The other day we opened the fireplace grate and had the first fire of the season. A few feet away the big dogs stretched out in the warmth, and we crashed on the couch as I read aloud a few chapters from Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant. That was pretty much perfect. We're only about a 1/3rd of the way through the book, although after seeing DiCamillo at the Fitzgerald Theater (wayyy back on 9/20/2009) talking about it, I can't wait to really get more of the story read.
At work, a colleague tossed me a copy of "All About CB Two-Way Radio" from Radio Shack. More precisely, it is from Radio Shack's Editorial and Technical Staff and time-traveled from 1976. I pick it up on breaks (not breaker-breaker breaks) and laugh and laugh. And learn.
For whatever it is worth it looks like I won't be reading Gourmet magazine, but those are the breaks in the wild world of publishing.
What are you reading? What do you wish you were reading? What would you recommend other people read?
This is an open discussion, so you're welcome to link to your related Gather articles or other online resources. Your comments & articles may be quoted on American Public Media or Minnesota Public Radio web sites.
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Julia Schrenkler
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Minnesota Public Radio
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Comments: 66
I wasn't specific enough in an earlier comment - I meant it would be a good "mind's vacation" for those of us who haven't been there.
It's a year old or so, bought in on the discount rack.
I love Goldberg, former CBS television guy. A recovering liberal. Lets both sides have it. He's not worried about stepping on some toes.
You forgot to add the plug line, "How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve"
Driven to Distraction
The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
What do you wish you were reading?
The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux
Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian
What would you recommend other people read?
Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik
November by John Minczeski (a book of poetry)
How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
Sadly - or perhaps luckily - I've only read one book from your answers. Sadly because I'm betting they're good, luckily since I can consider them all possibilities. The one we've read? Patty Jane's House of Curl Harriet & Avel didn't get title credit but we were happy to "meet" them in a book.
I really enjoyed The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
Last week I got about 100 pages into "Jude the Obscure" but gave up. The story looked interesting, usual Thomas Hardy stuff about being crushed by fate, but I didn't want to think enough to keep going. I'll read it some time when I'm more ambitious.
A few weeks ago I reread a bunch of Jack Vance books. He retired last year after over 50 years of writing the same three or four stories over and over again. I've never gotten tired of him. He was one of the few science fiction writers worth reading for his style.
"The Sot Weed Factor" by John Barth
"Jack Maggs" by Peter Carey
"The Quincunx" by Palliser
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
The Planet of Adventure series and the Lyonesse series by Jack Vance.
"The Continental Op" by Dashiell Hammett
"Pere Goriot" by Balzac
The entire discworld series by Terry Pratchett
"The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner
Also, can you elaborate on your comment about Terry Pratchett? I've heard elsewhere that his last book wasn't exactly up to par.
Pratchett has Alzheimer's. He's still able to function but I'm sure that his writing skills have suffered. I don't know that he plans to write any more.
Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life. by Amby Burfoot -- an old, flood drowned copy I found while cleaning out some shelves. like the structure better than the insights, I think, but still, a good, quick read.
tried to get into Ted Gioia's Delta Blues but gave up about a third of the way through -- I already know most of this stuff and his insights weren't doing anything for me
on the light reading front, just finished Nora Roberts' Black Hills. with some of her stuff I just can't get past the first few pages, others I like characters and setting. this was one of the latter.
and it's not a book, but I'd recommend listening to Caroline Herring. she has a new CD coming out just now called Golden Apples of the Sun -- and yes, Yeats does turn up on it, along with Pablo Neruda, Wendell Berry, Joni Mitchell, and some fine original songs. going away to write a review of it over at Music Road...
it's interesting to see how he spins off and spins back life lessons from events in his running, in a series of short essays. I used to be involved with a man who ran marathons, and one of the lasting legacies of that is an interest in the philosophy of running, so to speak. I learned what I need to from reading this the first time years ago, though, I think. time to pass it along.
here's the review of Caroline Herring's album, in case you want to know more about that.
http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/kiss.htm
It is beautifully written and a little risque for the uninitiated. The link I provided will give a quick chapter of all of her books.
The seventh installment in Carey's bestselling Kushiel series
The Bastard of Istanbul
The White Queen
or a couple of Nicholas Sparks books that I won here on gather.
uh oh, did I just bring up politics? sorry.
What is your take on the Reid book?
And Michigan just cut library spending 40% so that will reduce choices further, I'm sure.
I've recently read a few very good things that I posted about a couple of weeks ago. Check out my recommendations - and watch for my review of The Prince of the Marshes, which I also recommend.
You have to have a certain twisted sense of humor to enjoy Moore. But if you do, then you'll continuously laugh out loud while reading his books, scaring nearby small children and annoying people on airplanes.
Here are some quotes from his novels that give you a hint of his style.