Book Nook Cafe discussion

This the thread for general book discussions for June 2024.

Tell us what you just read, are currently reading or plan to read. Tell us about your favorite author. Have you read some book news? Share it with the group. Anything related to books and reading, we want to hear all about it !
:)

What are you starting June reading ?

I'm starting June finishing up the following.


Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard
I do like that Izzard is reading the book and I have enjoyed seeing his standup. However, I'm finding this audio quite the slog.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
The book is a journal of her bird watching encounters in her backyard. Tan also includes drawings of the birds. I'm finding the book just okay

The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning byA.J. Jacobs
I'm a fan of Jacobs and this book does not disappoint.

Happy June everyone! I've been busy with house chores lately but still I've got time to read books:)

So, I'm currently reading Paola Santiago and the River of Tears. It's a Middle Grade book which is I'm finally reading this one right now.

After I read that book, I'm going to read next is With the Fire on High. I'm excited to read that one right now:)

Happy June, Patricia.

I see that With the Fire on High was nominated for the GoodReads Choice Award. I look forward to hearing your review.

I'm starting June with a few carry-overs:

Birdcall Morning - this book is somewhat uneven but it's interesting enough to continue. All in all, a thoughtful look at adapting to a new world after a 17 year coma.

Mary Barton - well written. I'm thoroughly enjoying this story. It's a combination coming-to-maturity in a time of want & change, a social look at distribution of wealth, and a murder mystery.

Gods of Jade and Shadow - an interesting look at a Mayan story of mythology. Twin gods vie to become the God of Death. The younger brother takes control for a number of years, but when the true God is released from his entrapment, he must find a human helper to help him reclaim his throne. Both human and god are affected by the connection. It's an interesting and fun story.

The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived - I just started this one. So far, it's a fascinating look at how the continents formed, the climate changes caused by this and migration of animals over the millenium. Well written, well told. I'm looking forward to continuing with this book.

Birdcall Morning and The Humans Who Went Extinct: Why Neanderthals Died Out and We Survived sound very interesting. I'm adding them to my TBR list.

Petra, I'll be interested to learn of your final view of Birdcall. The premise is interesting. I hope it all comes together in the end.

Alias Reader wrote: "I'm starting June finishing up the following.


Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by ..."

That's quite a variety, Alias, even though they are all nonfiction. It illustrates the vastness of NF!

Patricia wrote: "Happy June everyone! I've been busy with house chores lately but still I've got time to read books:)

So, I'm currently reading Paola Santiago and the River of Tears. It's a Middle ..."

I suppose a person reads easier when the chores are all completed. This way you can relax & enjoy the reading.

Thanks for sharing the titles you are reading, Patricia. I hope June is a good reading month for you.

Petra wrote: "I'm starting June with a few carry-overs:

Birdcall Morning - this book is somewhat uneven but it's interesting enough to continue. All in all, a thoughtful look at adapting to a ne..."

Thanks for filling us in on your books, Petra. I'm intrigued with the Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel and the Meso-American mythology. The cover appeals, too. I see that a BNC regular, Shomeret, read and appreciated it, as well. I have added it to my TBR, as well. Thanks for the title. And enjoy the books!

Alias Reader wrote: "What are you starting June reading ?

"

I am working my way through The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle--Anna Shechtman. When she writes about the puzzles and gives biographies of some of the originators, the book breezes. However, it's also a memoir about her anorexia, including French feminist thinking, which i rejected years ago. In those parts, it's a slog, i must say.

I'm a quarter into A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters--Andrew H. Knoll. It's so full of facts, that i'm taking it slowly, with hopes of retaining more. Ha! We'll see!

madrano wrote:
I'm a quarter into A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters--Andrew H. Knoll. It's so full of facts, that i'm taking it slowly, with hopes of retaining more. Ha! We'll see!."

I purchased this one in April. It was an Amazon sale. I hope it's a good one !

madrano wrote: "I'm a quarter into A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters--Andrew H. Knoll. It's so full of facts, that i'm taking it slowly, with hopes of retaining more. Ha! We'll see!.."

Madrano, thanks for the title. I put this on my TBR list.

.....as for retaining more facts......in my case, I think those days are gone. LOL.

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "What are you starting June reading ?

"

I am working my way through The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle--[autho..."

I am very impressed by your choice of enlightening titles. Good for you.

Alias Reader wrote: "Happy June, Patricia.

I see that With the Fire on High was nominated for the GoodReads Choice Award. I look forward to hearing your review."

Thanks! I hope I will like With the Fire on High. I keep hearing good reviews of this book:>

I'm still reading The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel this weekend. The library now tells me what I can read (what they have) and when I can read it. LOL A small price for reading for free, but The Mirror & the Light is 884 pages, so I dare not waste any time, even though I have other things to do. I've set a schedule for myself, and I intend to keep it.

Between trying to get unpacked and organized in this new house and getting our former house on the market, reading has gone the way of the dinosaur! I watch the national news and allow myself a couple of hours of TV every day as a reward for all my hard work......reading takes too much concentration! My pile of library books is sitting here screaming "read me, read me". LOL Because of my bad back, i do everything in slow motion, so it all takes soooo long.

Off to watch WELCOME TO WREXHAM. Anyone else out there a fan?

madrano wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Happy June everyone! I've been busy with house chores lately but still, I've got time to read books:)

So, I'm currently reading [book:Paola Santiago and the River of Tears|49089021..."

Yeah! I think so too so I can relax and just enjoy reading! I hope you have a good month too:)

Re. A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters. As i mentioned, it's full of facts but it doesn't exactly call to me. The succinct nature appeals to me, though.

I thought i'd share that as others mentioned owning it or planning to read it.

Then again, it may be my mood.

Rachel wrote: "madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "What are you starting June reading ?"
I am very impressed by your choice of enlightening titles...."

Thanks, Rachel. It sounds better than it is, i must admit. I thought it would be rather breezy but, alas, not so. I like crossword puzzles but i'm fine with leaving them unfinished, if they are too tough. Reading this book isn't changing my mind about not concluding them. ;-)

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "I'm still reading The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel this weekend. The library now tells me what I can read (what they have) and when I can read it. LOL A small ..."

I kinda like the implied discipline in the library telling me when to read their books, in a fashion. My physical book library is full of books i intend to read but don't, due to the lack of deadline.

I hope you meet your own schedule, Kiki.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Between trying to get unpacked and organized in this new house and getting our former house on the market, reading has gone the way of the dinosaur! I watch the national news and allow myself a cou..."

We have now settled into renting a new condo...new to us, that is. There is no live tv, so no newscasts worthy of the name for us. Of course, there are old movies and series but we still suspect we'll get more reading accomplished while here.

Take care of your back, JoAnn. Moving & settling into a home can be one of those trigger times. Enjoy the season there, too. I'm green with envy!

Patricia wrote: "Yeah! I think so too so I can relax and just enjoy reading! I hope you have a good month too:) ..."

Thanks, i'm off to a good start!

Deb, can you watch TV on your computer (which is pretty much the only way I watch TV any more)?

madrano wrote:

"We have now settled into renting a new condo...new to us, that is. There is no live tv, so no newscasts worthy of the name for us. Of course, there are old movies and series but we still suspect we'll get more reading accomplished while here..."

You can always stream movies on you electronic devices.

Then again, more reading is always the correct answer to any question. :)

I'm starting June with this one:


Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This is my 2nd attempt at a book in the last few days. The first one I started was all over the place.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Between trying to get unpacked and organized in this new house and getting our former house on the market, reading has gone the way of the dinosaur! I watch the national news and allow myself a cou..."

You are a dedicated reader and will get back to it when the time is right. You are working so hard. Enjoy your off time.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I'm starting June with this one:


Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This is my 2nd attempt at a book in the last few days. The firs..."

I see the book you are reading takes place in Vietnam. I look forward to your review, Kim.

I was just listening to a YouTuber, Emmie, talk about her favorite books. One was The Vietnam War by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns.
It's the accompaniment to the PBS TV series.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Deb, can you watch TV on your computer (which is pretty much the only way I watch TV any more)?"

Thanks, JoAnn & Alias. While we could watch on our computer, we've not found it enjoyable, so opt out. I suppose we are the old fogies who still want the Big Screen experience.

My brother's family's set up is to have their home computer hooked up to their large tv. We actually don't like that, either. We are just too old-fashioned, i guess. lol--think about calling oneselves old-fashioned with computers and entertainment.

JoAnn, do you watch tv/computer with others? It occurs to me maybe you have your system set up like my in-laws. Overall, we've found we don't mind having our viewing restricted, particularly after the last 7 months, when we agree we watched way too much.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I'm starting June with this one:


Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This is my 2nd attempt at a book in the last few days. The firs..."

Better luck with this one, Kim. I look forward to reading your impressions.

I finished listening to
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard
Genre: memoir
Rate- 2+- did not meet expectations.

Eddie Izzard is gender fluid and is also known as Suzy Izzard. She is a British comedian, actor, and political activist.

I've seen Izzard perform on cable TV many years ago and I enjoyed the show a lot.

Izzard does a fine job doing the audiobook. However, this memoir fell short of my expectations. The majority of the memoir is about her childhood which, honestly, just wasn't that interesting. Also there is a constant stream of footnotes for some reason. If it was supposed to be funny, regrettably, I just found it distracting.

After the mother's passing, Izzard and his brother were sent to boarding school. That was because their father, who worked for British Petroleum, was just starting out his career. Sadly, the loss of her mom has had a lasting affect on her. She says that her life now is devoted to her career, charity and politics, not personal relationships. She poignantly writes, "I think I have always felt that I can exist on my own just fine. That maybe I had to. Losing your mum when you're six and going off to boarding school doesn't really give you a choice in the matter. Knowing you're transgender from an early age doesn't help, either. It just increases the divide: there's the world, and here I am, just a little bit different."

Lamentably, most of the childhood stories she discusses I found pedestrian. I thought the writing was rambling and repetitive. The later half of the book when she is an adult I found more interesting. I think this should have been the bulk of the book. In this section Izzard talks about a bit about coming out, learning to fly a plane, his acting career, and running over 100 marathons for charity !

I do like Izzard's can do attitude. Certainly coming out 1985 out as transgender wasn't easy. Her philosophy is to face things head on to overcome ones fears. That is why he learned to fly a plane, for example. Currently Izzard is trying her hand at politics. "In 2022 and 2023, Izzard tried and failed to be selected as a Labour Party candidate in general elections." She says she will keep running until she makes her way into Parliament. I hope she makes it.

I did enjoy the Michael Crichton books I read. Patterson not so much. So I don't know how I feel about this. What do you think?

How James Patterson completed Michael Crichton's "Eruption"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-jame...



Eruption

Alias Reader wrote: "I finished listening to
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by [author:Eddie Izzard|12..."

Thank you for sharing about this memoir, Alias. I'm vaguely familiar with Izzard's work but nothing about what's been happening with her life. One would think the childhood would be fascinating, right? Curious that it is less so.

Congratulations on completing another Challenge book!

Thanks, deb !

Alias Reader wrote: "I did enjoy the Michael Crichton books I read. Patterson not so much. So I don't know how I feel about this. What do you think?

How James Patterson completed Michael Crichton's "Eruption"

https:..."

What a curious thing for Patterson to take on. And good for him. My favorite line from the interview, which, he is clear to state, that he doesn't know the origin. "'My time here is short; what can I do most beautifully?' I love that.

I've never read Michael Crichton, nor James Patterson, so i don't know that i'd read this. However, i like what i read about the widow & her desire, which Patterson completed. Thanks for sharing this, AliasReader.

Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe

Fascinating story about the ultra wealthy Astor family, who left behind so many New York landmarks.

I like to read about the foibles of the rich. 4 stars

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alias Reader wrote: "I finished listening to
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by [author:Eddie Izzard|12..."

Sorry the book fell short Alias. 😥

Barbara wrote:

"John Jacob Astor's most civic-minded act was probably his endowment of what is now the New York Public Library: "An institution...

Isn't it nice when some of the wealth is spent on things like this and not vanity projects like spending 5 min in "space".

Thanks for the review, Barbara. I may put this one on my TBR list.

Barbara wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "I finished listening to
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens by [a..."

Barbara, many others enjoyed it. Julie and Rachel both l gave it 4 stars.

madrano wrote: "JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Deb, can you watch TV on your computer (which is pretty much the only way I watch TV any more)?"

Thanks, JoAnn & Alias. While we could watch on our computer, we've not foun..."

Deb, I watch TV/movies on my computer by myself. Watching with others on a large screen happens on occasion and I am looking forward to more of that with the Olympics this summer. I always look forward to those games.

One of the reasons I like to watch TV on my computer is because my eyes are bad and I am also having ear issues with the darn tinnitus. Having my laptop directly in front of me with captions is perfect. I do not care about screen size.

Alias Reader wrote: "I did enjoy the Michael Crichton books I read. Patterson not so much. So I don't know how I feel about this. What do you think?

How James Patterson completed Michael Crichton's "Eruption"

This may be the same interview that was on CBS -- I could not open Alias's link.
https:..."

I do not like Patterson's books at all. But may have to read this. This interview with Crichton's wife and Patterson kind of drew me in.

https://www.ctpublic.org/2024-06-03/h...

L'Air du Temps (1985) by Diane Greco Josefowicz opens with a murder and becomes a thoughtful insight into a 13-year-old who starts to question what's going on with her parents. A good read.

My review of L'Air du Temps (1985)

Whenever you don't know what to read or what sounds good, just flick through one of these regular publications.

Buzz Books 2024: Fall/Winter is another huge collection of chapters and excerpts from upcoming books. Great resource - I selected a few that interested me.
My notes with quotes on Buzz Books 2024 Fall/Winter and a link where you can get this free

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "L'Air du Temps (1985) by Diane Greco Josefowicz opens with a murder and becomes a thoughtful insight into a 13-year-old who starts to question what's going on with..."

Maybe because this is relatively new it seems to only be available in paperback not eBook. :(

It sounds good. I'll keep an eye out for the eBook version.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Whenever you don't know what to read or what sounds good, just flick through one of these regular publications.

Buzz Books 2024: Fall/Winter is another huge collection of chapters..."

That's a wonderful resource. Thanks for the free link !

Barbara wrote: "Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune by Anderson Cooper and [author:Katherine Howe|34..."

It's a smallish book for so much material! Thank you for the recap, Barbara. The family itself seems like such a mixed bag, in my opinion. There's much to admire but almost an equal amount to disdain in their search & use of wealth.

Again, thank you.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "One of the reasons I like to watch TV on my computer is because my eyes are bad and I am also having ear issues with the darn tinnitus. Having my laptop directly in front of me with captions is perfect. I do not care about screen size...."

Thanks for that info, JoAnn. It makes sense to use a computer for your eyes. Oddly, this is why i like the larger screen, after an hour on my computer, my eyes are watery. Yet, i can watch a couple of hours on the larger screen with no problems. I wonder how that happens?

The captions ring true here, too. That's about our ears and languages/films we watch. We just find a film more enjoyable knowing what was said, rather than guessing. And it saves arguing, at times...should i admit that? ;-)

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "
I do not like Patterson's books at all. But may have to read this. This interview with Crichton's wife and Patterson kind of drew me in..."

This was my thinking, too, JoAnn. The wife won me over, rather than Patterson. I'm still not sure i'll read it, though.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "L'Air du Temps (1985) by Diane Greco Josefowicz opens with a murder and becomes a thoughtful insight into a 13-year-old who starts to question what's going on with..."

This sounds good. Initially i was confused, as it appeared to have been written in '85. Then i realized that is part of the title. Duh. Thanks for the introduction, Patty.

And for sharing the information in & about Book Buzz! Promising works ahead.