If you are interested in learning to mediate, this is a short book that might be of help. The author also owns meditation centers.

Our Town by Thornton Wilder
Fiction- play
rate: 3/5
Interesting classic play. It's the story of a small town called Grover's Corners in the early 1900s and the simple lives of of its citizens. The play has basic but powerful themes about how quickly life passes and changes. We sometimes get caught up in the inconsequential daily activities and don't stop to realize the really big picture and important things. As Ferris Bueller would say, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. " :)

Good morning from Zagreb!! :) :) This is my April list:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Rating: A
Review: Technically I've read 95% percent of this book in March and only finished it in April. I loved all 842 pages of it, though. :)

2. The Scarlet Ibis: The Collection of Wonder by James Hurst
Rating: B
Review: This short story really resonated with me. It made me appreciated still having my brother in my life.

3. The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Rating: A
Review: Elle Kennedy is one of my favourite contemporary romance writers and this is my favourite series. The books are very humorous and steamy but they also have a serious note. In this book, for instance, the female protagonist was a victim of rape prior to coming to college and meeting the male protagonist. This is my second favourite of the series.

4. The Mistake by Elle Kennedy
Rating: A
Review: My third favourite, although equally as entertaining as the first one.

5. The Score by Elle Kennedy
Rating: A
Review: My favourite of the series and the funniest of the four books. I love both protagonists.

6. The Goal by Elle Kennedy
Rating: B
Review: My least favourite (because one of them has to be). It was almost everything this series usually is, but I just didn't connect with the characters the way I did in previous books.

7. Kralj Edip; Antigona by Sophocles
Rating: C
Review: I reread some of the more memorable required reading from high school every few years. Antigone is one of those that stayed with me, although I'm not really sure why.

8. Croatia: Land and People by Mladen Klemenčić
Rating: A
Review: I love this tourist monography. It has everything you need to know about Croatia, but short version, of course. Enough to give you an appetite for more.

9. Fedra, by Jean Racine by Jean Racine
Rating: B
Review: Another of the more memorable high school reads. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of "I'm doing you harm, but it's because I love you when I shouldn't and I can't control myself" behaviour, though. I am definitely not a supporter of parents immediately believing something bad about their children and rejecting them without checking the facts, just because their partner (who is not the other parent) said so.

10. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Rating: B
Review: A chilling short story with an inportant lesson if you are willing to learn it.

11. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Rating: B
Review: Another of my favourite contemporary romance series, and one that I've reread many times. I especially love them because of a serious issue each is dealing with. In this, first in the series, the female protagonist, still a teenager, is left to take care of her toddler sister when their mother dies in a car accident. Since I had a similar situation in life (bother my sister and I were older, though and she still has a dad), this resonated with me because short of killing someone (unless it's really necessary :)), I don't think there is anything I wouldn't do for my baby sister.

12. Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Rating: A
Review: My second favourite of the series. In this one, the female protagonist is a victim of an abusive husband who has a narcissistic personality disorder. When she finally manages to get out, bruised body and soul, she has to deal with aftereffects and the same type of abuser in her boss.

13. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Rating: A
Review: My favourite of the series. In this one, the female protagonist, who had a terrible childhood (one of those "mothers" who wasn't really a mother), and is now stuck with taking care of a nephew her sister or her mother don't want to take care of. This book confirms my opinion that just because all of us can procreate, it doesn't mean we should do it. Some of us are just not meant to be parents.

14. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
Rating: C
Review: This book reminded me a lot of "A Clockwork Orange" because the protagonist are, again, entitled boys who think they can do anything they want, not caring about consequences of their act. A very depressing book.

15. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Rating: A
Review: Another memorable high school read. I didn't particularly like the characters (especially not the husband) until the very end when Nora finally stood up for herself and became a completely different (and better!) person. I still don't like the husband. :)

16. Wait for It by Mariana Zapata
Rating: A,
Review: The latest release from my other favourite contemporary romance writer (Elle and Mariana are such different writers that they share the first place without fighting :D). Mariana Zapata is the queen of "slow burn" romances, and this one doesn't disappoint. Still, none of her other books can surpass "The Wall of Winnipeg and me" in my affections.

17. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Rating: B
Review: A lovely story. A fast and easy read, which was the authors' aim, I believe.

18. Slobodni i kraljevski grad Zagreb by Lelja Dobronić
Rating: A-
Review: A complete history of Gradec, one of the medieval settlements my hometown developed from. It was very informative and I enjoyed reading it. The only problem was the small cursive font transcriptions of original documents were written in. I had to skip a lot of pages because of that.

Samanta wrote:15. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Rating: A
Review: Another memorable high school read. I didn't particularly like the characters (especially not the husband) until the very end when Nora finally stood up for herself and became a completely different (and better!) person. I still don't like the husband. :).."

Wow ! You had some reading month, Samanta !

Funny we both decided to read the classic play, The Doll's House.
I have about 20 pages left until I finish.

Alias Reader wrote: "Samanta wrote:15. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Rating: A
Review: Another memorable high school read. I didn't particularly like the characters (especially not the husband) until the very end when..."

Thanks! I decided on reading shorter books to be ahead of the Goodreads challenge, in case I take on a longer book later on or don't have enough time for reading.

The Doll's House was a group read in another group so I thought it a perfect opportunity (though I ended up not taking part in the discussion :D). How come you decided to read it? What do you think?

I am reading A Doll's House for a few reasons. One is I like to have slender books to carry with me on the subway. I've found that plays fit the bill.

Second, I happen to own the book. I don't recall the story but I see my markings in it. So I must have read it many years ago.

I'm enjoying it. I have about 15-20 pages to go until I finish. I hope to finish it tonight and then start on The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. We are doing a Buddy Read of that here and also it's my library groups read this month.

I'm currently reading and enjoying very much Being Nixon: A Man Divided by Evan Thomas but I will have to put it aside for a bit to read the buddy read.

While in Greece i couldn't connect correctly to GR, so links were impossible. Fortunately i decided to try again and it worked. So, I can contribute to this beloved thread. But before i do, I wanted to say it's neat to see folks reading plays. I've read and found pleasure in reading them since i was a teenager. Alias, i hadn't thought about how convenient it would be on the subway. When i was there, I read poetry, which was a mixed experience.

The King Must Die by Mary Renault. I read this novel because it was set in Greece, including Crete, where we were when i finished it. My husband read it when he was in college and liked it very much. I was less enamoured with it. The story, a retelling of the life of Thesus, of the Minotaur fame. Renault created her own interpretations of things such as the Minotaur itself, the labyrinth, and other parts of the myth. This novel takes Thesus through his approach to Athens. I will not be reading the sequel.

Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper.
This is a biography of the first woman elected to be President anywhere in Africa. While she was born in Liberia, she was educated in the US and worked elsewhere for much of her life, particularly when her homeland was in the midst of the awful wars we read about, the ones using child soldiers. It's a good story, not shying away from some unfortunate decisions she made. I thought of this group as i read the final chapter wherein Monrovia became the first urban setting for an Ebola outbreak. I learned that in ridding the nation of it, experts learned the disease can live in sperm for 6 months!

I'm Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjørk. A mystery set in Sweden (gosh, i've forgotten already) about young girls who are almost ready for primary school found dead. Gruesome, right? The main characters are a couple of detectives, one a female who is suicidal and the other, an older officer, reassigned after a killing by the female. It was a tad too long for my taste but the story kept me going. I will no be reading any sequels.

The Clansman by Thomas Dixon Jr.. The second book in a trilogy about the end of the US Civil War and the beginning of the KKK. The writing is typical of the era--florid and descriptive but the racism is worse than i anticipated. No, i won't read the other two in the series.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. This YA science fiction novel kept me interested. Teenage girl has survived the "invasion" of aliens, although the invasion itself is unusual in that no one has yet to see one of the invaders. She is determined to reunite with her 5 year old brother and that is our story. Nope, i won't be reading subsequent books in this series, either. Clearly i am not a sequel reader. Don't get me wrong, i have read several but they have to be stronger before i'll invest more time.

Hahahaha, madrano. I was just about to comment on your "sequel-hating" tendencies when I saw the last sentence. :) :) :)

Have you read Phaedra by Jean Racine? It's a play and one of the characters is Theseus.

madrano wrote: I wanted to say it's neat to see folks reading plays. I've read and found pleasure in reading them since i was a teenager. Alias, i hadn't thought about how convenient it would be on the subway.

Deb, with my shoulder issues carrying heavy books along with all the other stuff I carry to the gym can be a problem for me. So for now this seems to be working.

Just an FYI to anyone in NYC. A friend just told me today there is a play on Broadway called A Doll's House, Part 2.

NY Times Review
A door that was once slammed so hard that the noise could be heard around the world is now being knocked upon, most insistently. In the opening moments of Lucas Hnath’s smart, funny and utterly engrossing new play, which opened Thursday night at the Golden Theater, audience members laugh at the sound of the demanding tattoo being beaten upon that door.

That’s because they have probably guessed who’s on the other side.

Welcome back, Mrs. Helmer, if that’s the name you still go by. And just what do you have to say for yourself after all these years?

Quite a lot, it turns out, and they are words to hang on. Mr. Hnath’s Broadway debut, which is directed by Sam Gold and features a magnificent Laurie Metcalf leading one of the best casts in town, is audaciously titled “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Yes, it dares to be a sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s revolutionary 1879 portrait of marriage as a women’s prison.

That drama, you may recall, ended with Nora Helmer — having realized, through an unfortunate series of events, that her marriage to her husband, Torvald, was an existential fraud — walked out on him and their three young children, slamming the door behind her. “A Doll’s House, Part 2” flashes forward 15 years, and my, how things have — and haven’t — changed.

Full review
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/th...

madrano wrote: Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper.
This is a biography of the first woman elected to be President anywhere in Africa. While she was born in Liberia, she was educated in the US and worked elsewhere for much of her life, particularly when her homeland was in the midst of the awful wars we read about, the ones using child soldiers. It's a good story, not shying away from some unfortunate decisions she made. I thought of this group as i read the final chapter wherein Monrovia became the first urban setting for an Ebola outbreak. I learned that in ridding the nation of it, experts learned the disease can live in sperm for 6 months!.."

I'm so glad you were able to connect and share your reads with us.

Madame President sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for bringing the title to my attention. I would also note that in 2011 she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

How did you happen upon this book?

And if any newbies to the board are wondering why Ebola would remind anyone of Book Nook Cafe, it is because we did a Buddy Read here of The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus---Richard Preston lol

I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Scary stuff.

The Harder They Come - T.C. Boyle
Fiction
Rating 3 starts.
It took me a while to get involved with this book, but it really got me from the second half onwards. It is a story that make you reflect on many things and, like Alias said, the development of the events it’s truly disturbing. Great as a buddy read.

As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Fiction
Rating 3 stars.
I though this book was genius. Yet I struggled a lot with it, specially because english it’s not my first language, I basically had to read it twice to get the full sense of it and appreciate the linguistic difference between different characters. That’s the reason why I gave it 3 starts.

A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
Fiction
Rating 4 stars
I read many Hemingway’s book and one of the reason why I like them it’s that you travel with the author around the word in significant historic times. Here we were in my beloved Italy during the first world war, Hemingway’s descriptions of the landscapes, cities and people were so vivid that made me feel homesick. But what I loved the most was the perception of the war against the energy and youth of all the people which appear in the book. Nearly everyone involved in the story was about 20, although often they tried to don’t think about it, they could face death around every corner. All Harry’s acquaintances the priest, the doctor-room mate, but specially Catherine, appear willing to enjoy their life and live it at the higher intensity making plans for the future. Through their dialogue it’s so immediate how young they are, that’s why sometimes they can sound even a bit silly, and how the intensity of their love and attachment to life is the reaction against the destruction of the war. Wonderful book.

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey - Ernesto Che Guevara
Authobiograhpy
Rating 4 stars
Motorcycles diaries take the reader around South America with ‘Che’ and a his friend initially on a motorbike and lately on foot. The places he visits and the people he meets will be crucial in his subsequent development as one of the most significant revolutionary figures of our times. The evolution of its thoughts on human condition and opportunities develop with his journey and was interesting and emotional understand the process. Loved the book, highly recommended.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: I wanted to say it's neat to see folks reading plays. I've read and found pleasure in reading them since i was a teenager. Alias, i hadn't thought about how convenient it would be on..."

I would love to see this play. Maybe someone will buy the rights for a Croatian version.

Francesca M wrote
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey - Ernesto Che Guevara
Authobiograhpy
Rating 4 stars
Motorcycles diaries take the reader around South America with ‘Che’ and a his friend initially on a motorbike and lately on foot. The places he visits and the people he meets will be crucial in his subsequent development as one of the most significant revolutionary figures of our times. The evolution of its thoughts on human condition and opportunities develop with his journey and was interesting and emotional understand the process. Loved the book, highly recommended. "

Thank you for reading The Harder They Come with me !

I've owned for a long time but not yet read The Motorcycle Diaries. I'm glad to see you gave it 4 stars.

I think William Faulkner is a hard read for people whose first language is English.

I love the novels by Ernest Hemingway. For some reason I've not enjoyed his short stories as much.

Francesca M wrote: "[
As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Fiction
Rating 3 stars.
I though this book was genius. Yet I struggled a lot with it, specially because english it’s not my first language, I basically had to read it twice to get the full sense of it and appreciate the linguistic difference between different characters. That’s the reason why I gave it 3 starts. .."

I'm a big Faulkner fan, although I've only read 2 of his books. This is one of them. I think his writing is wonderful and agree that it's not the easiest to read. Reading his works with English as not your first language would certainly be challenging. Well done!

Have you read other works by Faulkner?

Samanta wrote: "1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Rating: A
Review: Technically I've read 95% percent of this book in March and only finished it in April. I loved all 842 pages of it, though. :)
..."

I really like this series. I'm just past A Breath Of Snow & Ashes.
Will you be continuing, Samanta?

We've had a wonderful reading month in April. I'm adding a few of these books to my TBR list. Thanks!

Alias Reader wrote: "Francesca M wrote
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey - Ernesto Che Guevara
Authobiograhpy
Rating 4 stars
Motorcycles diaries take the reader around South America with ‘Che’ a..."

I really enjoyed the buddy read too Alias and looking forward for the next one, I haven’t started yet, I wanted to finish the The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared before to begin, hopefully in a couple of days.

I only read Hemingway’s long novels, I’m not a big fun of short stories in general and after yours and some of my friends comments I think I will probably skip them for now :)

Petra wrote: "Francesca M wrote: "[
As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Fiction
Rating 3 stars.
I though this book was genius. Yet I struggled a lot with it, specially because english it’s not my first language, I..."

This was my first one Petra, but I was planning to read others. I have 'Go Down, Moses' and 'Absalom, Absalom!' in my TBR list. Is there a particular one that you would suggest?

Petra wrote: "Samanta wrote: "1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Rating: A
Review: Technically I've read 95% percent of this book in March and only finished it in April. I loved all 842 pages of it, though. :)
..."
..."

The first 5 are on my determination list as I own physical copies. I want to read the second and the third one before Season 3 starts in September.

Francesca M wrote: "Is there a particular one that you would suggest? ..."

I can't suggest any because I've only read 2. The other one I've read is The Sound and the Fury, which I loved. I would recommend it. Just beware that it's more convoluted than As I Lay Dying (either that, or I was more used to Faulkner's writing by then).
I would like to read others by him soon, though. I really enjoy his writing.

Samanta wrote: "The first 5 are on my determination list as I own physical copies. I want to read the second and the third one before Season 3 starts in September. ..."

They read up quickly. I stopped reading for a few years because Diana Gabaldon is so slow at writing this series, then she started writing another. It was a boycott but now I'm slowly reading them again. I'm still upset with her for not finishing this series sooner.
I haven't watched the TV series yet.

Petra wrote: "Samanta wrote: "The first 5 are on my determination list as I own physical copies. I want to read the second and the third one before Season 3 starts in September. ..."

They read up quickly. I sto..."

Tell me about it! At least I started reading when there were already 8 books. I guess it's her prerogative, whether we like it or not.

I love the show. It's very close to the book, but Diana is the advisor so that's no surprise.

You all are making me feel like a slacker........you have such great lists and I am just reading whatever come up next in the pile, although I get sidetracked by some of the recommendations here and in other clubs.

I am just finishing up New York City in the Gilded Age by Esther Crain....a fascinating book.

@madrano........I thought I might have been the only person in modern times who had read The Clansman by Thomas Dixon Jr.. It is a hard book to read and was used as a source book for the classic film "The Birth of a Nation" by D.W. Griffith which, of course, is extremely controversial. It is considered a classic because of filming techniques as opposed to the subject matter. The book was a blockbuster when released and reflected the attitude in the US at the time. Whew!!!

Amusing notes on short books and sequels. Sailor Who Fell With Grace From the Sea might be the only Mishima I haven't read; I should maybe give it a go. I've been meaning to re-read Brave New World, and "shallow" well-describes how I remember it and why I am putting off the re-read. Faulkner, ugh. When I read JR, my reaction was, "This is how it's done, Faulkner!" His ambiguous and semi-literate writing style would be tolerable if it was in the service of a story worth reading.

OK, here goes April:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I re-read this after coming across a few references to it, and being unable to remember which read-it-it's-good-for-you novel this was from back in my school days. Oh right, the one about the ugly girl who gets raped by her drunken father. Absolutely stellar on the re-read: the construction of the story, the development of the (adult) characters, the voice. Five I-guess-you-were-right stars.

Barring Some Unforeseen Accident by Jackson Tippett McCrae. Mr McCrae's books are not easy to find, and I've only read one other (Katzenjammer: Soon to Be A Major Motion Picture). They tend to be well-written and entertaining, albeit heavy with that post-MFA snark that seems to have infected most novels, literary journals, and essay-blogs for the past ten or fifteen years. This one is about an author who ventures to a small town in the South in order to write a cookbook. Nothing is what it seems, tragedy ensues, etc. Three entertained-but-unimpressed stars.

The Dedalus Book of Russian Decadence: Perversity, Despair and Collapse: I started reading selections from this last year, and made a concerted effort to get through it last month. Let's just say the Russian decadence isn't the French Decadence: the sense of moral decay just isn't there. Lots of stories of young people dying in the pursuit of love or friendship, some entirely forgettable poetry. Two ho-hum stars.

A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch. A serial womanizer is left by his wife, who abandons him for her therapist. The therapist has a sister, who teaches the main character's lover, who wants to run off with the main character's brother ... in terms of Love Triangles, the geometry of the relationships in this book is downright non-Euclidean. Quite well done, nicely urbane dialogue of the Kingsley Amis variety, moments of dark humor. Five wandering stars.

The Grammar of Rock: Art and Artlessness in 20th Century Pop Lyrics by Alexander Theroux. I had to make a big push to finish this book and get it out of sight, as it was drawing unfavorable comments like "I see you're reading another Death of Virgil!". After taking a year to read the first hundred pages, I read the subsequent 200 in about a week. This is not a difficult book; there is just no reason to continue reading it. Theroux has produced an unbroken 300-page rant on pop culture and especially pop music, an incoherent and disconnected jumble of lists, trivia, memories, and pop lyrics. Who cares! Occasionally entertaining, and with Mr Theroux being as well-read as he is (and as unwilling to let you forget the fact), there are a lot of references to follow up on, so it's not a total waste. Two resigned-but-ultimately-victorious stars.

Well done, Mkfs ! That's a nice eclectic mix.

I enjoyed reading your reviews quite a bit.

Mkfs wrote: "Faulkner, ugh."

Yay....fellow Faulkner hater! :-)
I gave up on two of his books, one early and one 3/4 the way through, and now I am done with him. I do not like the way he writes. It's too much of a rambling mess.

My Name Is Asher Lev - 5 stars
I liked this book very much. I didn't fly through it quickly, but I thought it was powerful in the way the characters' emotions were portrayed.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - 3 stars
Ok. Just another prison camp story.

Between Shades of Gray - 4 stars
This one also takes place in Soviet camps, but I thought it was more emotional and interesting than Ivan. It is YA.

Signs Preceding the End of the World - 3 stars
Interesting book but I didn't feel much emotional connection to it.

Fragile - 3 stars
Mystery audiobook. Interesting enough for commuting.

Elizabeth Is Missing - 3 stars
I liked this book and the point of view of a woman with dementia was interesting, but I thought it could have moved a little faster or something.

In April I read:

Lição, by Roland Barthes – A non-fiction book about language. The power of language to submit people (through the media, fashion, etc.) and to submit our opinions, even our thoughts and feelings. The role of literature as a way to escape from the limits of language, the practice of writing, not to sell books, but to be inventive/creative. A very interesting reading. (4 stars)

Morte em Veneza, by Thomas Mann – A little novel with beautiful descriptions and fluent reflections from the main character (Aschenbach). In this book, we kind of witness (like watching a movie) the imaginary relationship between the old writer Aschenbach and a teenager he sees in Venice. Along with his obsession about the boy, he reflects about Art, Beauty as an art concept and something to achieve, in the Art (writing or other). His descriptions and thoughts about the boy are not about the person, sometimes he seems to be appreciating a statue, even if it is a live-statue… He starts questioning his life and his choices, because since he was very young he had a very restrict perception about his duties, he worked a lot, and lived little... (4 stars)

Ficções, by Jorge Luís Borges – It’s a compilation of writings, I think we can’t call (all of) them short stories. Some are brilliant, completely “out of the box”, difficult to imagine, as we are reading them. I mean, we understand the words, but we can’t conceive what Borges is describing/explaining… At least I couldn't... Especially in "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius". These fictions are surrealistic, fantastic, really imaginative. Some are detective stories, some are cyclic or like mazes, where the characters (as we), can’t find their (our) way out of the labyrinth. (3 stars)

Contos Exemplares, by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen – Compilation of short stories by one of portuguese best female writers. These are short stories about faith ("The tree wise man"), about enjoying the trip, not only the destiny ("The trip"), about the good/bad, wright/wrong ("The bishop dinner"), the loneliness and despair ("The man"), and other. Wonderfully written, a bit dark to this author, known especially because of her poetry and children books. (4 stars)

O Mundo Em Que Vivi, by Ilse Losa – The story of Jewish girl, told in her own voice, from her childhood until she is an adult, and Hitler becomes the Führer. (4 stars)

O professor, by Charlotte Brontë – This is the only male narrator of Charlotte Brontë novels. The story has some similarities with Jane Eyre and Villette. The main character is a man without fortune who has to find a place to work and to live. He becomes a teacher in Brussels and he manages to be a great teacher, to make fortune and to have a good life. In the middle, he also reveals to be a bit feminist (I’m not going to tell anymore…). A great novel, with lovely dialogues, full of reflections about the conduct of the characters (something I love in the nineteen century’s novels). (4 stars)

Abraço, by José Luís Peixoto – A compilation of texts about several themes. Some, autobiographical: the author's childhood, the little village where he has grown up, about his adolescence and his hardcore band, about his children, his travels, his work as a writer. Others about writing, about the writers that influence his work. Others a bit absurd and very amusing, like the one in which he claims to be the owner of P (I mean the letter P, so we would have to pay him each time we use this letter...), or the one in which he tells the travel he made until Switzerland to take James Joyce's bones to Dublin, and how he manage to do that. Above all, a beautiful writing, José Luís Peixoto has a gift to tell stories, to talk about feelings without being "cheesy", with all the simplicity and nudity that is possible. (5 stars)

Julie wrote: "Mkfs wrote: "Faulkner, ugh."

Yay....fellow Faulkner hater! :-)
I gave up on two of his books, one early and one 3/4 the way through, and now I am done with him. I do not like the way he writes. It..."

Another one here! :) Tried both The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying and just couldn't stomach it.

Julie wrote: "My Name Is Asher Lev - 5 stars
I liked this book very much. I didn't fly through it quickly, but I thought it was powerful in the way the characters' emotions were portrayed.

[book:On..."

I read Herrera's whole trilogy last year and liked it a lot. There was just something about it that appealed to me, but I can't exactly pinpoint it.

Samanta wrote: "I read Herrera's whole trilogy last year and liked it a lot. There was just something about it that appealed to me, but I can't exactly pinpoint it. ..."

I know exactly what you mean! I had the same problem when I tried to explain it in my review.

Julie wrote: "My Name Is Asher Lev - 5 stars
I liked this book very much. I didn't fly through it quickly, but I thought it was powerful in the way the characters' emotions were portrayed.

[book:On..."

I also read and enjoyed this novel.

Rita wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "

Share with us what you read in April 2017 !


Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book"
How..."

How to add the book cover or Book link to my post

When you go to your Reply box at the top of the box you will see the words:

Add book/ author

Just click on that.

You're welcome. You will also see there the link to add
author photo or author link.

Don't hesitate to ask about anything I can help you with.

Also note, the last Folder on Book Nook Cafe is
Questions about GoodReads & BNC

There we put up a Q&A to help people when this group moved
from Aol to GoodReads.

Andreia wrote: "
Morte em Veneza, by Thomas Mann – A little novel with beautiful descriptions and fluent reflections from the main character (Aschenbach). In this book, we kind of witness (like watching a movie) the imaginary relationship between the old writer Aschenbach and a teenager he sees in Venice. Along with his obsession about the boy, he reflects about Art, Beauty as an art concept and something to achieve, in the Art (writing or other). His descriptions and thoughts about the boy are not about the person, sometimes he seems to be appreciating a statue, even if it is a live-statue… He starts questioning his life and his choices, because since he was very young he had a very restrict perception about his duties, he worked a lot, and lived little... (4 stars),..."

Andreia, I enjoyed Death in Venice as well. One day, I'll read more Thomas Mann.

Petra wrote: "Andreia wrote: "
Morte em Veneza, by Thomas Mann – A little novel with beautiful descriptions and fluent reflections from the main character (Aschenbach). In this book, we kind of witness (like wat..."

Hello Petra! Me, too! I want to read "The magic mountain" and "Doctor Faustus" :)

I saw your readings, I'm curious about "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" and "In the memory of the forest". "Brave new world" is already in my TBR list...

Samanta, i have not read Phaedra by Racine but thought of it when i read the Renault. In my teens i read a bio of Sarah Bernhardt and remember reading about her performances of this play. Still haven't read it, though.

Alias, Doll House, 2I sounds intriguing, although i like how Ibsen ended it.

I read a positive review of Madame President and it was available, so i tried it. The writing is not traditional, nor "out there". She notes in her acknowledgements that editors & friends asked her to make it less non-trad but i liked the feel once i got into it.

Jill, it's a pity Birth of a Nation was so creative and awarded, as it means we still know about it today. The only reason i read the book was because it was in my great-grandfather's library of books we inherited. As he usually read westerns, this title surprised me. I have reason to believe my grandmother actually owned the book, although her bookmark was still in the first chaper. Knowing the woman she became, i suspect she read it because it was a movie.

I am having trouble posting titles and authors, they just don't connect some days. Sorry for that lapse. I was trying to recall the name of a priest whose poetry was well regarded in the South during the Civil War. Without GR's links, I'm lost? I tried reading some random poems and they were not only bad but racist. A priest, for pity's sake! How i like to think we are beyond that.

Deb, I googled your sentence " priest whose poetry was well regarded in the South during the Civil War."
Some priests name do come up.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abram...

Your post reminded me that i first ran into his name in Mobile, Alabama. That was just enough info to zero in on him. Again today my book/author link doesn't work, so that is all i can offer. I got the poetry book from Project Gutenberg and returned it fairly quickly. The Wiki article is more encouraging about his publishing, i noticed, than i gave him credit.