What Are You Reading the Week of 26 December 2014?
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1MDGentleReader
from Encyclopedia of World Biography (notablebiographies.com)
J. Rudyard Kipling
Born: December 30, 1865
Bombay, India
Died: January 18, 1936
Burwash, England
English writer and poet
The English poet and story writer Rudyard Kipling was one of the first masters of the short story in English, and he was the first to use Cockney dialect (the manner in which natives of London, England's, East End speak) in serious poetry.
Early life
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30, 1865, in Bombay, India. His father was professor of architectural sculpture at the Bombay School of Art. In 1871 Kipling was sent to England for his education. In 1878 Rudyard entered the United Services College at Westward Ho!, a boarding school in Devon. There young "Gigger," as he was called, endured bullying and harsh discipline, but he also enjoyed the close friendships, practical jokes, and merry pranks he later recorded in Stalky & Co. (1899).
Kipling's closest friend at Westward Ho!, George Beresford, described him as a short, but "cheery, capering, podgy, little fellow" with a thick pair of spectacles over "a broad smile." His eyes were brilliant blue, and over them his heavy black eyebrows moved up and down as he talked. Another close friend was the headmaster, (the principal of a private school) "Crom" Price, who encouraged Kipling's literary ambitions by having him edit the school paper and praising the poems which he wrote for it. When Kipling sent some of these to India, his father had them privately printed as Schoolboy Lyrics (1881), Kipling's first published work.
Young journalist
In 1882 Kipling rejoined his parents in Lahore, India, where he became a copy editor (one who edits newspaper articles) for the Civil and Military Gazette. In 1887 he moved to the Allahabad Pioneer, a better paper, which gave him greater liberty in his writing. He published satiric (sharply or bitterly witty) verses, Departmental Ditties in 1886, and over seventy short stories in 1888 in seven paperback volumes. In style, these stories showed the influence of the writers Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), Bret Harte (1836–1902), and Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893). The subjects, however, were Kipling's own. He wrote about Anglo-Indian society, which he readily criticized with an acid pen, and the life of the common British soldier and the Indian native, which he portrayed accurately and sympathetically.
Fame in England
In 1889 Kipling took a long voyage through China, Japan, and the United States. When he reached London, he found that his stories had preceded him and established him as a brilliant new author. He was readily accepted into the circle of leading writers. While there he wrote a number of stories and some of his best-remembered poems: "A Ballad of East and West," "Mandalay," and "The English Flag." He also introduced English readers to a "new genre " of serious poems in Cockney dialect: "Danny Deever," "Tommy," "Fuzzy-Wuzzy," and "Gunga Din."
Kipling's first novel, The Light That Failed (1891), was unsuccessful. But when his stories were collected as Life's Handicap (1891) and poems as Barrackroom Ballads (1892), Kipling replaced Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) as the most popular English author.
The American years
In 1892 Kipling married Caroline Balestier. They settled on the Balestier estate near Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States, and began four of the happiest years of Kipling's life. During this time he wrote some of his best work— Many Inventions (1893), perhaps his best volume of short stories; The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895), two books of animal fables that attracted readers of all ages by illustrating the larger truths of life; The Seven Seas (1896), a collection of poems in experimental rhythms; and Captains Courageous (1897), a novel-length, sea story. These works not only assured Kipling's lasting fame as a serious writer but also made him a rich man.
His imperialism
In 1897 the Kiplings settled in Rottingdean, a village on the British coast near Brighton. The outbreak of the Spanish-American War (1898; a short war between Spain and the United States over lands including Cuba and the Philippines) and the Boer War (1899–1902; a war between Great Britain and South Africa) turned Kipling's attention to colonial affairs. He began to publish a number of solemn poems in standard English in the London Times. The most famous of these, "Recessional" (July 17, 1897), issued a warning to Englishmen to regard their accomplishments in the Diamond Jubilee (fiftieth) year of Queen Victoria's (1819–1901) reign with humility and awe rather than pride and arrogance. The equally well-known "White Man's Burden" (February 4, 1899) clearly expressed the attitudes toward the empire that are implied in the stories in The Day's Work (1898) and A Fleet in Being (1898).
Kipling referred to less highly developed peoples as "lesser breeds" and considered order, discipline, sacrifice, and humility to be the essential qualities of colonial rulers. These views have been denounced as racist (believing that one race is better than others), elitist (believing oneself to be a part of a superior group), and jingoistic (pertaining to a patriot who speaks in favor of an aggressive and warlike foreign policy). But for Kipling, the term "white man" indicated citizens of the more highly developed nations. He felt it was their duty to spread law, literacy, and morality throughout the world.
During the Boer War, Kipling spent several months in South Africa, where he raised funds for soldiers' relief and worked on an army newspaper, the Friend. In 1901 Kipling published Kim, the last and most charming of his portrayals of Indian life. But anti-imperialist reaction following the end of the Boer War caused a decline in Kipling's popularity.
When Kipling published The Five Nations, a book of South African verse, in 1903, he was attacked in parodies (satirical imitations), caricatures (exaggerations for comic effect), and serious protests as the opponent of a growing spirit of peace and democratic equality. Kipling retired to "Bateman's," a house near Burwash, a secluded village in Essex.
Later works
Kipling now turned from the wide empire as his subject to simply England itself. In 1902 he published Just So Stories for Little Children. He also issued two books of stories of England's past— Puck of Pook's Hill (1906) and Rewards and Fairies (1910). Like the Jungle Books they were intended for young readers but were suitable for adults as well. His most significant work at this time was a number of volumes of short stories written in a different style—"Traffics and Discoveries" (1904), "Actions and Reactions" (1904), "A Diversity of Creatures" (1917), "Debits and Credits" (1926), and "Limits and Renewals" (1932).
Kipling's later stories treat more complex, subtle, and somber (serious) subjects. They reflect Kipling's darkened worldview following the death of his daughter, Josephine, in 1899, and the death of his son, John, in 1915. Consequently, these stories have never been as popular as his earlier works. But modern critics, in reevaluating Kipling, have found a greater power and depth that make them among his best work.
In 1907 Kipling became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died on January 18, 1936, and is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England. His autobiography, Something of Myself, was published in 1937.
Rudyard Kipling's early stories and poems about life in colonial India made him a great favorite with English readers. His support of English imperialism (the policy of extending the rule of a nation over foreign countries) at first contributed to this popularity but caused a reaction against him in the twentieth century. Today he is best known for his Jungle Books and Kim, a Story of India.
For More Information
Carrington, Charles Edmund. Rudyard Kipling: His Life and Work. London: Macmillan, 1955.
Gilmour, David. The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2002.
Ricketts, Harry. Rudyard Kipling: A Life. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001.
Wilson, Angus. The Strange Ride of Rudyard Kipling: His Life and Works. New York: Viking Press, 1978.
Just So Stories is a favorite of mine. What about you?
What are you reading? Tell us about it!
J. Rudyard Kipling
Born: December 30, 1865
Bombay, India
Died: January 18, 1936
Burwash, England
English writer and poet
The English poet and story writer Rudyard Kipling was one of the first masters of the short story in English, and he was the first to use Cockney dialect (the manner in which natives of London, England's, East End speak) in serious poetry.
Early life
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was born on December 30, 1865, in Bombay, India. His father was professor of architectural sculpture at the Bombay School of Art. In 1871 Kipling was sent to England for his education. In 1878 Rudyard entered the United Services College at Westward Ho!, a boarding school in Devon. There young "Gigger," as he was called, endured bullying and harsh discipline, but he also enjoyed the close friendships, practical jokes, and merry pranks he later recorded in Stalky & Co. (1899).
Kipling's closest friend at Westward Ho!, George Beresford, described him as a short, but "cheery, capering, podgy, little fellow" with a thick pair of spectacles over "a broad smile." His eyes were brilliant blue, and over them his heavy black eyebrows moved up and down as he talked. Another close friend was the headmaster, (the principal of a private school) "Crom" Price, who encouraged Kipling's literary ambitions by having him edit the school paper and praising the poems which he wrote for it. When Kipling sent some of these to India, his father had them privately printed as Schoolboy Lyrics (1881), Kipling's first published work.
Young journalist
In 1882 Kipling rejoined his parents in Lahore, India, where he became a copy editor (one who edits newspaper articles) for the Civil and Military Gazette. In 1887 he moved to the Allahabad Pioneer, a better paper, which gave him greater liberty in his writing. He published satiric (sharply or bitterly witty) verses, Departmental Ditties in 1886, and over seventy short stories in 1888 in seven paperback volumes. In style, these stories showed the influence of the writers Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), Bret Harte (1836–1902), and Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893). The subjects, however, were Kipling's own. He wrote about Anglo-Indian society, which he readily criticized with an acid pen, and the life of the common British soldier and the Indian native, which he portrayed accurately and sympathetically.
Fame in England
In 1889 Kipling took a long voyage through China, Japan, and the United States. When he reached London, he found that his stories had preceded him and established him as a brilliant new author. He was readily accepted into the circle of leading writers. While there he wrote a number of stories and some of his best-remembered poems: "A Ballad of East and West," "Mandalay," and "The English Flag." He also introduced English readers to a "new genre " of serious poems in Cockney dialect: "Danny Deever," "Tommy," "Fuzzy-Wuzzy," and "Gunga Din."
Kipling's first novel, The Light That Failed (1891), was unsuccessful. But when his stories were collected as Life's Handicap (1891) and poems as Barrackroom Ballads (1892), Kipling replaced Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) as the most popular English author.
The American years
In 1892 Kipling married Caroline Balestier. They settled on the Balestier estate near Brattleboro, Vermont, in the United States, and began four of the happiest years of Kipling's life. During this time he wrote some of his best work— Many Inventions (1893), perhaps his best volume of short stories; The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895), two books of animal fables that attracted readers of all ages by illustrating the larger truths of life; The Seven Seas (1896), a collection of poems in experimental rhythms; and Captains Courageous (1897), a novel-length, sea story. These works not only assured Kipling's lasting fame as a serious writer but also made him a rich man.
His imperialism
In 1897 the Kiplings settled in Rottingdean, a village on the British coast near Brighton. The outbreak of the Spanish-American War (1898; a short war between Spain and the United States over lands including Cuba and the Philippines) and the Boer War (1899–1902; a war between Great Britain and South Africa) turned Kipling's attention to colonial affairs. He began to publish a number of solemn poems in standard English in the London Times. The most famous of these, "Recessional" (July 17, 1897), issued a warning to Englishmen to regard their accomplishments in the Diamond Jubilee (fiftieth) year of Queen Victoria's (1819–1901) reign with humility and awe rather than pride and arrogance. The equally well-known "White Man's Burden" (February 4, 1899) clearly expressed the attitudes toward the empire that are implied in the stories in The Day's Work (1898) and A Fleet in Being (1898).
Kipling referred to less highly developed peoples as "lesser breeds" and considered order, discipline, sacrifice, and humility to be the essential qualities of colonial rulers. These views have been denounced as racist (believing that one race is better than others), elitist (believing oneself to be a part of a superior group), and jingoistic (pertaining to a patriot who speaks in favor of an aggressive and warlike foreign policy). But for Kipling, the term "white man" indicated citizens of the more highly developed nations. He felt it was their duty to spread law, literacy, and morality throughout the world.
During the Boer War, Kipling spent several months in South Africa, where he raised funds for soldiers' relief and worked on an army newspaper, the Friend. In 1901 Kipling published Kim, the last and most charming of his portrayals of Indian life. But anti-imperialist reaction following the end of the Boer War caused a decline in Kipling's popularity.
When Kipling published The Five Nations, a book of South African verse, in 1903, he was attacked in parodies (satirical imitations), caricatures (exaggerations for comic effect), and serious protests as the opponent of a growing spirit of peace and democratic equality. Kipling retired to "Bateman's," a house near Burwash, a secluded village in Essex.
Later works
Kipling now turned from the wide empire as his subject to simply England itself. In 1902 he published Just So Stories for Little Children. He also issued two books of stories of England's past— Puck of Pook's Hill (1906) and Rewards and Fairies (1910). Like the Jungle Books they were intended for young readers but were suitable for adults as well. His most significant work at this time was a number of volumes of short stories written in a different style—"Traffics and Discoveries" (1904), "Actions and Reactions" (1904), "A Diversity of Creatures" (1917), "Debits and Credits" (1926), and "Limits and Renewals" (1932).
Kipling's later stories treat more complex, subtle, and somber (serious) subjects. They reflect Kipling's darkened worldview following the death of his daughter, Josephine, in 1899, and the death of his son, John, in 1915. Consequently, these stories have never been as popular as his earlier works. But modern critics, in reevaluating Kipling, have found a greater power and depth that make them among his best work.
In 1907 Kipling became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. He died on January 18, 1936, and is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England. His autobiography, Something of Myself, was published in 1937.
Rudyard Kipling's early stories and poems about life in colonial India made him a great favorite with English readers. His support of English imperialism (the policy of extending the rule of a nation over foreign countries) at first contributed to this popularity but caused a reaction against him in the twentieth century. Today he is best known for his Jungle Books and Kim, a Story of India.
For More Information
Carrington, Charles Edmund. Rudyard Kipling: His Life and Work. London: Macmillan, 1955.
Gilmour, David. The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2002.
Ricketts, Harry. Rudyard Kipling: A Life. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001.
Wilson, Angus. The Strange Ride of Rudyard Kipling: His Life and Works. New York: Viking Press, 1978.
Just So Stories is a favorite of mine. What about you?
What are you reading? Tell us about it!
2Tara1Reads
I am reading The Virgin Suicides. Middlesex is one of my favorite books, but I had never been able to get into The Virgin Suicides in the past for some reason. I am liking it so far this time around though!
3Meredy
I'm right on the verge of finishing Mystery in White, which has been really fun to read over Christmas, and I'm continuing with The White Dawn and a few other things.
4alphaorder
>2 Tara1Reads:
I haven't read Middlesex, but read Virgin Suicides when it was published and liked it quite a bit.
Reading and recommend Citizen: An American Lyric and An Unnecessary Woman.
I haven't read Middlesex, but read Virgin Suicides when it was published and liked it quite a bit.
Reading and recommend Citizen: An American Lyric and An Unnecessary Woman.
5cdyankeefan
Working on The Wasp Factory and The Enchanted
6jnwelch
Thanks for all the interesting Rudyard Kipling info, MDG.
I've started Missing Person by Patrick Modiano, an author unknown to many, including me, before he won the Nobel Prize. We'll see.
I've started Missing Person by Patrick Modiano, an author unknown to many, including me, before he won the Nobel Prize. We'll see.
7PaperbackPirate
I'm reading Eventide by Kent Haruf. I was so sad to learn that Kent Haruf died a few weeks ago, but I'm glad I still have a few books of his left to read.
8rocketjk
I cannot think of Rudyard Kiplng without being reminded of the Groucho Marx line. At some point in one of the Marx Brothers movies, somebody asks Groucho, "Do you like Kipling?" To which he replies, "I don't know. I've never kippled."
For some reason I have been in the midst of genre/series world lately, and for my latest book I started still another series, Dale Brown's Dreamland. In fact, the first book in the series, which I just finished, is simply titled Dale Brown's Dreamland. This is a sort of techno-military series about a classified Air Force base in the Nevada desert (Dreamland) where cutting edge, futuristic, bells 'n whistles aircraft are developed and tested. The first half of the book is mostly taken up with the establishment of the political context of the base's history and current budgetary problems, setting up of some of the characters and lengthy technical descriptions of the hardware. As such, I found it fairly tedious. However, the second half of the book sends our heroes and their aeroplanes off to combat, and that gets a lot better, as Brown and his co-writer Jim DeFelice, write good action scenes. It's nice is the fact that the writers go out of their way to be non-sexist (two of the actions best and most trusted pilots are women, for example). So I have plans to read at least the second book in this series, although how far I get in the whole Dreamland set (there are 14 books, to date) remains to be seen.
And speaking of genre series, last night I started The Mourner, the fourth book in the "Parker" series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake). Written in the 60s, this is a great series for anyone who likes their noir criminals/heroes ruthless and more or less psychopathic. Nasty fun, is what they are.
For some reason I have been in the midst of genre/series world lately, and for my latest book I started still another series, Dale Brown's Dreamland. In fact, the first book in the series, which I just finished, is simply titled Dale Brown's Dreamland. This is a sort of techno-military series about a classified Air Force base in the Nevada desert (Dreamland) where cutting edge, futuristic, bells 'n whistles aircraft are developed and tested. The first half of the book is mostly taken up with the establishment of the political context of the base's history and current budgetary problems, setting up of some of the characters and lengthy technical descriptions of the hardware. As such, I found it fairly tedious. However, the second half of the book sends our heroes and their aeroplanes off to combat, and that gets a lot better, as Brown and his co-writer Jim DeFelice, write good action scenes. It's nice is the fact that the writers go out of their way to be non-sexist (two of the actions best and most trusted pilots are women, for example). So I have plans to read at least the second book in this series, although how far I get in the whole Dreamland set (there are 14 books, to date) remains to be seen.
And speaking of genre series, last night I started The Mourner, the fourth book in the "Parker" series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake). Written in the 60s, this is a great series for anyone who likes their noir criminals/heroes ruthless and more or less psychopathic. Nasty fun, is what they are.
9OBroHereWeGoAgn
Finishing up Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen then moving on to Gone Girl. Can't wait.
10Peace2
Finished The Piano Teacher today and A Thousand Splendid Suns earlier in the week both in audio. Now focussing on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in audio format. I'm making slow progress as far as actual paper form books are concerned as I just don't seem to have much time to sit down and relax - the listening is being done while I work. That means that I'm still reading Agent 6 and The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf.
12rocketjk
#9> My wife is reading Bad Monkey now. She keeps laughing out loud.
13hemlokgang
I am listening to All The Light We Cannot See and reading The Bone Clocks. Both are very good!
14framboise
Just finished Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Now I've read three of hers, each one a little less great than the previous, but she's definitely an author to follow if you like YA books.
I've read a few stories of Margaret Atwood's Stone Mattress. Not gripping, but interesting. I read a story here and there in between novels.
I've read a few stories of Margaret Atwood's Stone Mattress. Not gripping, but interesting. I read a story here and there in between novels.
15NarratorLady
Loved Attachments and I think it's time for another Rainbow Rowell.
16hemlokgang
Just finished the phenomenal The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.
Next up is A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking for my RL book club's January selection.
Next up is A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking for my RL book club's January selection.
17hemlokgang
Oi! Finished A Brief History of Time. I am a lay person and my take away was minimal. Basically that human beings are driven to make meaning of their existence and scientists try to do so by seeking absolutes.
Next up to read it Small: Life and Death on the Front Lines of Pediatric Surgery, an early reviewer selection by Catherine Musemeche MD.
Next up to read it Small: Life and Death on the Front Lines of Pediatric Surgery, an early reviewer selection by Catherine Musemeche MD.
18Bjace
Like the Kipling choice. My father liked Kipling's poetry and he would read and recite it. I've read most of his novels and liked them all.
Finished The Doomsday book, which I had trouble getting into but ultimately liked very much. Am working on finishing Mrs. Roberto, the 4th book in Van Reid's whimsical Moosepath series. I also started Three men on the bummel while flying from Denver to Indianapolis.
Finished The Doomsday book, which I had trouble getting into but ultimately liked very much. Am working on finishing Mrs. Roberto, the 4th book in Van Reid's whimsical Moosepath series. I also started Three men on the bummel while flying from Denver to Indianapolis.
19nrmay
>14 framboise:
>15 NarratorLady:
Loved Eleanor & Park and Attachments Also liked Fangirl - all by Rainbow Rowell
I think I'll try Landline!
>15 NarratorLady:
Loved Eleanor & Park and Attachments Also liked Fangirl - all by Rainbow Rowell
I think I'll try Landline!
20seitherin
Still working on The Virgin in the Ice and The Glassblower and did a quick read through of Knitting in the Round: 10 Knit Sock Patterns and Knitted Slipper Patterns.
21enaid
I finished Paying Guests and thought it was a terrific read. I'm still thinking about it. I started and finished Anthony Horowitz's newest installment in his Sherlock Holmes continuation, Moriarty and was, again, amazed at the excellent writing and atmosphere.
I picked up What Maisie Knew last night and it sucked me right in. Henry James does a great job of showing the selfishness of the parents, their friends and this lost little girl. It's a sad read but I can't seem to put it down.
I don't want to jinx myself but I'm having a great run of wonderful books!
I picked up What Maisie Knew last night and it sucked me right in. Henry James does a great job of showing the selfishness of the parents, their friends and this lost little girl. It's a sad read but I can't seem to put it down.
I don't want to jinx myself but I'm having a great run of wonderful books!
22Zumbanista
Finished up a couple of shorter books and a short story to whittle down my TBR pile. Now headed into the Irish Mystery Someone You Know (Touchstone only wants to give me the novel in parts, not the whole thing). Read the 1st book in the series about DS Lucy Black and thought it showed promise, so looking forward to it.
23Citizenjoyce
>1 MDGentleReader: Thanks for another great start. My nephews are both redheads and have made this their anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw
As for my reading:
I did it. I Pearl ruled a book that I'm half way through by an author I like. I found it harder and harder to get back to The Antelope Wife. There are all these books I want to read, but I keep telling myself I can't start until I finish Erdrich's. The writing is convoluted, the characters are all related to each other in intricate ways over generations and do really stupid things because of love or infatuation or religious/superstitious fear or just because. I can see how some people might really like it, but I'm not one. So instead, on to Mean Little deaf Queer on paper and Gay Pride and Prejudice on Kindle.
In the car I'm listening to We Were Liars, an OverDrive best book of 2014 about a group of poor put upon entitled rich teens, their poor put upon rich mothers, their domineering yet weakening overlord of a grandfather and the mistakes made by all. It started, for me, very badly but gets interesting after the big accident.
On iPad I'm almost done with Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson, another best book of 2014 on many lists and well deserving of the honor. This is about a male social worker in Montana (one of his first remarks is, "I know, most of us are women") bad decisions from small to overwhelming, religious and political nuttery, police overreach and the fragility of humankind. This is a great book that I will be sad to finish I'm so caught up in his world.
>5 cdyankeefan: I'll be reading The End of Wasp Season sometime in the coming month for my RL book club. Other than that and Frankenstein (for another book club), most of my reading after this week will be from various lists of Best Books of 2014.
As for my reading:
I did it. I Pearl ruled a book that I'm half way through by an author I like. I found it harder and harder to get back to The Antelope Wife. There are all these books I want to read, but I keep telling myself I can't start until I finish Erdrich's. The writing is convoluted, the characters are all related to each other in intricate ways over generations and do really stupid things because of love or infatuation or religious/superstitious fear or just because. I can see how some people might really like it, but I'm not one. So instead, on to Mean Little deaf Queer on paper and Gay Pride and Prejudice on Kindle.
In the car I'm listening to We Were Liars, an OverDrive best book of 2014 about a group of poor put upon entitled rich teens, their poor put upon rich mothers, their domineering yet weakening overlord of a grandfather and the mistakes made by all. It started, for me, very badly but gets interesting after the big accident.
On iPad I'm almost done with Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson, another best book of 2014 on many lists and well deserving of the honor. This is about a male social worker in Montana (one of his first remarks is, "I know, most of us are women") bad decisions from small to overwhelming, religious and political nuttery, police overreach and the fragility of humankind. This is a great book that I will be sad to finish I'm so caught up in his world.
>5 cdyankeefan: I'll be reading The End of Wasp Season sometime in the coming month for my RL book club. Other than that and Frankenstein (for another book club), most of my reading after this week will be from various lists of Best Books of 2014.
24Meredy
Minutes ago I finished The White Dawn, which I read because of The Enchanted. Both made me feel, as the best of them do, that I'd just lived through something intense and real. I'm now pondering the mysterious connection between the two books.
25framboise
#19 nrmay: I really enjoyed Landline. Highly recommend it. Fangirl is the only book left of Rainbow Rowell's that I haven't read.
Currently reading The Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry and Sacred Fire: My Journey into Ashtanga Yoga by Kino MacGregor. Enjoying both and will be done with both shortly.
Currently reading The Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry and Sacred Fire: My Journey into Ashtanga Yoga by Kino MacGregor. Enjoying both and will be done with both shortly.
26rocketjk
I devoured The Mourner, the fourth entry in the Parker series by Richard Stark (a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake). This series is nasty fun. Parker is as ruthless as they noir anti-heroes get, and books are very well written.
It had been several genre fiction novels in a row for me, and I've moved over to history to finish up 2014. Yesterday I started Lincoln's Men: the President and His Private Secretaries by Daniel Mark Epstein.
It had been several genre fiction novels in a row for me, and I've moved over to history to finish up 2014. Yesterday I started Lincoln's Men: the President and His Private Secretaries by Daniel Mark Epstein.
29hazel1123
Hello
I am trying to post my favorites but I can't figure out how to may the liked lists work. Help would be appreciated.
thanks in advance.
Hazel
I am trying to post my favorites but I can't figure out how to may the liked lists work. Help would be appreciated.
thanks in advance.
Hazel
30mollygrace
I'm reading The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. It's the 13th book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. It's always nice to return to Botswana and to see what's going on with Precious Ramotswe, her family and friends.
31Martha8700
I finished 84, Charing Cross Road and started reading Outlander.
32nancyewhite
I'm really enjoying The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. A historical novel focused on botany didn't sound like something I'd enjoy, but it made a bunch of 'Best Of' lists and was available at the library. Who knew botany could be so lovely? A woman of science and intellect, Alma is a very compelling character.
33seitherin
Finished The Virgin in the Ice and started The Sanctuary Sparrow.
34jnwelch
Just read Brown Girl Dreaming, and was wowed by it. I can see why it won the National Book Award.
35corgiiman
>30 mollygrace: mollygrace I know what you mean. I picked up the 5th of the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith. The Comfort of a Muddy Saturday I always feel like I want to move to Edinburgh in hopes of running into Isabel and dropping into one of her books. :)
36Meredy
I've picked up The Cry of the Sloth, which will probably turn out to be my final (and 100th!) book of the year. And now I'm off to do a little googling on sloths...
37mollygrace
>35 corgiiman: When I read the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, I wish I could just walk into that office and have a cup of red bush tea with Precious and Grace. While we're chatting, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and his two apprentices, Fanwell and Charlie, could give my car a tune-up at the garage next door. Maybe Precious would take me for a ride in her white van -- we could go out to the orphan farm and Mma Potokwane would offer us a piece of her fruitcake. Alas, I'll never make it to Botswana but I know absolutely that these people are there.
38jnwelch
>37 mollygrace: Well said. I feel that way about the series, too.
39corgiiman
>37 mollygrace: A sign of a good fiction writer I should say. To make us believe what is not real. Onward AMcS...
40browner56
I'm in the middle of Let Me Be Frank With You by Richard Ford, the fourth (and last?) installment in his Frank Bascombe series of novels.
41NarratorLady
Just finished the amazing graphic memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast.
42Kammbia1
I did not like A Stranger in Olondria. I could not get into the characters. However, I'm 2/3 of the way through The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth and I'm enjoying it. It is my 1st Roth novel. I will have a lot more to say about it when I finish.
43mollygrace
I finished The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection -- enjoyed it thoroughly -- and now I'm reading Jenny Offill's Dept. of Speculation, in fact reading it so fast I might finish it tonight. It's a wonderful book. I may have to revise my "best of 2014" list.
44hemlokgang
Just finished the fascinating Small: Life and Death on the Front Lines of Pediatric Surgery.
Next up, a volume of poetry, Lotus Moon: The Poetry of Rengetsu by Rengetsuand The Mad and The Bad by Jean-Patrick Manchette.
Next up, a volume of poetry, Lotus Moon: The Poetry of Rengetsu by Rengetsuand The Mad and The Bad by Jean-Patrick Manchette.
45enaid
>41 NarratorLady: I read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? and was strangely happy to find out I'm not the only one with parents who are aging badly. I was comforted by the state of their apartment(the grime and hoarding) - just like home! Who could forget the phrase, "A blast from Chast!"?? I've always liked Roz Chast and I like her even more since finishing Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant.
I've picked up a mystery Ethical Assassin by David Liss. It's kind of silly but I need that right now.
I've picked up a mystery Ethical Assassin by David Liss. It's kind of silly but I need that right now.
46mollygrace
I finished Dept. of Speculation - terrific book. Now I'm reading A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride.
47Meredy
>41 NarratorLady:, >45 enaid: How about if you are the parents who are aging badly--or might be, before long? (It's not so easy to do well, after all.) Is this one for us, too?
48snash
I finished a LTER, The Porcelain Thief. This memoir about contacting family in Taiwan and China on a quest for the family porcelain, turns into a social commentary, travelogue, and history of China, on a personal relatable scale. My early review copy was missing a family tree and three maps which would have been very useful. This was an enjoyable evenhanded look at China from 1900 to today.
49ahef1963
I'm reading Jo Nesbo's The Leopard. Very enjoyable.
50enaid
>47 Meredy:: I think anyone who has a sense of humor and experience with an aging parent would find something in Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant. Some of it, most of it, is bittersweet and felt really true.
I hope I didn't come across as superior or snarky about aging because I'm in no position to talk. I'm really sorry if I sounded callous. I should have thought the wording through a little better.
I hope I didn't come across as superior or snarky about aging because I'm in no position to talk. I'm really sorry if I sounded callous. I should have thought the wording through a little better.
51Citizenjoyce
>45 enaid: Grime and hoarding, yup, sounds like me. I'm 12th on the waiting list for it.
52NarratorLady
>50 enaid: enaid: Not superior or snarky at all. And Meredy, yes I think this one is for us too. The best we can do is to throw out our stuff and not leave it to the kids to do!
53nrmay
Just finished Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. YA fantasy
I have started I Love You More by Jennifer Murphy. Promising so far... Set in North Carolina.
I have started I Love You More by Jennifer Murphy. Promising so far... Set in North Carolina.
54MDGentleReader
>53 nrmay: I really enjoyed Girl of Fire and Thorns and it is not my usual genre.
55nrmay
>54 MDGentleReader:
Already put the second one on hold at the library.
I do read a lot of fantasy along with everything else!
Already put the second one on hold at the library.
I do read a lot of fantasy along with everything else!
56enaid
I should have used more care in choosing my words but I'm delighted if no one was offended. I have to admit, my parents are not only NOT cleaning out, they are ADDING more 'stuff' all the time. It has made me determined to leave things in better shape for my own daughter. Not that you can tell by the way I am procrastinating about cleaning out the attic!!
I zipped through the David Liss mystery The Ethical Assassin. It was ok, the mystery was not very mysterious and there were a number of animal things that I had to skim through to avoid sobbing though the holiday.
Still working on What Maisie Knew and Bosie the biography of the young man Oscar Wilde got in so much trouble over.
A while back I read Devil's Candy about the making of Bonfire of the Vanities into a movie. My friend who worked for years in Hollywood is coming over this evening, with popcorn, and we're going to watch it together! I think it will be a nice way to spend Jan. 1st.
Best wishes to everyone here for a lovely 2015! I can't tell you all how often I have found marvelous book suggestions here. Virtual hugs to all!!!!
I zipped through the David Liss mystery The Ethical Assassin. It was ok, the mystery was not very mysterious and there were a number of animal things that I had to skim through to avoid sobbing though the holiday.
Still working on What Maisie Knew and Bosie the biography of the young man Oscar Wilde got in so much trouble over.
A while back I read Devil's Candy about the making of Bonfire of the Vanities into a movie. My friend who worked for years in Hollywood is coming over this evening, with popcorn, and we're going to watch it together! I think it will be a nice way to spend Jan. 1st.
Best wishes to everyone here for a lovely 2015! I can't tell you all how often I have found marvelous book suggestions here. Virtual hugs to all!!!!
57Meredy
>56 enaid: Offended? Certainly not, and there wasn't a thing wrong with your words, but thank you for your concern. I've been on the filial side of this one myself, and now I'm more nearly on the parental side, so I just wondered if it worked in both directions.
I remember remarking to an old friend (and he was old) about 15 years ago: "The older I get, the fewer things there are that aren't funny." A writer with a wry sense of humor, he probably had 20 years on me. He agreed with me. The things that happen to our bodies, our memories, and our outlook on life, not to mention the things we see going on around us, do have an absurd and ridiculous aspect that seems to get more so with time. This despite pain and infirmity, horrifying events in the world, and, in his case, being old enough to remember the Holocaust.
Sounds like this book captures some of that.
I remember remarking to an old friend (and he was old) about 15 years ago: "The older I get, the fewer things there are that aren't funny." A writer with a wry sense of humor, he probably had 20 years on me. He agreed with me. The things that happen to our bodies, our memories, and our outlook on life, not to mention the things we see going on around us, do have an absurd and ridiculous aspect that seems to get more so with time. This despite pain and infirmity, horrifying events in the world, and, in his case, being old enough to remember the Holocaust.
Sounds like this book captures some of that.
58JMcCrea
Listening to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Somewhat purple prose, about vampires, Istanbul, the Carpathians and so on. But despite the many too many 'chills went down my spine' lines, I am staying with it, so something must have me hooked.
59brenzi
I finished and really liked Tana French's In the Woods. I will definitely be following this series. Now I'm reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
61alphaorder
Reading Dept. of Speculation and Remedy for Love.
62MDGentleReader
Jennings Goes to School - pretty well done, not sure I need to onw the rest, though. Will see about ILL if my Library system's catalog ever comes back up.
Drina Dances in Italy - really enjoy this series.
Mom Can't See Me
Drina Dances in Italy - really enjoy this series.
Mom Can't See Me
64nrmay
Now reading, and completely enthralled by, Station Eleven.
Discovered this one thanks to LT book chat.
Discovered this one thanks to LT book chat.
65moonshineandrosefire
So, once again, I'm way behind in charting my reading! lol! I'll probably be able to catch up quickly, but it's been a while since I've been on these threads.
After putting aside The Mothman Prophecies: Based on True Events by John A. Keel on Thursday, December 25th, I ended up reading Grave's End: A True Ghost Story by Elaine Mercado, R. N. on Friday, December 26th! It was a very good story, written in a down-to-earth style that I really enjoyed. I always enjoy reading true accounts of paranormal activity and I finished reading this book on Wednesday, December 31st! :)
I immediately picked up The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty on Thursday, January 1st, and of Friday, January 2nd, was about a third the way in to the book. It really is an intriguing story so far!
After putting aside The Mothman Prophecies: Based on True Events by John A. Keel on Thursday, December 25th, I ended up reading Grave's End: A True Ghost Story by Elaine Mercado, R. N. on Friday, December 26th! It was a very good story, written in a down-to-earth style that I really enjoyed. I always enjoy reading true accounts of paranormal activity and I finished reading this book on Wednesday, December 31st! :)
I immediately picked up The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty on Thursday, January 1st, and of Friday, January 2nd, was about a third the way in to the book. It really is an intriguing story so far!
