It’s August, what are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anne of Green Gables - we were just in PEI and I'd wanted to finish it before we were there but even though it's a delightful book I am finding it a slog!

Then going to be reading a friend's new book (I am interviewing her on stage for an event) and not sure after that. Something weird, well written, and short, hopefully, if anyone has a suggestion.

Have you watched the CBC Anne of Green Gables miniseries with Megan Follows? It is so good.

Not PP but LOVED this series so much, watched it on VHS over and over with my grandma. I've never watched it with my girls, may have to have a girls' night!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anne of Green Gables - we were just in PEI and I'd wanted to finish it before we were there but even though it's a delightful book I am finding it a slog!

Then going to be reading a friend's new book (I am interviewing her on stage for an event) and not sure after that. Something weird, well written, and short, hopefully, if anyone has a suggestion.

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss.

NP. I loved Ghost Wall! Rarely see it mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anyone find it tedious reading most women authors? I am a woman, BTW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone find it tedious reading most women authors? I am a woman, BTW.

Nope. That’s such a gross generalization, it’s hard to take it seriously.

I find some authors tedious, both male and female.

Just like I find some authors - both male and female - funny, thought-provoking, entertaining, easy, difficult, simple, complex etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone find it tedious reading most women authors? I am a woman, BTW.

You are not a woman, and you are not sincere. But for the sake of amusement, tell us what worthwhile books you are reading and why you value them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone find it tedious reading most women authors? I am a woman, BTW.

No. I thought about your question and looked at my list of the 60 books I have read so far this year. I would say the number of books I found tedious or slightly tedious vs. not tedious is pretty even between male and female authors.

[Anonymous]

There are so many trolls around here- don’t feed them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many trolls around here- don’t feed them!

+1 to that.

[Anonymous]

Just finished The year of magical thinking by Joan Didion.

Starting Open by Andre Agassi.

[Anonymous]

Reading The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton and A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. Both good so far, but I don't think Custom is going to be as good as the best Wharton.

[Anonymous]

Finished “Normal People.” It did capture a certain time and mood. I still remember the melodramas of that age—often caused by insecurity and miscommunication. The main characters reminded me of the most toxic couples in college.

I had big issues with the writing. Spare writing is so gorgeous when done well, when you can feel that the author keenly honed every sentence. I do not think this was the case here. For such a cold, clinical book, there was an odd amount of descriptive filler or sometimes incomprehensible passages. Sometimes I couldn’t understand what the person was supposedly doing. Sentences like, and I’m paraphrasing here, “He gave a sigh that wasn’t a sigh but actually more like a cough, but he did not exhale.” What?! Someone “visually imagined” something. How else would you imagine it? (On goodreads, there is an English teacher who collected many examples of such weird or redundant descriptions.) It needed a heavier hand with editing— maybe not super heavy, but at least someone to catch these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone find it tedious reading most women authors? I am a woman, BTW.

I don't think this is entirely unreasonable. I'm female and a Lit major and a lot of female written fiction has been mired in domesticity for centuries.

However I'd say take a look at the following authors, for non-generic female fiction that has a bit of an edge to it.

Tessa Hadley (English)
Claire Keegan (Irish)
Toni Morrison / Maya Angelou / Alice Walker - (Black USA)
Eowyn Ivey (US)
Nicole Krauss (US)

[Anonymous]

^^ I forgot to add

Helen Dunmore (UK)

I'm sure there's more but these are off the top of my head

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Shark Heart, a recommendation from here. Will report back once I finish.

I finished and am glad I read it. Very interesting and creative love story. But now I am looking for something heavier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finished “The Buried Giant.” A big “meh” from me. I’ve read 3 Ishiguro books, and in every one I appreciate the construction/writing, but I just cannot connect with them. This might’ve been the biggest miss for me.

Reading “Normal People” now. I’ve never read Sally Rooney, and she has been very hyped up, so I’m going in cautiously optimistic.

I have the same reaction to Ishiguro. Except for Remains of the Day which was beautiful. I also met him in the early 2000s at a literary event in London and he was charming.

I won't read Sally Rooney. Who needs to read sex books dressed up as lit? No one.

Raises hand. I need a sex book dressed up as lit.