What book are you reading?

[AntonioR]

The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto

[netwit]

Yesterday while running errands, I came across a used book sale, and hurriedly picked up Jodi Picoult's Handle With Care and The River Beyond the World by Janet Peery.

I'll probably read Picoult first because it should be a fast read, but it looked like The River Beyond the World might be a book to savour. It was a National Book Award finalist in 1996, and from the NYT book review blurb on the back, "Ms. Peery...ruminates...on the mysteries of creation and loss, of forgiveness and love, of betrayal and what she calls 'the complex living heart of grace.'"

It is set in the Texas/Mexico border country from 1944 to present day. Paging through it, the writing looks lush and full of detail, and beautifully written. Whether that all translates into a riveting story for me, remains to be seen. I will start it when I know I will not be interrupted by work.

Anyone read that one?

I might have found more books, if I'd had more time to browse.

[netwit]

Originally Posted by DandJ

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro... because netwit told me to read it. Well, she suggested Alice Munro and I found this one at Goodwill last week. Just a few pages in, and I definitely like the writing. I don't think these nine stories are interlinked, but I've got a ton of work and I kind of like the fact that I don't have to keep track and remember what's going on in my leisure reading.

I know Munroe has some interlinked stories, but I don't remember which books contained those stories. I am generally not a short story fan because there always seems to me to be too little time for me to fall in love with the characters but Munroe was always the exception.

A few years ago she gave an interview in which she said she wouldn't be writing any more because she felt that because of her name, publishers would publish her even if it wasn't her best, and she felt that at her age, and with all the writing she'd already done, that she might not be able to write at her best any longer, and she didn't want anything published that she felt was not up to her usual standard.

I don't know why that stuck out for me. Maybe because it is in contrast to so many best-selling writers who trot out a book a year if their first book was a bestseller. And so often I'm hooked by their first book, and then each subsequent book is just a little less and a little more less, until I just avoid that writer altogether.

[Giesela]

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
Fiction, set in the Maine woods. A murder mystery, main character is a Game Warden whose estranged father is a long time loser poacher woodsman extradoinaire who is accused of killing a cop and the big timber executive he was guarding.

I read it more for the setting and game warden aspect than anything. It was pretty good, notextraordinary.

[OddBall84]

Just finished CodeName: CopperHead going to start Walk Across America 2 later when I go to bed.

[lolagranola]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Just finished Monica Ali's "In the Kitchen", which was uneven. When it was good, it was very, very good, but had some slow parts.

Starting Ha Jin's "Waiting".

I'm interested in what you thought of Waiting. I thought it was okay, until......uh, I'll wait until you're done!

I read another of his, In the Pond, which wasn't as memorable, but I did enjoy. I think what I liked most about them both was that it was Chinese literature, but it wasn't ABOUT China, or communism, kwim? Different than a western writer writing a Chinese story.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by lolagranola

I'm interested in what you thought of Waiting. I thought it was okay, until......uh, I'll wait until you're done!

I read another of his, In the Pond, which wasn't as memorable, but I did enjoy. I think what I liked most about them both was that it was Chinese literature, but it wasn't ABOUT China, or communism, kwim? Different than a western writer writing a Chinese story.

Not yet half way through. The writing style is not much better than a romance novel, not at all gripping from the literary standpoint, but the redeeming quality is its insight into life in China in the Mao era, which I presume to be authentic. It's an easy read, and I will probably finish it, but I won't care much if for some reason I don't finish (which is possible because I have a houseguest coming).

[Brian.Pearson]

Saga of the Seven Suns. It consists of seven books, with all of them averaging at least 630 pages or more (just guessing.)

[Mahrie]

Originally Posted by Brian.Pearson

Saga of the Seven Suns. It consists of seven books, with all of them averaging at least 630 pages or more (just guessing.)

G'morning Brian!

I'm rereading a seven-novel series too - this one
Moderator cut: Do not advertise!
which I gave an interview about the other day.

What's the Saga of the Seven Suns about?

Love,

Mahrie.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by netwit

I know Munroe has some interlinked stories, but I don't remember which books contained those stories. I am generally not a short story fan because there always seems to me to be too little time for me to fall in love with the characters but Munroe was always the exception.

A few years ago she gave an interview in which she said she wouldn't be writing any more because she felt that because of her name, publishers would publish her even if it wasn't her best, and she felt that at her age, and with all the writing she'd already done, that she might not be able to write at her best any longer, and she didn't want anything published that she felt was not up to her usual standard.

I don't know why that stuck out for me. Maybe because it is in contrast to so many best-selling writers who trot out a book a year if their first book was a bestseller. And so often I'm hooked by their first book, and then each subsequent book is just a little less and a little more less, until I just avoid that writer altogether.

I just finished one of her short story books. I really enjoyed her style.

You know who else tells a good story? No, I bet she doesn't. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!