Summer reading!

[sabrelady]

Knocking on Heavens Door: The path to a better death. Katy Butler. Yes I KNOW! but that's my life..

My Mother Was Nuts -Penny Marshall's memoir - dang that gal did a sh!ton of drugs.

Drama An Actor's Education John Lithgow

The Prince- Machiavelli cos i read it every 2 yrs just to remind myself

Seven for a Secret- Lyndsay Faye, a sequel to the The Gods of Gotham a mystery series set w/in the founding of the NYPD.

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman about a boy raise by ghosts in a graveyard. No really, it's much better than it sounds- it's a re read but I'm always reading something Gaiman.

About to start Frog Music by Emma Donoghue . Set in San Fran in 1876 a young woman called Jenny Bonnet is shot dead through the window of a railroad saloon. Her friend is a French burlesque dancer who set out to discover the killer.

[StockardFan]

I'm getting ready to read The Paris Wife. It's about Ernest Hemingway's wife. It's my book club book for next month.

[HorseTears]

Just finished Zadie Smith's NW. It didn't work for me, I'm afraid. A good novel, but it didn't approach the greatness of her prior work, On Beauty, which has to be one of my favorite novels of the last 20+ years.

Cracking open Anjelica Houston's new(ish) memoir tonight. FYI, Anjelica Huston's author's photo is better than yours. FACT.

[sabrelady]

HorseTears I'd finished NW earlier in the year and also found it a bit of disappointment. I just didn'd "get" the protagonists.

[Addison D.]

Actual Books:

'Fast-Talking Dames' by Maria Battista--Interesting and great fun. She extracts thoughtful and interesting ideas from a serious discussion about a 'frivolous' topic--those fast-talking dames of the American cinema C.1930-1940.

'Italian Hours'--Henry James. Essays and observations about Venice & Rome (and some other Italian locales) c. 1900. I'm finally old enough to have the patience to read and get lost in James' writing. A few more chapters of this and I will be forced to buy tix to Italy.

Audible.com:

'Mulliner Nights', 'Mr. Mulliner Speaking' & 'Meet Mr. Mulliner'--P.G. Wodehouse. Because if I don't have some Wodehouse in my life, everything gets grey and stale and sad.

'Think like a Freak'--Levitt & Dubner. Love these guys, but I'm disappointed so far (Chapter 5). It seems to be just a 'best of' compilation of topics covered in the pod-casts, with some--minimal--added commentary. I'm hoping for better in the coming chapters.


ETA: I LOVE these threads--I've added almost everything posted thus far to my library request list.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

I'm five chapters into I Was Jack Mortimer by Alexander Lernet-Holenia, an under-rated Austrian classic originally published in 1933. After a taxi-driver in Vienna discovers his fare has been fatally shot, he dumps the body and then steps into the dead man's life. Recommended!

Other reading I'm hoping to enjoy this summer:

The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson (the follow-up to The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared
(I guess the titles give you an idea about what they're about!)

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, the debut novel by Swiss writer Joel Dicker just published in English - about a writer who had an affair with a fifteen-year old girl, then thirty years later her body is dug up clutching a copy of the manuscript that made him famous. He becomes the only suspect, but his devoted protegé is determined to prove him innocent.

Also keep meaning to get around to Wilkie Collins The Woman In White, as I hear it's great.

[EricMontreal22]

I've started Michael Cunningham's new novel, The Snow Queen. It's, as always with his writing, a pleasure to read, but the plot seems non-existent, even more so than in his last novel, By Nightfall. I wish he would return to the sprawling narrative of works like A Home at the End of the World (or even his disowned book, Golden States which is one of the best first novels I've read, despite what he thinks.)

[CalebMeyer]

A little late on the uptake, but I just finished Donna Tartt's newest novel, "The Goldfinch." It was absolutely wonderful. I simply couldn't put it down, even if it meant reading it while I was walking to work, or while I was waiting in line for my coffee. Would definitely recommend!

Now I'm reading, "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell," which is also wonderful.

I like big books.

[sabrelady]

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, is a wonderful Alt Earth/ history book.Susanna Clarke descriptions of fairies and magicians are among the most original- really created an "other world" in a true meaning. all within the confines of Georgian England ( and a bit of Italy) I have heard she is working on another not precisely a sequel but within the same sphere.

[ohjustjake]

CalebMeyer - The Goldfinch easily became one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't believe how much Ioved it - it reminded me so much of Great Expectations. I also highly recommend The Goldfinch.

I'm reading "Love and Treasure" by Ayelet Waldman - it's about a US Officer who is assigned to protect a train full of Jewish valuables during the aftermath of WWII, and goes between modern day and the past. I'm really enjoying it so far.

[brdlwyr]

Just finished Devil in the White City - movie should be fabulous!

[ErikJ972]

I loved Devil in the White City. The whole time I was reading it I thought it would make an excellent movie. I didn't know they were actually making one.

[NYadgal]

Stockard, I LOVED 'The Paris Wife'! I'll be interested to hear what you think and what your book club discusses.

(I would so love to find a really good book club in the city. The ones I've joined are so much less about the books and all about the wine. Not that I don't love wine, but love a good book discussion).

Ready for my next book. I have to figure out what I want to read next.
I have "Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War" by Karl Marlantes sitting at the top of my stack next to my bed. It's not the kind of book I usually read, but came highly recommended from a friend, so think it might be interesting.

[AC126748]

I bought The Goldfinch when it first came out, but I confess I haven't made much of a dent after starting and stopping several times. I may need to give it one more try. Large, sprawling novels have never been my favorite--the Victorians were my least favorite area of study in college. :)

Next up for me is The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison. Planning to start it tonight.

[EricMontreal22]

There was an interesting New Yorker piece comparing The Goldfinch (unfavourably) to some of E Nesbitt's children's lit, which is some of my favourite so actually makes me want to read it.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

I loved The Goldfinch too. Some of parts were kinda unnecessary, so it needn't have been quite as long, but still so worth reading.

[ohjustjake]

NYadgal - I'd find a bookclub with you? I've been looking for one recently as well!

[tazber]

Another Goldfinch fan here.

I'm reading The Passage by Justin Cronin, and if it's as good as I hope then I'll segue right into the second part, The Twelve.

[yodamarie78]

I'm about halfway through The Goldfinch. I'm loving it so far. I should be done right in time for the release of the new Outlander book, Written In My Own Heart's Blood, next week.

I really enjoyed The Passage and The Twelve. I read The Passage right after it came out and didn't realize that is was the first of a trilogy, so I was initially very confused by the cliffhanger ending.

[NYadgal]

I've just added 'The Goldfinch' to my list! High praise from all of you. Thanks!

[tazber]

yoda,

the final part comes out this October 14.

It's called The City of Mirrors.

[yodamarie78]

That's good to know! Thank you!

[uncageg]

Now reading "Pink Triangle the Feuds and private lives of Tennesse Williams, Gore Vidal and Truman Capote".

After that I am reading Rick Springfield's "Magnificent Vibration" and then "The Fabulous Sylvester" about the 70's disco singer.

Just finished the Jamie Mayfield "Waiting for Forever" trilogy and "Love, Peace and Soul: The behind the scenes story of the dance show Soul Train".

I highly reccommend "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. It is the first book I mention when people are looking for something to read for the summer.

[sabrelady]

Night Circus won me over. ( still think the ending is a bit trite) I was thrilled to see her shout out in the acknowledgements to Punch Drunk Theater as I was very sure she had been influenced by it.

[Roscoe]

I'm just over halfway through my first re-read of ANNA KARENINA, and man oh man is it amazing.

[brdlwyr]

I am reading a book on Pope Francis' leadership style - received the book as a gift and met the author.