What Books by Women are You Reading Now? August 2009

I'm still finishing up Mysteries of Winterthurn by Joyce Carol Oates. I did interrupt it to read Dog Day, a mystery by Spanish author Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett which was very good.

I'm in the midst of Harriet Hume by Rebecca West and about to pick up George Eliot's Silas Marner as a reread for a course I'm teaching in the fall.

I am still reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, which I am enjoying quite a lot.

I've just started Close Range: Brokeback Mountain and Other Stories by Annie Proulx.

I'm reading Runaway, a collection of stories by Alice Munro.

I'm reading Sacred Country by Rose Tremain.

Wha???? A Rose Tremain book I don't know of??? *rushes to wishlist*

I barely started last night The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.

I'm about to start Cold Comfort Farm, which I've been looking forward to reading for a while now.

lindsacl, I read Cold Comfort Farm recently. It was a great romp!

I'm currently reading Affinity by Sarah Waters. Enjoying it immensely.

I'm about halfway through Testament of Friendship by Vera Brittain and loving it.

In quick order I picked up and finished Thought You Were Dead by Terry Griggs - touchstones don't appear to like the title - a humorous (highlight on the word humorous) murder mystery that involves a literary researcher/ slacker/ reluctant detective that finds himself unwittingly and unwillingly drawn into researching a mysterious tombstone, the disappearance of his employer - a fiction crime writer, and the death of a reviewer/ copy editor. A book I thoroughly enjoyed.

I thoroughly enjoyed Close Range: Brokeback Mountain and Other Stories by Annie Proulx and found it hard to put it down.

Now reading December by Elizabeth H Winthrop.

I'm back to reading To the Lighthouse by V. Woolf. I started it earlier, but put it aside when I went on holiday. It's a great summer read.

>13 Nickelini:: oooh, I have that one lined up to read soon. I can't wait!

>3 aluvalibri: ,8 , 9 , Both The Forgotten Garden and Cold Comfort Farm are intriguing books I plan to read before the end of the year .

I'm halfway through The Third Miss Symons by F M Mayor. It's short, which is good, because I'm bogged down in man books.

#15> The Forgotten Garden is definitely worth reading, even if at times I felt she could have shortened it a bit.

ETA: In need of something light, I am currently reading Past Mischief by Victoria Clayton. Very entertaining.

Just started The Serpent's tale by Ariana Franklin. I really enjoyed the first book in this seriesMistress of the Art of death so I'm looking forward to this one, but I wish she'd get into the story instead of taking so much time with background stuff.

I finished Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland - I enjoyed the book once I made it past the second chapter/short story - that chapter really did seem out of sync with the rest of the book.

Next up are some short stories - The Reason for Crows by Diane Glancy and then The English Stories by Cynthia Flood.

I'm getting quite irritated with Deliverance Dane but will probably continue on unless I just can't stand it anymore.

#18> I have been warned that the second in the Mistress of the Art of Death series is a bit dull at times. But apparently #3 is excellent, so it's worth sticking with.

Finished Affinity and really loved it. Highly recommended (as are all of Sarah Waters' books!).

Just started The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

#7> Sacred Country was an interesting read. Wonderful compassionate writing (as usual) and a whole bunch of quirky characters she made come alive. A sad and thoughtful, but not depressing book.

Now I'm into Old Filth by Jane Gardam. Couldn't fit it into Orange July.

Finished Brittain's Testament of Friendship, her biography of Winifred Holtby, which I enjoyed very much. I have read Part I of Testament of Experience and am finding it very interesting. Her Testaments highlight what it was like to be a writer and a woman during both World Wars. I would recommend them to anyone interested in this aspect.

I read Eudora Welty's The Robber Bridegroom yesterday -- a delightfully told fairytale set along the Natchez Trace featuring Mike Fink and the Harp brothers. Bandit leader Jamie Lockhart kidnaps the fair Rosamund and therein hangs a tale. Great fun.

I've just started the (non-fiction) book Planet India: How the Fastest-Growing Democracy is Transforming America and the World, by Mira Kamdar. Not about women per se, but it does have some discussion of women's issues and concerns in India (although I haven't gotten to those parts yet). Kamdar herself is Indian-American (Indian father, white American mother).

I'm reading Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillan, the noted historian who wrote the fascinating Paris 1919, among other books.

Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. It's just so-so, and I'm having trouble getting going to the end even though I'm halfway through.

I've just finished December by Elizabeth H Winthrop. I found it a well-crafted, involving story, however there were a few moments where I felt I was asked to suspend my disbelief a little too far.

I'm now reading The Cave by Kate Mosse.

My sense is Sandra Dallas peaked with the The Persian Pickle Club. I haven't been able to get into anything else she's written.

I've gotten more interested in Deliverance Dane but still find it irritating.

I am pleased that I have read the three Testaments of Vera Brittain. I have two of her novels in my tbr pile which I look forward to reading some time.

Next I shall read 800 Years of Women's Letters by Olga Kenyon.

I have just finished Les gens du Balto by a young 23-year old French author (who is already on her third book), Faïza Guène. The novel is rough around the edges but the language is so colorful it has the reader laughing out loud! A excellent voice for Generation Y.

>24 janeajones: That's good to know about the Welty. I picked it up recently at a library sale.

Among a few other books, I'm reading Any Four Women Could Rob the Bank of Italy, by Ann Cornelisen, which was recommended by an LTer as a book that makes fun of the "Italy transforms you" genre. This looks like a fun read.

Read 800 Years of Women's Letters by Olga Kenyon. An interesting and absorbing anthology of letters written by women, from the 12th to 20th Centuries.

I'm starting on The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

jane1104 --- where did you get Kingsolver's new book???? *Pea green with envy*

>33 Nickelini: sounds like a good cure!

Finished The Year of Magical Thinking and thought it was excellent. Now reading Opportunity by Charlotte Grimshaw which is a collection of interwoven short stories.

I finished The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and could only manage 2.5 stars. Just too much wrong with it.

Now starting In Hovering Flight which promises to be a wonderful read.

Guilty pleasure with Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta. I'm laughing lots.

Opportunity isn't a very fun read (I will finish it as it's for a bookgroup), so it's been demoted to "public transport read". My "fun read beside the bed" is now The Household Guide to Dying.

I finished The English Stories by Cynthia Flood (loved it!) and The Order of Things by Lynne Hinton (an alright story). As it is a cold, overcast day today, I am looking forward to curling up in a chair for the afternoon and reading The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higgonbotham.

I'm reading some of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald stories in Collected writings of Zelda Fitzgerald.

I have also started Aki Shimazaki's Tsubaki, the first in her Le poids des secrets series. She is a Montreal writer from Japan. This is her first book written in French.

I am still on a Victoria Clayton's binge, and I am almost done with Out of Love. Like her other two books I read, I am finding it entertaining and well written.

I've just started Olive Kitteridge, which I have been so looking forward to!

I finished The Serpent's Tale & enjoyed it even more than Mistriss of the Art of Death. I like the way she puts details in her narrative.

Thinking about starting The Blood of flowers.

Good book, KimB!

Finished Old Filth and found it a pretty good read. Now will be starting The Bluest Eye.

#44 aluvalibri - glad you're enjoying her! Is this latest craze my doing?

Julia Child's My Life in France, which I've had for a while but was inspired to read now because of the new movie.

Reading Virginia Woolf's The Common Reader 1. Thoroughly enjoying these essays. Looks like I might be reading or re-reading some of the classics she writes about.

#50> Lyzzy, I don't know if it s your doing (probably), but all I can say is that I am enjoying her books quite a lot.
Now I am waiting for two more, which I ordered from Amazon recently.
So far, I think Past Mischief is my favourite.

#53 excellent! I love past mischief too!

The Common Reader 1 by Virginia Woolf. Spent a very pleasant Sunday reading these essays. Shall start A Room of One's Own tonight.

#53 and 54,

You two got me curious, so I went onto Amazon and used their "look inside" feature to read the first few pages of Past Mischief.
I couldn't resist so now there's a copy on it's way here too!

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. I enjoyed this very much, especially the idea of Judith Shakespeare. If only!! This small volume gives much food for thought. A definite re-read for the future.

#56> BRAVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You will not be disappointed, I promise. Light reading, yes, but well written and fun.

Picked up (as a quick read) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi about her life in Iran. I saw the movie adaptation last year, and thought it was simply beautiful.

I am reading The Forgotten Garden and am enjoying quite a lot now. At first it was slow going. It is fun and whimsical.

I just started The Blessing by Nancy Mitford. As usual, her style is quite entertaining and the characters hilarious.

#47: I have The Blood of Flowers on my pile to read, so maybe it'll be next.

However, right now I'm reading The Elegant Gathering of White Snows. I didn't make it very far last time I tried to read it, but I'm further along this time.

I have just started One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. I enjoyed Case Histories earlier this year, so I thought I'd give this one a whirl. So far so good!

I'm reading memoir White Masai which is a bit odd so far but I'll see how it goes... not very far in at the moment.

Read The Common Reader 2. Another great collection of essays by Woolf.

Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf. VW reasons why she should or not give a guinea to each of three requests: one for world peace; one for female education; and one to open the professions to women. It was very interesting to follow her thoughts through to their conclusions. Not an easy read but worth the effort.

I've just finished One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson and have moved straight on to When Will There Be Good News?. These books are real page-turners, but they have something more to them than the run-of-the-mill mystery or thriller. Even though some of the characters seem a little far-fetched (possibly even caricature-ish) at first sight they somehow have enough depth to them to be plausible.

Just finished The Death of the Moth and Other Essays by Virginia Woolf. A great collection of essays.

I just started Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne. So far, so good.

A bit of light reading for the heart PS I Love you by Cecilia Ahern. Nearly finished.

Just finished The Blessing by Nancy Mitford. Not as entertaining as her other books I have read.

Now I am reading The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys, a fascinating little book.

#71: How is The Frozen Thames? I looked for it at the library, but they didn't have it.

I just finished The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier, and I really enjoyed it! It's better than her other book Girl With a Pearl Earring, and so now I'm tempted to read her other book Falling Angels.

#72> I just finished it and found it marvelous! If you go to the book page, read the reviews, they will tell you something about this little, lyrical, enchanting book.

#72 - I really liked The Virgin Blue also, along with GWAPE. I haven't loved any of her other books though.

I'm reading Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult and find it very intriguing. I was put off by all the reviews saying it was a redo of My Sister's Keeper and not necessarily a good one. I'm finding the premise to be quite different, however, even if the cast of characters is a familiar one (mother cast as villian, two sisters, etc.)

I'm 50 pages into Burnt Shadowsby Kamila Shamsie. I like it very much, so far.

Reading Falls the Shadow, second book of Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh Trilogy. Good so far.

Just started The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie. When in need of a cozy mystery, that is where I go.

#73: I guess I'm going to have to request it from another library . . .

#74: What books of hers have you read?

#76: I've been meaning to read Falls the Shadow for some time, but I loved Here Be Dragons so much that I didn't really want to read it because I might be disappointed.

I've just finished When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. It is my favourite of the three Jackson Brodie books. Unputdownable! Can't wait for a chance to pick up some more of her work.

#78> I read the Llewellyn Trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman years ago, and really liked it. I don't think you will be disappointed by Falls The Shadow and The Reckoning (if ever you decide to read that too.)
Another good one by SKP is The Sunne in Splendour.

I'm reading The Pickup by South African Nadine Gordimer with an online book group. It's the first I've read by this Nobel prize winner and lifelong anti-discrimination activitist.

I was surprised to read that she refused being on an Orange Prize longlist as she felt the Orange Prize discriminated against men....

I'm reading Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Not far into it yet but can see I'm going to love it.

#79 nebowers: I am in complete agreement with you. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson was my favorite of the three also.

I finished Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman. One of her best, I think.

#81 - I was surprised to read that she refused being on an Orange Prize longlist as she felt the Orange Prize discriminated against men....

-----

No, that's not really true, is it? Is there something missing from this story? Please tell me that's just a silly rumour! ;-/

>79 nebowers:, 83, Glad to hear about the Atkinson book, it's on my TBR shelf. I've read Case Histories but haven't put my hands on One Good Turn yet -- do you think I need to read it before I read Good News?

After a few days of anesthesia and narcotics, I'm finally able to sufficiently track more than a sentence at a time and am starting to enjoy The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. Since I have a few weeks of recuperation to do, I should be able to catch up those lost days!

>85 teelgee:. I would recommend reading One Good Turn before When Will There Be Good News? as one of the main characters in the third book is introduced in the second. :)

Finished The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, and didn't like it that much.

#72, I read Girl With a Pearl Earring about a month ago, and enjoyed it, so I think I will read some more by Tracy Chevalier.

Up next though, I'm starting The Blood of Flowers... after some yardwork today!

#78 - I've ready many of Picoult's books besides Handle with Care, including My Sister's Keeper (my favorite by far), Plain Truth (loved), Picture Perfect (very good), Vanishing Acts (very good), The Pact (loved), The Tenth Circle (very good), Nineteen Minutes (okay), and Keeping Faith (so-so and my least favorite).

I also have Change of Heart, Harvesting the Heart, Mercy and Salem Falls on my shelf in my tbr pile. Would anyone care to suggest which one I should read next?

78. Here Be Dragons was really good. Now I am about three quarters through Falls of the Shadow I am pleased that I decided to read it. Like you I wasn't too sure. I have The Reckoning to read to complete the trilogy. Looking forward to that.

Edited to say Paola I would like to read The Sunne in Splendour one day.

You would like it, Valerie.

Have started Prime Time Suspect, the second in the Barcelona mystery series by Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett (in message #1, I was reading the first in the series).

Nickelini--try googling Gordimer and Orange Prize. She refused the honor for her 1998 book House Gun.

Here's a quote by her from this interview http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/Naparstek-nadine-gordimer-at-eighty-two
While indisputably the reigning matriarch of letters on the African continent, Gordimer isn't an easy icon for feminists. She traces her reputation--as an antifeminist--to the controversy she sparked by withdrawing her novel The House Gun from the 1998 Orange Prize--a British award restricted to women writers. "I don't see how there's sex in the talent or the creativity that makes you into a writer. Next thing you'll have special prizes--God knows, maybe some exist already--for people who are gay or lesbian. As writers we're all trying to make sense of life. Whether we do so from a slightly different point of view, depending on our sex, I doubt very much. Writers have this ability to enter other identities--across gender, across age."

I wouldn't necessarily call this an antifeminist point of view, and I actually have some sympathy with it. In an ideal world, we wouldn't need separate prizes for women writers -- and one might argue, as Gordimer apparently does -- that we shouldn't have them in this imperfect world. In that perfect world, writers would be writers, and one writer would have as much opportunity to be published, translated, and awarded prizes as any other writer of comparable quality, regardless of gender, age, race, national origin, sexual preference, etc. In this imperfect world, that isn't so, and so there is the impetus for separate prizes. But does it alleviate the problem or only allow it to continue? "Separate but equal" wasn't equal.

Looks like some good books being read this month.

I am currently reading Made in Heaven by Adele Geras. The reveiws are average but its sitting on the shelf and time to get to it.

Continuing with my Victoria Clayton's binge, I am now reading Dance with Me (and laughing out loud while on the train.)

Finished The Household Guide to Dying, and have moved on to books that will have no death scenes to give myself a break from all the emotional trauma. First up: Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik.

Was inspired to start My Life in France by Julia Child after seeing and loving the movie, Julie and Julia (although I'm far more interested in Julia's story).

#95, I've just finished Past Mischief and just loved it! I found it the perfect feel-good novel. Thank you, LyzzyBee and aluvalibri for the recommendation. I now feel rather tempted to embark on a Victoria Clayton binge myself!

#97, I really enjoyed My Life in France, and was glad I read it before the movie, but I'm sure you'll lik eit after the movie too.

#98> I knew you would like it! I must say that I am finding the others quite pleasant as well and, if you read others, you will realize that characters you already knew pop in unexpectedly.
You are right, her writing makes you feel good!

The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman. The trilogy as a whole is very good. I enjoyed the first and last books more than the second.

I've just started The Orchard On Fire by Shena Mackay. I have no idea what to expect. I picked it up in a charity shop as it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

I was reading the thread and seeing all the posts on Victoria Clayton, so I became interested in her work, but I looked up her books on Amazon and couldn't find any in print in the US. Curses I say! I was hoping to try her. Maybe I'll find one used.

I just started reading The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. It's the first book I will have read by her, and I realize that it's a bit of a departure from her previous books, but I was in the mood for a ghost story, so I picked it up.

#103> SaraHope, I bought all of mine on Amazon marketplace, all used. You can find pretty inexpensive copies.

I just discovered Barbara Pym last month, so right now I am in the midst of No Fond Return of Love. Her books are just delightful. I'm also reading Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri.

89> I hope you got the notice that Sharon Kay Penman has a current thread here on LT to chat with fans.

106> Yes, and she is also a LThinger!

I finished The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higgonbotham - thoroughly enjoyed it. I took a slight detour in my reading and I havenow started The Outlander by Gil Adamson - 6 pages in and I am already hooked!

>105 Cariola:: Great stuff, Cariola!

Finished The Day the Falls Stood Still - good book! Now going to give Gilead another try - I started it years ago and it didn't do much for me, but thought I'd give it a go now in another phase of my life!

I'm in the middle of Pack Up The Moon by Anna McPartlin and loving it !

>106 Cariola:, 107 I did thank you.

110> Good luck with Gilead--I couldn't get through it myself. A real snoozer and highly overhyped, IMO.

Oh gosh, Cariola, thanks for the encouragement! LOL. That's how I felt years ago when I read the first 30 pages or so. I'm hoping to get something else from it this time.

Hi! New to this group. I am reading Into the Beautiful North and enjoying it immensely so far. By the author of the Hummingbird's Daughter, Luis Alberto Urrea.

Hi, Berly. Isn't Luis a male name? Great book titles, however!

Good point...I read five new group threads and got a little mixed up as to which one I was on, but I really do like this one! So, how about I just finished Almost Moon by ALICE Sebold (did not really like it, but it is a female author) and Pride Prejudice and Zombies by JANE Austen and seth graham-smith (the better parts of this book written by a female: the zombies were not a good add, either that or I was not in the right frame of mind for this particular brand of humor).

I've just finished The Orchard on Fire by Shena Mackay. Brilliant! Her writing is so descriptive that I feel as if I have just watched a movie rather than read a book. It made me nostalgic for a childhood I never had.

I'm now reading The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney.

Finished The Days the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan -- an ARC that I found entertaining but not very profound.

I've finished Prime Time Suspect, the second in the Inspector Petra Delicado mysteries set in Barcelona. There's a bit a of wit and a lot of chatter in these police procedurals. Petra tends to think out loud, she's smart, knows her stuff, a bit insecure personally, has a healthy libido, talkative, somewhat contrary, and doesn't usually take orders without some comment. She's very refreshing after my usual diet of solitary, brooding male police investigators

I just finished Allegra Goodman's young adult dystopia The Other Side of the Island, which is set in a post-apocalyptic (global warming, perhaps?) island world that is ruled over by a seemingly benevolent Earth Mother figure who may just be a front for an insidious corporation that wants to control everyone.... Right now I'm getting back into Mad, Bad, and Sad: A History of Women and the Mind Doctors from 1800, which is non-fiction but is written by and focuses on women & has a lot of literary references.

I have started Daphne by Justine Picardie, based on the life of Daphne Du Maurier, and at the same time I am dipping in French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David.

Just finished On Agate Hill by Lee smith. I like Lee Smith's books, she doesn't get a lot of publicity, but her books are good. This one started out great, but the later sections were a bit disappointing. But I stuck with it to see what happens next.

>123 MarianV: As an undergraduate, I had Lee Smith as a creative writing teacher. She was excellent.

I am currently reading Of Dreams and Assassins by Malika Mokeddem. Thus far, the polemics overwhelm the story and the craft of writing.

I've been on holiday and took mainly Man Books (not sure why and didn't notice till my OH pointed it out to me!) I did take The Bradshaw Variations by Rachel Cusk whcih was my July Early Reviewers book and didn't think that much of it. Thought it pretty anti-women actually - damned if they stayed at home with the family, damned if they went out to work...

I finished The Little Stranger yesterday, and I enjoyed it pretty well. Today I moved onto Alice Eve Cohen's memoir What I Thought I Knew, which is distressing but also very absorbing. An interesting book--I'm interested to know what the 'end' will be.

I'm reading Ruth Adam's I'm not Complaining, a Virago Modern Classic. It's about a woman who teaches in a north-England industrial town during the 1930s. There's lots of wit about the government, the educational system, and the schoolchildren, but this is all by way of making social commentary on the role of women at that time. For example, teachers were not allowed to be married, forcing women out of the workforce, or asking them to make a very difficult choice.

Midway through The Secret of Lost Things and it's a big "just okay," but I'm traveling right now and it's been an quick and easy terminal/airplane book.

Night and Day by Virginia Woolf

I'm half way through Gilead and liking it lots! I think because I'm recovering from surgery, the easy, slow meditative pace is just right for me. It's lovely writing. Now I have to set it aside for awhile though to read a boy book - Kavalier and Clay - for my book group. I think it'll be easy to pick Gilead back up.

Back to good old horror classics: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I can't believe she was 19 when she wrote this book!

Was she really nineteen? I believe it's required reading for my school, and I'm excited to read it.

I actually just finished The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

And suprisingly enough, I could relate to it.
The character reminded me so much of my father-
a hardworking man with the best interest for his family, but has trouble romancing and expressing his feelings for his wife. This lead me to ask my mom about how my father proposed to her. She told me that he brought her back a rose from Israel, and in the rose was the ring. I was suprised when she told me he didn't pop the question. My parents don't really tell me and my sister about their romantic history- and now I know why.

>132 njdevils26: Oh I think that's romantic! the ring in the rose! Doesn't need words.

Finished Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik - not as good as the first "Temeraire" book, but a good fun adventure. And then picked up and finished Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. Amusing, but fluff (and veered into overly sentimental fluff on a number of occasions).

I found the Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert on the display at the library this morning, and am halfway through it already and enjoying it a lot. I picked it up because I remembered reading about it on here - thanks cariola, torontoc and englishrose60!

135> It's a fine book. Have you read Seiffert's Afterwards? Even better!

I'm in the midst of another Barbara Pym, Crampton Hodnet.

I am reading Carpentaria by Alexis Wright for the Reading Globally Aboriginal Authors theme read.

I finished Doomsday Book the other day - a great read. Now into The Road Home by Rose Tremain. I had intended to read it for Orange July but somehow that didn't happen . . .

I am reading the sweet love story of Benny And Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti .

Just finished My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme, a great airplane read.

I am currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

I finished I'm not Complaining, which I really enjoyed, and am now reading another Virago Modern Classic, Jenny Wren. I've read one other book by E.H. Young -- Miss Mole -- and liked her writing. This one is also good.

Just starting The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.

Finished Love is A Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. Really great, but I feel like I missed something, considering the songs are a little before my time.

Just starting Affinity by Sarah Waters.

Ah, englishrose, you're in for a treat! That's my second favorite Waters book.

I'm still reading a boy book, but next week will be back to Gilead.

I'm falling asleep to Julia Childs' My Life in France and embarking upon (for about the 6th time) Beloved by Toni Morrison -- perhaps my favorite all-time book -- for a course I'm teaching.

I finished The Outlander by Gil Adamson this morning and have now picked up Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente.

>144 njdevils26:, isn't Rob Sheffield a man??

teelgee - Read a few chapters of Affinity last night. Good so far. I have that prison pictured in my mind.

Started The Night Watch by Sara Waters. So far, interesting characters, good writing.

Just started Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter and so far it's surprisingly good. I may have to re-read I, Claudius after this or watch the series again. I keep picturing Octavian as Tony Soprano.

I recently joined a book club, and am reading our first selection, Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle.

I have just finished The Thing around your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is a book of 12 short stories - some better than others. Was not a 5 star read like her others - but definitely a 4 star - so well worth picking up.

Just finished Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge for a book club and I'm rereading Alison Lurie's Pulitzer Prize Foreign Affairs to possibly use as my book club choice next month. I'm enjoying it just as much as I did the first time around.

#147 janeajones--Beloved is my all time favorite too. Unfortunately I can't use it for the book club that I've recently joined since they've been meeting for more than eight years and they only read award winning books and they've read Beloved. I've defaulted to Foreign Affairs hoping to introduce one of the best women comedy writers.

Loved both Beloved and Glass Castle! What an amazingly different childhood Wall had. Interesting how the same upbringing can bring out the best in some people, and the worst in others. Am also reading My Life in France. Julia is actually quite amusing!

Affinity by Sarah Waters. Really good book weaving the stories of Selena, a spiritual medium imprisoned for fraud and Margaret a 'lady' who is a prison visitor. Recommended.

I've just finished The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. What a book! The ending had me in tears, which doesn't happen very often. I feel all melancholy now. . . I'm going to have to read it all over again, and soon, just to get everything straight in my head, and to savour the beauty of it all.

Now reading Small Island by Andrea Levy.

I'm reading In the Kitchen by Monica Ali as an ER book. So far, so good. Protagonist is male though.

Just started To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. She writes excellent sci-fi, and this one is more of a comedy with time travel (gentle comedy, a lot of it is based on the delightful Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome). I've had it on my shelves for far too long unread - I had to dust it quite thoroughly!!