Last night I finished Less, which was delightful. I don’t think I’ve ever used that word to describe a book before, but it fits. It was recommended/reviewed by a Facebook friend last month. I plan to check out more from the author, Andrew Sean Greer.
Tonight I’ll start a book written by D.C.-area musician Robert “Bob” Boguslaw, called Keys to the White House (And Other Stories of a Gig Warrior). It isn’t available online, and isn’t in the Goodreads database (yet): I got my copy by sending him a check. Bob is a retired US Marine, and spent years as a pianist for the “President’s Own” US Marine Band. From his website:
“The book takes us from the night clubs and cruise ships of Miami, to show bands in South America, to the concert halls and horse farms of central Kentucky, to White House State Dinners and Kennedy Center Honors celebrations. The best and worst gigs, the emotional highs and lows, and some of the lessons that life has taught me through music, are all in this book.”
It will be the first “real” book I’ve read in some time; I’ve been all e-book for years. It’ll be interesting to have to remember to keep the bedside light on. I’m looking forward to starting it tonight, and I’m also looking forward to hearing Bob and his group play at a local venue on Friday evening.
I really liked Doctor Sleep. Once you’re done, I’d be interested in swapping thoughts on the ending. I could never get into 11/22/63, however. I’ve tried a few times. I may try one more time. Everyone else seems to like it.
I finished the second Dr. Greta Helsing book, Dreadful Company. I really liked it. It introduces monster pets, which were simultaneously cute and odd. It’s been a fun series.
I also read Jane Doe: A Novel by Victoria Helen Stone (AKA Victoria Dahl). It’s a revenge story, and a beach read. I liked this one as well. A woman comes to town to seek revenge on her best friend’s abuser. Nothing deep in this story, but it was interesting to see the dissection of his techniques from her side. His constant little digs about appearance and so on.
I’ve started The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. It’s an alternate history story. Humanity is forced to reach for space earlier when a meteorite hits the planet and starts catastrophic climate change.
Finished this one, and it’s as good as all the Gunther books. If I’m right, that it’s the last one, it’s a shame: the character was poised to go in a really interesting direction.
Currently I’m reading Space Opera, by Cathrynne Valente. It has all her faults–ADHD writing that’s super in love with its own wordplay–and all her virtues–ADHD writing that’s super in love with its own wordplay, plus clever plots and plenty of humor. She’s fun, but exhausting.
Listening to an audiobook of Jewish-themed short stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, by Nathan Englander. It’s OK but not great. Doubt I’ll remember it a week after finishing it.
I started Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly. I’m not far, but it’s pretty obvious that she’d never written non fiction before this book: she’s cramming in a lot of detail and hops from subject to subject.
I also started Soul Breaker by Clara Coulson yesterday, it’s best described as a much less snarky, American, bloodier version of the Rivers Of London series. Basically; rookie cop sees supernatural murder, is transfered to the “supernatural” unit of the police, hijinks and murder ensue. It’s pretty enjoyable even with the first person, present tense “noir” narrative, but it sure ISN’T Peter Grant and Co.
Finished it. Rather dry, and poorly edited, but I learned a bit from it.
Also recently finished:
Rocket Jockey by Lester del Rey - A fun, exciting 1952 sf novel about a race across the Solar System, starting and ending on Earth, and touching on every inhabited world - Luna, Mars, Mercury, Venus and four Jovian moons.
Twenty Days with Julian & Little Bunny by Papa by Nathaniel Hawthorne - The famous author’s 1851 short account of his time as a single parent while his wife was out of town, leaving him with their precocious son and pet rabbit in rural Massachusetts. Charmingly familiar scenes for any parent, although most of us don’t have Herman freakin’ Melville drop by for coffee and literary chats. Includes a nice intro by Paul Auster.
I loved 11/22/63. My only complaint was I read an edition published in London, and they had 1960s Texans using British slang such as “fags” for “cigarettes” and “snog” for “kiss.” Having grown up in Texas in the 1960s, I can assure you that would never have happened, particularly that usage of “fags.”
Now reading Great Stories of Space Travel, a 1963 collection of short stories edited by Groff Conklin, and Groo: Friends and Foes, Vol. 1, a Conanesque sword-and-sorcery parody by longtime Mad magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones.
I DNFed two (Miss Peregrine (I don’t have a review, but I know I DNFed that MFer) and the Harkness book). I stopped reading the Divergent series at book one.
Have read Outlander (3 stars), A Game of Thrones (3 stars, DNF the 2nd book and the series), Shiver (2 stars),* Throne of Glass* (2 stars), and The Magicians (3 stars).
I wouldn’t reread any of them and wouldn’t consider continuing any of the series. The one that leaves the nastiest taste in my mouth is The Magicians. Blech.
ETA: I just reread my review of The Magicians and I’m shocked I gave it three stars. I didn’t like the book and said I would likely be back to lower the rating but I didn’t. I’m going to do it now.
Song of Fire and Ice - finished, 3 stars, but no desire to re-read or read any more
Allegiant - finished, 3 stars
Throne of Glass - finished, 3 stars
Miss Peregrine - finished, 4 stars
American Gods - finished, 2 stars, hubby loved it, but it’s not my cuppa
A Discovery of Witches - TBR (I think it got buried, and I’d forgotten until now)
The Casual Vacancy - TBR
I’ve discovered that I can no longer comfortably read print books in bed at night! Even a 300-page paperback feels heavy and awkward, the bedside light seems too bright, and I’d forgotten how close to my face I need to hold pages. So, Keys to the White House has been moved from the nightstand to the coffee table – which means it’s going to take some time for me to get through it – and I’ll pick something else to read on my Kindle at night. It had been a while since I’d read a print book, but I didn’t expect to just be like “nope!”
As for the DNF list, I’ve only picked up a few but I liked them all:[ul]
[li]The Casual Vacancy - I gave it 4 stars, and have read/will read more from her[/li][li]A Song of Ice and Fire - I gave it 4 stars, but then started watching Game of Thrones and didn’t feel the need to keep reading the series[/li][li]A Discovery of Witches - I gave it 4 stars; I bought the next book in the series (Shadow of Night), but 6 years later I haven’t started reading that one yet (I think because it’s very long)[/li][*]The Magicians - I gave it 4 stars, immediately read the other two books in the series and gave *them *4 stars, and watched the first season of the TV show[/ul]
Interesting, because I DNF quite a few books, and yet I’ve finished almost all of the books on this list that I’ve read: Night Circus, Book Thief, A Discovery of Witches, and Miss Peregrine’s Home. Only one I didn’t finish was American Gods.
Though when I think about it, I can understand why a lot of people would stop reading those other books. I remember being irritated by both Night Circus and A Discovery of Witches, because the plot moved so slowly. The Night Circus seemed more like a writing exercise for the author to describe a setting than it was an actual story, and A Discovery of Witches started out with a lot of promise and then devolved into primarily a romance novel in which the male character was creepy and obnoxious. I could see Miss Peregrine’s appealing to people who don’t read much because of the pictures, and then those same people abandoning the book when they realized how heavy the book was on words. No idea why The Book Thief would be hard to finish, though.
The only books from that list which I’ve ever even started are those in Martin’s *A Song of Ice and Fire *series, all of which I’ve read and enjoyed (although some more than others). My wife read Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy and liked it. She gave up on Miss Peregrine’s Home and really, really disliked it. Many of the others I’ve never even heard of.
This is interesting. I read Miss Peregrine after seeing the really cool movie trailer for it, and I thought it was a giant derivative yawn, but figured maybe I was just being snooty. I didn’t realize what a common opinion it was :).
It was recommended/reviewed by a Facebook friend last month. I plan to check out more from the author, Andrew Sean Greer.
I’m looking forward to starting it tonight, and I’m also looking forward to hearing Bob and his group play at a local venue on Friday evening.