flight paths discussion

summer has been flirting this year.
August holds the possibility of supreme outdoor reading experiences. Do you have a favorite spot?

the beach, any beach will do as long as the sun is shining.

I want the beach: I'm strong enough to go now but the weather has turned from unrelenting heat to rain and chill! :(

Much to my excitement, I have finished Against the Day and am starting out the month with two new books: the classic The Grapes of Wrath which is slow going but beautiful and Roberto Bolaño's 2666 which is almost 1,000 pages and I'm only 60 in but enjoying so far.

What is everybody else reading?

Big congrats to Ellie who persevered enough to fall in love with the difficult Against the Day! Now you see why I begged you not to give it up.

I hate to say how much I hated Grapes of Wrath.

Waiting for the moment I can get to the Bolano.
Gee those are weighty companions.

I am oddly lethargic this last week, finding myself favoring little outdoor naps and watching the clouds over reading. Did just finish a book that I found far exceeded my expectations, and you might like Ellie.Projection: Encounters with My Runaway Mother by Priscila Uppal
I was a bit disappointed in Alix Ohlin s novelInside seeing as i loved her short stories in Signs and Wonders
But Ellie what you must read is The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction by Matthew B. Crawford It has some very interesting insights on attention among other things.

I am imagining Ice in a vast theme park with the grans, ignoring the slot games and reading under a large bush.

Ellie, 2666 is a favorite of mine. It's not always easy reading but a wonderfully told story.

I have yet to read The Grapes of Wrath. There's a tiny chance that I did read it way back in high school but I remember nothing of it, if this is the book.

I'm still (slowly) reading The Luminaries. I put it down to finish a library book and haven't gotten back to it again.
Meanwhile, I've read Mercy Among the Children and Eleanor Rigby, both of which I really enjoyed.
I've now also started Flow Down Like Silver: Hypatia of Alexandria.

Petra wrote: "Ellie, 2666 is a favorite of mine. It's not always easy reading but a wonderfully told story.

I have yet to read The Grapes of Wrath. There's a tiny chance that I did..."

I don't know any of the books you are reading except The Luminaries. I'll be very interested in your response when you finish it.

Meanwhile, I'll have to check out the other books you're reading!

Ellie, Douglas Coupland was a surprise. I randomly picked up Hey Nostradamus! at the library last year, knowing nothing about the author or his work, and was blown away. Simple story but lots of depth and feeling. Eleanor Rigby is the same. I'm looking forward to reading more of his works.
He's local to my area and the settings are very Vancouver. It's fun to have your city featured in a book. That's not the interest I have in his books (his stories would be wonderful, no matter where set) but it adds fun to the quirkiness.

Petra wrote: "Ellie, Douglas Coupland was a surprise. I randomly picked up Hey Nostradamus! at the library last year, knowing nothing about the author or his work, and was blown away. Simple story bu..."

I liked Coupland's Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Rigby is now on my TBR.

Dabbling with Nordic Noir, Fantasy & Science Fiction but looking at my classics to be read list to diversify.

@ice, hmm, seems that your affair with Nordic Noir is fairly constant. I actually read what could be thriller science fiction. Spark by John Twelve Hawks. you will like it I think
@Ellie. sorry but I have to say@petra be glad you don't remember anything of the Steinbeck. I had so anticipated reading my boyfriends old copy while I was in the area.I had to force myself to read on ..and was depressed for ages after.

Magdelanye wrote: "@ice, hmm, seems that your affair with Nordic Noir is fairly constant. I actually read what could be thriller science fiction. Spark by John Twelve Hawks. you will like it I think
@Ellie. sorry but..."

I'm sorry you found Grapes of Wrath so depressing. I totally understand why; in fact, I'm not sure I understand why I didn't. Partly because it made me so angry; and so much of the "system" is still in place today although now it mostly causes starvation in other countries. And the prejudice faced by the migrants mirrors the kind of prejudice still happening in this country that the new migrants/immigrants face.

Plus I was blown away by the beauty of the writing.

All that being said, I've tried to read this book for 10 years and only now succeeded. Although I never made it past the first 5-10 pages. Steinbeck is one of those authors who taught me how to read him.

Dickens will be my diversity - Our Mutual Friend and Bleak House on order.

Ice wrote: "Dickens will be my diversity - Our Mutual Friend and Bleak House on order."

I love both those Dickens, so much!

diversity is good
I certainly can't begrudge anyone loving a book, except of course if its a hate book or something like shades of grey. I guess there is a disgust factor ....well that's another topic.
I am taking a break and counting on this connection to hold.
the book I have finally brought myself to read, after coveting and being overjoyed when the library finally got it, its
mysterious fragrance of the yellow mountains by yasuko Thanh whose book of short stories was a marvel. This though is like participating in an act of violence on my sensitivity. we ( including myself) in the west have been so sheltered

I finished Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two and enjoyed it. It should be thought of as a stand-alone, though, I believe. It's a play meant to tell it's own story, I think.
As a play, some details and character growth are dropped so as to adapt it for the stage. As such, I think the story works really well. It's quite touching at times. I really like Scorpius; he's a delightful character.
The themes stay true to the books, I think: being true to self, being true to your friends, believing in yourself, etc. Some characters are "stage-ified" (ie: Ron), which could be disappointing if one compares them to the books.
All in all, worth the read.

I also quickly read Outwitting Ants: 101 Truly Ingenious Methods and Proven Techniques to Prevent Ants from Devouring Your Garden and Destroying Your Home in hopes of finding ways to control ants in the yard. They are destroying my patio. Most of this book is devoted to ridding ants from the house and ensuring that they don't get into the house. However, I did get one new tip to try for ants in the yard and a confirmation that borax (which I'm currently using) does work as well.

My daughter was very disappointed in the Cursed Child; I suppose I'll have to read it for myself. It sounds like it works well as a play.

I finally read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It's taken years for me to get past the opening-all that dialect was intimidating. But I read it and loved it.

I think that if it's considered part of the HP series, it is disappointing. It's a shame that the marketing sells it as HP #8. It does it an injustice and sets up people's expectations.
The scenes are many and short. I can see it being a visually fast play to watch (many sets on one stage; all blacked out except the one being acted).

That was Katie's (my daughter"s) big complaint: that parts of the play did not mesh with the series. And it was hard for her to see Harry as a bad father, even if it makes sense given his own upbringing.

That's a perception thing, though. It was odd but other characters had "odd" moments (such as when Ginny was suddenly accusatory of Harry's actions, when she was supportive before; the change has no reason for happening). This is where the play could become disappointing if taken in context with the books. But, as a stand-alone and a play, it works. It's dramatic, it changes, it adds conflict, etc.
I'm not sure if he was a bad father, so much as an inattentive one. That's a trait that could be attributed to Harry. He missed a lot of detail in the books because he wasn't paying enough attention and couldn't put the "clues" together.

Good point about Harry, Petra.

all this discussion about the newest Harry Potter makes me want to go back and start again.
when the series first began, I was introduced by the young daughter of one of my best friends who worked with me at the women's bookstore collective. For the next five years I got to borrow the next volumes, until Hannah left home to go to university. I can't wait to see her next time she comes up to visit, to ask her what she thinks.
as for me, I never did read the last 3 books and have not seen the movies, so it was a serious spoiler for me to discover just now that Harry presumably got married and is a father!
oh gosh, I feel like dropping everything and diving back in to that magical world

I read the series to my daughter when she was growing up (although the last two I had to read on my own!). Because of this, the series is magical to me twice over: because I love the books and because of the memories they bring back.

I read the books only because of the hoopla that was surrounding them: should kids read them?, for example. It made me wonder why a kid's book(s) would conjure up so much controversy. The story pulled me in; not so much the first 3, which were really young but the rest.
I like how she changed her writing level/style to match Harry's age, so that the books became more complicated & with some depth & character growth as he (and the readers) grew. That was brilliant, from a marketing side as it kept kids' interest as they grew and changed.

The books grow darker with each installment - it was perfect for my daughter who was quite young when the first three (especially the first two) were published but the right age to read the later books, which would have been too frightening, I think, when she was younger.

Exactly what I mean, Ellie. The series grew with the readership. I rather liked that.

I don't generally like the fantasy type books but LOVED the HP series. I didn't read them as they came out but read them one after another and could not put them down. They are so creative and have so much detail in each of the characters. I did read the play and knowing that it was a play not written by Rowling really got what i expected - a high level overview on HP as an adult and was not disappointed at all.

Susan, you're lucky to have started the series and be able to read them all the way through. Waiting a year for the next book was torture at times. :D

I finished Flow Down Like Silver: Hypatia of Alexandria and don't really recommend it. It's very philosophical and historical (which is good) but the author changes Hypatia's history to suit her novel and she vents on issues that are obviously important to her. I particularly didn't care for the man-bashing or Christianity-bashing. I found the characters rather flat, too.

I just started Green Grass, Running Water. It has a very unique, intriguing beginning.

I looked into Green Grass and it sounds very interesting. I'll be waiting for your take on the book when you finish.

I won a copy of The Lesser Bohemians from LibraryThing and I'm not liking it at all. The language is self-consciously poetic and hard to follow and the story not worth the trouble.

And its taking time I need away from 2666. But I have to finish this one to review it. Not happy at all.

How are you finding 2666, Ellie?

Petra wrote: "How are you finding 2666, Ellie?"

Very very interesting. Not quick, but absorbing. I'm up to The Part About the Crimes. Finally seeing some connection to the other parts. Although I enjoy each part so much, I'm not too worried about the connections. At least, not yet.

I need the time spent on Bohemians to get on with my "real work"-2666.

The section on the crimes was hard to read. And also rather anaesthetizing.
I'm glad you're finding it interesting. It's hard to say "like" about a book so much about crime. I read this right through; found it mesmerizing, in a way.

Yes, like is a difficult word but I'm finding it all extremely interesting which I always appreciate in a book. It's hard to put down.

Hard Times
- that is probably a reflection of both the book I am reading and the current state of affairs, Bleak House maybe next on the list ! followed by a little cheer of Our mutual friend. Filling in some classics gaps in my reading.

Ice wrote: "Hard Times
- that is probably a reflection of both the book I am reading and the current state of affairs, Bleak House maybe next on the list ! followed by a little cheer of Our mutual ..."

I'm interested in your reaction to Hard Times-it's probably my least favorite of Dickens and Bleak House may be my favorite (along with Our Mutual Friend).

I just finished listening to The City of Mirrors, the last of The Passage trilogy. This was a good ending to the trilogy. I liked it but it was drawn out in some sections and I had a few quibbles about some details but they were tiny (for example, the clothing, all from pre-viral times 100+ years ago, still being strong and useable). But, all in all, a good story and a good ending to the trilogy.
I recommend the trilogy. This was the weakest and it was still a good, strong story.

Dickens is such a good writer.
Ice, I hope you're enjoying Hard Times. It's one I haven't read yet.

as much as I am enamored of r bolano, I am holding 2666 for the future...seems suitable for a deathbed, or a honeymoon.
As for this J Cronin trilogy, I am stoked to read it, after all the interesting praise. I got a look at volume one the passage when my hold came in, but seeing the hugeness of it, decided it might be better to buy the trilogy.
I found a mass market copy, half the size of the immense hard cover, but I've been systematically checking and yet to find #2 or 3.
As 4 Dickens, not to slur the master, but I have read enough. Ice dear, ay

A quarter of the way through and I am not sure where Hard Times is leading the reader, to misquote a character, certainly a grind !
However I have Outrage by Arnaldur Indriðason to balance. To date I have preferred the Icelandic Nordic Noir writers to the other countries.

Magdelanye wrote: "as much as I am enamored of r bolano, I am holding 2666 for the future...seems suitable for a deathbed, or a honeymoon.
As for this J Cronin trilogy, I am stoked to read it, after all the interesti..."

I am still laughing over deathbed and honeymoon!

Reading at last The Tsar of Love and Techno, a chapter left, had to pause, my heart thudding and my mind working overtime as the threads of the narrative reveal such heartbreaking patterns.
The only thing that will push me to finish this is the delectable fact of the book I will start at that point...and Elly I know you loved it too: at the existentialist cafe etc looks like I'll be hanging out there for a while. I don't have apricot brandy on hand, but I do have some kraken and borsch cooking on the stove for supper.

I finished Judas: The troubling history of the renegade apostle. 5-star.
This was a fascinating history of the story of Judas and his image through the ages and how it affected and still affects our history and concepts.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Petra, really liked your review. This sounds like another one for my TBR. I'm very interested in the topic of betrayal. Also in distinguising between legend and fact.

Magdelanye, I'm glad you're enjoying Tsar. I was so impressed with the writing.

I'm hitting a lull in my own reading: I've really slowed down with 2666 (those crimes are hard to take) and started The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by a favorite writer of mine, Terry Tempest Williams but again, after a fast start I've had trouble following her detailed descriptions of the parks and their history. But I'll keep pushing through because I know that as work approaches, my concentration falters a bit.

I'm thinking of reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman next. Anybody here read that? I could really use a feeling of success here. Maybe I'll take my cue from Ice and dip back into Nordic Noir.

Magdelanye wrote: "Reading at last The Tsar of Love and Techno, a chapter left, had to pause, my heart thudding and my mind working overtime as the threads of the narrative reveal such heartbreaking patterns.
The onl..."

As you know, I loved Existentialist Cafe. And the brandy sounds like an excellent idea!

Ellie wrote: "(those crimes are hard to take)..."

Yes...yes, they are. After awhile, the reader becomes almost anaesthetized by them. I wonder if Bolano meant it that way to show how little society cared/cares about these crimes?

Thanks, Ellie (re: Judas). I find the historical aspect of biblical times fascinating. This book was more than I expected. I'll be looking into more books by this author.

American Gods was terrifically fun.

Magdelanye wrote: "American Gods was terrifically fun."

Ok, that's up next! My daughter also liked it a lot.

Magdelanye wrote: "American Gods was terrifically fun."

Agreed!

Update on Hard Times soon
As for Nordic Noir I have a number of authors in Queue:
Maj Sjöwall - Martin Beck
Arnaldur Indriðason - Erlendur
Anne Holt- Hannah Wihelmsen

That is the Q for the suitcase and holiday reading.

just reading about France in the aftermath of WWII, and the mania for American noir. The existential cafe is so lively and stimulating I wish we could meet there!

I just finished reading The Wright Brothers, which I found highly readable and interesting. I don't have a particular interest in aeronautics and picked this up on a whim and I'm really glad that I read it.
This book covers the Wright brothers' story for the years of 1900-1912, when they were making their discoveries. They are a fascinating duo.