What Are You Reading Part 3

[church_of_dog]

My April reading (listening):

 

Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, by Anne Applebaum -- horrifying but relevant and contextually-important history of the Russia-caused famine in Ukraine in the early 1930s.

 

The Color of Money:  Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, by Mehrsa Baradaran -- good introduction (to uninformed white readers like myself) to the history of Black banking and the experiences of Black people as bank customers as well as bank owners.  Another brick in the wall of my own education about the systemic racism of the US.

 

What Happened to the Bennetts, by Lisa Scottoline -- her newest release.  I really enjoy the "psychological thriller" genre into which her standalone novels fall.

 

Allow Me to Retort:  A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution, by Elie Mystal -- I really loved this book.  Mystal narrates it himself and it's a clearly presented case (with plenty of appropriately emphatic profanity!) for the weaknesses of the US Constitution as currently configured.  He explains the perspective of racial (and sometimes gender and other) issues with the various Amendments, and makes coherent arguments for eliminating the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court, and much more.

 

In The Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1), by Tana French -- I had heard of, but avoided reading, this book because some reviewers said they were disappointed with the ending.  Then a friend of mine started reading it so I decided to read it alongside her.  Glad I did, I enjoyed it a lot!  I understand the criticisms but they didn't override my enjoyment at all.

 

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2), by Tana French -- I had read this one a few years ago, not realizing it was part of a series.  After In The Woods, I decided to reread it to refresh my memory and also because the context of the first book greatly added to my understanding/enjoyment of this one.  I will be reading the rest of this series for sure.

 

Why Trust Science?, by Naomi Oreskes -- an unusual style book, and some of it went over my head, but the parts that didn't, came closer than anything I've read toward addressing the current anti-science political issues.  If I had been reading a print version, I would have stopped to make notes because some concepts hit me as really profound.  (I also could have looked up jargon and vocabulary I was unfamiliar with.  But since I listened to most of it while either on the treadmill or weeding the asparagus bed, I just listened and let however much sink in or not...).  The author wrote the first few chapters -- I actually think they are transcripts from class lectures she gives -- then she has a few chapters where other 'experts' provide commentary and critique of her arguments, then the author returns in a later chapter to address their critiques.  Given that "peer review" and "consensus" are key points in her discussion of how the public should determine when scientific claims are trustworthy, this was a good example of her putting her money where her mouth is.  Unfortunately the book seems like it would only be absorbable by those who already agree with her though -- I'd love to find a book with a similar purpose but written in a way that anti-science rightwingers would find compelling.

 

 

[clueliss]

@church_of_dog I definitely recommend continuing through the Tana French series. I’m a big fan of hers.

[CTRLZero]

I read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel from cover to conclusion on my flight from Nashville to SeaTac.  It’s a story of a time-line anomaly investigated over the span of centuries.  Most time travel novels make my brain hurt, but this novel was short, easy to follow, and well written.  

I’m also listening to Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge.  It’s a murder mystery being investigated by Agatha Christie’s housekeeper.  About halfway through, and so far, so good.

The Tana French series is in my queue and should be available soon. Thanks for the recommendation! 

[CTRLZero]

On 5/2/2022 at 9:09 AM, church_of_dog said:

In The Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1), by Tana French -- I had heard of, but avoided reading, this book because some reviewers said they were disappointed with the ending.  Then a friend of mine started reading it so I decided to read it alongside her.  Glad I did, I enjoyed it a lot!  I understand the criticisms but they didn't override my enjoyment at all.

 

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2), by Tana French -- I had read this one a few years ago, not realizing it was part of a series.  After In The Woods, I decided to reread it to refresh my memory and also because the context of the first book greatly added to my understanding/enjoyment of this one.  I will be reading the rest of this series for sure.

I read these two and am onto the third mystery.  I like how the series continues with familiar characters, but focuses on a different one each novel.  The second one had a somewhat improbable situation, but was a good read nonetheless.  

[church_of_dog]

My May reading:

Assholes: A Theory, by Aaron James.  A half serious, half tongue-in-cheek thesis on why some people are assholes.

 

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, by Julia Serano.  An interesting presentation on various issues affecting trans people.  I learned quite a bit about perspective and issues (including terminology) I hadn't previously been aware of.  I think this is one that @Antimony recommended.

 

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Miguel Ruiz.  Ugh.  I'd heard of this book forever and it was highly recommended by a friend.  It's the kind of thing I can usually find some inspiration from.  But I really disliked the book.  I might not disagree with the conceptual agreements the book discusses, but they were described in such inconsistent terms and with such "woo" language that I was totally put off.  I almost just abandoned it but the whole audiobook only took five hours so I just stuck with it.

 

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, by Daniel Okrent.  Great nonfiction presentation of Prohibition, including the many years of buildup of the anti-alcohol movement, including how the issue tied in with the women's suffrage movement, and the divide between the hard alcohol distillers and the beer brewers etc.  

 

When The Bough Breaks (Alex Delaware #1), by Jonathan Kellerman.  First in a longish series, which I enjoyed and will be resuming once I've finished/caught up on a few other serieses.  It's a mystery/thriller series where the primary character is a child psychologist who is retired and gets called in to consult on cases.

 

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz.  A really interesting fiction book about a writing teacher who is a successful-but-stalled author, whose student tells of plans to write a book with a unique and compelling plot.  When, years later, the author realizes the student has died without ever publishing his book, the author writes his own novel using the unique plot.  He receives great acclaim, but then starts receiving mysterious anonymous messages accusing him of stealing the storyline.  I found this book required a bit of suspension of disbelief but was well written and enjoyable.

 

Bones are Forever (Temperance Brennan #15), by Kathy Reichs.  I liked this one.

 

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases, by Paul Holes.  This guy's investigative history is really interesting, but he's not a great writer (or narrator), and he comes across as highly egotistical.  He worked on many well known cases such as Laci Peterson, Golden State Killer, etc, but he should have had a biographer write the book rather than writing it himself, in my opinion.  Still worth reading for anyone into true crime though.

 

City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Rise to Modern Chicago, by Gary Krist.  A well done bit of history of Chicago which I hadn't known much about and really enjoyed.

 

Empire of Sin:  A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans, by Gary Krist.  Another interesting bit of history I was unfamiliar with and really enjoyed.

 

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver.  Been meaning to read this for decades.  I enjoyed it even more than I expected to, especially the actual history of the Congo, from Belgian rule to attempts at independence, and other bits and pieces of African history and culture.

 

 

[Antimony]

22 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

My May reading:

Assholes: A Theory, by Aaron James.  A half serious, half tongue-in-cheek thesis on why some people are assholes.

 

Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, by Julia Serano.  An interesting presentation on various issues affecting trans people.  I learned quite a bit about perspective and issues (including terminology) I hadn't previously been aware of.  I think this is one that @Antimony recommended.

I did! I also didn't know this thread was here so this tag has brought me here! Now I want to jump in. My recents are...

The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers. Classic decadent horror. Inspiring to Lovecraft. I'm considering becoming a cultist worshipping the Yellow King. Oh, to be in Carcosa. 

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. This got a lot of hype in the "effed up books" and horror circles but I don't feel like it delivered. It takes place in a dystopian future where cannibalism is normalized and unhidden. Soylent green, but everybody knows the meat is human. People even raise human "cattle" in their homes. I get what it was going for, but I think it mostly got hype from people who felt the shock factor. It had a lot of tell, and not a lot of show. I did not find it that shocking, but I've already kind of pushed my shock value threshold on other books and films.

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He. Absolutely stellar non-linear sci-fi, incredibly inventive, great worldbuilding. I love it. I love it more than most people on Goodreads and I'm not sure why.

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Classic. Misanthropic. It's well written. It's well translated. I get it. Probably would have had more impact on me if I was more angsty. I'm interested in getting Junji Ito's adapation of this. 

Currently reading The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker. It would pair well in a gift basket with any of Gillian Flynn's novels.

[church_of_dog]

1 hour ago, Antimony said:

I did! I also didn't know this thread was here so this tag has brought me here! Now I want to jump in. My recents are...

The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers. Classic decadent horror. Inspiring to Lovecraft. I'm considering becoming a cultist worshipping the Yellow King. Oh, to be in Carcosa. 

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. This got a lot of hype in the "effed up books" and horror circles but I don't feel like it delivered. It takes place in a dystopian future where cannibalism is normalized and unhidden. Soylent green, but everybody knows the meat is human. People even raise human "cattle" in their homes. I get what it was going for, but I think it mostly got hype from people who felt the shock factor. It had a lot of tell, and not a lot of show. I did not find it that shocking, but I've already kind of pushed my shock value threshold on other books and films.

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He. Absolutely stellar non-linear sci-fi, incredibly inventive, great worldbuilding. I love it. I love it more than most people on Goodreads and I'm not sure why.

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Classic. Misanthropic. It's well written. It's well translated. I get it. Probably would have had more impact on me if I was more angsty. I'm interested in getting Junji Ito's adapation of this. 

Currently reading The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker. It would pair well in a gift basket with any of Gillian Flynn's novels.

And in a really nice bit of circular harmony, after hearing that you just discovered this thread, I went back and perused the early pages of this thread just to see what it might have looked like through your eyes if you happened to look that far back, and while doing so I found a few more recommendations for books I want to read!

[clueliss]

Finished Legendborn today.  Wonderful read.  Modern retelling (first in a series) of Arthurian Legend.  Black female main character and author.

 

[louisa05]

Going back in forth between Gunfight by Ryan Busse and The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. 

Busse was an executive for a gun company that walked away. The book details how the NRA controls the industry--not the other way around as is commonly thought. It's a hard read. He knows he was in the wrong but also works hard to justify everything. Takeaway halfway through: The NRA is the biggest threat to public safety in this country. Without them, the gun industry might have a conscience. 

 

The second book was my anniversary present (because that's how we roll) and is good comic relief for the other one. If you love the show, it's a must read. 

[CTRLZero]

My summer reading tends to be lighter, so I just finished the 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry.  It’s about a stalker who leaps into alternate realities to do away with a woman, with rescuers hot on his heels.  Not the best, but not the worst.  A satisfying but light dose of messing with my mind as events replay in slightly altered ways.

On 6/3/2022 at 7:59 PM, Antimony said:

The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers. Classic decadent horror. Inspiring to Lovecraft. I'm considering becoming a cultist worshipping the Yellow King. Oh, to be in Carcosa. 

Just started this, and it’s a lovely dramatic opening poem and social set up.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I’ve read a little Lovecraft and spawn of Lovecraft, so looking forward to this read.

Another goal for my summer reading and beyond has to do with a fundraiser I participated in.  I’m starting with a couple books by Toni Morrison and will continue from there as time and interest allow:

 

Spoiler

 

 

[CTRLZero]

On 12/1/2021 at 9:35 PM, church_of_dog said:

A Line to Kill (Hawthorne & Horowitz #3), by Anthony Horowitz

These are really fun cozy mysteries with a twist: in a half-breach of the fourth wall, author Horowitz is a character in his own books.

I’m listening to The Word is Murder, which I found going through the previous pages here.  My mind was so astounded by the appearance of Horowitz in the novel, that I thought I’d better check again to see what this was about.  Sure enough, he’s a character in his own book!  What a fun concept, especially as he’s talking about Foyle’s War and other things I’m familiar with.  Thanks for the recommendation.  Now back to listening…. 😍 

[church_of_dog]

2 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

I’m listening to The Word is Murder, which I found going through the previous pages here.  My mind was so astounded by the appearance of Horowitz in the novel, that I thought I’d better check again to see what this was about.  Sure enough, he’s a character in his own book!  What a fun concept, especially as he’s talking about Foyle’s War and other things I’m familiar with.  Thanks for the recommendation.  Now back to listening…. 😍 

And I did the exact opposite, recognizing that the author was indeed a character in his own book, but me not already being familiar with Anthony Horowitz, I had to google to learn that Foyle's War was a real thing, and that the references to some of his characters such as Alex Rider were also real. 😂  

I first read the two of his Susan Ryeland/Atticus Pund series, and hope he writes more of those, then got into the Hawthorne and Horowitz books and am eagerly awaiting the fourth in that series coming out this fall.

Yes, a clever twist to be a character in his own book!

So glad you are enjoying them.

[CTRLZero]

River of the Gods:  genius, courage, and betrayal in the search for the source of the Nike - Candice Millard 

This is a fairly short, clearly written, overview of the Victorian Era search for the official headwaters of the Nile.  The main characters are Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, their partnership and conflicts.  There are a lot of topics and characters that I now want to do more reading and thinking about - always a positive in a book.  Be sure to listen to/read the epilogue!  I’ve read Millard’s other books, and can recommend her writings. 

Edited June 18, 2022 by CTRLZero
Oops.

[CTRLZero]

14 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

the source of the Nike

An FJ typo!  Of course, I meant Nile.  🤣

[CTRLZero]

I’ve been listening to a few more Anthony Horowitz novels, including The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.  The subject matter was difficult, but interesting to read his take on Holmes and Watson.

I am currently listening to a fictional mystery by Eva Jurczyk - The Department of Rare  Books and Special Collections.  I’m halfway through and think I’m enjoying the politics of academia and musings on approaching old age as much as the growing mystery.

In a meander, my “local” library, which has become distant during the pandemic, is the Nashville Public Library.  Its director, who has been hanging out in libraries for 51 years, was asked about his favorite book recommendations.  Here they are (I plan to check them out soon):

Fiction:  The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

Non-fiction:  The Soul of America by Jon Meacham 

 

[church_of_dog]

My June reading:

 

Fiction:  

Faithful Place and Broken Harbor, by Tana French (#s 3 and 4 in the Dublin Murder Squad series) -- really liked both these

The Searcher, by Tana French -- a standalone book, liked it but not as much as the series

 

Non-Fiction:

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, by Lori Gottlieb -- meh

Who Killed These Girls: Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders, by Beverly Lowry -- interesting true crime; I had heard of this case but didn't know anything about it.

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, by Nikole Hannah-Jones -- lots of important history of the enslavement of black people in America, and the longterm consequences, much of which I was only superficially aware.

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson -- A similar focus on the systematic and systemic obstacles faced by blacks in America, specifically focused on the great migration out from the south after emancipation.  Again, I had had no idea Jim Crow went on for so long, along with a million other details.

The Blood of Emmett Till, by Timothy B. Tyson -- I actually read this in early July but I included it with June's reading because it's a continuation of the theme I was following in late June.  In fact, I looked up the book after hearing Till's name mentioned in Wilkerson's book, and recognizing it as another important story of which I had heard only the basic framing,but knew no details.  In addition, there has been a news development retarding Till's story just in the last few weeks, a letter found in an attic somewhere providing more details on what actually happened, and I wanted to have a better understanding of the background before learning the new info.

Edited July 8, 2022 by church_of_dog

[CTRLZero]

The Warehouse by Rob Hart has kept me entertained the last couple of days.  It’s set in dystopian times (though parallels to current trends are noticeable).  The warehouse is a 24/7 Amazon company-type facility, with corporate espionage on the prowl.  Good novel with some social issues to think about.  I believe it has been made into a movie or series. 

[CTRLZero]

On 6/2/2022 at 9:47 PM, church_of_dog said:

City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Rise to Modern Chicago, by Gary Krist.  A well done bit of history of Chicago which I hadn't known much about and really enjoyed.

 

Empire of Sin:  A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans, by Gary Krist.  Another interesting bit of history I was unfamiliar with and really enjoyed.

I just finished City of Scoundrels.  I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with a more exciting opening.  Yikes!  This was a really great snapshot-in-time book.  It’s a good reminder that social/political upheaval takes place on a regular basis and we (hopefully) make progress over time.  It’s just so horrible to live through the upheavals as they happen, isn’t it.

I checked out the New Orleans book to listen to next.  Thanks for the recommendations! 

[CTRLZero]

We are just coming out of a heat wave.  Since it was too hot to concentrate, I listened to some old favorites - the Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane mysteries, then branched off to some of Dorothy L. Sayers other works.  I like these novels, the conversational language delights me, but it’s a little jarring when the occasional stereotypes pop up.  Hazard of the times, still good reads.

I just finished Anderson Cooper’s story of his family (mostly his mother), “Vanderbilt.” He really emphasizes how the fortune was squandered in the first couple generations, but the name still carries the assumption of wealth.  An interesting read, especially the opening about The Breakers estate, the custody battle affecting his mother’s childhood, and her social circle.

Then, I pulled from my personal  bookshelf “The First Tycoon:  The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt” by T.J. Stiles.  There isn’t much overlap between this Vanderbilt and Cooper Anderson’s book (different generations), but I wanted to refresh my memory of the person who accumulated the wealth in the first place.  Anderson Cooper’s book does conclude with a listing of some of the more famous Vanderbilt holdings built by Cornelius’s wealth.  It’s astounding. 

[church_of_dog]

My July Reading:

 

Fiction:

Bones of the Lost, Swamp Bones, Bones Never Lie, Speaking in Bones, A Conspiracy of Bones (Temperance Brennan #16, 16.5, 17, 18, 19), by Kathy Reichs.

I enjoyed these more than I had the last batch from this series.  Still formulaic but also captivating and interesting and entertaining.  I'm getting close to complete with this series, then will have to wait to see if she is still writing more of them.

 

The Men, by Sandra Newman

This book has some controversy about it, apparently within and regarding the author's presentation/intent/opinions about trans people.  The story is about a world where suddenly all the men disappear.  "Men" being defined based on chromosomes, apparently, so trans men still exist (and trans women disappear).  The concept was intriguing and, honestly, I didn't find anything problematic about how trans people are mentioned, included, or otherwise implied about.

However, the plot of the book left much to be desired in my opinion.  There wasn't that much focus on how the world adjusted, nor on what efforts were being made to figuring out what had happened to the men -- it was clearly something supernatural as men literally disappeared in an instant -- leaving cars and planes to crash, etc.

The book follows several female characters, most or all of whom are active in a women's political movement from long before the men disappear.  I didn't find the plot feasible or even all that interesting.  But what REALLY irked me was the geographical mispronunciations of the narrator!  One was the county in which Reno, NV is located.  Washoe.  Narrator said Wa-SHOE which just is bizarre to me even if one hasn't seen the word before.  But at least that was only said once.  But one of the characters lived for quite some time in Spokane, WA,  and reflected back on many things that had happened to her there, each time pronouncing it Spo-KAYNE.  I came close to stopping the audiobook each time, but in the end I did finish it.

 

The Secret Place, The Trespasser, Dublin Murder Squad #s 5 and 6, by Tana French

Liked both of these a lot.  I'm now caught up on this series, though she has a few more standalone books I might give a listen to.

 

 

Nonfiction:

Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, by Louise Aronson

Really interesting treatise on aging and how the medical system does and doesn't do well for elders.  Author was a tiny bit whiny and self-focused, a bit TMI about her feelings about her personal life but the subject is timely and important and the book was highly informative.

 

War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, by Ronan Farrow

Written about ten years ago.  Interesting delving into several incidents and episodes surrounding the American Diplomatic community.  I learned a lot although it all feels like background/context and I'd have a hard time recalling the specific anecdotes described in the book.

Also, a few years ago when I reported on having listened to Farrow's Catch & Kill, we ended up discussing how badly Ronan does accents (he did his own narration).  Well, he does it again here.  It didn't bother me much either time but I know some folks found it highly annoying.

 

The Clutter Connection: How Your Personality Type Determines Why You Organize the Way You Do, by Cassandra Aarssen

Although most "customize things based on your personality type" books send me running in the other direction, I was surprisingly impressed with this book.  I read a LOT of decluttering books, and no matter if they are good or bad, nearly all of them boost my own energy for cleaning out.  And I would rank this one way up near the top, if not my alltime favorite of the bunch, in terms of actual usefulness.  The four "personality types" she describes are actually useful:  1) do you need to see your things out in your space or do you prefer to have things hidden away?  and 2) do you need an easy/fast/simple organizing structure or do you prefer a more nuanced, deeper level of detail in your organization?  How you answer those two questions puts you in one of four categories, and the author addresses best organizational principles for each, including how to deal with a household of people of differing types.  I recommend this for anyone who enjoys this category of book.

 

Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, by David Von Drehle

Really interesting history of the 1911 factory fire in NYC and all the surrounding issues that affected it, such as the labor union issues of the day, the fight for women's suffrage, etc.  Lots of interesting history about NYC's Tammany Hall era, which I had wanted to learn more about.

 

Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff, by Anthony McCann

Started this yesterday, I'm about a third of the way through.  Really interesting!  A broad take on the Bundy "phenomenon", delving into the environmental and political issues that drive not just the Bundys but the others who joined them at Malheur or who interacted with them.  It's a pretty recent book so there is a bit of Trumpy context too, which is a large part of what I wanted when I sought out this book.  I think when history looks back on the 2010-2030 timeframe, the Bundy issues and actions will be seen as setting the stage for, and even directly connected to, Trump's "Big Lie", Q, Jan. 6, etc.  It's all the same mindset and the Bundys were paving the way and showing (sadly) that there were no real consequences for their actions.

Edited August 2, 2022 by church_of_dog

[CTRLZero]

I’ve been reading/listening to a few mysteries not worth mentioning during recent hot weather.  I tend to fall asleep when it’s warm, and these sorts of books I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything if the audio keeps running while I nap, lol.

I have read a few noteworthy novels:

Silas Marner by George Eliot.  This is a very sentimental tale that my daughter and I used to read together as she was growing up.  It can be read on a simplified level, but there are lots of important topics if you want to dig below the surface.

Eversion by Alastair Reynolds.  Sci fi.  This book fooled me.  I thought it was a typical reincarnation theme, but became something else.  Don’t want to spoil anything, but I found it intriguing.

In progress:

Daughter of Narcissus by Lady Colin Campbell.  The story of a family under the care of a dreadful mother.  I’m reading this through in small stages, since I’m sensitive to this subject.  Found this through a recommendation by @MamaJunebug

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik.  This is a space travel cozy.  I may have read it before, but it has the usual elements of kick ass bounty hunter ship captain hired by attractive client to track down stolen items.  Fun read and well written so far.

 

[MamaJunebug]

@CTRLZero, very good idea to take Narcissus in small bits. I’ve been blessed with parents free of personadiskrders, and still wound up reading one sentence from every other page by the time I got to the part where the old woman is dying.  The denouement of Lady X’s life in beginning recovery from her mother AND her husband were heartening. 
 

Big Mama Junebug had a copy of Silas Marner but I don’t remember asking her about it. It’s my next fiction, based on your recommendations! 

[Scrabblemaster]

I've read "Educated" from Tara Westover and loved it. (Sorry I already said it in another thread. But it's good and I recommend it to anybody.)

Right now I read "Silo" from Hugh Howey and I like it. It is a dystopian story with interesting characters and the language is good to read.

And I've read 'Grünes Öl' from Ben Riffko which I did not read to the end because it was not good. I normally read a book until the end, but I had no intention to do so. It was boring, the story unfolds so slowly and the protagonists had no depth and the language was somehow chauvinist. I will put it in one of the free book-cupboards that are in our town. Maybe someone else will like it.

[clueliss]

Currently reading night Road by Kristin Hannah on audio. And I’m going to confess it’s a struggle. But I’m shoving my way through this because I’m trying to expand my reading horizons and will the author that is currently not writing that lives in my head is perhaps studying the various reasons I’m struggling with this particular novel and what’s wrong with it. The whole thing is just a bit painful. But I’m also popping in here to thank all of you for letting me know that I can adjust my audiobook settings to speed the painful process up because this particular book the narration is slow enough that I did speed it up, twice now.

[church_of_dog]

In August I started several more books than I finished.  (I will finish them, but it will take me another month or two).

Also I read one long book that is part of a personal curiosity project I will wait to report on, until after I have read the other two books in the self-designed 'project'.

Not to mention I had nearly two weeks with an out-of-town visitor which occupied most of my normal audiobook listening time.

 

So my actual completed reading for August is minimal, just these three:

 

Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan/Bones series, # 20 (The Bone Code) and 21 (Cold, Cold Bones).  Although I have commented on the formulaic-ness of this series, I enjoyed these two more than most. 

 

Regenesis:  Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet, by George Monbiot.  I liked this but felt a tad disappointed.  I had heard of Monbiot years ago and considered him one of the few who really "got it" about the problems of the planet, and potential solutions/approaches that address the real issues.  

But while I agreed with much of his perspective on soil health and other aspects of planetary woes, I found he didn't address population issues at all.  I get that wasn't the point of this book, but I do feel a book on this topic requires at least a caveat putting population issues in context.  He also seemed supportive of nuclear power as a source of electricity, which I completely disagree with.  

I do still recommend this book as worth reading, but my thumbs-up comes with these qualifications.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by church_of_dog