Outside of a Dog, a Book is Man's Best Friend (The Book Thread)

[emason]

I recommend Helen Lowe’s series that starts with The Heir of Night. There is some romance, but there is also a large number of strong, important female characters, including the Heir herself.

 

[genevieve]

I've gotten a good bit of reading done lately!

One of my (lower priority) goals on the trip has been to find english language novels by local authors, preferably set in the country I'm visiting. In Europe, I only accomplished this twice - one book in Portugal, and one in Bosnia & Herzegovina. But I've had more time in Asia.

Diane Wei Liang has a series of detective novels that I enjoy - I read Paper Butterfly, which is #2 in a series but it didn't matter. The plotting is really interesting - it's more like a moody study on family dynamics and post-Tiannenmen China that just happens to have a mystery. If you like everything wrapped up in a bow you might find it annoying, but I liked her writing and the characters.

This one is non-fiction, but First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung, is an engrossing look at one family's experience during the Khmer Rouge reign in Cambodia. The writing is a little precious (the author was 5 at the beginning of the book, and I think is trying to convey that level of observation and innocence with adult language, which doesn't totally work), and there is some exposition about Everyday Life In Cambodia that feels unnecessary, but it's a harrowing story. Ung has another book about one of her sisters that I hope to read later.

Right now I'm reading a series about the reluctant national coroner of Laos who becomes an accidental detective. The author is Colin Cotterill, so it's not written by a Lao, and I seriously doubt any Lao would write this way - but the characters are fabulous. There's a little bit of magic tossed in. The first book is The Coroner's Lunch.

I also pick up other random books along the way - just finished Nomad, by James Swallow. It's a real brick. This book has everything! it's going for a Bourne Identity feel, and while I think the author needs an editor (drinking game: count the number of times the word "gantry" is used), it was pretty gripping. Bonus points for 2 elements that are rare in such a formulaic genre (don't want to spoil). The author has written a lot of novels in the Star Trek canon prior to this.

 

[Prancer]

Right now I'm reading a series about the reluctant national coroner of Laos who becomes an accidental detective. The author is Colin Cotterill, so it's not written by a Lao, and I seriously doubt any Lao would write this way - but the characters are fabulous. There's a little bit of magic tossed in. The first book is The Coroner's Lunch.

I've read that series and I think rfisher assigned it to a class once.

Just so you know, the first book has a little magic, but the second one has more and so on. I stopped reading at some point because I am not fond of magical story lines.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the books--as you said, the characters are well drawn. And Colin Cotterill at least lives in SE Asia and has done some good things there.

 

[genevieve]

Just so you know, the first book has a little magic, but the second one has more and so on. I stopped reading at some point because I am not fond of magical story lines.

Hmmm, ok. I've got #2, #3 and #7 now - we'll see how that turns out.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the books--as you said, the characters are well drawn. And Colin Cotterill at least lives in SE Asia and has done some good things there.

Yeah, it's clear he knows the region and a lot of the issues facing Laos (and its relationship with Vietnam, based on book #1). But I don't think a native would ever talk about those things with the level of irreverence Cotterill does!

 

[Susan1]

I got a Barnes and Noble 20% coupon in the mail. It says it is good once per billing address on BN.com, so I guess separate people here can use the same code. I can't afford to buy any books, so here you go:

YV6YNJ4EZLF28

It says Excludes hardcover best seller program 40% off for members, and Nooks.

It's good through 12/31/17

 

[Prancer]

I got a Barnes and Noble 20% coupon in the mail. It says it is good once per billing address on BN.com

That means that you have to be logged into your account and the coupon can only be used once, so I don't think anyone can use it but you.

 

[Susan1]

That means that you have to be logged into your account and the coupon can only be used once, so I don't think anyone can use it but you.

I don't have an account. It came in the mail with the other Tuesday ads.
"For each customer, this coupon can be redeemed only once" (......at the store) or "only once per billing address online at BN.com" ("until 1/1/18 at 2:58 a.m.ET").

The discount is for one item only, and on the most expensive item if there is more than one thing ordered.

 

[clairecloutier]

I just finished a couple of books that were kind of related.

The first was Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy by Mark Regnerus, and the other was Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein. The books aren't really about sex itself, they're more about the current state of gender relations and kind of the sociological/psychological aspects of current relationship structures. Regnerus is a sociologist and Orenstein is a writer on social issues. Anyhow, lots of interesting stuff in the books, and they're both short, quick reads.

 

[Erin]

I just finished reading Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury. I found the title of the book itself and (especially) the title of some of the chapters to be rather misleading but if you can get past that, it's still a very interesting read. I would say it's as much about Queen Victoria's failed matchmaking than it is about her successful matchmaking, it covers several matches that she had little to do with (and actively opposed) and the material is a lot broader than just the matchmaking - it is really ends up being about the relationship between her various grandchildren that become monarchs and the implications leading up to and through World War I. I think a few people in this thread read and liked Victoria's Daughters and I think those people would also like this one. It covers some similar ground from a different angle, but also covers some different areas - there is a lot of focus on King George V and his older brother Eddy, neither of whom were really covered in Victoria's Daughters since they were descended from a son. I'd say the same for people who read some of Robert Massie's books like Nicholas and Alexandra and Dreadnought - you'll find that some of the information is the familiar but covered in a new way while other parts were just areas I knew nothing about. I enjoyed it.

 

[Japanfan]

My daughter likes fantasy books and generally prefers books with female protagonists. She does not, however, like romance novels at all and complains that most fantasy books with female protagonists are basically love stories with magic (with a huge ).

I've been looking around and she is right--pickings are really slim if you want a fantasy novel with a female lead and no romance. Any suggestions? She's 21, so adult books would be good; YA would be okay if it's the more mature YA.

YES!

Suzee McKee Charnas, The Holdfast Chronicles, a four book series:
1)Walk to the End of the World
2) Motherlines
3) The Furies
4) The Conquerer's Child

Esther M. Friesner:
1) The Psalms of Herod
2) The Sword of Mary

Suzette Haden Elgin: Native Tongue (trilogy IIRC)

Marion Zimmer Bradley: The Mists of Avalon

These works all fit within the small genre of feminist fantasy, which is often comprised of books with compelling and intentional themes and story-lines.

They are all older works now. None rely upon the typical themes, motifs and storylines of traditional fantasy or romance. No magic in them (maybe some 'Avalon', but it's not a focus). The works of Charnas and Friesner in particular are imaginative, original and powerful. The Friesner works do not have a romance, and there is one in the Charnas series, but the female character is a true original, and the romance is unlike any I've ever read before. The Charnas work would certainly not be classified as a love story. Rather, it is an exploration of oppression, power and revolution among women. The love story is about the redemption of humanity, rather than serving the purpose of creating a romantic story-line for itself or to satisfy female readers' fantasies.

It took Charnas something like five years to write the final book in the series, which had to resolve the gender questions and issues presented in the first three books. As I read the books many years after they were published I didn't have to wait, but for those who did, it was worth the wait. The ending was a stroke of mastery.

I've been savoring the anticipation of rereading these books for some time, and now that I've remembered that, I'm really looking forward to some down time over the holidays. The female protagonists in both works are memorable.

Oh, and ONE MORE: The Shore of Women, by Pamela Sargent, another highly original work with a great story. Yes, it too has a romance, but again not a traditional one that serves the purpose of romance for the sake of romance. This work also shines an intense light on gender and the romance again advances a larger theme. In the case of this work, the theme has both social and spiritual aspects.

The ending of the Friesner works was one I read over and over again, near tears every time. That doesn't happen very often - I did feel the same about the ending of 'The Hunger Games', which I'm sure your daughter must have read? And she's probably read 'The Handmaid's Tale' as well?

BTW I was directed to most of the titles by searching lists at Amazon.com. I'd recommend you or your daughter do that as well, as I'm sure works that might be suitable for your daughter have been published more recently.

 

[rfisher]

@PrincessLeppard have you read Erica Stevens' Survival Chronicles? There are 4 books. I read the first and it was OK, except it needed a lot of editing. Then I read that she did these as a weekly serial on her webpage. Which probably worked fine for a weekly serial. As a book, I started skipping pages after I "got" the various characters. I've read the reviews for the other 3 books and will probably read them since they're cheap. I'm on a free book only kick from bookbub. If the book is good and there are more, then I'll buy the others. If not, I delete. Some I delete two chapters in. But, these are YA apocalyptic except the characters aren't all angsty teens.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I have not! I will definitely check them out when I emerge from under this giant pile of essays

 

[Allskate]

I've had "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi on my shelf for quite some time. I finally read it, and I absolutely loved it. It's definitely my favorite book that I've read this year. I don't usually like books that jump back and forth between people, but this totally worked. The novel follows the descendants of two African sisters. It alternates between the two branches of the family, going one generation at a time. Each chapter is great on its own, but it's the symbols, threads, and effects running through the novel that are beautiful, heartbreaking, and insightful. It's an astonishing way to see the effects of slavery and colonialism over time at both a macro level and a micro level.

 

[Japanfan]

The latest in Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series came out in September and I'm picking it up on Thursday.

So looking forward to disappearing into 900 plus pages of Ken Follett!

He can have lapses where he must share his latest sexual fantasy with his readers, but I forgive him those, as he sure is a wonderful storyteller.

 

[rfisher]

I have not! I will definitely check them out when I emerge from under this giant pile of essays

They do have zombies. And stupidity.

 

[Susan1]

They do have zombies. And stupidity.

Coincidentally - I just finished Janet Evanovich's Hardcore Twenty Four that had zombies in it! It was really good. Another one that I had to stop reading for a minute a couple times because I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

 

[MacMadame]

They do have zombies. And stupidity.

Generally those two go together IME.

Speaking of Zombies, I tried to read the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies book but didn't get very far. How did other people find it?

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I didn't like the book, and only made it about a third of the way in. But the movie was awesome.

 

[MacMadame]

Oh, that's good to know. The book was SO BORING.

 

[MsZem]

The highlight of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was Charlotte's reason for marrying Mr. Collins.

But basically it was a fun idea that wasn't very well-executed.

 

[oleada]

Some recent reads:

Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown - Follows a Jewish mother & daughter in 1930s New York, both of which end up having unwanted and unplanned pregnancies. It was a good read, and didn't feel like a debut novel, but I did feel it moved rather slowly and in the end, it left me wanting a lot more. I got so invested in the characters and I wish I knew what happened.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline - This was interesting and taught me about something I had no idea about, but parts of it fell kind of hokey.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez - now this one I LOVED. The main character is a teen who doesn't quite fit in with her culture, and who loses her "perfect" older sister. The main character is such a teen. She's not that likable but I related to her so much and I could see myself as a teen in her. Lots of very believable character development, too. I loved seeing all the descriptions of Mexican-American life, good and bad. It got nominated for a National Book Award, and I think it's well deserved.

They were all very quick reads.

 

[rfisher]

No idea why, but I've been inundated with apocalyptic stuff recently. Nora Roberts has a new book out called Year One about a world wide pandemic that kills 3/4 of the world's population in a couple of weeks. There's also a lot of magic which apparently was released along with the virus. But, given the state of politics in the US, I'm honing my survivalist skills and planning my route out of town before the grid goes down. I won't be one of the stupid ones who debate over taking a pair of Louboutin boots versus a set of high quality chef's knives when they bug out.

Part of my PhD dissertation research actually looked at how humans respond to change, particularly changes that impact living or dying. Most don't do very well and cling to the notion that things will go back to good old days right up until they die. A few read the situation and respond accordingly and the species survives, although that's not a cognizant decision. But, I've given a great deal of thought to exactly what to take, how to survive and how to get away from the zombie hordes or just the idiots.

 

[Erin]

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline - This was interesting and taught me about something I had no idea about, but parts of it fell kind of hokey.

I read this a couple years ago (and have probably mentioned it before) and I can see the hokeyness, but I still really liked it anyway. I enjoyed it enough that I stayed up until 1 am to finish reading it, which these days is a rarity for me, even on a weekend.

 

[skatesindreams]

Part of my PhD dissertation research actually looked at how humans respond to change, particularly changes that impact living or dying. Most don't do very well and cling to the notion that things will go back to good old days right up until they die.

Does this also explain the "Trump Phenomenon"?

 

[rfisher]

Does this also explain the "Trump Phenomenon"?

No. That's just the Ostrich Syndrome. Or the I vote for one purpose syndrome. Like they're going to take my guns so I have to vote for someone I don't like to save them.

 

[Susan1]

No. That's just the Ostrich Syndrome. Or the I vote for one purpose syndrome. Like they're going to take my guns so I have to vote for someone I don't like to save them.

I lost a lifelong friend on the "abortion" issue. I wonder how she's feeling about voting for humpty now.

 

[modern_muslimah]

I've had "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi on my shelf for quite some time. I finally read it, and I absolutely loved it. It's definitely my favorite book that I've read this year. I don't usually like books that jump back and forth between people, but this totally worked. The novel follows the descendants of two African sisters. It alternates between the two branches of the family, going one generation at a time. Each chapter is great on its own, but it's the symbols, threads, and effects running through the novel that are beautiful, heartbreaking, and insightful. It's an astonishing way to see the effects of slavery and colonialism over time at both a macro level and a micro level.

I read Homegoing last year and I remember liking most of the novel. I think once it got into the 20th century, I found it to be a bit slow and on the nose with its message. But I love the characters and the writing in the first 2/3 of the book.

I'm currently reading The Wrong Man by Kate White. I am finding it to be pure torture. The writing is painful, cheesy and trite and the main character is so stupid. It's supposed to be a thriller but I just keep thinking that there wouldn't be a thriller if the main character, Kit, would stop being so stupid. Unfortunately, I have to finish it because I have to lead three different book club discussions of it this month.

 

[Prancer]

I'm currently reading The Wrong Man by Kate White. I am finding it to be pure torture. The writing is painful, cheesy and trite and the main character is so stupid. It's supposed to be a thriller but I just keep thinking that there wouldn't be a thriller if the main character, Kit, would stop being so stupid. Unfortunately, I have to finish it because I have to lead three different book club discussions of it this month.

I used to like Kate White's Bailey Weggins books, but after the first few, they went downhill. I started The Secrets You Keep a while back and skipped straight to the end after a couple of chapters, as I was pretty sure that I already knew whodunnit, why, and how everything was going to turn out. Yup.

 

[missing]

I just finished reading Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury. I found the title of the book itself and (especially) the title of some of the chapters to be rather misleading but if you can get past that, it's still a very interesting read. I would say it's as much about Queen Victoria's failed matchmaking than it is about her successful matchmaking, it covers several matches that she had little to do with (and actively opposed) and the material is a lot broader than just the matchmaking - it is really ends up being about the relationship between her various grandchildren that become monarchs and the implications leading up to and through World War I. I think a few people in this thread read and liked Victoria's Daughters and I think those people would also like this one. It covers some similar ground from a different angle, but also covers some different areas - there is a lot of focus on King George V and his older brother Eddy, neither of whom were really covered in Victoria's Daughters since they were descended from a son. I'd say the same for people who read some of Robert Massie's books like Nicholas and Alexandra and Dreadnought - you'll find that some of the information is the familiar but covered in a new way while other parts were just areas I knew nothing about. I enjoyed it.

I just finished reading Queen Victoria's Matchmaking and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I stopped reading newspapers after the election and as a result I know nothing about new books (or movies or plays or TV shows). I wouldn't have known about the book except for the post by Erin.

So this is very much a thank you message to her and to everyone who posts on this thread.

 

[Susan1]

From library newsletter email -
"We are happy to announce that as of January 1, 2018, Dayton Metro Library will no longer charge fines for items that are returned overdue.

Accumulated overdue fines too often prevent Library patrons from checking out more items - even though the materials they borrowed have been returned. It's our goal that all patrons can enjoy the books, movies, music and services the Library offers.

Borrowers must still return items to the Library when they are due, and reminder notices will be sent. Items not returned after 21 days overdue will be considered lost, and replacement costs will be charged. Overdue fines that were charged prior to January 1, 2018, will remain on borrower accounts until they are paid."

"Inside" goes on to say that collecting nickels and dimes is not cost effective and too time consuming, etc.
And -

"Accumulated overdue fines prevent some patrons from checking out books and other materials. It is more important that materials are returned so that others may borrow them, than it is to charge late fees that can add up and prevent someone from using their Library.............. As in the past, Library cards will continue to be inactivated when there are $10 or more in charges or 10 items or more overdue."

So now we might have to wait an extra 21 days for a popular book to come back because there is no urgency? Regular check outs already renew 5 times the normal three weeks, unless there are too many holds on it. They send an email when books hit the renew date or not. It doesn't say if there is any change to checking out 7 day books. Or interlibrary books that have to be taken back to the library you checked it out from in three weeks. And they want people with fines to be able to check out more books while those of us who don't have any fines had to wait for them to return a book? But the library cards of the people with fines will be inactivated (s/b "deactivated"!) if they have $10 or more in charges anyway?