All About Books discussion

To catch up to the current date, my reads so far this year. I've been slacking off a bit with some lighter fare than usual, but here it is:

1. Geography III by Elizabeth Bishop (poetry) re-read 4.75 stars
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (fiction) 3.75 stars
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (science fiction) 4.5 stars
4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (young adult) 3.5 stars
5. The Red and the Black by Stendhal (fiction - France) 4.25 stars
6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (science fiction/fantasy) 4.25 stars
7. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (fiction) re-read 5.0 stars
8. The One-Eyed Man: A Fugue, with Winds and Accompaniment by L E Modesitt Jr (science fiction) 3.25 stars
9. Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman (children's) 4.25 stars
10. Frogs by Aristophanes (play) 2.5 stars for this translation
11. The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith (fiction) 3.75 stars
12. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (fiction - UK) 4.25 stars
13. The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell (fiction) 2.75 stars
14. On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony (science fiction) 4.25 stars
15. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (fiction) 3.5 stars
16. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (graphic novel) 3.75 stars
17. Selected Poems of Claude McKay by Claude McKay (poetry) 3.75 stars
18. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (fantasy) re-read 4.5 stars
19. Orlando by Virginia Woolf (fiction - UK) re-read 4.5 stars
20. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin (science fiction) 4.25 stars
21. A Room with a View by E M Forster (fiction - UK) re-read 4.25 stars
22. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (children's) re-read 5.0 stars
23. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (drama) 4.5 stars
24. American Born Chinese by Gene Yang (graphic novel) 3.0 stars
25. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (fiction) re-read 2.5 stars
26. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (fiction) 5.0 stars
27. The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allen Poe (poetry) re-read 3.5 stars
28. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (fiction - UK) re-read 3.75 stars
29. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (fiction) 4.25 stars
30. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (fiction) re-read 3.5 stars
31. Loot by Joe Orton (play) re-read 4.0 stars
32. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (fiction) 4.0 stars
33. The Speed Of Darkness by Muriel Rukeyser (poetry) 4.25 stars
34. The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee (play) re-read 4.0 stars
35. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (non-fiction) 4.75 stars
36. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (children's) re-read 4.0 stars
37.The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (fiction) re-read 3.5 stars
38. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (fiction) 3.0 stars
39. The Carrier of Ladders by W.S. Merwin (poetry) re-read 4.0 stars
40. Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake (poetry) re-read 3.75 stars

Did you enjoy The Red and the Black, Greg? It's a book I intend to read , but haven't got there yet.

I really loved it! Of course, the protagonist does some unpleasant things, but the book is a very fine psychological portrait, a masterpiece even. It reminds me a little of my reaction to Madame Bovary, another very fine book about characters who behave in somewhat unpleasant ways. Although I won't find myself turning to either of them as comfort food, I'm glad to have read them. In fact, I'll probably read them again someday.

Greg how was the book- the eyes were watching god by Zora Neale Hurston ? Ii has been touted as a must read. And I've seen u read it again. I have it on a wish list to read. Plus I'm trying to expand my scope of books I read.

June, that one I can be unreservedly enthusiastic about! Zora Neale Hurston spent years criss-crossing the country for anthropological projects, recording vernacular dialect and folk stories. That research really shows in her work - the language is lovely and absolutely unique. I've never read another book quite like it. Not only that but I found the story and characters highly involving emotionally.

One minor caution: the dialect can be distracting at first, and that can detract from the sheer pleasure of the vernacular fireworks. If you do find it distracting, I recommend you get an audiobook and listen to that. Spoken out loud, the vernacular is much easier to understand, and instead of focusing on deciphering it, you can just be carried away by the loveliness of expression.

June, I noticed you're reading Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus? How do you like it? I'm reading Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples with a group at my church.

I want to work a few good contemporary Christian non-fiction works into my reading plan because that's an important part of my life, but I've read extremely few works of Christian non-fiction other than medieval mystics and saints. Do you or anyone else have any good books to recommend to me?

Hi Greg, I'm just starting it. A good contemporary non- fiction read- check out Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll. I also like Timothy Keller- I read The Meaning of Marriage:Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the wisdom of God.

I too am now getting into non fiction. So any other suggestions are welcomed. Hope I could help.

Thanks June!

Greg, thanks for your list of books. Since we both so like Woolf I am curious to see what other books you have read. So how many stars did you give The Red and the Black? I tried to get that as a group read but it didn't get chosen. :0(

Gill, I am still interested in that too!

I have read quite a number of those listed. Maybe you want to state how many stars you gave each? I would be curious to know, but if it is a big hassle don't worry about it. I will request your friendship then it will be easier to see.

Again, thanks for all the help with Virginia Woolf.

Greg wrote: "I really loved it! Of course, the protagonist does some unpleasant things, but the book is a very fine psychological portrait, a masterpiece even. It reminds me a little of my reaction to [book:Mad..."

Same opinion!

@Chrissie, I never back added any books I read before late 2013; so right now my shelf pretty much only has the books I read this year. My bookshelf is open; so you can see it.

I'm pretty generous with stars though, and to be honest my mood at the moment of rating can easily tip me back and forth between 4 or 5 stars. I'm thinking I should at some point go back and re-rate my books to straighten it out (with 2 stars = ok); then I will have more wiggle room. This is what I had in mind when I did the ratings as they are:

1 star = the author offended me, and I could find nothing redeeming in the book, either in manner or substance
2 star = the book felt childish, the characters were uninvolving, and the writing was insipid, but it wasn't offensive.
3 star = either just ok or the book has some excellent qualities which are are balanced out by other qualities I don't like so much
4 star = I thought the writing and/or characterizations were excellent. I really liked the book.
5 star = for whatever genre it is, I thought the book was exceptional. Additionally on a personal level I really loved reading it. The book clicked with me, and I could read it again and again.

Thanks for your star definitions.

@Gill, Chrissie & Greg: I've been wanting to read The Red and the Black for a long time. Really curious about it!

@Greg: I like how you rate your books. I have pretty much the same yardsticks, although I've never given out l star so far. I guess this is because whenever I add a book, I already am biased towards liking it :)

I've never given out either one or two stars yet, but that's partly because I've only added and rated the books I've read this year. I wish they had half stars because I'd like to do a little more differentiating!

Oh, also Alice, I could be wrong, but based on the books you've talked about liking, I'm pretty sure you'll like The Red and the Black!

35. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (non-fiction) 4.75 stars

36. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (children's) re-read 4.0 stars

Guess you must like it a lot to read it twice, Greg? I want to reread those too - I found the whole construct so original! There was a film called The Golden Compass, which I think covered more than just the first part. Maybe you saw it?

And have you read The Ruby in the Smoke? I enjoyed that too :)

Looking at your list, there are some really great books there - especially the fantasy/SF! I like your taste :) In fact there isn't anything on your list that I wouldn't like to try, if I haven't already read it. Wow!

Oh, a tip in case you haven't spotted it, Greg. You've linked all the book titles, which is great. Have you realised that you can link to the author the same way quite easily? You don't have to laboriously type their name in, but just switch to "author" at the top after you've found the correct book, and it lists the possible authors! (I found that out by accident...I keep finding things out about this site! :D )

Thanks Jean for the kind words and also for the tip! Some of my re-reads are for Goodreads group discussions or for book club discussions. Others are for fun! Generally if I like a book, I do end up reading it again eventually, often a couple more times. My memory isn't fantastic; so after 10-20 years, I'll usually read any book again that I like!

The last time I read the His Dark Materials series (beginning with The Golden Compass) was when it came out (the 90s); so it was due for a re-read! I do find it highly enjoyable though. It has some very clever symbolic/metaphoric constructs (such as everone having a visible opposite-sex anima/animus entity referred to as a "daemon") that resonate highly with multiple meanings. What the Oblation board is trying to do to the children is another symbolic revelation! (being deliberately vague in order to avoid spoilers) There's a pleasing plethora of references: literary (Keats, etc), mathematical (imaginary numbers!) as well as mythological. And wonderful twists and turns with wildly imaginative, gifted storytelling. Highly engaging at both emotional and intellectual levels! My only complaint: toward the second half of the series, there's some overt anti-religious messaging that distracts me a bit more now than when I was in my 20s, but I relate to the story so strongly on an emotional level that I can overlook it.

I have read The Ruby in the Smoke (also very enjoyable). As far as the movie version of the Golden Compass, I enjoyed it, but it dissapointed me for two reasons. First, it's over-explanatory. I find this with much American cinema. It won't allow things to unfold naturally through self discovery; instead it sketches the whole structure out in advance to be absolutely certain that no one is for one single moment confused. The problem with that is that it strips away all the symbolic and metaphoric resonance. The minute you put a symbol into a straightjacket, you squeeze it down to a lowly allegorical reference. It doesn't shimmer or shine anymore. It doesn't ring in the mind with a soft deep note of pleasure. It's just an index card with the thing on one side and what it represents on the other. How dull that is! Symbols and metaphors require a hint of mystery or they die! Forgive my diatribe. :) For example, in the book version, the revelation of what the Oblation Board is really up to sends shivers of shock down the spine and feels like a symbolic opening, a metaphoric equivalent of that moment in scuba diving where one swims over the edge of the ocean shelf into the vast dark expanse of sea. In the movie, that purpose is matter-of-factly narrated with exactness long before the revelation; so when it occurs, it falls with a thud. My second compaint is that the movie ends just before the most glorious concluding moment of the first book where several secrets are revealed. That takes away much of the story's concluding power. From all this, you might get the impression I hated the movie. I don't at all. It's a great standard fantasy adventure, and I've seen it more than once.

Wow, do I ever ramble! Thanks again Jean for the tip on the author's names!

Great books Greg!

Great books Greg!

Thanks Charbel!

I love that imagery "putting a symbol into a straitjacket" and your poetic description afterwards... :)

And I agree; I was very disappointed to see what had happened when it was adapted for the big screen. And they never did make a sequel, so perhaps it didn't have much critical acclaim either. I purposely didn't comment on the film in case you adored it, but I personally found it very dull and flat, for similar reasons to you, although I couldn't have expressed them so well ;) The CGI stuff was impressive (as it always is now) and the acting OK, but it just didn't have any magic for me. Yet other films, especially fantasy films, usually do.

The "anti-religious messaging" didn't bother me in the novels, though I expected them to be banned in some countries, much as the Harry Potter Boxset series has been. And it took me aback when I heard that some Christian friends were happy for their children to read the trilogy, as I had expected them to consider it subversive. As they are not only devout but a bit fundamental, all I can think is that they didn't quite understand it!

Ha, ha Jean. I can see how a relgious person could like the books, but I agree with you - if a fundamentalist is giving these books to their kids, they are probably not understanding them.

Greg, how I agree with your comment about American cinema! That's exactly the reason why I much prefer French films to Hollywood ones :) Leave some room for my own imagination, man!

Definitely Alice! Some American cinema is fantastic, but I very much enjoy the feel of foreign cinema (such as French) that's generally a bit subtler and more highly suggestive!

37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (fiction - Canada) re-read 3.5 stars

I think I saw the film version of this. How did you like the book, Greg?

It was pretty good, claustrophobic and disturbing but that was the intention - a cautionary dystopia.

What did you think of the movie adaption? I would've thought it would be difficult to translate to film because the book doesn't have too much action, all tied up in the narrator's head. I'm curious how they did it.

I enjoyed the film with Faye Dunaway. Obviously it had to be simplified, but it worked for me as a story.

I never read the book, but thought the movie had an eerie feel to it, though I still enjoyed it :)

Thanks Alice and Jean, I'll rent the movie someday. I'm interested in seeing how it works, particularly since you both thought it was pretty good.

Greg wrote: "35. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (fiction - Canada) re-read"

Really enjoyed this book. Studied a chapter of it through one of my first year modules and it was the only one in which I went out to buy the book afterwards.

38. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (fiction - Canada) 3.0 stars

Greg, how do you find Atwood's writing? I've never read her before.

Alice, Atwood is an interesting writer. Her narrators can be a bit neurotic, and the stories are usually internally focused (not a lot of plot action). But they have an interesting point of view to them, and the writing itself is good. Atwood is something of a poet too (has published more than one volume of poetry.

I didn't know of the poetry! Thanks Greg :)

I remembered that I read The Penelopiad, but not what I thought of it, just checked and I wrote that "I loved the lyrical prose". The Handmaids Tale I found disturbing, but was completely engrossed with. I picked up The Robber Bride at a used book sale, but haven't gotten to it yet.

Evelyn, I had similar reactions to The Handmaid's Tale and The Penelopiad. As far as The Robber Bride, I remember that the structure was interesting. I liked it when I read it. I remember being fascinated by the characters' dreams, which were part of the story.

My pleasure Jean! At one point, I got a kick out of Power Politics, but it's a little too fierce and cynical for me now; it's about personal politics, the politics of relationships. I still quite like some of her poetry though. I just looked online, and she's written 15 volumes of poetry! I've only read True Stories, Power Politics, and Selected Poems: 1965-1975.

Thanks Greg for the information. If I were to pick one of her novels to read, which would you recommend?

Alice - Handmaid's Handmaid's Handmaid's! :D Haha, just had to butt in :P

Alice, I saw in your reading journey that you liked 1984; so Handmaid's Tale might not be a bad choice :)

Thanks, Shannon and Greg! What about The Blind Assassin?

Thanks Shannon, for sharing your views. I'd probably like The Handmaid's Tale better :)

39. The Carrier of Ladders by W.S. Merwin (poetry) re-read 4.0 stars

Some great books on your list - doesn't look like you have been slacking off this year at all!

Thanks Beth! :)

40. Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake (poetry) re-read 3.75 stars

41. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (fiction) 3.5 stars