What are you reading this week of October 23, 2016?

[hermetic]

Sweetland, by Michael Crummey. This book is a masterpiece. The first 4 pages are raves by critics so this may be his best book ever. Crummey started out writing award-winning poetry and his prose constantly reflects that talent.

In Newfoundland, when the cod fishing industry collapsed, there were a lot of tiny fishing communities that were dying off. Sweetland was one of them. The government paid people to leave their homes and settle somewhere else. This resettlement policy uprooted a lot of families and left many abandoned villages. The toll this took on the uprooted people was never really considered.

Even though I'm only halfway through, I'm pretty sure I will be adding this book to the Best Books of 2016 thread.

I've been too busy this past week to listen to any books but hoping to hear Peter Robinson's Gallows View over the coming week. This is the very first in the Alan Banks series.

Any masterpieces on your reading list this week?

[Paper Roses]

1. Just finished "Horse Soldiers" bu Doug Stanton

Amazing book, well written. It is about the initial US intervention in Afghanistan. Heroic US forces, in depth information about our initial venture. Worth a read for great background on the war ion Afghanistan. Sad story, proud of these brave men.

I am now switching to a fun read. "Bad Business", Robert Parker, "Spencer". Need a few chuckles and a good 'who done it' once in a while.

[hermetic]

4. Goodness knows,

We could all do with a few chuckles these days. Especially after getting into the goings on in Afghanistan.

[pscot]

2. The Pope's Daughter by Dario Fo

Hi Hermetic. This one is a revisionist biography of Lucrezia Borgia, a charming girl, shamelessly exploited by her lecherous and manipulative father, pope Alexander VI and her murderous and manipulative brother Cesare. It's not too long. The pace is quick and Fo has a sly sense of humor.

[hermetic]

5. Set the Wayback Machine, Sherman!

Last century I read a book about Lucrezia that was terrific. Sure made me see her in a different light than my World History classes shone on her. I still remember the book although I have long forgotten the title. So I did some searching and I believe it may have been Madonna of the Seven Hills by Jean Plaidy (1968).

Now I'd like to read this one by Fo. Thanks!

[pscot]

7. Fo got me interested in her

so I'm looking for other sources. I'll definitely read Plaidy's book. thanks

[shenmue]

3. "Strange Bird," Anna Janssen

Creepy story about bird flu and a pigeon racing competition.

[hermetic]

6. Tweet tweet

This does sound like a good suspense/crime story. It was nominated for best criminal novel of 2007, in Sweden. Which is where Ms. Jansson lives and writes her tales of high excitement and ethical dilemmas.

Attention, those of you here who are looking for books for kids. She has written quite a few, listed here:
http://grandagency.se/authors/anna_jansson/index.htm

[sotheyclaimDem]

8. Giving David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest a second try.

Tried reading it about two years ago but got frustrated quickly and gave up.

[hermetic]

11. Welcome to DU!

That is a difficult book to get through but so worth it in the end. At least I thought so. I recall skimming through some parts of it. I've never regretted reading it, though. Good luck!

[Goblinmonger]

9. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Pulitzer winner in 2016. Maybe 1/5th in. Great read so far. Not sure where it is headed other than the obvious narrative set up in the beginning.

[hermetic]

13. Someone else here

really liked this book. It did win the Pulitzer, after all, so it must have something going for it. I will just be content to wait for it. My library will likely never have it and it will take a while for it to show up used. But it's on my list, when it does.

[Goblinmonger]

16. My library pulls from all regional libraries for holds

and it took a LONG time for me to get to the top of the list.

I don't know that it is my favorite book ever (only about 25% through so still time) but it is wonderfully written. Completely understand why it won the Pulitzer.

[japple]

10. Thanks, hermetic, for the thread. I'm late to the party which is becoming

a bad habit. I finished Paulette Jiles' The Color of Lightning and have her next book on this subject, News of the World. I cannot get enough of these works of historical fiction where the author does the research. I think it's the same with Michael Crummey. I will probably have to pay for a download of this book as it is not readily available in this area of the country. Will keep looking for library copies.

[hermetic]

14. Hey, better late

etc. Always happy to see you.

I do not know what it costs to download a book but I can tell you that you can get Sweetland for $3.50 at Thriftbooks.com Most of their books are $3.50 and if you spend $10, you get free shipping. I'm getting ready to order more and Ms. Jiles is on my list.

[japple]

17. I need large print. Have had 5 surgical procedures on my eyes to re-

attach retinas. By the end of the day, my eyes are tired and fine (or regular) print is a challenge. The Kindle is a wonderful solution and I can download free books from the 2 libraries I'm a member of, plus occasional free stuff from amazon!

[hermetic]

19. Sorry, I didn't know that

Gratitude to publishers of large print, audio books and accessible technology!

[japple]

20. A BIG AMEN to that. Audio books saved my sanity right after surgery when I had

to lie on my side for 23 out of 24 hours per day for a week.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Version Control by Dexter Palmer.

From the jacket flap:

Rebecca Wright has reclaimed her life, finding her way out of her grief and depression following a personal tragedy years ago. She spends her days working in customer support for the internet dating site where she first met her husband. But she has a strange, persistent sense that everything around her is somewhat off-kilter: she constantly feels as if she has walked into a room and forgotten what she intended to do there; on TV, the President seems to be the wrong person in the wrong place; her dreams are full of disquiet. Meanwhile, her husband's decade-long dedication to his invention, the causality violation device (which he would greatly prefer you not call a “time machine”) has effectively stalled his career and made him a laughingstock in the physics community. But he may be closer to success than either of them knows or can possibly imagine.

It's an amazing, complex book about the near future, which is a lot like our world, but different enough to be genuinely disquieting.

This is Palmer's second book. I'll take a look at his first soon.

[hermetic]

15. I must say...

that sounds like a must-read. Cripes, I'm beginning to feel a little that way myself. Like something is VERY WRONG in this world.

Sounds good and thanks for telling about it.

[Goblinmonger]

18. Also reading the 2nd Miss Peregrine's book

I didn't think the first one was horrible but I just don't get it. Like what's the point. Anyway, it was good enough for me to put a hold on the Kindle version at my local library. Well, the queue was nowhere near as long as I expected and I got the book. So I'm reading that, too. I don't know if I will make it to the 3rd one.