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I'm reading A Kiss Before Dying, which was Ira Levin's first novel. If you know his later ones, which include The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives, Rosemary's Baby etc. it's fascinating to see how it was all there, right at the beginning :)It's a quick read, definitely shadow not shine - but gentle shadow since it was written way back in 1953. I'm less than half way through, so no review yet, but I can link to the one I wrote for The Boys from Brazil:
Jean's review.
Kate wrote: "My first McGrath and won’t be my last. Just not for a long while."I am so happy that you enjoyed him and will read more!
Bionic Jean wrote: "I'm reading A Kiss Before Dying, which was Ira Levin's first novel."
I'm almost ashamed to say that I've never heard of Ira Levin, Jean! Which is funny, considering I have of course heard of the film versions of almost all of what you just listed... I think I watched the Stepford Wives as well. Will be curious to see what you think of this most recent one.
I just finished A Dowry of Blood / review
Dark, but not as dark as McGrath... Would definitely recommend it for anyone into vampires.
I also really enjoyed that book, Kate! I am sure we will read plenty of Japanese lit in this group... considering it is our first month and we are already reading Banana Yoshimoto, haha.
Kate wrote: "Another five star I am recommending. Infested by Carol Gore. 🦟😍Solid novella with a strong female lead that is perfect for the shadow side. First time reading th..."
"Swarms of powerful mosquitoes sucking victims dry. Insatiable horseflies feasting on living flesh. Huge roaches with a ferocious bite. No tent is safe at the Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground."
Wow, that's a really interesting premise haha. Thanks Kate, I think I'm going to try something different and read this book :)
I recently finished Cadáver exquisito "Tender is the Flesh" in English. It is really dark. I still can't decide how I feel about it, because it's quite disturbing, but also very though provoking. It would be a very interesting group read.Last night I finished After Dark which is my second book by Haruki Murakami. It was ok, but left me with a lot of questions that I didn't feel were answered at the end. I do plan to read more of this author. I really enjoyed 1Q84.
I also just finished The Space Between Worlds which I think is the first published book by Micaiah Johnson. I like SF with space themes a lot, and it was refreshing to have a female protagonist. The ending fell a little short for me, but it kept my interest overall.
@Emmett I've been eyeing A Dowry of Blood and I am into vampires! I haven't been actively looking for it, but I will now after reading your review :D@Ann Tender Is the Flesh is one of my top reads of 2020. It still haunts me. I use Reddit a lot and I'd say there are ew discussions about this book in a weekly basis haha
@Kate Convenience Store Woman is fun indeed! Love to see you enjoyed it
I'm reading The Prisoner and pretending it is related to my PhD (it is not). It's an auto-biography by Hwang Sok-yong, a Korean author and activist who was a political prisoner because of visiting (repeatedly) North Korea and meeting with Kim Il-sung. Super fun so far. Slow and meandering, but there's a lot of stuff about Korean info and politics that I dig and it's taking me down lots of rabbit holes.
I'm also reading Homegoing because it's the month's pick for another group I'm part of and I'm honestly not loving it.
Ann wrote: "I recently finished Cadáver exquisito "Tender is the Flesh" in English. It is really dark. "I still have to read this one! I've thought about trying to read it in Spanish, but that means I have to dedicate 3x the amount of time to it than the translated version 😆
Queralt✨ wrote: "@Emmett I've been eyeing A Dowry of Blood and I am into vampires! I haven't been actively looking for it, but I will now after reading your review :D"
It's great, I hope you like it!
Kate wrote: "Another McGrath read this month which means a five star read. This time I read Asylum. This is my second time this month reading one of his books. Perfect for those that love a quiet ..."I love that you are loving McGrath, Kate!
I have just finished my latest McGrath novel as well... and with that, will have to wait for his new book. Martha Peake: A Novel of the Revolution is not one of his strongest- I would leave it for later, Kate 😉 my reviewI also finished reading Những Giấc Mơ Ở Hiệu Sách Morisaki, which I quite enjoyed... There doesn't appear to be an English translation yet, but I wanted to mention it as I think it is what a lot of our group members wanted Moshi moshi to be.
The author is Japanese and has a very similar style to Banana Yoshimoto, but I liked the protagonist in this one way more. It also takes place in a bookstore/the neighborhood around it (a street of mostly bookstores and cafes), so I am sure given everyone's recent longing to return to bookstores/book cafes in person, this would surely hit the spot! I don't mean to be a tease, but just look at the cover:
Emmett wrote: "I also finished reading Những Giấc Mơ Ở Hiệu Sách Morisaki, which I quite enjoyed... "I don't know why but I opened the link and tried to read the synopsis. Turns out I really don't know Vietnamese. Hopefully there'll be a translation at some point, or at least one in Korean... (I haven't been able to find Moshi Moshi yet, but still, bookstores and cafes sound like it'd make a cozy read haha)
Queralt 😂😂 thank you for that laugh! Yeah, it appears that the author has only published two books so far and they have only been translated to Mandarin/Vietnamese.
Moshi moshi actually doesn't have any bookstores that I remember, but plenty of cafes/restaurants... the neighborhood gets quite a lot of attention in that one.
I've just finished listening to the audiobook version of Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey and am pleased to share my very mature thoughts.liked: cool aunt
disliked: hardcore heavy-handed melodrama
recommended for: those who enjoy rocking up to the gay club on horseback
recommended for the group?: ummmmmm
Emmett wrote: "...pleased to share my very mature thoughts.""For added fun, do 40 push-ups for every time a character says “great good Gods!”. You will be fucking RIPPED when you’re finished with this bad boy."
Well, I do want to be ripped... haha best review i've read in ages (I do have to say I am in love with the cover of the book!)
I don't know if my PhD is slowly destroing my reading motivation or I'm just in a weird reading slump, but I've decided to play it safely and go heavy on sci-fi until I'm back in the game.That being said, I read Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Krystoff after liking the first book and hating the second one. I was bawling my eyes out this morning out of relief and happiness. So yeah, five stars. It's a fun book with mixed media (prose mixed with chats, drawings, and so on).
* If you've considered reading it: be aware the main characters change in every book but they still have the same personalities (girl = smartass; dude = dumb and funny).
And after that, I just started reading another space opera because they make me happy, The Cold Between by Elizabeth Bonesteel. 25 pages in and so far, I'm hating it but we'll see ✨
I just finished Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown. It is a teen fantasy book, which isn't my kind of genre, but I did feel like it was well written. it is the first book in a series I believe. I would give it a go if you like Twilight
Queralt✨ wrote: "And after that, I just started reading another space opera because they make me happy, The Cold Between by Elizabeth Bonesteel. 25 pages in and so far, I'm hating it but we'll see ✨"Do we think that's her real surname? Bonesteel... hmmm... HMMM... fingers crossed you stop hating it soon!
Laura Cort wrote: "I just finished Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown. It is a teen fantasy book, which isn't my kind of genre, but I did feel like it was well written. it is the first book in a series I believe..."
That title sounds like the author stole our group idea 😆
Haha! I love that you stepped in to save me from my curiosity. That is an intense surname though... I might be a little jealous
Oh no, I'm truly sorry to hear that Lori. My thoughts are with you.(I do want to say, Interior Chinatown is a gem that made me laugh at loud and cry. I highlighted 90% of the book and think about it a lot. I will certainly support that nomination!)
Glad to hear a book was able to help you through that, Lori! Will have to put Interior Chinatown on my radar
lori wrote: "Thanks; I know we have other animal lovers here who get it. (We just learned the term "heart dog" from Rebel Wilson's dog grooming show, and she was definitely that for both me and my husband.) But..."I'm glad to hear you're finding comfort in your other animals <3 I hope someday we get pics! Sending an online hug your way too!
lori wrote: "Thanks; I know we have other animal lovers here who get it. (We just learned the term "heart dog" from Rebel Wilson's dog grooming show, and she was definitely that for both me and my husband.) But..."So sorry to hear that Lori. Interior Chinatown seems great. I will definitely read it :)
Kate wrote: "Well....💩💩💩💩Here’s my DNF at 30% on My Best Friend's Exorcism
Guess I was possessed with the marketing, and the pretty cover after all. 😢"
We all get possessed by marketing sometimes.
I love that your review starts off with an apology 😂😂
After much considerations, I started 'A little Life'. I'm already halfway through and this book is heavy, both for my mind and heart.
I just finished Dune which I thought I would like more since so many people seem to love it. I didn’t really care for it. I’ll watch the movie when it comes out, but I don’t plan to read any more books in the series. I’m currently reading Persephone Station
I’m 50% done, but it’s also another disappointment. I keep reading more, waiting for it to get better. Not sure I’ll finish before my library loan is up.
I have also just started Gods of Jade and Shadow but haven’t read enough to have an opinion yet.
Oh, @Ann, I've read Dune and Persephone Station this year and they were both let downs for me too :( Specially Persephone Station, it was my most anticipated read for 2021 and it ended up being a 1-star for me, it felt like an all-you-can-eat buffet where you've got everything but both presentation and taste are a let down.
I finished reading The Cold Between by Elizabeth Bonesteel after hating the first two chapters and... 5 stars. It reminded me of The Eight in that the book is actually really good but the romance is just over the top (and it's so ridiculous and dramatic I always end up grabbing popcorn and laughing out loud). This was better because it was drama in space. I actually ended up sending fangirl to the author and she is super kindly sending me a signed copy of the book!I also finished Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge. It was a big disappointment. Premise sounded great but the writing was very disconnected.
Queralt✨ wrote: "Oh, @Ann, I've read Dune and Persephone Station this year and they were both let downs for me too :( Specially Persephone Station, it was my most anticipated read for 2021 and it ended up being a 1..."I completely agree with you "an all you can eat buffet." Too many characters introduced, and I have to revisit chapters to remember who is who. None of her characters have a lot of depth to their personalities, I feel they are still pretty superficial. I do appreciate the inclusion of non-binary characters. I as well had such high expectations for this book. I'm not super critical with my ratings, and usually if I enjoy the book, I give 4 stars easily. I'm pretty generous. But right now, 50% in, I'm sitting at 2 stars.
I just finished
and absolutely loved this book! What an amazing book as a debut! I am looking forward to seeing more work by the author Simon Jimenez.
Ann wrote: "I just finished and absolutely loved this book! What an amazing book as a debut! I am looking forward to seeing more work by the author Simon Jimenez."I also enjoyed that one and am looking forward to what he writes in the future. He has another book set to be published at the beginning of 2022- The Spear Cuts Through Water
Queralt, I am thrilled to see a mention of The Eight! That's a book I really enjoyed and don't see referenced much. Based on that and your rating, I put The Cold Between on my list.I am also glad to see people chatting about Interior Chinatown. I loved that one enough to get a local book group to read it. I am looking forward to hearing what they think. I think it's a brilliant book.
With people reading Dune and Persephone Station -- have you read Jade City? I loved that, and it's the kind of fun you might have been hoping for from Dune.
I am currently reading Don Quixote. I finally decided to surrender myself to reading the entire thing, a little like surrendering myself to Gravity's Rainbow. I have read excerpts before but am enjoying surrendering myself to the ride. It sometimes makes me think of Shakespeare.
Recent reads that are more like Shine and Shadow topics include Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, which I truly adored. It's a mystery set in a poor neighborhood in an Indian city. The protagonists are kids.
Before that, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead was strange, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes very dark in a Ruth Rendell sort of way. The protagonist is an older woman, and the story does a lot with that.
JenniferAustin wrote: "Before that, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead was strange, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes very dark in a Ruth Rendell sort of way. The protagonist is an older woman, and the story does a lot with that."I definitely want to read this one. I have had it on my TBR for a while; will have to move it up!
I've been wanting to read more of Olga Tokarczuk! Read some short stories and articles, and I like her strange writing. Just finished reading Strange Weather in Tokyo. A simple and quiet novel with great emphasis on the rhythms and hums of everyday life, nothing meaty. I thought it was very pleasant and enjoyed spending my time in this gentle world for a while.
Nawaz wrote: "I've been wanting to read more of Olga Tokarczuk! Read some short stories and articles, and I like her strange writing. Just finished reading Strange Weather in Tokyo.
Okay, I added Strange Weather in Tokyo to my to-read list!
Amusing (to me) connection between the two -- one of the most oddly brilliant sections of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead involves a weather channel on TV.
Does anyone here like the stories of Karen Russell? I found some of the stories in Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories quite wonderful and strange.
Kate wrote: "@ Jennifer How are you enjoying Don Quixote?
@Kate , I adored Don Quixote. I had read excerpts, and those were pleasant, but reading the entire book was a different experience entirely.
I found it a little like reading Gravity's Rainbow, in that surrendering to the entire book (which I had resisted because of its length) offered great rewards. The excerpts I read had not gotten across some of the key things that Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was up to.
Some of the time, it is hilariously messy, full-out Monty Pythion funny. Sancho Panza reminds me a bit of Shakespeare's Dogberry (from Much Ado) and also of Falstaff.* He vexed me initially, and I loved him by the end of the book. Some of the times it is melancholy, even sad. Often melancholy and funny at the same time.
The reward of reading the entire book is getting to enjoy the experience of how very "meta" this book from 1605/1615 is. In part 2, we meet two characters who are huge fans of... Don Quixote. They read the first book (the novel was originally published in two parts), so readers (like us) are now characters in the book. Cervantes has a lot of fun with that.
I am now out to see Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, as I can now get why Gilliam was so obsessed by the book as to spend 30 years on the project of making the film.
*Side note - I just saw a lovely BBC article on Falstaff: The Shakespeare tragedy that truly speaks to us now.
Bionic Jean wrote: "I'm reading A Kiss Before Dying, which was Ira Levin's first novel. If you know his later ones, which include The Boys from Brazil, [book:The Stepford Wives|..."Thank you, Jean. I just added this to my To Read stack. I have read other Ira Levin and found his work riveting.
JenniferAustin wrote: " I just saw a lovely BBC article on Falstaff: The Shakespeare tragedy that truly speaks to us now."
Thanks for sharing this one Jennifer. Looks like it's time to revisit Henry IV.
I just finished listening to Girl, Woman, Other and wooooow- spectacular as far as I am concerned!my review
I loved Girl, Woman, Other! Unlike you, I didn't feel drawn in the story after I had read a chunk of it, but the 'love' I felt for the collection and the characters sort of hit me out of nowhere at some point. Loved the review, @Emmett! :D I'm not sure I'd re-read it, but I would certainly understand if you did.
Thanks Queralt! I think the narrator did an excellent job in bringing the characters to life in the audiobook version. Not sure if that contributed to my enjoyment of the novel, but I imagine I would have loved reading it normally as well.And TBH, I probably won't re-read it. I don't think I have ever re-read a book in my life 😂😂 Too many books to get through
Emmett wrote: "Ann wrote: "I just finished and absolutely loved this book! What an amazing book as a debut! I am looking forward to seeing more work by the author Simon Jim..."This is very exciting! I will definitely read anything new he comes out with!
Just finished reading Helgoland, a non-fiction about quantum physics that makes it really accessible.Currently reading Fire & Blood and China: The Novel, two very long books that have kept me from participating in group reads so far.
Kate wrote: "One of the best books I have read. Highly recommended and my new comfort read."Thanks for sharing this review Kate. Added to my TBR. Looks like a lovely book to read. I recall you shared Kitchen Front from the same writer as one of the nominations for the food theme!
Jennifer - I hope you enjoy A Kiss Before Dying if you read it! Even though it's his first one, I thought it was really good :)I'm reading Stowaway To Mars by John Wyndham. Now I love this author, and it's great fun, but definitely an early work and more pulpy than his later stuff (The Day of the Triffids etc.)
So can I share a book by another author who for me is a one-book author? It's Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes:
Jean's review
If you've never read it, please do!
Bionic Jean wrote: "So can I share a book by another author who for me is a one-book author? It's Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes:Jean's review."
This is a great review Jean! Seems like a fantastic book to read.
Thank you Nawaz! Yes, it would make a fantastic "shine" read some time :)
I finished reading Nekropolis by Maureen F. McHugh and really enjoyed it.I think others in the group would maybe like it too. It is sci-fi, but certainly not of the traditional sort. More of one that makes you consider what it means to be human and what worth our lives have.
The only thing I didn't like was that there were some inconsistencies related to language. There was some Spanish later in the book, but it was incorrect? And I couldn't tell if it was on purpose. And also the characters kept referring to their language as "Moroccan" rather than Arabic which... is that a thing? Other than that, was great though.
I saw some others took issue with it because it 'wasn't an accurate representation of Morocco" or something. Umm it is sci-fi? When you watch Westworld or The Handmaid's Tale, are you thinking "wow, this is not at all like the American cities I know"? 😆
We are having a power outage (lightning and high winds that brought down tree limbs all over the city), which means more time to read, right? Anyway, I tackled a little book in translation that I picked up at the library this week. I thought I might mention it here since it could fit under the category of"world tour " The book is Tropisms by Nathalie Sarraute. It is an amazing book. She started writing it in 1932 (I think) and it was published in French originally in 1939. The translation I read, by María Rojas, was on an NPR Best Books of the year list in 2015. It is dark and witty and breathtaking, and it creates a world in which the ordinary is suddenly other.If you have ever read the Raymond Carver story "Little Things" (and it is one of my favorites of his), this is working in the same territory. Tropisms, though, is funny as well as dark. "Little Things" is just dark -- ordinary life as horror.
I got it from the library and may have to get my own copy.
ndbooks.com/book/tropisms/
(Now I want to check out everything in the New Directions press Pearls series that includes this little book.)
Emmett wrote: "I finished reading Nekropolis by Maureen F. McHugh and really enjoyed it.I think others in the group would maybe like it too. It is sci-fi, but certainly not of the ..."
Oh, Emmett! I think I would like this, too!
R.e. the language: I have seen references to variations of Arabic -- unsurprising given the number of places it is spoken. Anyway, I have seen a reference to "Moroccan Arabic," so perhaps McHugh was trying to shorten that?
I love Maureen McHugh's work, and will hopefully eventually get to it all.
I can also enthusiastically recommend a collection of her stories called Mothers & Other Monsters: Stories.
And if I can jump off on a tangent, I wonder if you might also appreciate the work of Howard Waldrop. He is not especially famous outside the writing community, so I always assume people have not heard of him. He has written novels, but I think it is his stories that really shine. Fun fact -- he and George R.R. Martin have been friends since they were kids. They hooked up as pen pals through an ad in the back of a comic book.
Anway, if you want to try one of his best stories for free, "Ugly Chickens" is posted over on the Drabblecast website:
https://www.drabblecast.org/2014/01/1...
If you enjoy that, you might pick up a copy of Things Will Never Be the Same: A Howard Waldrop Reader: Selected Short Fiction 1980-2005. He writes some of the most atypical, out there SF you can find. Oh, and "Ugly Chickens is sheer good fun, too.
JenniferAustin wrote: "Oh, Emmett! I think I would like this, too!Anyway, I have seen a reference to "Moroccan Arabic," so perhaps McHugh was trying to shorten that?"
Let me know what you think if you end up reading it!
I also had the same thoughts about shortening the Moroccan variant of Arabic to just "Moroccan" but it just felt weird- I don't know. It was sci-fi, so allowed. Didn't affect my rating or anything.
I was wondering what to read by her next, I will definitely check out Mothers & Other Monsters: Stories first after your recommendation!
I'll have to check out Howard Waldrop as well.
-What did you like or not like?
-Have you read anything else by the author?
-Would you recommend it for the group to read?
Links to reviews encouraged!! 🥳