David’s Comments (group member since Jun 15, 2009)

David’s comments from the Readerville Veterans group.

In keeping with the biographies thread, I'm reading Victoria Wilson's new biography of Barbara Stanwyck. And re-watching some Stanwyck movies on the side.

The Goldfinch is waiting for me. After I read "The Secret History" and (possibly) "The Little Friend." I'm so late to the Donna Tartt party, there are nothing but empty red cups, dirty ashtrays, and vomit stains on the carpet.

"We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" is the only Fowler I've read, but I HIGHLY recommend it. It didn't leave me cold whatsoever. Quite the opposite. It was funny and, in places, quite moving.

As for me, what am I reading right now? "Pilgrim's Wilderness" by Tom Kizzia. Fascinating account of a kuh-razy patriarch (15 children!) who had a stand-off with the feds in Alaska about 10 years ago. Roads in national parks were bulldozed, shots were fired, local residents took sides, and (surprise, surprise) revelations about incest slowly made their way out of the Pilgrim Family commune. The book is un-put-downable.

Next in the queue: that big new biography of Barbara Stanwyck. Delicious!!

Okay, I just ran through the list of a few folks and here are my compatability scores:

Karen: 59%
Susan Ito: 60%
Dana Stabenow: 66%
Nancy S: 67%
Meg Clatyon: 70%
Kat: 71%
Mary Sharratt: 75%
Miriam U: 75%
Lisa P: 90%

I'm about midway through Sebastian Junger's "War" and it's already looking like it will be on my year-end Top 10 list. I talk about it in today's blog post: http://davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com/

Oh, and I'm simultaneously reading Chekhov--a combination that's likely to make my head burst.

I'm about to start "Kidnapped." While I've flirted around with R. L. Stevenson before, I've never actually read any of his novels.

Lauren,

"The Missing" is another example of Gautreaux's superb storytelling skills. He takes his sweet time telling the story, with several detours which might at first glance appear to have little relevance but later prove to be absolutely essential to the rolling-snowball momentum of the plot. And yet, you are never ever bored. This is a story about a man surrounded by violence, who is urged to give in to violent vengeance, but yet resists every step of the way, believing that issues can be resolved without resorting to the gun, the knife, or the fist. It is a profound and beautiful novel.

....And I certainly haven't done it justice in this short space.

I just finished Tim Gautreaux's "The Missing" and am now deep into "The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet" by Reif Larsen. Both of them are perched at or near the top of my Best Reads of 2009.