New Providence Memorial Library's Online Reading Group discussion

Yes, I know that August is almost through but it's a lazy time of year when we all relax and take a deep breath and put the "to do" list aside. It's a great time to pick up a book or two or more.

I had started to read Dan Brown's Inferno for some summer escapism and then my long-awaited reserve of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - much recommended by many - came in a couple of days ago. Reluctant to pass it up since I've waited for it awhile, I am now wondering if I should put down the Inferno and take up the Outlander. They are 2 different moods and time periods and I really have a hard time mixing them up.

I like to delve into the atmosphere of a book and, if the book is good enough, continue the experience maybe by reading some non-fiction about the period. It's my way of putting off the final end of a good book. So concurrent reading is difficult for me. I very much admire those who can pull it off. Maybe it's easier if you are a fast reader. I am not. Or maybe if you read fast, you can just make it look as if you're reading multiple books at once.

What about you? Are you a serial reader or a concurrent one?

Varies greatly. I cannot read two books from the same time period or history at the same time. However, I have been known to have an audio book going, an ebook on Kindle/iPad, and a print book, all at the same time. It works if they are totally different.

right now I've "Book of Life" (vampires and witches etc.), just finished "Banks of Certain Rivers" on Kindle and have been reading print book about nutrition during cancer treatments. Very different subjects! So, it's easily handled.

Many years ago I read "Outlander" and then switched over to the audio version of the later ones. Wonderful narrator and great accents. I actually referred to my grandson as "the little laddie" (with a horrible Scottish accent) to my Scottish Daughter-in-law. She looked at me strangely and I explained that I had just finished a multi-disc audio book with accents.

I also frequently find myself doing NF research about the time and place from a book I've finished, especially if it is historical fiction, which is my favorite genre. When I read "The Passion of Artemesia" I had to make a trip to library to get a book of her paintings so I could glance at the one being described in the book.

Looking forward to hearing what others have to say about "one book/many"

I'm listening to "Book of Life", not reading it...

I often have more than one book going, especially if I'm finding the book I'm reading difficult in some way (depressing or just sad), I'll have another one that's lighter that I can read before I go to bed or just for a break. I've been reading other books in between goes at The Goldfinch, just because I get sick of it and don't particularly like the characters. And since I don't have an e-reader, if the book I'm reading is bulky, I'll often have a paperback to read when I take the train or know I have to wait somewhere (dr.'s appt for example.) BTW, just finished The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta. It was terrific. (The tv show is based on the book, but has a somewhat creepy vibe which the book doesn't have.) Didn't have time to read anything else at the same time as I read it so quickly!

Most of the time, I've got 2 going - ebook for commuting, and a "real" book for at home reading. Otherwise I'd be going through the ebooks too fast, and would have nothing to read during my commute.

Roseanne - thanks for info about "The Leftovers".

K - I remember commuting on the NYC Subway each day, carrying HC of "The Agony and the Ecstasy". Boy, an ereader would have been convenient then.

I have a hard time reading two books at once, no matter the topic, unless one of the books is a collection of short stories. In that case I can put the stories aside until I have finished the other book. When I am reading a book and another book comes along that seems very interesting, I tend to stay up late to finish the first book. (kind of like college when I had to finish required reading)

Rosanne wrote: "I often have more than one book going, especially if I'm finding the book I'm reading difficult in some way (depressing or just sad), I'll have another one that's lighter that I can read before I g..."

I've tried that technique but then invariably I never go back to the book that's difficult b/c I have an excuse not to!

K wrote: "Most of the time, I've got 2 going - ebook for commuting, and a "real" book for at home reading. Otherwise I'd be going through the ebooks too fast, and would have nothing to read during my commute."

That has to be the only benefit of commuting - time away from all things you could be doing to devote to something that transports you to a place other than the destination on your ticket.

Helene wrote: "I have a hard time reading two books at once, no matter the topic, unless one of the books is a collection of short stories. In that case I can put the stories aside until I have finished the other..."

It's been years since I've read short stories but that seems like a good strategy. I've been meaning to read Dear Life by Alice Munro. Maybe I'll try that. Have you read it?

New Providence wrote: "Helene wrote: "I have a hard time reading two books at once, no matter the topic, unless one of the books is a collection of short stories. In that case I can put the stories aside until I have fin..."

That is actually the book that I am reading now. It was the first short story book in a long time. I really like it, though initially I had problems "to let go" of the character at the end of the story. I do really like the stories and I see the recurring theme in them which makes it easier to read.

Actually I also tend to read 2 books at the same time, one non-fiction and one fiction. I just started City of Dreams which is a long book so I'll probably spend my time on just that to get it done by our Reading Group date. Then I'll dive into Catherine the Great, has anyone read it? Comments on either of these books?

I'm going to post this from Carol who has the same technique as Ann, reading only fiction and non-fiction together. Carol apologizes for the all caps but it's due to an injury.

I CAN READ A FICTION AND A NONFICTION BOOK SIMULTANEOUSLY. RIGHT NOW IT'S CITY OF DREAMS (SWERLING)AND THE CURMUDGEON'S GUIDE TO GETTING AHEAD (MURRAY)

RARELY TWO FICTION AT THE SAME TIME.

I am also reading City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling which is a very long book. I'm really enjoying it, tho. It takes place in the NYC of Peter Stuyvesant and does a good job of evoking the danger literally right outside the walls of the new city.

Also, it's a glimpse at the oft-forgot Dutch origin of so many of the names, streets, institutions and even the spirit of the city. I haven't reached page 100 yet but one of the main characters, Lucas, has just told the new British commander (the British took the city from the Dutch in 1664) that the British would do well to heed the free-wheeling culture where people are allowed to make a profit and largely left alone to live their lives.

Somehow, I think the remaining 400 pgs are going to be about how the British did not heed that advice.....

I'm running through all of the summer discussions to put them on a recommendations shelf and I noticed apropos of our comments about City of Dreams that not only has Marilyn read all of the book in the series, she has also chatted w/ the author, Beverly Swerling.

Care to share any of the discussion, Marilyn?

I shared a little history with my daughter the other day. She worked on Wall Street before becoming a mom so I informed her there was a wall separating the native americans from the colonists, thus the name.

Re: Wall Street

I should have added, this information was in the book City of Dreams.

hello everyone. I'm enjoying the last week of summer at the beach. reading the good Lord bird ("real" book ) by James Mcbride (the color of water) and still plowing through the center holds Obama and his enemies (ebook) and have been till the vacation drive, listening to "and the mountains echoed" by Khaled Hosseini ....so Yes. haha i do read books concurrently. as long as they are different it's fine. sorry for typos. lazy on my phone....

Sangeeta wrote: "hello everyone. I'm enjoying the last week of summer at the beach. reading the good Lord bird ("real" book ) by James Mcbride (the color of water) and still plowing through the center holds Obama a..."

Very impressive. I'd be very interested to hear your feelings about The Good Lord Bird. I thought it was at times brutal and hard to read not only for the casual cruelty and depravity but for the alternate views of Frederick Douglass and the ingenuous do-good-ism of John Brown who comes off crazy but fiercely moral and principaled. A very interesting book.

Enjoy your week at the beach...it's going to be a hot one here so you have great timing!

so far am enjoying "the good Lord bird" but am conflicted. it takes a very serious subject - the turmoil, internal conflict and casual violence of pre civil war America - and makes a very humorous tale of John brown and his army of vagabonds including his little urchin narrator. it's laugh out loud hilarious at times. am just getting to the part where they meet Fredrick Douglas . am going to read his autobiography next.

Am reading "Getting Clear" about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Never knew he was crazy from the get-go. Also just finished Blue Heaven by Box (thanks to a suggestion I got here), which was a fun crime book. And just started Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell which my daughter gave me. It's about a teenage relationship. So far, so good.

Yes, I've communicated via email and Skype with Beverly Swerling. Berkeley Heights library read her "Bristol House" (stand alone, very different than the "City of..." books) and then discussed it with the author.
I really enjoyed all of her "City of..." books very much. I enjoy the characters and the writing along with thinking back from when I was very young and lived in the area near Washington Square and Greenwich Village.
I first started to communicate with Beverly because I had a couple of questions or comments about the book and was pleasantly surprised when I received a reply.

so, I hope those who are reading "City of Dreams" enjoy it as much as I do as well as continuing along with the family through the years.

I have always enjoyed each of Greg Iles books and have been patient for his latest after he was in a serious car accident and lost his leg.
He is an out standing author and like James Lee Burke, you do not read a story, YOU live it.
Natchez Burning is a very long book (over 700 pages) and begins in the present, but starts the story line in the 1960's during the Civil Rights period and the murders of JFK, RFK and MLK. Natchez was the heart of the KKK activity during this time in Mississippi and this period piece is extremely accurate and raises some very hot and disturbing topics of racial tensions and corruption. All his books are very top topics and his prior books have all been terrific as well as extremely thought provoking. I would recommend if you have never read Iles to read a prior novel where Penn Cage (lawyer now mayor of Natchez) to understand his commitment to his home town, and the people he was raised with and to this day loves and wants the best for them.
The Devil's Punchbowl ( his novel before this one) is truly excellent and would give a new reader the foundation toe understand this one better and how the racial tensions can tear apart even the people with the least intentions of doing wrong. I'll let you know how I feel at the end.

Sangeeta wrote: "so far am enjoying "the good Lord bird" but am conflicted. it takes a very serious subject - the turmoil, internal conflict and casual violence of pre civil war America - and makes a very humorous..."

Yes, there certainly is humor and pretty crude humor. And some of it is laughing at the difficulties of others or based on "judging a book by its cover" and what trouble that causes. But that is McBride's talent - to make you laugh while you suffer the twinge of conscience. And to realize that there is humor even in a brutal, cruel and unforgiving circumstance.

Rosanne wrote: "Am reading "Getting Clear" about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Never knew he was crazy from the get-go. Also just finished Blue Heaven by Box (thanks to a suggestion I got here), which was a fun..."

I am VERY SLOWLY working on putting together the suggestions from summer reading and others here. I've made a shelf of recommendations from the group and my intent is to also make a shelf of YA and audio books since there have been some strong positives. So, it sounds as if Eleanor & Park is an addition to the YA recommendations shelf.

Marilyn wrote: "Yes, I've communicated via email and Skype with Beverly Swerling. Berkeley Heights library read her "Bristol House" (stand alone, very different than the "City of..." books) and then discussed it ..."

So, we have a real New Yorker in our midst. So far, I am enjoying it although there is a bit too much of the potboiler, bodice-ripping for me. It's fun to read the names and connect them to the places as I'm sure Ms. Swerling expects you to be able to do. For instance, she's just started talking about a politician named James De Lancey. I expect they named the street after him, no? Also, she puts in a family tree which is helpful but a map of what she's talking about super-imposed on the present day layout of the boroughs would be helpful.

I'm late chiming in here -- I just read Gone Girl this August. I can read nonfiction and fiction concurrently, but not two fiction books at the same time.

Eleanor & Park is definitely for an older teen. Eleanor's step father is abusive, but this isn't described in detail. The mother has bruises and everyone is afraid of him. The sex scenes are pretty chaste, but it is good at describing that young lust! The abusive sexual comments that the stepfather writes on Eleanor's school book covers are pretty explicit. It ends well for Eleanor.