Constant Reader discussion

Tamara's comment in the July/August thread made me realize that I forgot to post a new thread for September and October! I have no idea what I was doing that distracted me, but I'm back on track now with this thread for your discussions of what you're reading right now. I'll be closing the old thread to new posts soon, so please continue your discussions here.

Lynn wrote: "Tamara's comment in the July/August thread made me realize that I forgot to post a new thread for September and October! I have no idea what I was doing that distracted me, but I'm back on track no..."

No worries, Lynn. I'm editing and re-posting my message here since it is a September read.
I recommend The True True Story of Raja the Gullible by Rabih Alameddine. Sixty-three-year-old Raja's relationship with his mother is laugh out loud hilarious. It's one of the best books I've read all year. Alameddine skillfully weaves the last sixty years of Lebanon's history with the antics of Raja and his outrageous mother.

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

Thanks for reposting, Tamara!

One of my in-person book discussion groups paired two books about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The were the Pulitzer Prize winning narrative nonfiction A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall and a beautiful book of verse inspired by the young Palestinian activist and writer, Janna Jihad The Tiny Journalist by Naomi Shihab Nye. The two books explored the human side of the conflict from a Palestinian perspective and complemented each other beautifully.

Yesterday I finished A Noël Killing, the 8th mystery in a series by M.L. Longworth. Set in Aix-en-Provence, the series features an investigating magistrate, Antoine Verlaque, and Martine Bonnet, a law professor. I read them for the pleasure of armchair travel - they are light, relatively short, the food and wine are great and the scenery charming.

I would recommend the series to fans of Donna Leon's mysteries, noting that Longworth does not use her series to comment on current social issues. I also recommend reading them in order, though that is not essential. Bon appetit!

I read The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom. A fascinating exploration of the legacy of ancient Mesopotamia. Prof. Wisnom is an Assyriologist. Her study is very readable, thoroughly documented, and with an extensive bibliography and notes.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm rereading the excellent Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World.

I read The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry. It was an absolute delight!
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just started The Heart in Winter--just past half into it. Did these characters who populate the town remind you of Lonesome Dove too? Their coarseness, the way their origin countries are emphasized, the casual patois and slang had me noticing these similarities almost right off. But I must say, McMurtry was an easier read! I want fewer invented words, and more quotation marks. I am doing a lot of backing up to understand conversations.

This one’s waiting in my TBR pile

I just put this on my TBR list too.

I read Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis. The novel unfolds in the first-person voice of Nadia Amin who is sent by the UN to rehabilitate former ISIS brides held in refugee camps in Iraq. I thought the novel presented a disappointing and flippant treatment of a serious and complex issue.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I have been reading the Booker Longlist and recently finished Seascraper by Benjamin Wood. I read it twice. The first time I gave it 4.5 stars, and the second time I bumped it up to 5. It is a beautifully written and poignant story of a young man trying to eke a living from the Irish sea. When a stranger comes to town, the story takes a surprising turn (this is one not to know too much ahead of time). It is an atmospheric book with an optimistic message, and I just loved it.

I read Shakespeare Saved My Life by Laura Bates. An English professor teaches Shakespeare to incarcerated individuals in a maximum security prison. The memoir focuses primarily on Larry Newton, a convicted murderer. His reaction to and reading of Shakespeare's plays was inspirational.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Place of Tides by James Rebanks - 5* - My Review

This book is the author's memoir about spending a season with Anna, one of Norway's last "duck women," who tends eider ducks on the remote Norwegian Vega archipelago. The book alternates between the details of work related to the ducks, and Anna's stories about her life, the island's history, and Norwegian folklore. Anna renewed an old tradition, which took years of great care and dedication. It shows how one person’s actions can make a difference in our world. I found it fascinating.

I read Heart the Lover by Lily King about three college students whose friendship and love for one another endures. I've read a couple of other Lily King novels, and this is my favorite so far.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara wrote: "I read Heart the Lover by Lily King about three college students whose friendship and love for one another endures. I've read a couple of other Lily King novels, an..."

I'm glad to see your review, Tamara. Heart The Lover is on my TBR list because I've enjoyed the two other books by Lily King that I've read. Now I'll move it up in my priorities!

I really enjoyed it, Lynn. I hope you do, too.

Mary Ellen wrote: "Yesterday I finished A Noël Killing, the 8th mystery in a series by M.L. Longworth. Set in Aix-en-Provence, the series features an investigating magistrate, Antoine Verlaque, and Ma..."

I started this book. I enjoyed it more than the television series where I had a hard time wrapping my head around their very english accents in france.

If any of you like birds, I recently discovered Amy Tan's Back Yard Bird Chronicles which documents her observations of wildlife in her backyard--specifically the birds, which she also used as inspiration for the gorgeous artwork she created.

Maya wrote: "Mary Ellen wrote: "Yesterday I finished A Noël Killing, the 8th mystery in a series by M.L. Longworth. Set in Aix-en-Provence, the series features an investigating magistrate, Antoi..."

Based on Mary Ellen's post, I picked up the first two books in the series and enjoyed them. I couldn't find them in my local libraries, so I bought used paperbacks. Now I'm going to pass them to my sister, who taught French for over 40 years. I'm sure she'll appreciate the language and cultural references throughout, in addition to the mysteries, of course.

Lynn, I'm so glad you are enjoying the series! So far, I've been able to get them from libraries near me, Maya, I didn't know there was a TV series based on the books. But it sounds like I haven't missed anything.

Most of the time I am disappointed by video productions of books I've enjoyed - the characters are never quite how I have pictured them! And I definitely do not picture the Aix crew with British accents.

I read another great Maggie O'Farrell novel: Instructions for a Heatwave.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...