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[ghost of miles]

[ejp626]

I wrapped up Shamsie's Burnt Shadows -- very powerful but somewhat depressing novel. I was expecting a different (happier?) ending.

The Lamplighter - Anthony O'Neill

My wife has been getting rid of some airport books in preparation for our upcoming move, and I've been dropping them off in the donation pile at the library. I decided to read this one, since it had a bit of a different vibe. It's set in Edinburgh in the early part of the 20th C. around the time when electricity was still just a fad and streets were still lit by gas light. This aspect was kind of squandered. Anyway, I hated, hated, hated this book. It is a total cheat on every level. The plot, such as it is, insists that you take supernatural beings seriously. I guess this is ok if that's what you know you are getting from the start, but to insert this into the middle of a police procedural seems very wrong to me. But mostly it wasn't the least bit frightening or eerie. I just can't believe it such good blurbs from reviewers and such a high number of 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon.

I will be returning to Lolita and wrapping that up, then will be working through my own stack of books that I intend to read once, then give away.

[jlhoots]

Nick Stone: The King Of Swords (prequel to Mr. Clarinet)

[jazzbo]

Spent a lot of time traveling and sitting in hospital waiting rooms this week; read three books.

Just started part one of a trilogy

[Matthew]

Spent a lot of time traveling and sitting in hospital waiting rooms this week; read three books.

This one looks interesting, how is it?

[jazzbo]

Not as interesting as one might think. It's sort of schizophrenic, not cohesive. An overview of the "re-emergence tour" of '74 with The Band, with a sprinkling of rabbinic and extra-rabbinic thought to prop up a rather flimsy argument that Dylan is really following a Jewish singer/poet tradition with more intent than I believe likely.

Edited April 8, 2011 by jazzbo

[Stefan Wood]

[aparxa]

I don't know about the movies with Deneuve and Signoret, but the two books I have just finished Belle de Jour (Joseph Kessel) and Thérèse Raquin (Emile Zola) are masterpieces.

[Jazzmoose]

Spent a lot of time traveling and sitting in hospital waiting rooms this week; read three books.

Hope everything's okay.

I started rereading Joe Haldeman's Worlds trilogy this week; I lost one of the books years ago and finally picked it up so I could do so.

One of two authors I've always wanted to try but never seem to find, along with Effinger.

[Matthew]

Not as interesting as one might think. It's sort of schizophrenic, not cohesive. An overview of the "re-emergence tour" of '74 with The Band, with a sprinkling of rabbinic and extra-rabbinic thought to prop up a rather flimsy argument that Dylan is really following a Jewish singer/poet tradition with more intent than I believe likely.

Thanks for the review, and ditto to what The Moose has to say.

[jazzbo]

I was traveling to Ohio to be with my folks for four days centered around a partial mastectomy performed on my mom due to the discovery of a cancerous lump.

All that went well, but now she faces four weeks of radiation, possibly followed by chemotherapy. The whole situation has been pretty stressful for my Dad. He had some stroke like symptoms a few weeks ago, that ultimately they don't believe was a stroke; he was at the hospital with my Mom for her last pre-operative appointment when it happened. They're both 79. This is going to be a pretty tough time. My previous experience with cancer care has made it rather hard for me to be hopeful and positive. . . but I'm doing my best.

[Elissa]

I don't know about the movies with Deneuve and Signoret, but the two books I have just finished Belle de Jour (Joseph Kessel) and Thérèse Raquin (Emile Zola) are masterpieces.

both films extraordinary too

[ejp626]

One of two authors I've always wanted to try but never seem to find, along with Effinger.

I like Effinger a lot, especially his trilogy When Gravity Fails/A Fire in the Sun/The Exile Kiss. They've slowly been putting a lot of his short stories back in print in various collections, but they almost never show up used (and/or cheap), but they should be at larger libraries (or could be requested through ILL).

[ghost of miles]

[fasstrack]

Nell Irvin Painter: The History of White People. Trying to unload my mind enough to let it in and what I read so far I like.

If the book is half as good as that name, we got a winner, ladies and gents.

[jlhoots]

Arnaldur Indridason: Arctic Chill

[A Lark Ascending]

Arnaldur Indridason: Arctic Chill

Read that myself a couple of weeks back. Unbelievably bleak!

Really enjoyed this tale of a relationship with its stresses and strains over the 90s:

Just started the fourth of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels:

Think they are filming or TVising the first (Case Histories).

[JSngry]

[medjuck]

Douglas Coupland's biography of Marshall McLuhan. I studied with McLuhan in the mid-'60s and stayed n touch with him for a few years after. This books really nails it. A lot of fun too.

[gslade]

China Mieville Kraken

[BillF]

Chandler's last novel and the only one I haven't read.

[Jazzmoose]

Strangely enough, the only one I own!

[aparxa]

Exquis!

[jazzbo]

Edited April 21, 2011 by jazzbo

[jlhoots]

Tea Obreht: The Tiger's Wife