Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in November 2014

Please provide:

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

CAROL'S NOVEMBER 2014 READS

I'm sorry that I'm posting early, but we are flying south to Texas, spending a week with our boys and also my cousins (from Florida) who are also visiting their daughter (who also lives there.) I did enjoy the reads this month - especially John Banville's poetic writing; Gwendolyn Brooks poems and especially Maud Martha; and after reading George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London; which drew me to more of his books. So I ordered a few more books. (I still have John Keats to finish.)


1. A Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by George Kent
Non Fiction
Rate: 5 stars
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917-2000) was a highly regarded African-American poet with the distinction of being the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. She also was poetry consultant to the Library of Congress—the first black woman to hold that position—and poet laureate of the State of Illinois. Many of Brooks's works display a political consciousness, especially those from the 1960s and later, with several of her poems reflecting the civil rights activism of that period. Her body of work gave her, according to Dictionary of Literary Biography contributor George E. Kent, "a unique position in American letters. Not only has she combined a strong commitment to racial identity and equality with a mastery of poetic techniques, but she has also managed to bridge the gap between the academic poets of her generation in the 1940s and the young black militant writers of the 1960s." one of her poems -

These dearly I want:
The pleasures of life,
Untouched by hate, unbroken by strife;
Free of bores and foul loves and cares,
Free of dead fears and timely gray hairs!
Full of adventure and cheer and good will,
Full of true friendships, without modern chill;
Ambitions and aims that really come true.


2. The Sea by John Banville
Fiction
Rate: 5 stars.
Banville can really draw you in with beautiful poetic writing and also the winner of the Booker Prize. This my first time reading Banville's work. The Sea is a novel about love, loss, and the unpredictable power of memory. Max Morden, a middle age, art critic/writer from Ireland, returns to his childhood seaside town, in order to cope with the recent loss of his wife. He returns to the place where he met the Graces, composed of the mother, father and twins: Chloe and Myles, a strange young lad who has never spoken. Yet Max struggles while trying to write an article on the artist Bonnard, exploring the nature of memory and loss.


3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Fiction
Rate: 4 stars
Gaiman is excellent at writing magical narratives, creating entire worlds where "coming of age" characters come in contact with a young man, who falls in love with a Faerie. FYI- this is not a "regular" fairy tale for children.


4. Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
Fiction
Rate: 5 stars
Published in 1953, Maud Martha is the story of a girl, growing up in Chicago in the 1940s. The story is so captivating, told with minimal drama and maximal beauty. It is a work of fiction, written for adults; a wonderful novella made up of thirty-four vignettes. I feel as though I know Maud Martha. She was the intelligent, generous girl who always reached out to others. One example is the story of the overweight girl at school who refuses to run in order to preserve her poise; as well as when Maud caught a mouse and then sets it free in an exuberant act of generosity. I truly enjoyed reading Maud Martha.


5. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
Non Fiction
Rate: 5 stars
George Orwell's first book (memoir), Down and Out in Paris and London, is almost entirely about the lack of money. In his chapters, Orwell struggles to add a couple of francs or pounds to his fortune. Why? " Because that struggle is the subject of the book! Readers love reading about writers experiencing poverty. Who doesn’t? Those cautionary tales are even better if they end well and turn into tales of triumph. Being down and out is a universal, timeless story which can happen to anyone. Down and Out show us that the line between deprivation and success can be a very thin one. The latter is often achieved through learning how to love the former.

What was a nice Eton boy doing in scummy slums, instead of being upwardly mobile at Oxford or Cambridge? He was reinventing himself as George Orwell! His 1933 debut book was rejected by elitist publisher, T.S. Eliot, perhaps because its close-up portrait of lowlife was too pungent for comfort. Orwell was not a good student, but he had the necessary ingredients of an intellectual. Rather than pursue some artistic ideal, Orwell at the age of 25 years, chose his career as a plongeur (french for dishwasher.) Orwell refused the comfortable life offered by his parents and chose to become a freelance. In his experiences in Paris and in London, in his attempts to escape the boredom of a settled life, in his willingness to accept the difficulties that come with a life of poverty, Orwell was one of us.

6 The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
Non Fiction
Rate: 4 stars
Review: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, is truly one of my favorite museums. I was devastated after I learned that thieves had broke in and stole thirteen priceless (valued at $500 million). Works of art such as Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633), A Lady and Gentleman in Black (1633) and a Self Portrait (1634), an etching on paper; Vermeer’s The Concert (1658–1660); and Govaert Flinck’s Landscape with an Obelisk (1638); in addition to the second floor were five works on paper entitled "After the Bath" by the Impressionist artist Edgar Degas.
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A struggling young artist, Claire Roth, is challenged to produce a fake work of art, even though it is a crime. She has produced paintings for a popular online retailer, Reproductions.com., in a way to improve herself in the art world. She meets Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner, to forge a Degas masterpiece which was stolen during the Gardner Museum heist, in return for a one-woman show at his gallery. But once the Degas painting arrives, Claire Degas suspect that it's not the original, but a forgery itself.


7. Spencer's Mountain by Earl Hamner Jr.
Non Fiction
Rate: 5 stars
What a wonderful book, I will have to try to find another copy of it, a little slice of life during the Depression with a very large family. I grew up watching The Waltons on TV. Originally it all began with The Homecoming we watched on Christmas. I always wanted to be part of a large family with values. I loved all the characters, from the youngest child, Elizabeth, to the oldest "John-boy" (as known on TV or referred to as "Clay-boy" in the Spenser's Mountain book.) This is the first book in a series of four books based on their life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (where my cousins grew up), very different from growing up here in CT.

All 4 & 5 stars ! Congrats on the great reading month, Carol.

As always, I enjoyed reading your thoughtful commentary.

I read nine books this month. :) A good number for me!

1. Clockwork Princess, 4/5
This was a wonderful conclusion to "The Infernal Devices" trilogy. The ending was so original!

2. Hex Hall, 4/5
A romp with the supernatural, this book was entertaining and an easy read.

3. Kalona's Fall, 2/5
I found this novella rather dull, though the illustrations were lovely.

4. The Reckoning, 4/5
A good end (?) to "The Darkest Powers" series. Makes me want to go back and read more from "Women of the Otherworld" books!

5. Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1/5
I found her poetry extremely depressing and dry.

6. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, 3/5
This book passes on a very important message, and is written in an extremely accessible manner.

7. Changeling, 4/5
Really fast read. Engaging, and very interesting plotline.

8. Quentins, 4/5
Binchy is always enjoyed by me. She writes so comfortably, you zip through way too fast for your liking.

9. Just So Stories, 3/5
Neat little stories similar to "Aesop's Fables."

Good reading month, Maggie! I also enjoy Maeve Binchy's novels.

Very nice month, Maggie. Thanks for sharing.

Well, it looks like I've only read one book this month. I lost a week helping my sister move and this past week I've been sick with a head cold/cough.

The book I read was our November Group Read. I enjoyed it very much and you can read more about it in the group read thread.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story---Ben Carson

I read 3 books this month

Promise of the Wolves and Secrets of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst. These are the 1st two books in the Wolf Chronicles trilogy. They are YA reads, but I enjoyed them very much. They tell the story of a young wolf Kaala's relationship with her pack and with a prehistoric young girl. The storyline seems to be telling the origins of the first domesticated dogs. Looking forward to the 3rd book which will be released next month.

I also read Belles on Their Toes by brother and sister Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Belles On Their Toes is a sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen and (view spoiler)[picks up after Frank, their father, has passed away (hide spoiler)].

It's great when you enjoy all the books you selected for the month, Julia. Very nice.

Alias - ha ha!! Those are only the ones that I read all the way through, I can't tell you how many I started and abandoned....

Julia wrote: "Alias - ha ha!! Those are only the ones that I read all the way through, I can't tell you how many I started and abandoned...."

You still did better than I did this month. I need to get back into reading and less computer games.

November was an excellent reading month for me--I had my first 5-star read since 2012! I'm very picky with my ratings, as you can tell. But one book managed to shine bright enough to garner top billing for me. And several others came close.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra: Set in a small rural village in Chechnya, this book follows the lives of three characters over a five-day period (with flashbacks as well) and tells the story of how they all are intertwined. I was leaning toward giving it 4 stars until the last 100 pages or so --then I couldn't put it down. And the ending made me cry. The writing is gorgeous--there's a page-long sentence on page 139 (paperback edition) that just takes your breath away ...I went back and re-read it three times. I can't believe this is the author's debut novel. 5/5 stars

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown: The story of the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics. This kind of narrative nonfiction is right up my alley -- I loved this book. 4.5/5 stars

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: One night in Toronto, a famous Hollywood actor suddenly dies onstage during a production of "King Lear." Hours later, a virulent strain of "Georgia Flu" starts sweeping across the planet, quickly killing 99% of the world's population. The book then alternates between the years leading up to the pandemic and a time 15 years afterwards, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains of the upper Midwest, performing Shakespeare to those who survived. The novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the famous actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the theater troupe who was there when the famous actor died. I really liked this book and raced to the end to see how everything was connected. 4/5 stars

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel: The second in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy. In this one, Henry VIII has become disenchanted with Anne Boleyn and instructs Cromwell to find ways to bring her down so he can marry Jane Seymour. It concludes with her trial and beheading. I liked this a lot better than Wolf Hall, the first one, which I found to be a chore to read. I'm not sure if this book was edited better or if I've just gotten used to the writing style. 4/5 stars

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah: I picked up this book after seeing "The Good Lie," the movie about the Lost Boys of Sudan. This book is a memoir by Beah, who at the age of 12 was forced to flee rebels who attacked his village in Sierra Leone. At 13, he was forced to become a child soldier in the government army until he was rescued by an international relief organization and rehabilitated. It was a powerful account, but I thought it came up a bit short. The lead-up to his kidnapping into the army and the time period of his rehabilitation were detailed, but the story of his time in the army covered less than a chapter. Maybe it was written that way on purpose -- maybe Beah doesn't WANT to remember it. But as a memoir, this lack of detail detracted from the story. 3/5 stars

The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-hunting in the Western World by John Demos: An examination of the cultural, societal, and psychological practice of witch-hunts, from the early Christians persecuted in Rome through the Salem witch trials, McCarthy’s hunt for communists, and the hysteria around child sex-abuse cases and satanic cults in the 1980s. Well written and interesting, but a bit too heavy on the Salem witch trials. 3/5 stars

The Fragile World by Paula Treick DeBoard: At the start of the book, the son is killed in an accident while away at college. The book then follows his mother, father and sister as they struggle to make sense of his death. I thought it was pretty good until it started to fall apart towards the end. 3/5 stars

Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen: Chick lit. Predictable situations, predictable dialogue, predictable ending. Meh. I should have known better than to pick this up. 2/5 stars

Amy wrote: November was an excellent reading month for me--I had my first 5-star read since 2012! I'm very picky with my ratings, as you can tell. But one book managed to shine bright enough to garner top billing for me. And several others came close.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra: Set in a small rural village in Chechnya, this book follows the lives of three characters over a five-day period (with flashbacks as well) and tells the story of how they all are intertwined. I was leaning toward giving it 4 stars until the last 100 pages or so --then I couldn't put it down. And the ending made me cry. The writing is gorgeous--there's a page-long sentence on page 139 (paperback edition) that just takes your breath away ...I went back and re-read it three times. I can't believe this is the author's debut novel. 5/5 stars
..."

Wow ! That is some recommendation !

Congratulations on the excellent reading month and also for sharing it with the group.

Amy wrote: "November was an excellent reading month for me--I had my first 5-star read since 2012! I'm very picky with my ratings, as you can tell. But one book managed to shine bright enough to garner top bil..."

Excellent reading month Amy! I think you may have just convinced me to buy Bring Up The Bodies in my Christmas Book Box. I ultimately enjoyed Wolf Hall but found it hard work at times, so if this one is better then great!

Only two for me this month! Fingers crossed I can get some good reading done over the Christmas break, I could really do with digging into a really long tome and my book pile is full of them!

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - A mother and daughter living in a big lonely house are accused by a teenage girl of imprisonment and torture and a country solicitor takes up their case. This book was OK, very well written, but I didn't really care about the characters as they were a bit flat. I was expecting more of a mystery element but it was a rather run-of-the-mill linear legal story that had no twists or turns or points of interest. Looking at reviews I may have picked the wrong Tey book, as she is meant to be an excellent mystery writer but this book isn't about that. I will read her again, but pick ones where her famous detective Inspector Grant is the main character, as he only had a cameo in this. Some interesting points were made about how the tabloid press acts as judge, jury and executioner sometimes, and the court case itself was good to read, but other than that I was not compelled to pick this up. 3 STARS

Double Indemnity by James M Cain - Short and effective, I really enjoyed this classic noir but found there wasn't quite enough atmosphere to elevate it to the level of my all-time favourite, Raymond Chandler. There was something lacking and I think perhaps it was the depth of other noir - the complicated tangled stories and distinctive language of a Marlowe novel. There were no poetic similies or metaphors here and not much cheeky dialogue, and I missed all that stuff. However, the writing was clean and sharp and got the point across, and the final chapter was a knockout - chilling, sinister and full of the dark arts. It all came together for me in that last chapter and I understood. Excellent read! FOUR STARS

Alias Reader wrote: "Julia wrote: "Alias - ha ha!! Those are only the ones that I read all the way through, I can't tell you how many I started and abandoned...."

You still did better than I did this month. I need t..."

Me too. I don't know where the time goes lately.

Carol, the Orwell you read is on my Mt. TBR. Two other of his books I recommend are Burmese Days which is fictional and Homage to Catalonia which is a memoir of his time in Spain during the Civil War. BD conveys some of the ugly side of British colonialism, and HTC shows the totally non-romantic side of signing up for a cause. I really enjoy the way Orwell can look at something and cut to the quick, as it were.

I'm getting very little read this year, but this month I did read Ruth Ozeki's
A Tale for the Time Being, which was recommended to me by Madrano. Some time after the Japanese earthquake/tsunami, a package washes up on the beach on an island on Canada's west coast, and is given to an author residing there. Several items are in it, including a teenage girl's diary. The author character, also named Ruth, becomes enchanted by the diary, wants to know if it really could have come from Japan after the disaster (too short a time interval), and wants to know what happened to the girl and her family. The diary covers the girl's life in Japan, her travails, her great-grandmother who is a Zen monk (nun?) and has a colorful history, her father's depression, etc. The author and her husband have a cat named Schrodinger, but they call him Pesto.

It was a different and interesting book, replete with tall trees and gales, some slightly odd characters and a quantum physics (or Zen) ending. Enjoyable read.

Not my most productive month between some work craziness and everyone in the house getting tandem colds.

The Stand (4/5) - I really should have looked harder for the original short version. All in all, a crazy ride and a satisfying ending.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette (4/5) - Really fun read and just what I needed after The Stand! Thanks for the recommendations :)

Not That Kind of Girl (1/5) - Picked this up after seeing it basically everywhere, the Strand even had a whole "Lena Dunham" feature table. I just couldn't relate and dropped it 1/4 of the way through.

Emma, I sure hope Semple writes another book soon. I really thought Bernadette was terrific.

Lib, A Tale for the Time Being, sounds interesting.

Thanks everyone for sharing their Nov. reads with the group. The more that do, the better the thread is. It's also a great way to contribute to the group for newbies. :)

I read A Tale for the Time Being awhile back. I remember enjoying it, but must admit it didn't stick with me.

I read a lot of books this month because my husband had some surgery and I've been in the hospital and also at home with lots of time----he's fine, by the way, and glad it's over. I wish I had more time to do these books justice. I do reviews on GR when I finish a book, though, and there's probably a little more detail there if you're interested.

I love to hear what you're all reading. I have read nine of the titles mentioned, and agree pretty closely with your comments. Here are mine for the month:

I'll Give You the Sun I always read a couple of YA books each year, for the fun of it. I enjoyed this one about a set of very artistic twins coming of age. Five stars, or close to it.

Nine Days: A Mystery This was a pretty good mystery about a mob wife who ended up in the witness protection program after her husband was murdered in front of her. She is brash and reckless and not unwilling to walk on the edge of legality. She is also a size 16 at five feet tall. Anyway, I thought the middle dragged a bit, but I liked the ending. 3.5 stars

The Shock of the Fall I had the feeling that I had read this story before, which bothered me the whole time I was reading. Also, he book was tragic, but didn't stir emotions, at least for me. 3 stars

Us Middle aged British couple, their marriage slipping away, agree to take a European grand tour with their teen aged son. I found myself giggling aloud in front of strangers. 5 stars

The Undertaking A different kind of book about a German soldier on the Russian front in WWII, and his wife at home in Berlin. Interesting characters who have great strengths and depressing weaknesses, one of whom seems to learn life lessons, and one of whom seems unable to do that. 4 stars

Ancillary Sword The second in this sci-fi detective fiction. I found the world of Ann Leckie to be fascinating the first time around, less so on the second go. The mystery wasn't all that engrossing, but some of the action was good. 3.5 stars

Bad Paper: Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld Who knew that Buffalo, NY is the world headquarters of semi-legal debt collection? This book looks at the consumer debt game pretty thoroughly from the ground up. I didn't finish it. The biggest lesson learned was never pay a debt that's more than five years old.

Michele wrote:
Us Middle aged British couple, their marriage slipping away, agree to take a European grand tour with their teen aged son. I found myself giggling aloud in front of strangers. 5 stars..."

I enjoyed reading your reviews, Michele. :)

I read One Day by David Nicholls and didn't care for it.

However, your synopsis of Us sounds like it would be a book I would enjoy. I've added it to my list. Thanks !

Glad to hear that your husband is going to be OK, Michele!

Soph wrote: "I think you may have just convinced me to buy Bring Up The Bodies in my Christmas Book Box. I ultimately enjoyed Wolf Hall but found it hard work at times, so if this one is better then great! ..."

It really did flow better than "Wolf Hall." I don't know why. Well, I do know ONE reason why--it's about 230 pages shorter, which helps! But also I felt that there was less of the convoluted, "said he, Cromwell..." sentence structure. This time there was less of the "wait, who's talking now? Which 'he' is she writing about?" So maybe Mantel got a better editor...who knows. Also, the story was all about the persecution and trial and execution of Anne Boleyn, which made for an exciting read. I'm not sure where Mantel is going to go with book 3 ... do you know?

Emma, I was at the Strand last week -- I was in NYC for a few days to meet an old college friend, and of course we had to stop there. ;) I picked up Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. And a Strand book tote to carry all my books in!

Michele wrote: "
Us Middle aged British couple, their marriage slipping away, agree to take a European grand tour with their teen aged son. I found myself giggling aloud in front of strangers. 5 stars"

Michele - thanks for the recommendation. I read and enjoyed One Day (I think it's one of those polarizing reads, but I found it engaging and heartbreaking) and look forward to this one.

Glad your husband is ok!

Amy wrote: "Emma, I was at the Strand last week -- I was in NYC for a few days to meet an old college friend, and of course we had to stop there. ;) I picked up Half of a Yellow Sun by [author:Chi..."

Yay! Long live the Strand. :) Looks like a good find!

Only read one book in November. I started several others and abondoned them.

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris narrated by David Rintoul ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An Officer and a spy by Robert Harris is about the Dreyfus affair. Alfred Dreyfus, however is not the hero of the book, quite on the contrary, he is only a minor character. The hero is Georges Picquart. It is Picquart who tells us about his struggle to expose the truth about the Dreyfus affair.

After Dreyfus incarnation Picquart is promoted to run the Statistical Section, the headquarters of French military intelligence. When it seems that there is still a spy operating on French soil, and when Picquart realizes that the evidence used to convict Dreyfus of espionage, is very circumstantial, he wants to re-investigate the Dreyfus affair. His superiors however don’t want him to re-investigate and don’t like his uncomfortable questions. When Picquart persists, he not only risks his own career and life but finds himself in the same predicament as the alleged spy, Dreyfus.

Unlike Harris’ previous novels, this is not a historical counter factional, but an almost historical account of what actually took place. If Georges Picquart would have written his memoirs, it most likely would have been close to ‘An officer and a spy’. There are of course fictional details, but they seem minor and irrelevant. Harris knows to transport us back into time: the turn of the 20th century. A time, I knew little of. I’m glad to have read about this time as it filled up some gaps in understanding the Great Wars that dominated the 20th century, and especially the divided France during the Second Great War. Moreover, the atmosphere of the time seemed well caught and shocking to say the least.

And yet, at times I felt, especially in the court scenes, that I was re-reading Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome. Corruption, covering-up, fraud….is of course of all ages, which makes the story told very present-day. Moreover Georges Picquart was a whistle-blower. How much information he really supplied, we can only guess. Nonetheless the story of Georges Picquart and Alfred Dreyfus reads like a suspense novel and so thus ‘An officer and a spy’. It was hard to put the book down. Or in my case, to stop listening as I listened to the superb audio narration of David Rintoul.

It is certainly a book I would recommend, if only to understand more of the time depicted in the novel and to have a better knowledge of the Dreyfus affair. Harris knows to bring an engaging story that can only do justice to the genre of historical fiction.

Michele wrote: "I read a lot of books this month because my husband had some surgery and I've been in the hospital and also at home with lots of time----he's fine, by the way, and glad it's over. I wish I had mor..."

Good to read your husband is fine.

Danielle wrote: "Only read one book in November. I started several others and abondoned them.

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris narrated by David Rintoul ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An Officer and..."
-----------------------

5 star book ! Nice. It's better to read one five star then a half dozen books that don't really speak to you.

As usual, there have been some interesting books read last month by all, which in inspiring for me. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena has been on my tbr since it was released. It sounds so good.

Here are my reads for November.

Once Upon a River A young woman fends for herself on the banks of the Stark River in Michigan, using primitive survival methods and instinct. Interesting though a little predictable. 3 stars.

The Woman in White Mystery set in 1850s northern England involving an Italian count, a fraudulent title and switched identities. An entertaining read if a little too long and detailed. 4 stars.

The Hours Three women connected to the novel Mrs. Dalloway; author Virginia Woolf, 1950s Laura who wonders about Woolf's mental state and Clarissa, nicknamed Mrs Dalloway by her husband. A sort-of light read, with another connection at the end I didn't see coming. Trying to get hold of the movie with Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julia Moore. 4 stars.

Kings In Grass Castles NF, audio. The true story of the Irish Durack family as they settled parts of rural Australia in the late 1880s and early 1900s and struggled against droughts, the depression and modernisation in agricultural. A bit monotonous in it's detail but very interesting. There are many descendants of this family living in rural Queensland now and of those I know, they all know 'their' history. This is the story, really, of many early rural settlers in rural Australia, my ancestors included. They certainly did it very tough, as frontier family did in many countries. 3 stars.

The Lowland Two brothers born in Kolkata in 50s; one leaves to study in the US while the favourite remains and becomes in a communist movement with consequences for the rest of the family for generations. I liked this but found it predictable and somewhat stereotypical. 3 stars.

Bird Cloud NF. An exploration of the animal life and history of author Annie Proulx's new home and farm in Wyoming which she set out to regenerate. Interesting but a bit flat. Photos would have been a useful addition. 3 stars.

Lesley - I enjoyed The Hours also. I kept wishing I'd read the real Mrs. Dalloway before since it felt like I was missing a lot of references along the way.

I really enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway the second time I read it. I agree, Emma, it really is a plus to have read it before The Hours.

Congrats on the very nice November reading month, Lesley !

I also really enjoyed both Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours!

I should have bought The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when I saw it on sale. So many other good books mentioned so far.

I have a short list for November:
The Remains of the Day - 4/5 stars
Terrific book about a butler who spends his life giving his all for his employers, only to find himself alone and unsatisfied. It's a sad story about how walling yourself off from others and not taking care of yourself can lead to regret later on in life.

Sister Carrie - 4.5/5 stars
A story about a young woman who leaves her small town for the big city, at first relying on men to provide for her but then becoming an successful stage actress. This is a story about what one might do to get what one wants - what sacrifices or risks are acceptable. In addition, it is about the allure and superficiality of wealth. The story line of one of the men in Carrie's life, George Hurstwood is particularly interesting, as he and Carrie are on opposite trajectories.

Double Indemnity - 4/5 stars
Fun book - terrific story and characters! The story of an insurance salesman who meets a femme fatale and what he does to make her happy. Both of these characters are scary, as they plot and plan, and then try to keep it together ... straight down the line.

I started and stopped One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Age of Innocence, but wasn't really in the mood for them. I'll revisit them next year!

Very nice month, Susan.

The only Edith Wharton I've read is Ethan Frome. For some reason it really resonated with me. I simply loved the story and the writing.

I own a few Wharton. I probably will put one of them on my 2015 DL.

I hope to get to The Age of Innocence this month. It will be my first Wharton novel. Ethan Frome sounds great too.

Emma wrote: "Lesley - I enjoyed The Hours also. I kept wishing I'd read the real Mrs. Dalloway before since it felt like I was missing a lot of references along the way."

Someone had recommended to me that I read Mrs. Dalloway before I read The Hours and I was glad I did. Loved the movie as well.

I also appreciated Mrs. Dalloway after I had read a bit more on WWI. It really made the PTSD that Septimus suffered hit home for me.

Amy wrote: " I'm not sure where Mantel is going to go with book 3 ... do you know?"

I'm assuming (without knowing where BUTB ends time-wise) that it will cover the fall of Thomas Cromwell himself. I never knew much about him per se, until I read Wolf Hall, but as far as history lessons go here in Britain, he is seen as a villainous figure. Mantel got so much attention for Wolf Hall because she was seen to be humanising a well known bad-guy. So I would guess that the final book will deal with what happens to Cromwell as his favour diminishes and account for how he landed on the 'naughty list' of history!

Soph wrote: "I'm assuming (without knowing where BUTB ends time-wise) that it will cover the fall of Thomas Cromwell himself...."

BUTB ended the very day after Anne Boleyn was beheaded, I believe it was, with the marriage of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. I'm looking forward to reading about Cromwell's fall from grace. I actually had forgotten that he was a villain -- although being an American who sat through years of numerous history classes that only barely grazed (if at all) English history, I'm surprised when I ever remember anything! I mean, besides the details of England's role in the Revolutionary War, that is. We all definitely learn THAT in our school history lessons. ;)

Such joy in reading the lists shared on the monthly thread. I have six, two of which i was working on for some months.

Legend by Marie Lu, a recommendation from my 12 year old nephew. A dystopian novel with teenagers as the MCs. I liked it but not enough to read more of the trilogy.

The Book Of Nothing by John D. Barrow is one i started in early summer. It is about the concept of zero in the beginning, heading toward discussion of vacuum in physics. I learned much & found the short book readable. The problem was me finding consistent time to read.

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz, another nephew-recommended book. While it is a novel it's based on the true story of Jack (&, toward the end, Ruth) Gruener. Jack survived TEN concentration camps and two "death marches" before the end of WWII. The story was moving and i wish it had been written when my own son first heard about WWII concentration camps. Good one.

Petroglyphs: Ancient Language, Sacred Art by Sabra Moore. The second book it took me months to read, this time due to also looking at my own photos of petroglyphs taken in New Mexico. Moore is an artist who drew the petroglyphs she wrote about, giving me more to consider when thinking about these very old stone etchings. (To be fair, not all her chapters were about stone work, some covered wooden & shell carvings, too.) I liked this one very much.

The Sum of Our Gods by Benjamin Gorman was a novel i bought at a small press book fair while we were in Oregon. The premise is that a man is doomed to meet for coffee weekly with Yahweh. It is punishment for something his great-grandfather did in a WWII concentration camp. The story covers many gods & myths, working their struggle for primacy into the plot. It began slow for me but i thought it was a decent book by the end.

Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods by Jessie Graham Flower, pseudonym for Josephine Chase. I bought it in Butte, Wyoming, at a neat used book store. What i didn't know at the time is that Grace Harlowe was a character which had several series created for her during the early 20th century. The first group was set in high school, the second in college. Then next set was about her after college life, which led to her going to France during WWI, to work. The final series is this one, about a group of friends who called themselves the "Overland Riders". These books were set in a number of different parts of the country, this one in Minnesota. (Others include Apache Trail, High Sierras, desert, etc.) Trouble follows them because they are progressive thinkers and live by inclusive standards which allow them to see all people as equal. Neat idea.

Well, elsewhere i mentioned by early 20th century reading passion. This illustrates that. :-)

deb

Deb, thanks for sharing your eclectic list with us !

Your nephew, I am sure, gets a kick out of recommending books to you. I am also sure your reading them also will encourage the budding lifelong reader in him. Well done !

madrano wrote: The Sum of Our Gods by Benjamin Gorman was a novel i bought at a small press book fair while we were in Oregon. The premise is that a man is doomed to meet for coffee weekly with Yahweh. It is punishment for something his great-grandfather did in a WWII concentration camp..."

What an intriguing idea for a book.

Alias, the intriguing idea was part of the reason i bought the book. The rest was that i liked the ideas of many gods, although the main human character never meets them, as they are only on the Yahweh side.

I was relieved to see the post today, as yesterday i couldn't see that it successfully posted. *sigh* I was dreading the need to redo it all!

I meant to mention yesterday that i collected 4 new titles for my TBR from comments & reviews shared here. Thanks...i think! Seriously, it's a good way to learn about recent releases & how they play out for our own group members.

madrano wrote: I meant to mention yesterday that i collected 4 new titles for my TBR from comments & reviews shared here. ..."

One never need fear no books on ones TBR list if you are a member of BNC ! I have a notebook full ! :)

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: I meant to mention yesterday that i collected 4 new titles for my TBR from comments & reviews shared here. ..."

One never need fear no books on ones TBR list if you are a member of ..."

That's the truth.

I was also pleased that this time i remembered to note from whose post i acquired the title. That way, in the year 2020, when i finally read one, i'll know who to thank. :-)

madrano wrote: "I was also pleased that this time i remembered to note from whose post i acquired the title. That way, in the year 2020, when i finally read one, i'll know who to thank. :-)"

:-)

I read Icefall, Throne of Glass, Talon, The Ruins of Gorlan, Michael Vey #1, Nobody's Princess, Nobody's Prize, Dragon Flight, and a couple other's that I can't remember :).

R. wrote: "I read Icefall, Throne of Glass, Talon, The Ruins of Gorlan, Michael Vey #1, Nobody's Princess, Nobody's Prize, Dragon Flight, and a couple other's that I can't remember :)."

Welcome to Book Nook Café, Rebecca !

Thanks for sharing your reads with us.