What are you reading the week of October 14, 2023?

I finished Foundation's Edge, which was much better than I expected it to be. It has some major flaws with its female characters. Although it was written in the 1980's, they seem to be drawn from 1930's pulp fiction. I'm about two thirds of the way through Foundation and Earth. I'm enjoying the escapist retreat from the world. It's sorely needed at the moment.

My pleasure reading has slowed down some due to the reading requirements of the course I'm auditing on Latin American History at Columbia University. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the astounding modern classic, The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Still working on The Secret Horsepower Race (expect to be writing it up tomorrow) and Rivers of Iron (about as interesting as watching concrete set). Will be reading Starter Villain and The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien after those.

I'm reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I'm about halfway through and it is so funny and surprising that it's hard to put down. My nephew finished it last week and keeps asking me to hurry and finish so we can talk about it, but I'm a slow reader.

I finished Maru. It's a short novel set in Botswana with a gently unfolding punch. Its overriding theme is racism: how it is maintained and overcome, but it is also an exploration of conflicting personalities; their battles and resolutions.

Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall
Alexandra Lange
3/5 stars
Lange writes about the history of the shopping malls and the high and lows of being in the business of building and running malls. Not the most fascinating book I have ever read but I learned a lot about malls! Business

Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr
Book on CD narrated by Marin Ireland and Simon Jones
5*****

It’s hard to describe this book. It is equal parts historical, contemporary and futuristic. The book jacket blurb describes it thus: Set in Constantinople in the fifteenth century, in a small town in present-day Idaho, and on an interstellar ship decades from now, Doerr’s third novel is a story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope – and a book: Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Antonius Diogenes, which tells the ancient story of Aethon.

It took me a while to get into the rhythm of Doerr’s storytelling. I was so confused at the beginning by the changing scenarios, and could not imagine how he would weave this into a cohesive story. In fact, there were times when I dearly wished Doerr had written three separate novels, one for each of these timeframes. But, I’m glad I persevered, and I finally saw how intricately he managed to weave these stories together. Children – teenagers, actually, who are lonely and/or alone but who find solace in an ancient fantasy and ultimately in reaching out to others.

I can hardly wait for my F2F book club discussion.

The audiobook is masterfully narrated by two talented voice artists: Marin Ireland and Simon James. They take turns narrating as Doerr’s novel switches from the point of view his male and female characters. I particularly liked how Ireland voiced Anna (in 15th century Constantinople) and Konstance (in a somewhat distant future).

Well, I finally read Margaret Atwood's modern classic, A Handmaid's Tale. I found it to be astounding, and probably scarier now than when it was originally published.

Next up for me is Call for the Dead the first book in John le Carre's George Smiley series, because I need another series to be in the midst of. Sure, why not?

Enjoying this eBook via Libby ~

Enough
by Cassidy Hutchinson
(four parts/Part one involves her childhood and her pre-DC years)

My Word is My Bond
Roger Moore
4/5 stars
Roger Moore, actor and James Bond portrayer talks about his life, family, his film career and his philanthropic endeavors. This covers his life up to 2008. He died in May 23, 2017. Very well written and he definitely led a very interesting life! Books About Film and Television

Red Knife – William Kent Krueger
Digital audiobook performed by David Chandler
3.5***

From the book jacket: When the drug-related death of a powerful businessman’s daughter is followed by the execution-style murder of the head of an Ojibwe gang known as the Red Boyz, the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war. Former sheriff Cork O’Connor, a man of mixed heritage, tries to mediate the feud. … Cork must confront a horrific truth: violence is a beast that cannot be contained.

My reactions:
This is book # 8 in the Cork O’Connor series, though I’m reading it out of order.

Cork is a marvelous central character. He’s a family man and the heavy influx of drugs is hitting close to home for him. His seventeen-year-old daughter, Annie, is just a year younger than the dead girl. Annie will help Cork understand some of the dynamics of teen life in Tamarack County.

I also really like Sheriff Dross – a woman Cork hired some years back when HE was sheriff. She’s determined, dedicated and a keen observer.

The plot deals with vigilantism, gun control, disaffected teens, drug cartels and family dynamics. Krueger writes a fast-paced, intricate mystery with plenty of suspects, and enough twists and turns to keep even the most diligent reader guessing.

David Chandler does a fine job of performing the audio. He has a lot of characters to deal with and I was never confused about who was speaking.

An Irish Country Girl – Patrick Taylor
Digital audiobook performed by Terry Donnelly
3***

On Christmas Eve, Mrs Kinky Kincaid, Dr O’Reilly’s unflappable housekeeper, welcomes a group of young carolers into the doctor’s house to warm up. While they enjoy a hot drink and mince pies, Mrs Kincaid tells them a tale of her girlhood. Thus, this book is a bit of a departure from the series. Rather than deal with the residents of Ballybucklebo in Northern Ireland, during the mid-1960s, this book is set in County Cork in 1920, when Maureen O’Hanlon sees the St Stephen’s day ghost not once but twice.

Kinky (nee Maureen O’Hanlon) is a marvelous character and her “sight” has been noted in previous books. This story shines the spotlight on Kinky and how she came to find her gift. It’s full of Irish mythology, the warmth of family and the dreams of young love. Taylor has written a very atmospheric book. I could practically feel the cold of a snowy day, smell the smoke of a welcoming fire, and hear the banshee’s wails or the eerie sounds of bagpipes.

Terry Donnelly does a marvelous job of performing the audiobook. I was glad to hear the Irish words properly pronounced, for even with the glossary at the back of the book, I would NOT have been hearing them correctly in my head were I reading the text.

The new thread is up over here.