What book are you reading?

[leanansidhex]

Originally Posted by Ketabcha

That's part of the "Border Trilogy", right?

I have all three of those but have not started them yet. It's good to hear that you liked The Crossing. I'm just crazy about his books but they tend to wring me out emotionally. So I space them out, too.

Originally Posted by leanansidhex

CHILD of GOD ............CORMAC McCARTHY

There is a phrase in that novel that still gives me the willies 15 years later
I remember it as "Ballard in a fright wig" maybe that's not word for word
all these years later..... but the image it evoked still haunts my psyche

Originally Posted by leanansidhex

The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade
written by
Thomas Lynch .... the only poet and funeral director in Milford, MI

A unusual collection of poetry and short stories, meditative, ironic, devastating.

A constant companion for the last fourteen years, The Undertaking gave "Six Feet Under" creator Alan Ball a sense of the tone he wanted for the show.

Though it seems counterintuitive, reading from The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade, is an excellent addition to, and antidote for the emotional trauma induced by Cormac McCarthy.

There are so many directions to follow in this thread so many additional titles and authors. Thank You.

The Alienest by Caleb Carr reads as if were written by the bastard child of Erik Larson and Dan Brown. A literate,historical, page burning, pot boiler that kept me up way too late for a few sleepy nights.

My father has always been a valuable source for recommended reading, so I asked him for a title to share here.

Dead Like You ------- Peter James

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by poletop1

I remember reading her poetry in a poetry class and researching her I found that her life was depressing. She would outdrink Hemingway and I wonder if her self-perceived inferior writing yet commercial success led to emotional problems. She was too hard on herself. Her criticism were brilliant and her writings were sharp yet acerbic.

Now 3/4s through the book, I see you are correct. I think she started out a brilliant young woman that became too quickly jaded. Hurting inside, she appears to have been hurting others with her ever sharpening tongue and pen.

I don't suppose this bodes well for my reading of the Portable. Does anyone know of a list of her works chronologically? It would be interesting to read her works in sequence to see if they show the digression.

[BigSwede]

A biography on king Gustav III.
I have been heavily into 18th century history the last six months.

[The Time Baroness]

What about Virginia Woolf? I was very excited to read A Room of One's Own, but then put it down as I found it rather dry. I consider myself a person who can read some pretty difficult material - I can read Rushdie while others put him down in frustration - and though I didn't find her work difficult, it just wasn't interesting.

Who has read Mrs. Dalloway? Any thoughts on that?

[The Time Baroness]

Originally Posted by peppermint

I'm reading Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White. Oh my. I love it. I don't like putting it down, but at 500+ pages, I couldn't take the time to read it straight through.

I adored Woman in White! I fell so in love with Collins from reading it that I went on to The Moonstone - incredible - and also, one other the name of which I can't think of immediately. I feel that people wrongly compare Collins to Dickens and find him lacking. He's different, but certainly not lacking.

A fascinating read is Drood by Dan Simmons. It's about the relationship between Dickens and Collins from Collins' point of view. It's very dark and gruesome but excellent.

[peppermint]

Originally Posted by The Time Baroness

I adored Woman in White! I fell so in love with Collins from reading it that I went on to The Moonstone - incredible - and also, one other the name of which I can't think of immediately. I feel that people wrongly compare Collins to Dickens and find him lacking. He's different, but certainly not lacking.

A fascinating read is Drood by Dan Simmons. It's about the relationship between Dickens and Collins from Collins' point of view. It's very dark and gruesome but excellent.

Thank you! I am loving The Woman in White. Am halfway through it, and I hate putting it down at night.

I think you're right about the comparisons. You just can't compare Dickens and Collins. They were friends from what I understand, but their writing styles and contents are vastly different (like Tolkien and Lewis, IMO). I think I actually like Collins more. I find his work pulls me in from the first chapter, and I usually have to get several chapters into Dickens to become enthralled (A Tale of Two Cities was an exception to that general rule).

[Ketabcha]

Y'all have convinced me to read Woman in White.

[lolagranola]

I just read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, & am now reading The Help...both for book club. Neither is a book I would have chosen myself, but both have been enjoyable.

Also just finished Sarah's Key...I loved the WW2 part of the story, the modern part I liked less...It was very predictable. Still, a good read.

[Bondurant]

I recently finished The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo. The book chronicles the life of Richard Kuklinski from his tormented childhood to his married life to his many murders committed for pleasure and hire. Easily one of the most disturbing yet fascinating true crime novels I have ever read.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by LookinForMayberry

Tony Morrison's "A Mercy"
... I have not finished the work, so I cannot give it a full recommendation, but from what I have listened to so far I can say it is a qualified recommend.

This was a touching story from beginning to its end. It is many stories, and I would like to know more about each of the characters.

Ms. Morrison is a gentle giant of a writer. I thank God for the stories she tells.