WHAT ARE YOU READING? - Part 6

The old thread is getting heavy so time to start anew.

How is everyone's summer (or winter :) ) going? Believe it or not, more than half of the year is gone...

So grab a beverage in whatever temperature works for you and come tell us what you are reading :)

black count which I am absolutely loving and is pushing aside other reads like the book censors librarywhich Im liking too Also for Anita the man in the zoo; so glad she introduced me to this author this is the second book of his Ive read. Finished table for two which he redeems himself after lincoln highway.

Somewhere around here someone mentioned a book about reading romance, that takes on the myths and the attidudes and makes it ok to read (not for me but I understand the love.) Im curious if someone could find it becaues I was to add it to the RTT August theme the joy of reading. seems appro

>3 cindydavid4: Was it Paperback Crush? From Mabith’s thread, and I had copied the link but I lost it somehow.

ETA link to Mabith’s review
https://www.librarything.com/topic/361355#8578779

no not that one. but thanks anyway (and that one would make a good selection on the challenge)

I did make the switch from The Poison Bed to The Painter's Daughters, which is quite lovely.

I'm nearing the end of Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and I'll be sorry when I turn the last page.

I'm rereading Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton and I'm finding it more interesting the second time. I'm also reading the brand new Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. I'm also reading My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland, which I'm taking my time with.

And because I always have a book of short stories on the go, I'm reading Stephen King's new collection, You Like it Darker.

I'm splitting time between You'll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other than Love and Cotillion by Georgette Heyer for an online book club, which is quite an amusing mash-up.

I'm closing in on the halfway point of American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee. It's's a very well written and interesting history of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park. It's a closeup look at the people who became fascinated by and obsessed with the wolves as they population grew, as well as the people who hated their presence. And there's also a lot to learn and appreciate about the wolves themselves.

I keep stalling out on books - need to read the light and fluffy right now, and everything I want to read is too dense or too dark for me. But I did just finish a book - The Day the World Came to Town, about when a huge number of the planes diverted from the US on 9/11 landed in Gander, Newfoundland. Not exactly fluffy, but light - about people helping and wanting to help, on so many levels. This was the 20th anniversary edition, with some info about what's happened to the people we met in the book in the last 20 years (originally published 2002, this edition 2021(2?)).

I too am floundering around a bit with my book choices. My book club is reading Lioness of Boston, but I've mixed feelings about this one. Another Gabriel Allon book is calling my name...

>10 jjmcgaffey: this became a Tony winning broadway musical a few years later. Catch it if you ever comes to a theater near you

A few days ago folk were talking about romantic novels and I was looking for the appro article Id just read. cant remember the thread but found the book Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained. so for whoever was involved in that conversation, enjoy

>14 cindydavid4: Thanks, Cindy, that looks interesting. It's also available on Hoopla, for anyone who uses that.

just finished the book censors libraryGiven whats happening these days, its a sirens warning, but no ones listenng. review later, but highly recommended

>13 cindydavid4: Yeah, Come From Away is mentioned quite a bit in the book (in the 20 years later section).

>17 jjmcgaffey: I found the afterword sad, especially for those who were unable to move on, like Pataki's security consultant (whose name I can't remember). The negative effects of the publicity brought about by the book were unfortunate too. Overall though, I found the book uplifting.

I downloaded the ebook of The Mountain in the Sea but I haven’t been able to get pas page 2. Not sure why.

I'm still reading Parasol Against the Axe which is such tough going that I'm about to give it up entirely, but in the meantime I read The Burial Plot, a fun historical novel about a con man and a cemetery.

I'd have to post almost every single day to answer this one. For me it's easier to tick boxes by the week (* = complete):

*Barbara d’Amato – Authorized Personnel Only
*Martin King – Letter from a Birmingham Jail
*Paul Griner – The Book of Otto and Liam
*Ngaio Marsh – Last Ditch
*Emily Mandel – Sea of Tranquility
*Jakob Arjouni – Kayankaya 1 Happy Birthday, Turk
*Arthur Doyle – SS The Adventure of the Crooked Man
Yamile Méndez – Furia
Taffy Brodesser-Akner – Long Island Compromise

Note: Monday-Sunday is my 'week,' because that's the Japanese calendar standard. I've had nothing but Hobonichi planners so long that I no longer think of weeks in 'Sunday-Saturday' increments.

So on Mondays, I'll post what I have coming for the week ahead, and I'll tick each I finish as I go. Or add/subtract as necessary.

review of the black count here https://www.librarything.com/topic/361718#n8581805

Starting Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler's 1993 novel about a future, dystopian USA. The book is in the form of a diary. The first entry happens today, July 20, 2024, 30 years after publication. SF isn't supposed to predict the future, but...

I’ve finally cracked open Light in August. Possession continues on my buddy read pace.

Finished How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera and have started Daughter Dalloway by Emily France. The latter makes me want to revisit Mrs. Dalloway which I read many moons ago.

review of the book censors libraryhere https://www.librarything.com/topic/361718#n8582658

I FINALLY finished The Power Broker! Whoohoo! Only took me nearly the entire month of July. (Definitely worth it, though.)

As a palate cleanser, I am now reading Disenchantment: Untold Tales, a graphic novel based on the Netflix animated series. Like the TV show, it is variable in quality.

>28 bragan: Congratulations! That's a big reading project.

I finished Helen Oyeyemi's very experimental novel, Parasol Against the Axe, which I found quite confounding, and then Andrey Kurkov's The Silver Bone (translated from the Ukrainian by Boris Dralyuk), which was light and entertaining.

Also three mystery/thriller novels on audio while walking home from work this month, none of which were particularly good or worth noting (Peter Swanson's A Talent for Murder, Danielle Arceneaux's Glory Be, and Shari Lapena's Everyone Here is Lying).

(edited to fix touchstones)

So Im startingthe golem of Brooklyn because im in between july and august books and this has been on my shelves for a while. Didnt realize the author was the same who wrote go the fuck to sleep one of my fav books for giving new parents. should be fun

On Monday I started Nettle and Bone for bookclub. In a weird bit of serendipity, both books I am currently reading are about a man treating women very badly (the other is The Woman in White).

I finished American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee. American Wolf is a very well-written, informative and often fascinating work of narrative non-fiction about the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995, including portrayals of the pro- and anti-wolf groups and portrayals of some of the representative individuals in those groups. But the book really centers around the close-up looks Blakeslee provides of the wolves themselves both as individuals and within their packs. It's a very good book, assuming that Blakeslee is accurate in his portrayals. You can find my longer review on my Club Read thread.

I have now begun The Estate by Isaac Bashevis Singer, as part of my twice-yearly read-through of Singer's novels in order of publication.

I’m deciding on which Isaac Bashevis Singer to read next.

>33 kjuliff: If you are up for a longish novel, I recommend a relatively early work, The Family Moskat. Or The Magician of Lublin (which is shorter). And you can't go wrong with any of the short story collections, I don't think (which is not to say I've read them all, but I always enjoy Singer's short stories).

>36 kjuliff: he had a older brother Israel Joshua Singer who wroteThe Brothers Ashkenazi about jewish life in Poland during the industrial revolution to the Russian. Very well done . IB singer won the nobel prize in literature

>37 cindydavid4: There was a sister too Esther Kreitman — amazing family. I must try to get one of her books.

I have tried to read deborah but some reason it didnt click. should try another looks llike she has works in several anthologies, should try those eta just read some reviews; maybe i should try the book again

Just finished the golem of brooklyn and loved it. The author also wrote 'go the fuck to sleep'an hilarious take on parent nightly battle,written in fairy tale style So of course there are some pretty funny scenes in the book, but he also knows Jewish history well, and keeps the story focused on how Jews defend them selves without becoming the haters. well worth reading. rating 4.5

I finally settled on a book, They Were Good Germans Once, a memoir about the author's Jewish émigré family. Not quite what I was expecting, but good nonetheless.

I felt like something fun and light and so far Starter Villian is fitting the bill.

I’ve just begun Lina Bolzoni’s The Art of Solitude: The Development of Reading in Early Modern Europe for the August “Joy of Reading”” theme on RT, having recently finished Overhead in a Balloon: Twelve Stories of Paris by Mavis Gallant for July’s “Viva la France” theme. Also going at the moment are The Fraud by Zadie Smith and Don Quixote, the last certainly a book for the long haul. I’m reading and listening to both and finding both very enjoyable. A good month coming up—a good solid classic, called by some the first novel, an immersive contemporary work, and an interesting piece of nonfiction.

I finished the short but interesting memoir, They Were Good Germans Once, and picked up Salt to the Sea, a book Kerry/avatiakh and Mark/msf59 recommended. Gripping.

the library book for the July RTT theme 'the joy of reading'. short bits from popular authors talking about how libraries gave them the start to their profession, Very fun, esp allan bennett

I'm still reading My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland, which is very good and anyone who wants to write about themselves and a historical event or figure should read this to see how to do it. But other books keep slipping in front of it because I am bad at reading non-fiction.

I'm almost finished The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, which is a solidly written crime novel set primarily in the early 1970s.

I'm also reading Clear by Carys Davies, The Wedding People by Alison Espach and, for a bit of lighter reading, The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary.

I finished The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry over the weekend, which was really so excellent, and a good palate cleanser after all those terrible thrillers.

>47 rv1988: I loved this novel and am looking forward to checking out Enlightenment. Didn’t care for Melmoth, which I never finished, but have high hopes for Enlightenment.

>48 dianelouise100: Diane! I named my cat Melmoth as she was found on the side of the highway with bloody paws.

>49 RidgewayGirl: Bless her heart! We have to wonder, but great name, not at all relevant to her personality, I hope.

>51 RidgewayGirl: If she had an attention span, I'm confident she would have been a great force of evil in the world. But, absent that, she's a spherical, furry creature with one eye who loves to stand on us in the middle of the night.

>51 RidgewayGirl: Cats are all so special…

Unexpectedly finished Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih last night; review is on my thread:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/357075#8587062

Currently reading Therese Raquin as Zola is the monthly author for July, as if my previous book by Philip Roth wasn't dark enough. Balancing this with The Echoing Green: The Garden in Myth and Memory and Winter Tales.

Wow, I haven't been here in a while. Let's see...

I finished Edan Lepucki's Time's Mouth, which I liked well enough but not as much as I expected to given the themes—time travel, an all-woman commune and its leader's hubristic downfall. Enjoying The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise—I'm a fan of Olivia Laing's essayistic rambling—and then put it down to join a friend in her read of R.F. Kuang's Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution, which was all sorts of nerdy dark academic (19th-c. Oxford) interwoven with social justice fun. And then put THAT down because I had a library hold come in, Cynthia Carr's Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar which was good but dragged hard in the middle because the author got so in the weed of all these tiny incestuous alternative theater productions being put on, not put on, put on and then closing after a few performances, etc. But still interesting to read about poor Candy's short life and what the grubby fringes of the Warhol scene were like. Just finished that, so now I can go back to my previous two books.

Oh, and also read the very short wordless children's book Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon, which I bought and read because I saw the film and GO SEE IT EVERYONE IT'S LOVELY.

I just started or This Eventful History from the Booker 2024 long-list. which so far is a bit middle-of-the-road. The book, that is, not the long-list.

It only has one review on LT and I didn’t google it, so I have no idea as to what others think about it. I chose it partly because the blurb had something about France and Algeria in it, and the conflict and immigration (both ways) between these two countries interests me.

>54 lisapeet: The movie hasn't been released locally yet. It looks like a fun one to see with the girls.

Despite not planning on doing much reading during my France vacation, I still managed to read three books, including, surprisingly, a book in Japanese! Been really slacking lately in that area.

沙耶香 村田 : 消滅世界
- loved

Francoise Sagan : Dans un moi, dans un an (Those without Shadows)
- meh

Paulo Coelho : The Alchemist
- "hated" is too harsh so I'll say "useless drivel"; basically self-help in a fictionalized writing style

>57 lilisin: One out of three ain't bad?

>55 kjuliff: I’m reading This Strange Eventful History now, too. I’m finding it does hold my attention, but don’t think I’ll like it nearly as well as My Friends. I’ve a ways to go yet, it’s a long book.

>59 dianelouise100: I’m finding the audio version somewhat annoying. It’s ok when it’s straight narrative, but the conversations of the children are spoken in fake French accents. Little cute fake French accents.

An American woman (Cassandra Campbell) in fake twee French is not good on the ear. She has a good crisp voice so it’s a pity and is spoiling the first part of the book. I can only hope that les enfants disappear into eventful history soon.

There are some weirdly strange observations - Kamala-like at her worst/best ;) “it doesn’t matter where a story ends but that it ends”, for example.

>56 labfs39: It's a great kids' movie as long as they can handle some big emotions. There's a sad component to the story and it ends on a bittersweet note—I would think it would be great to discuss with a child who's old enough.

>48 dianelouise100: Thanks! Both, Melmoth and Enlightenment are on my list. I really enjoyed The Essex Serpent and I'd like to read more from her.

>51 RidgewayGirl: 'Tis the way with cats.

>60 kjuliff: but the conversations of the children are spoken in fake French accents. Little cute fake French accents.

oh my I can just imagine! yikes! think Ill pass

>62 rv1988: I’ll be happy to see your thoughts about Melmouth, and I’ve ordered Enlightenment from library, too. I was glad to see that it made the Booker Longlist—I think she’s a very good writer. I just didn’t like the subject in Melmoth.

>60 kjuliff: I’m sorry about the audio—those accents would spoil it for me, too.

>65 dianelouise100: >63 cindydavid4: And unfortunately the fake French accent is continuing for all French characters. I don’t know what she’ll do when she gets to the Algerian Arabs. Not all should be French speakers.

It’s a pity as the story itself is interesting.

So, I made a decision to not pursue 2024 Booker Prize books on audio. I’ll read them. That really freed my audio plans. Last night i checked on Edna O’Brien, who recently passed away and who i have never read. I found The Little Red Chairs, read by Juliet Stevenson (!! She’s the one who reads the classical books, like by Virginia Woolf, more elegantly than you would think possible.) So that’s my audiobook. First 30 minutes were gorgeous… and charming.

I finished the moving Salt to the Sea and started Covenant of Water on audio. What to read next? Perhaps it's time to return to my China reading.

>67 dchaikin: Good thinking. I don’t think I would ever choose to read a serious book in audio. I certainly didn’t use audio when I still had my sight, but many books are quite OK in audio. I reas The Slaughterman’s Daughter (translated rom Yiddish) this year and the narrator had a Yiddish accent. The book was set in shtetls in Pole in the late 19th century, and I’m sure the audio format added to the experience.

There are many problems with audio, one being the accessibility of translated and NF books.

I’m actually thinking of returning This Strange Eventful History as it seems it’s too bland for my taste, and more suitable for a beach read than for the Booker long-list.

>69 kjuliff: I’m sorry to have to say so, but Strange Eventful History is not holding my attention either. I’m trying to stick with it, but struggling, especially since Enlightenment is ready for me now at the public library.

>69 kjuliff: >70 dianelouise100: that was going to be my 1st Booker longlist books - Strange
eventful History. It’a the longest of the list on audio. (My copy comes this weekend )

>70 dianelouise100: I returned This Strange Eventful History today and used my credit for Enlightenment. With Strange Eventful when it got to the bit about the would-be seductress at the Romanian Palace with the pale-faced child who reflected her desire for her figure over the French alliance, I gave up.

I started Enlightenment. So far very British, crisp writing, a delight.

>71 dchaikin: Watch out for the Romanian wife of Radu.

>72 kjuliff: *looks around* ... ok. She's not here yet. Warning noted. :)

>73 dchaikin: man-think 😉

I just received talesin and decided it will be the perfect book to read on our road trip to the beach, and will last about as long as we are there

I just realized Ive read 10 books this month and most of them really good!

I am now reading Enlightenment - audio format. I’m enjoying it, though I’m only 1 1/2 hours in and 11 1/2 to go.

>74 kjuliff: maybe…

I've started Lincoln in the Bardo. Interesting structure, although I was going a bit crazy trying to determine which quotes were real and which fabricated. Gave up and decided to just read.

>78 labfs39: some are real?

>79 dchaikin: "Throughout Lincoln in the Bardo, Saunders intersperses chapters packed with quotes from historical sources. He gives citations for these historical sources and some are legit — like Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on Lincoln, for instance. But other sources are made up. All the historical passages are tossed together indiscriminately." -NPR article

Saunders in an interview with Zadie Smith: Yes, whole swaths of the book are made up of verbatim quotes from various historical sources, which I cut up and rearranged to form part of the narrative. This was only way I could get in some (what felt to me) necessary historical facts. But I resisted this at first, because I had this sort of prideful, juvenile idea—it might be a male thing—that every line had to shine with my inventiveness. And actually it was funny … There was one sequence of days when I had halfway decided to use the historical nuggets, but I wasn’t quite sure it would work. I’d be in my room for six or seven hours, cutting up bits of paper with quotes and arranging them on the floor, with this little voice in my head saying, “Hey, this isn’t writing!” But at the end of that day, I felt that the resulting section was doing important emotional work. Later, I went one step further, by putting in some invented “historical” bits. And reading those alongside the actual historical bits was like looking into a sort of a painful mirror, because “my” parts were so show-offy at first. They stood out because they were so flamboyant. So I had to go in and do the work of toning them down in order to make them fit. It’s like if you’re an actor and you’re always overacting, well, you’re a bad actor. But if you’re an actor who subdues yourself to the extent that’s necessary, then you’re really acting.

>80 labfs39: that's so fascinating. Thank you!

I read the three arched bridge over 24 hours and I am so sorry I havent heard of him before. Interesting subject about albania in between the fight of the byzantium and ottaman empires. !his book covers the very beginning of those conflicts in using the bridge as a metaphor.

The balkans have been an interest of mine since I started learning international folk dancing and along the way learning the history of its conflicts. Can anyone tell me where I should go next with him? sadly he has passed so whats here is it Thinking about Three Elegies for Kosovo but do you all have other favorites?

I started This Strange Eventful History. I think it would be hard to keep track on audio. But it’s quite nice so far. Like an old family photograph of our the young grandparents acting dignified in some foreign difficult place.

>82 cindydavid4: So happy you have finally read Kadare. A change form The Three Arched Bridge, one focussed more on Albania itself, and an excellent book is Broken April.

>84 SassyLassy: thanks think Im looking at three elegies for Kosovo first but Ill keep that title in mind

>83 dchaikin: I could keep track of the storylines ok. It was the way the French people spoke in fake accents. So unnecessary and annoying .

I’m so sick of the direction audiobooks are going.

My hold of Held came due from NYPL so I’ve put Enlightenment aside for a day or two. Held is compelling.

>86 kjuliff: my copy of Held arrived damaged. 😑 Returned and waiting for redelivery

>87 dchaikin: Absolutely. Hold hard for a whole copy of Held.

I started the new month with two new books - Walking The Clouds which was a SantaThing present, and Miss Benson's Beetle which is a CR BB.

I am still reading Enlightenment but had paused when Held came off hold. I’ve just finished and for the first time in many weeks, I managed to write a review. You can read it on my thread - Photographic Memories

After finishing Lincoln in the Bardo, I decided to return to China, and picked up 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei.

>91 labfs39: Reading The Safekeeper by Yael Van der Wouden. It starts off well. So far my favorited is Held see >90 kjuliff:.

I just finished No Fond Return of Love and have started August is the Wickedest Month. I am also slowly working through A Testament of Youth.

I finished James by Percival Everett, my first novel from this year's Booker Prize longlist. Next up is Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange, another longlisted book.

My nonfiction reads are The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris, and the unpublished essays in the Library of America collection Baldwin: Collected Essays by James Baldwin.

added Edith Wharton's 1929 novel Hudson River Bracketed to my TBR. Oddly, it opens outside Chicago...

I am just loving the heck out of west with the giraffesHave nevere heard about this event, and love how the author develops the character as well how she draws the giraffes. this looks like her debut; if so I hope she has another book soon

>91 labfs39: I'll be interested to read what you think of 1000 Years. I read it last year or maybe the year before for my book group.

I just finished a great book that I picked up in the airport in Iceland - Quake by Auður Jónsdóttir. I think I will read We, The Drowned by Carsten Jensen next. I tried to start it on vacation and I didn't have the concentration for it.

For nonfiction, I'm reading a biography of Nansen by Roland Huntsford.

>97 rocketjk: You are the reason I purchased 1000 Years, Jerry. I'm only 35 pages into it, but finding it interesting. I like the drawings he included. I also liked this quote: The Latest Directive meetings served a function similar to Donald Trump's late-night tweets while in office. They were the direct communication of a leader's thoughts to his devoted followers, enhancing the sanctity of authority. At least we could mute Donald.

>91 labfs39: I just finished 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows about two weeks ago, so will be interested in hearing your thoughts. I'd been wanting to read it ever since I heard him interviewed on radio a few years back about it. I found the part about his father more interesting than the later part about himself.

Have you seen any of his work? I went to a big exhibit in Toronto back in the twenty-teens decade, and found it amazing.

>78 labfs39: I found it easier to understand when I listened to the audio.

I DNFd (did not finish) a book for the first time this year - Nisha Mehraj's We Do Not Make Love Here. I had picked this up because it was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize this year, and I'm trying to read fiction from Singapore/Malaysia. It was really so bad. The writing was terrible. I got through one chapter and decided, life is too short. I hope the rest of the shortlisted books are better.

>101 dianeham: That's interesting, Diane. I ended up appreciating the novel a lot. If I do a reread at some point, I may try audio, although I think I would have to listen attentively, not half-heartedly.

I’ve finished Enlightenment by Sarah Perry, which I liked very much. I’ll need some reflection before rating it, though, since it had some issues for me.

I’ve read a little of James and looking forward to giving it my full attention. I’ll probably accompany the reading with the audio.

Oh I am so disapponted in west with giraffes up till the last quarter, it was riviting, exciting and couldnt put it down. But this debut author does not know how to end a book, the last part was overrought and really unnecessary, too bad it was ready to be a 5, but instead its a very low 3.
that being said, she gave us a story of a true event that most of us dont know about and brought ti to like, so ok, a 4, in the hope that she will get a good editor

>47 rv1988: I really liked this one and keep recommending it to people. AppleTV did a pretty good dramatization with Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston.

>48 dianelouise100: With you on both Enlightenment and Melmoth. I finished the latter, but meh.

Since I last stopped in, I finished The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes. Wonderful book about Thomas Gainsborough's two daughters, the subjects of many of his paintings.

Also finished You Are Here by David Nicholls, which I was quite surprised to find that I enjoyed.

I have been reading The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier, but I'm about to give up on it. She just can't seem to let go of one bit of her research, so the book is overloaded with detailed descriptions and explanations. I'm getting really bogged down in it, and when she does get around to characters and plot, it's reading like a YA novel. I have been very disappointed in her most recent novels, this one included. Every time I pick it up, I think of how I really want to move on to The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck.

Nearly finished The Safekeep - my third from the Booker long-list this year. I expect it will be shortlisted and is likely to have more universal appeal than the excellent but unusually constructed Held .

>107 Cariola: "Every time I pick it up, I think of how I really want to move on to The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck."

When that happens, I think it’s time to stop 😉. And The History of Sounds: Stories sounds very interesting !

I've just finished The Estate by Isaac Bashevis Singer about the Jewish community of Warsaw in the late 19th century. My review, should anyone be interested, is on my Club Read thread.

Tonight I'll start another baseball book (I'm somehow reading quite a few of them this year), Balls, star third baseman Graig Nettles' memoir of the 1983 season of the New York Yankees.

Just finished The Safekeep - -a Booker Long-list 2024 reviewed here

Now reading Enemies: A Love Story by Isaac B Singer.

Two library holds came in and became priorities: Held and Orbital. I’ve begun Held and am trying to finish Zadie Smith’s The Fraud, which I seem to have been reading forever. And I’m making regular progress with James Baldwin’s Collected Essays from LOA.

I finished The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos by Jaime Green a couple of days ago, and began The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery.

Green's book is a fascinating exploration about the possibility of discovering alien life, and how our search for life elsewhere in the cosmos informs our understanding of our own life here on Earth. The fascinating parts are how she uses fiction and film to discuss our explorations -- anything from Star Trek to A Wrinkle in Time. The bibliography is a treasure trove of knowledge all by itself, and I scanned all the pages before returning the book to the library.

>112 dianelouise100: I will be interested now (after your reaction to my review) in what you think of Held. I have Orbital about to come off hold, and seeing it’s so short will probably pause Enemies a Love Story and read it, as I like to read as many Booker long-listed nominations before the shortlist is announced.

>114 kjuliff: At page 100 of Held I’m still reading, but haven’t made up my mind to finish it. I don’t mind so much the lack of structure because the writing is so beautiful, and there is a very loose structure, but I’m getting frustrated with the passages that just totally lose me. It does eventually become obvious what has happened, and I suspect that I will finish the book out of curiosity. It wouldn’t surprise me greatly for it to make the Shortlist. Looking forward to your review of Orbital.

>115 dianelouise100: Yes, you sort of have to “go with the flow” with Held. For at least 5 days Libby has been advising “Available Soon” for Orbital. Maybe tomorrow.

>109 FlorenceArt: Exactly what I did!

I finished Ai Weiwei's memoir, then reread my 19 pages of notes on Mao's Great Famine: 1958-62, in preparation for starting Dikötter's next book, The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976.

I finished The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien on audible today. I found it an odd book. Beautiful writing, elegant set up, traumatic events, unclear purposes. Now I've started Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, read by Elijah Wood (free on Audible. The 1st 12 minutes were very good. 🙂)

>119 dchaikin: Sounds great, I'm bookmarking that!

I finished The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 (edited by Steph Cha and Lisa Unger) which was a very odd collection: some excellent stories, some terrible. I cannot discern any sort of editorial intent in the selection. Also, Cocoon by Zhang Yueran, translated by Jeremy Tiang. It was a massive success in China; the English translation (which reads very well) was shortlisted for this year's Singapore Lit Prize as Tiang, the translator, is Singaporean. Cocoon is a very engaging book, tracing the effects of the Cultural Revolution in China over three generations.

I discovered a new to me book by Octavia ButlerParable of the Sower thanks to .....I cant remember who sent out this BB but she includedd a quote from the book that drew me in.

Gave up onTaliesin if I had discovered this series when it came out in 1987, about the time I was reading a ton of fantasy, I would have loved it.....just not for me right now which is a pity

also planning to read so much blue which looks very interesting

I've finished My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland, which has given me much to think about.

I'm reading Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson and enjoying following Jackson Brody around again. I'm reading another mystery novel, The Silence of the Rain by L. A. Garcia-Roza, this one set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a Colombo-like detective.

And I'm reading Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González because I liked her last novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, and this one centers on the art world.

I am trying to read Orbital but can’t get into it. Also. About to finish Enemies, a Love Story. Perhaps because Isaac B Singer has set such a high bar.

I have finished Kanji Hanawa's short story Backlight published by an interesting new project, Red Circle Minis. Although the story didn't do much, the idea behind this young press is interesting so I will keep an eye on it.

Also finally finished Zola's L'argent. I wasn't enamored with it at first and found myself a little lost in all the stocks financial lingo but I had a mood change and the second half was as enjoyable as I usually find from Zola.

Over the weekend I finally started my Chinese classic for the year, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and am of course already enjoying it.

This morning I picked up Jane Gardam's novel, God on the Rocks. I love the cover:

>125 labfs39: That's such a striking cover!

>126 rv1988: I should give credit: graphic design by Emanuele Ragnisco.

>103 labfs39: I think I listened and read along.

also started on a Gardam a collection of short stories I hadnt read;showing the flag

I’ve been reading Pastoralia by George Saunders.

>128 dianeham: I think I listened and read along.
I'll bet that was a enriched reading experience of Lincoln in the Bardo. I used to do that with Shakespeare.

>129 cindydavid4: Gardam is a more prolific author than I realized until recently.

>131 labfs39: Yes, she’s extremely prolific. I chanced upon her years ago - can’t remember the first of hers I read, but I was so impressed that I went off and acquired every book she’d ever written at the time. I’ve since read every one of her books. I liked her obvious woman’s touch and her slight eccentricity which were relatively new to me when I started6 reading her books in the seventies.

I discovered her from an online book group back in the aughts. We were doing a group read of queen of the tambourines and like you, I pick up everyone since. I really was impressed with the FILTH trilogy and suggest that as a starting point to her work, but honestly I dont think you can go wrong with any of them (tbh, I read these a few decades ago, I dont know how they hold up, so as always YMMV)

ello

ello, come on in dont be shy, we usually dont bite where abouts are you from, and most important what are you reading?

>133 cindydavid4: I lived Queen of the Tamborine and am tempted to re-red, but yes - the Old Filth Trilogy probably the best to start with.

>67 dchaikin: oh, Juliet Stevenson... I don't really do audio (because I listen too much in my working life?) but I would listen to anything she reads.

I've got various things on the go: the second volume of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, Storia del nuovo cognome (I know, I'm late to the party), Jesmyn Ward's Let us Descend, Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao and Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad. With the exception of the last I'm very much enjoying them all.

I've just finished We, the Drowned - review with my complicated feelings on it is on my thread.

I'm continuing on with Nansen by Roland Huntford - very good.

And for fiction, I wanted something short and humorous so I'm finally reading Baba Dunja's last Love which I think Lisa recommended and I bought a few years back.

>138 japaul22: I hope your sense of humor aligns with mine! Have you read anything else by Bronsky?

>139 labfs39: no, this is my first. I'm only at the very beginning, but she's reminding me of the main character in Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, which I really liked.

>140 japaul22: Although I haven't read Drive Your Plow, I had the same thought when I read a recent review.

I’m reading A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories. Thanks ursula, I’ve read two already and they are splendid. I had to take a break from The Slave by Isaac Singer, but I did manage to write a review of his Enemies, a Love Story which is on my thread and highly recommended.

Four ReignsKukrit Pramoj for thr RTT sept theme royalty
,

I finished Balls by Graig Nettles and Peter Golenbock. Baseball fans will know that 1) Graig Nettles was a star third baseman for the New York Yankees from 1973 through 1983, and 2) these years coincide with the period that George Steinbrenner owned the team. Balls is Nettles’ memoir of the 1983 season, which turned out to be his final year as a Yankee. Nettles and co-writer Peter Golenbock intersperse chapters which follow the ’83 season chronologically with chapters that provide an overview of Nettles’ career up to that point. There's lots of detail about what it was like to play for George Steinbrenner. I've posted a longer review on my Club Read thread.

I've now started (or, more accurately, restarted) Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica, Zora Neale Hurston's memoir of her travels in the two countries of the title in 1938.

I'm halfway through Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and enjoying the meandering journey through generations of a family.

Finished and loved Baba Dunja's Last Love.

Now, inspired by Dan, I'm doing a reread of Possession by A.S. Byatt. It was a 5 star immediate favorite for me when I read it in 2013, and I'm hoping I love it just as much or more the second time around.

My daughter is helping me pick from my TBR pile as I've got lots of new titles and was getting bamboozled! So next up she's picked The Wife by Meg Wolitzer.

>147 AlisonY: What a great way to sidestep indecision.

>137 rachbxl: - yes, on Juliet Stevenson. I would also listen to her read almost anything. Enjoy Ferrante

>144 rocketjk: I've always wondered about Hurston's experiences on these islands. Interesting

>146 japaul22: this is so nice to hear. Yay, Byatt!

>147 AlisonY: nice

So, I'm slothing through the Booker longlist this year. I finally finished This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud. I liked it. She writes beautifully. It's not an amazing book, but it's memorable. Now I'm starting My Friends by Hisham Matar. The FB Booker Prize Booker Club seems to have this as a group favorite. Which, naturally, makes me want to like it less. :) But I'll give him a fair chance. It has something to with the Arab spring.

Another contender for the best book I've read this year: Mary L. Trump's Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.

After seeing the musical version Friday night at a summer playhouse, I started re-re-reading Little Women.

>151 labfs39: I reread this childhood favorite (I thought recently, but my records say 2010!) and was surprised at the religious morals present throughout. I thought it was a bit preachy, but still loved the story and the characters. I'll be interested to see what you think!

>152 japaul22: I noticed that right away too, Jennifer. The epigram from Pilgrim's Progress highlights the importance of this work (at least in the early chapters). When I was young and first read this book, it was an abridged edition, something I didn't appreciate at the time. I wonder if the moralizing was toned down in that version? I certainly didn't remember it featuring so heavily. I had also forgotten how young the girls are when the book opens. Meg is 16, Jo 15, Beth 13, and Amy only 12. Later movie versions (like the

Vacation Reading Heating & Cooling : 52 Micro-memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly (by now i've read it several time; wonderful stuff)Havie started a novel set in Ukraine, The Silver Bone (Usually i'm reading Ukrainian poetry). We will see how it goes.

>154 avaland: I remember reading this as an International Booker award nominee last year (?) and enjoying it very much. The main character/detective has a unique method of detection and I’m hoping to find book 2 in the series, eventuallty. Hoping you’ll like it too, it’s a good mystery for vacation time.

>145 mabith: I've been looking forward to reading this one, I hope you're enjoying it.

I finished A Day in the Life - short stories by Anjum Hasan (uneven, but good) and First Blood by Amélie Nothomb. Now reading Francesca Manfredi - The Empire of Dirt

I've recently finished The Land of Look Behind and Testament of Youth.

I'm now struggling with Mood Indigo/Froth on the Daydream which is blurbed as some sort of coming-of-age romance "now a major motion picture", but reads like a dream retelling with various nouns replaced mad-libs style with made up words. I'm hoping Straight from the Horse's Mouth is more straight-forward.

>150 icepatton: That looks like a really interesting book! Just added it to my list of "to reads."
Referring to: Mary L. Trump's Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.

I returned one book to the library and walked out with three and have completely thrown my August reading plans out the window.

The Comfort Of Ghosts was perfect for a wintery afternoon on the couch. I'm now alternating between The League Of Gentlewomen Witches and The Book That Broke The World on my daily commute now that I'm nearly finished The Woman In White.

Oh, I just remembered that I am also reading The Dictionary People so my reading plans haven't been totally abandoned.

I finished Held a while ago and I really loved this book. I’m still puzzling out a review. I’ll probably finish another Booker nominee today, Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood, which I’m enjoying. So far, Held and My Friends are my favorites of the Booker list, and I’ve dnf’d 2: Orbital and This Strange Eventful History. Also reading James Baldwin’s essays in the collection Nobody Knows My Name.

>160 dianelouise100: I’m looking forward to your review of Held.

>154 avaland: The Silver Bone kept me interested. And looking stuff up.

>1 AnnieMod: One of the best books that I have ever read Is "Beneath a Scarlet Sky. Filled with everything from young love, coming of age to war, to the three factions in Italy fighting to kill each other. And heroism. It is. based on a true story.
Larry S 😊💕

>156 rv1988: I really liked Kintu, though I think the comparisons to books like Homegoing will have people expecting the wrong thing (it is not linear, we drift around quite a lot). I was happy to go along for the ride and let it take me where it wanted, and really enjoyed her writing.

who has read the secret life of sunflowers? seeing some mixed reviews

>165 cindydavid4: I haven’t, but thanks for mentioning it as it looks interesting

thanks. im concerned about the 'current time plot' in this, Im really tired of authors thinking they have to add a modern story to what by itself is a great story.... maybe you could read it first :)

Hello. I hope everyone's day is going well. I'm currently reading "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde

>167 cindydavid4: No! I want *you* to read it first!

I’m getting back to Enlightenment which I interrupted by Held came of hold. I’m having trouble getting into it as I also read some short stories and started another Isaac B Singer.

But needs must, as every second Kate Atkinson is in the habit of saying.

I did finish Stone Yard Devotional last night and actually posted a review on my thread, https://www.librarything.com/topic/357075#8603338

Since I. B. Singer has been much talked about on these threads lately, I’ve borrowed and begun to read a copy of The Manor—liking it so far—along with Baldwin’s essays. I’ll probably give the Booker list a rest for awhile, having finished 4 of them, 1 review to go. Assuming that James will surely make the Shortlist, I’ll plan on reading it later. I’m finding Singer strangely relaxing, sort of like being back in the hands of a 19th century writer.

>171 dianelouise100: Singer is incredibly relaxing. Unfortunately I can’t get The Manor on audio. But I have two books of his short stories on hand - there’s no time limit on the NLS, and the most recent of his that I read - Enemies, a Love Story was extremely engaging and relaxing.

I think it’s because he’s such a good story-teller and is so perceptive on the nature of humans. And very funny. Ticks every box. But not all of his books are relaxing. I had to take a break from The Slave as it was becoming too distressing.

Yes James will be on the Booker shortlist for sure. I intend to read a précis of Huckleberry Finn first so I can appreciate it. I was blown away by The Trees and I expect James to win.

>169 kjuliff: sigh ok I will but I know who to blame if its bad :)

>173 cindydavid4: I won’t mind being blamed as then I won’t have to waste my time reading it.;)

LOL!! ok you win

>171 dianelouise100: I hope you enjoy The Manor as much as I did. A lot of great and, to me, poignant storytelling and characterizations.

Lots of love for Isaac Bashevis Singer lately here. I looked up his books but I'm unsure which language I should read them in. Most of his books I think were written in Yiddish, but he translated them later to English? Normally for a book written in a (non-English) foreign language, I would read the French translation, but it seems that the available French versions were translated from the English. So I guess I should read the English version?

>176 rocketjk: So far, at about 100 pages, I’m finding it a real pleasure to read a good story with lots of interesting characters. It was your reviews of The Manor and the Estate that inspired me.

>172 kjuliff: Kate, I was sorry not to find The Manor on audio, too. It seems like it would make a fine listen.

>177 FlorenceArt: Right. Singer continued to write in Yiddish and then have his works translated into English long after he became a permanent resident of the U.S. As far as I know he wrote all of his works in Yiddish. Sometimes he took part in the translation, but other times not. I assume he oversaw the efforts, however. If the French versions are translated from the English versions, then, yes, I'd guess that the English versions are the closest you'd get to the original.

>179 rocketjk: Thanks for the confirmation. I think that the English translation may also be easier to find as ebooks. I should give his books a try soon. Though I keep being distracted by fluff…

>177 FlorenceArt: Singer translated and co-translated many of his works himself - into English, so I’d recommend the English versions.

A couple books finished/started

I've been reading a little poetry in the morning. I finished a giant collection of Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry in translation - Ahead of All Parting, translated by Stephen Mitchell. And then I picked up a book I've been eyeing, The Blue Swallows, a hundred-page 1967 poetry book by Howard Nemerov.

And I finished Huck Finn on audio. In some ways this was terrific, in some ways torture (but maybe more tolerable on audio). I purchased a copy of Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, which appears to be interviews of Judi Dench. I should start tomorrow.

>182 dchaikin: The Judi Dench book is on audio. It looks interesting. She’s legally blind like me, with a similar retinal disease and luckily is able to learn her lines because she has a photographic memory, and only has to be told them one time by the director - she cannot read.

Thanks Dan for pointing out this book as I had not heard of it.

I’m still plowing through Enlightenment. It is so well-written but for some reason it just doesn’t seem important to me. The characters are described well, but there’s nothing that interests me about them. The narration is good but he also narrated God in Ruins and I keep feeling as if I’m reading a Kate Atkinson book. Plus both the narrator and the novel is so very very English and though I do like British literature, it can be annoying at times. Class system and all that …

>183 kjuliff: I heard a few nice comments and it gets good Audible reviews. And, well, it's Judi Dench... but that's all I know. I wasn't aware of her vision issues. Thanks for sharing that.

>185 dchaikin: ”I can’t even see’: Judi Dench suggests retirement from acting due to blindness”

See The Guardian article from a couple of months ago -
https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/may/28/judi-dench-retirement-from-...

I finished Orbital by Samantha Harvey, my third book from this year's Booker Prize longlist, and I found it a very enjoyable read (I would give it 4¼ stars if I could). I have to return it and Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (2½ stars) to my local library by Monday, so I'll review both books this weekend.

Next up is My Friends by Hisham Matar, another Booker Prize longlisted book, which I should have no problem reading by the end of the month. I'm also reading the Other Essays portion of Library of America volume Baldwin: Collected Essays, as this month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Baldwin, my favorite author.

>187 kidzdoc: sounds like we’re about aligned with Wandering Stars. I’m enjoying My Friends

>181 kjuliff: Yes, I remember reading that he translated some of his books himself. I’ll have to check the French translations again but English is probably the best choice.

Badly want the Dench book!

has anyone read frindle? a book about the crazy lanuage we have ( a bit like phantom tollbooth) well there is a sequel, frindle filesabout the child in the book becoming a teacher and trying to keep the screens away. I knew I wanted these so went to amazon and saw both were on Kindle ....then I stopped, called my local indie and ordered both from them instead....anyway looking forward to reading these

>187 kidzdoc: So glad you enjoyed Orbital and hoping you’ll be reviewing it; would probably give me the incentive to go forward with it, particularly if it makes the Shortlist.

I took a second break from Enlightenment - I can see it’s got something but can’t quite get into it - and am reading Highsmith’s Cry of the Owl. I thought I’d read every Highsmith but discovered this one lurking in the dark in Rasdhar’s library.

>187 kidzdoc: Sounds good, Dan. I've barely started My Friends, but it's a very promising start.

>191 dianelouise100: I plan to review Orbital in the next day or two, as I have to return it to my local library on Monday. I don't think it will be hard, as I took notes while I was reading it, and thought about what I wanted to say in my review. I'll also review Wandering Stars, for the same reason, but I won't spend as much time on it, as it isn't worth a thoughtful review IMO.

I started reading The Bean Trees for Monday's book club meeting. It's a book I've read before, long ago, and although I remembered liking it, I had forgotten just how wonderful the voices are.

>194 labfs39: I’ve never read anything by Kingsolver. The Bean Trees sounds interesting.

>195 FlorenceArt: Although I really liked The Poisonwood Bible, it's long, and not everyone likes it. Bean Trees is much shorter and reads quickly. Very quirky, but I could see you liking it too. I'll look forward to your thoughts if you do read it.

I'm about 2/3s through both the Nansen biography and my reread of Possession - both very enjoyable.

And I've had THREE library holds come in all at once, kind of unexpectedly. They are all really different, and I'm not sure what to prioritize.

James by Percival Everett - obviously I've read all the great reviews of this around LT, but I'm still hesitant for it to be my first book by Everett since I have never read Huck Finn and don't really want to. Wondering if a different one of his novels would be a better place to start?

First Lie Wins - this is just a run of the mill summer thriller, but might be fun?

The Other Bennet Sister - someone (maybe in the category challenge?) liked this P&P spin off and I've been waiting forever for the single copy at the library to come my way.

Comments on these three?

>197 japaul22: James was my first Everette, and my reading of huck is vague, but i absolutely loved it

also loved the other bennet sister but for a real off the cuff take on Jane Austen, read Pride and Prometheus esp around Halloween

>182 dchaikin:, >183 kjuliff: My mom is currently reading and loving the Judi Dench book - she tells me it's about the plays Dench has done, so sort of a memoir, with very little gossip in it. It sounds interesting to me, too.

I finished R.F. Kuang's Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution—very entertaining, great premise, kind of didactic and sad at the end. But clearly being set up for a sequel, which I'll probably read just to see if Kuang can do it again.

And just finished Hisham Matar's My Friends, which was a slow starter for me but I eventually really liked.

My distracted reading attention has landed on the Booker longlist, of which I have almost everything except for Stone Yard Devotional, so I may dip in and out of that pile while my interest holds. I'm reading Percival Everett's James now, since so many people I know have raved about it. And still dabbling in Olivia Laing's The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise. I'm off work for a week-plus, so hopefully can get a little extra reading time in—my reading has been super slow because work just tires my eyeballs out unreasonably.

>199 jjmcgaffey: I'm in love with it so far, not quite an hour in.

>200 lisapeet: now that is good use of wandering attention. I would love your take on more longlist books.

It took awhile but my copy ofMadensky Square finally arrived; we ere talking about it early in the summer and Im eager to read it

Gave up on four reigns which I was reading for the RTT royal challenge. starts out really well with the young girl and her mother arrive at the Thai palace to work. Learned quite a bit about Thailand and its culture but about half way through I lost interest when it became a soap opera too bad

I'm falling a bit behind with the threads here lately. Life has been busy. This weekend I've been in Wisconsin. Was asked at the last minute to lead some Welsh folk dancing at the Peniel Chapel near Oshkosh. I think they are doing some kind of centennial celebration. Not staying for the Gymanfa Ganu tomorrow. I'm leaving for a big trip to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, where I will also be teaching some Welsh folk dancing at the North American Festival of Wales. So 5 hours of driving tomorrow, then 2 days to Pittsburgh and 2 more days back home, so I've lined up some audiobooks. I'm taking a friend so picking things that are light that I think she would like... On the way here (staying with friends in Madison) I finished The Personal Librarian. Didn't like as much as I thought I would. For tomorrow I think I will listen to the next Donna Andrews book, Cockatiels at Seven. My genre challenge for August is humor, and she is one of the wackiest authors I know. For Pittsburgh, I suppose it will depend on what my friend is most interested in, but I have a few options checked out on Libby or own on Audible. I've got the next Scotland 44 Street series book ready to go - A Time of Love and Tartan. I also have been wanted to reread (relisten?) all the Flavia de Luce books, so I've got Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie which I've already read twice, and The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I think she would really like those and she's never read them. She's also mentioned Outlander which I do have on Audible and certainly wouldn't mind listening to that again. I love narrator Davina Porter. So we'll see.

I'm not managing a lot of print books right now - too busy. Picking short things. I just finished The Door to Camelot and was really disappointed that it was only part of a larger work. And I don't want to read the larger work Pendragon's Heir right now. So I've started Mister Darcy's Dogs which is also for the humor genre challenge. After my trip I can get back to some meatier stuff. I really liked Clare Macintosh's The Last Party and want to read the next in the series. And I have some chunky Arthurian stuff to get to... oh! and the third book in the Pompeii trilogy I've been reading The Temple of Fortuna. I also have The Rose Garden ready to go for an R location for my Good Yarn group.

Finally getting to the end of At the Feet of the Sun (well, still 4 hours to go according to my ereader), and almost finished Petits Viêt-Nams, a happy chance find and follow up to Indochine 1858-1954 (la colonisation oubliée). Started Agent of Change (mentioned here but again I don't remember by who), which is intriguing. And yesterday I went to the library and picked up Notre histoire: Pinru et Meitang (recommended by lilisin, won’t show up as a touchstone) and Frances: épisode 1, a reread of the first volume of a series that I forgot to continue some time ago.

>202 cindydavid4: Oh, I loved Madensky Square. Such a sweet book.

just started and I could see it will be a good one

>206 rocketjk: >207 cindydavid4: I didn't realize that Ibbotson wrote adult books. I've only read her juvenile fiction: Journey to the River Sea, Island of the Aunts.

Some booker longlist progress. I finished My Friends by Hisham Matar, and started Enlightenment by Sarah Perry. (So, I've moved from London to Essex)

>209 dchaikin: I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Enlightenment!

>208 labfs39: I don't know this author, but I love the title Island of the Aunts, and the description sounds like fun!

>211 FlorenceArt: It was! Sort of Roald Dahl-ish.