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Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Proof that there's a right time and wrong time for certain books:
A few days ago, a friend of mine said that she was about to start We Were Witches by Ariel Gore. I read a few pages of the sample and put it on my "to read" list. The author's name was familiar to me -- I knew that I'd read something by her already. Oh, yes... but no. I'd started a book by her but gave up on it very early on. Thinking, based on the few pages of my friend's book that I'd just read, that I'd made a mistake about the other book, I thought I'd try it again. Yup, right book at the wrong time. I'm LOVING it this time. It's The End of Eve: A Memoir and I'm 71% in.
The house of broken angels : a novel / Luis Alberto Urrea, c2018, Little Brown & Co., F URRE.
Subjects
Mexican American families -- Fiction.
Mexican Americans.
Summary
"In Urrea's exuberant new novel of Mexican-American life, 70-year-old patriarch Big Angel de la Cruz is dying, and he wants to have one last birthday blowout. Unfortunately, his 100-year-old mother, America, dies the week of his party, so funeral and birthday are celebrated one day apart. The entire contentious, riotous de la Cruz clan descends on San Diego for the events--"High rollers and college students, prison veteranos and welfare mothers, happy kids and sad old-timers and pinches gringos and all available relatives." Not to mention figurative ghosts of the departed and an unexpected guest with a gun. Taking place over the course of two days, with time out for an extended flashback to Big Angel's journey from La Paz to San Diego in the 1960s, the narrative follows Big Angel and his extended familia as they air old grievances, initiate new romances, and try to put their relationships in perspective. Of the large cast, standouts include Perla, Big Angel's wife, the object of his undimmed affection; Little Angel, his half-Anglo half-brother, who strains to remain aloof; and Lalo, his son, trailing a lifetime of bad decisions. Urrea (The Hummingbird's Daughter) has written a vital, vibrant book about the immigrant experience that is a messy celebration of life's common joys and sorrows" -- Publisher's weekly.
Length - 326 pages ;
A wonderfully picaresque internal view of a Mexican family, their histories, their patriarchs & matriarchs. Tragedy, comedy, farce, black humor, love, hate, lust - spread over generations. An entertaining read, which actually explains some things, & @ least alludes to others.
I've just finished a long sojourn in Earthsea. I read the first three in the cycle, and then reread them, to make sure I got it all. LeGuin is subtle. She writes well and easily, and you can miss stuff. I enjoyed those twice! Then I read the last three. I think I will reread Tehanu, skip the Tales, and reread The Other Wind.
The first three titles are the best, IMO: Wizard of Earthsea, The Ruins of Atuan, and The Farthest Shore. Tehanu, however might be my favorite.
I think it is fascinating how LeGuin went back to her created world and revised how she viewed it. I also am frustrated that she did not tell us things about some of the early characters in her first two books. I know these are supposed to be YA books, but for me, an old adult, they were fascinating.
I think I will read The Left Hand of Darkness after I leave Earthsea for good.
I thought the author's name was familiar so I googled and yes, she wrote The World To Come which I read a few years ago (for book club) and recommend. It was really quite heady but different and intriguing..... at this point I don't recall it too clearly but I know I really liked it and was very impressed.
Everything I've heard about male goats suggests "Stinky" would be the perfect name. Are you going to castrate him or is he castrated?
I have often thought I'd like a couple of goats but DH used to have one and he refuses on the basis that they get out and that his billy stank to high heaven.
The weekend of the 21st is when I pick up my new puppy.
Yes the males do stink especially when they are ready to breed, as early as 7 weeks. Right now my boy, Billy, is still sweet and only smells a little. We are keeping him for breeding purposes as we are going to sell "pet" Pygmy goats.
The females don't smell, well not like the males who will spray themselves with their pee. They make great pets but since they are a herd animal they do better in pairs or more.
Pygmy'a are the smallest goats but they are good for meat or pets.
Nigerian Dwarf are the next smallest and can have beautiful blue eyes. They are dairy goats.
Just finished Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, at first I was ready to chuck it, as I found the writing choppy, stuck with it and glad I did, good book.
I started We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter last night, so far very good.
As for the animals well we picked up our first baby goat yesterday. We are getting him some pals tonight.
Any name suggestions for our new baby boy would be appreciated
If I were to get a goat, I think I'd have to name him Wrigley. (Or maybe Murphy if I had 2.)
To keep on topic, I'll say that I started a YA book called Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I bought it a few months back, not realizing a movie was coming out based on the book. (Movie is called Love, Simon.) It's definitely a YA read, but so far I am enjoying it a lot.
A tome of a book, 1001 pgs., so I'll read it for a awhile then break for a fiction, or history book....I do want to read the whole thing, Marlon Brando was a stunning actor with a fascinating life, a gifted man who also experienced tragedy in his family.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,018,915 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I've just finished a long sojourn in Earthsea. I read the first three in the cycle, and then reread them, to make sure I got it all. LeGuin is subtle. She writes well and easily, and you can miss stuff. I enjoyed those twice! Then I read the last three. I think I will reread Tehanu, skip the Tales, and reread The Other Wind.
The first three titles are the best, IMO: Wizard of Earthsea, The Ruins of Atuan, and The Farthest Shore. Tehanu, however might be my favorite.
I think it is fascinating how LeGuin went back to her created world and revised how she viewed it. I also am frustrated that she did not tell us things about some of the early characters in her first two books. I know these are supposed to be YA books, but for me, an old adult, they were fascinating.
I think I will read The Left Hand of Darkness after I leave Earthsea for good.
It's so weird when this happens. I'd never heard of this author until I read your post. Her novels aren't my type of books -- I'm very much into memoirs -- and then, just last night, this showed up on my "you might like" list on Amazon and is now on my "to read" list. (No, I hadn't looked up the books when I read your post. I guess it's memoir karma that triggered it.) Anyway, maybe it's something that you might want to read too:
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. They make great pets but since they are a herd animal they do better in pairs or more.
