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

[clairecloutier]

A friend posted this article--some great book suggestions:

10 Book I Wish My White Teachers Had Read
https://www.bustle.com/articles/153390-10-books-i-wish-my-white-teachers-had-read

 

[Prancer]

In the middle of the Austen, I also read Behind Closed Doors that someone (Prancer?) mentioned ages ago and I finally got off the waitlist from the library. My recollection was a page turner along the line of The Couple Next Door, which I would agree with, although I did find parts of it a little hard to read at times even as I couldn't stop turning the pages. One side note is I was searching for book reviews while I was bored in class and had only read halfway through the book and came across one from the Washington Post that gives away 90% of the book, which I couldn't believe. Luckily I don't care about spoilers but for anyone who does, stay away from that review!

. Why would anyone do that? The only reason to read that book is for the twists.

 

[Erin]

. Why would anyone do that? The only reason to read that book is for the twists.

I have no clue - I was pretty blown away when I read it when I saw all that was revealed (and I have to correct myself, it was the Washington Times, not the Post). Here it is, although DO NOT read unless you have already read the book or know you never will read the book:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/18/book-review-behind-closed-doors/

In addition to the massive spoiling with zero warning, I counted at least three errors in the review too:

Spoiler

Saying Jack killed both his parents, that Grace got the sleeping pills by accident, and that Jack was planning to murder Millie

This wasn't that complicated of a book, so that's a lot to get wrong. Worst review ever.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

So after finished Hillbilly Elegy, I had to go back to my beloved YA Dystopian fiction, and picked up Exo by Fonda Lee. (I think that's the author's name) I enjoyed it for several reasons: it's a stand alone novel, the love story is not satisfactorily resolved, and it doesn't tie up all the loose ends. (which I guess opens the way to a sequel, but there was no mention of one). It's also in the science fiction genre, for those of you who like that. OH, and there are ambiguous characters, with both good and evil traits. That was cool.

 

[aftershocks]

A friend posted this article--some great book suggestions:

10 Book I Wish My White Teachers Had Read
https://www.bustle.com/articles/153390-10-books-i-wish-my-white-teachers-had-read

Thanks for posting!!!

Another excellent book that would be helpful for teachers and for everyone else too:
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to WWII, by Douglas A. Blackmon (he's a white man, btw, who grew up in the American south )

I wished that I had learned about black writers other than Phyllis Wheatley before I hit the 11th grade. My real education about world history, religion, culture, etc., began my freshman year of college in an African-American studies class. IOW, black history is world history, and not a separate entity.

 

[liv]

I am eagerly awaiting Robin Hobb's latest novel, Assassin's Fate, the 3rd in her fitz/fool trilogy. It is coming out May 9th, so on that date I will disappear for a few days!!!!!

 

[clairecloutier]

After some of the tomes I've read recently, I needed some escapism, so read The Girl on the Train. (Which I think everyone here read a while ago.) Well, it was absorbing, but I felt like the end got a bit cartoonish. I thought the book's strongest point, maybe, was how it portrayed the shifting ambivalence all 3 women felt at times in regard to marriage/motherhood.

 

[ryanj07]

I finished Revolutionary Road; it was absolutely wonderful! It starts out a little slow but things really pick up very quickly. I don't know if it's the time period along with the unfaithful husband, bored housewife and excessive drinking but April and Frank gave me a very Betty and Don from Mad Men vibe. They were both so complex; you hated and loved them at the same time. I do wish the story had been told more from April's point of view leading up to the climax.

I still need to read The Girl on the Train! That one has been on my "to-read" list forever.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

On the plane, I read The Other Wes Moore, which is similar to Hillbilly Elegy, except the narrator is from black and from the ghetto. Very similar situations: kid going down the wrong path, but has supportive adults who pull him through, while the other Wes Moore is serving life in prison for aggravated murder. (What was super frustrating to me was that the other Wes genuinely did try, at one point, to get away from all the crap, but circumstances being what they were - minimum wage jobs were all he could get - he went back to dealing drugs). I'm going to recommend both books to my fellow teachers; we can't save all the kids, and we can't be the only one trying to save the kid, but we can reach some of them, and I think we periodically need to be reminded of that.

 

[Allskate]

I've been surprised myself at the success of the book. I feel like the general issues covered in it (poverty, sociocultural issues/problems/characteristics in Appalachia) have been addressed extensively in many news articles over the last few years. Yet, with the way the media and public have reacted to the book, it's as if Vance was the first one to raise the topic. TBH I find it a bit .

I had the same reaction. In addition, I didn't think the writing was anything special. Also, Vance grated on me a bit. Maybe it's because he seems to have a chip on his shoulder. Or, maybe it's because I can relate to quite a bit of his life experiences, but I see some things differently. I get the feeling that he's shading the truth on a few things.

I think a lot of the success is due to the timing and the way the book is being promoted.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I just finished Hitler's First Victims by Timothy Ryback, about a Munich prosecutor's efforts to indict and charge the guards at Dachau for the murder of four Jewish men. He was thwarted at every turn, and was ultimately unsuccessful. It's a very frustrating read for many reasons and the ending made me have to get up and go for a walk.

 

[clairecloutier]

I guess everyone else's reading is going as slowly as mine. No posts here in a while!

I finished Evicted by Matthew Desmond. This book is a study of lower-income families in Milwaukee who have faced eviction from their apartments. Which sounds dry, but it's not. Desmond tells a lot of this story from the families' point of view, in their own voices, with extensive quotes. He ties the families' individual stories into the larger issue of eviction, general housing insecurity among lower-income Americans, and its socioeconomic effects. This is something I knew very little about, and the book does a great job explaining the topic and making it real. It's depressing, but good. And important information to know about.

 

[Susan1]

I guess everyone else's reading is going as slowly as mine. No posts here in a while!

I finished Evicted by Matthew Desmond. This book is a study of lower-income families in Milwaukee who have faced eviction from their apartments. Which sounds dry, but it's not. Desmond tells a lot of this story from the families' point of view, in their own voices, with extensive quotes. He ties the families' individual stories into the larger issue of eviction, general housing insecurity among lower-income Americans, and its socioeconomic effects. This is something I knew very little about, and the book does a great job explaining the topic and making it real. It's depressing, but good. And important information to know about.

Yeah, I keep getting distracted by genealogy. I've tried to read Mallory's Oracle by Carol O'Connell (1994) for over a week now, but it's so confusing and so disjointed and the writing is irriating (shall I tell you how I really feel ha ha), I had to stop. I got the book at the library because I saw a new book by her in the monthly library magazine. I do that - find an author's new book that looks good and then reserve starting with the first one, when the main character's story continues through a series. I think I'll take Carol O'Connell off my "to read" list.

 

[Spun Silver]

On the plane, I read The Other Wes Moore, which is similar to Hillbilly Elegy, except the narrator is from black and from the ghetto. Very similar situations: kid going down the wrong path, but has supportive adults who pull him through, while the other Wes Moore is serving life in prison for aggravated murder. (What was super frustrating to me was that the other Wes genuinely did try, at one point, to get away from all the crap, but circumstances being what they were - minimum wage jobs were all he could get - he went back to dealing drugs). I'm going to recommend both books to my fellow teachers; we can't save all the kids, and we can't be the only one trying to save the kid, but we can reach some of them, and I think we periodically need to be reminded of that.

This reminds me of a novel by the "British detective" writer Elizabeth George (she is American but works in the "British detective ficton" genre) called What Came Before He Shot Her. It is in her Detective Lynley series and would lose a lot of its power if you hadnt read at least one or two of the earlier books, but at the same time it is so far out of her usual wheelhouse that many fans rebelled against it. It goes behind the murder committed in the preceding volume and traces what led up to a young kid, 12 or 13 IIRC, pulling the trigger. She did a heck of a job researching this one. It's different from anything else she had done up to that point, quite sociologically and linguistically detailed, and to my mind she pulled it off brilliantly. I like that whole series but this one stayed with me more than any of the others. It is a true tragedy.

 

[made_in_canada]

This reminds me of a novel by the "British detective" writer Elizabeth George (she is American but works in the "British detective ficton" genre) called What Came Before He Shot Her. It is in her Detective Lynley series and would lose a lot of its power if you hadnt read at least one or two of the earlier books, but at the same time it is so far out of her usual wheelhouse that many fans rebelled against it. It goes behind the murder committed in the preceding volume and traces what led up to a young kid, 12 or 13 IIRC, pulling the trigger. She did a heck of a job researching this one. It's different from anything else she had done up to that point, quite sociologically and linguistically detailed, and to my mind she pulled it off brilliantly. I like that whole series but this one stayed with me more than any of the others. It is a true tragedy.

That was the first Elizabeth George book I read. I actually think it stands alone pretty well, though later having the context of some of her other Detective Lynley books helped a bit.

 

[Spun Silver]

That was the first Elizabeth George book I read. I actually think it stands alone pretty well, though later having the context of some of her other Detective Lynley books helped a bit.

Did it hit you as hard as it did me? I was really taken aback by the negative fan reaction on Amazon. I guess it was such a huge departure from the genre. Most mystery fans are maybe not that adventurous.

 

[made_in_canada]

Did it hit you as hard as it did me? I was really taken aback by the negative fan reaction on Amazon. I guess it was such a huge departure from the genre. Most mystery fans are maybe not that adventurous.

Yeah, it did. I think not having any preconceived notions about what a Lynley book should be probably helped though. It was much heavier than they typically are.

 

[Prancer]

I haven't read anything particularly memorable lately except Little Black Lies. The story takes place in the Falkland Islands in the 1990s, which adds some interesting and unusual elements. It starts off dark and gets darker, and the suspense really ratchets up as the story moves on. A lot of things happen--a few too many for my taste, although that seems to be the trend--but everything is eventually sorted out, even that one last dangling bit I thought would be left. Just when you think there will be a happy ending.........Argh!

 

[Karina1974]

Reading L.M. Mongomery's journals now. I've had Volume I of The Selected Journals for ages, and finally shelled out the $$$ for the other 4 volumes, 3 of which have yet to arrive from Amazon. Volume II has been on my bookshelf for about a year.

 

[Erin]

Finally did a bit of reading again lately. School has been killing me lately, so I haven't done nearly as much as I've wanted to do. Anyway, first was Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods about his hike through portions of the Appalachian Trail. I've always been meaning to read some of Bryson's books (I have two copies of A Short History of Nearly Everything that have been given to me) and he's an entertaining writer, so I really will have to get to finally reading it. The book reminded me a lot of Cheryl Strayed's Wild for the obvious reason of the subject matter but also the sense of humor that they treated it with. It was a good read; I'd recommend it and would read more by him.

The other book I read was The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, which is a very hot book right now, probably because it's an Oprah recommendation. I found it disappointing for the most part. There were bits that reminded me of Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes (also known as Someone Knows My Name in the US), but for the most part, I just found it difficult to follow. I had to go to the Wikipedia page to find out what happened for many major plot points because I didn't actually understand them. I'd give it a pass personally. I'm curious as to whether anyone else read it and felt the same way or differed?

 

[oleada]

Now that the wedding is over, I finally could focus on reading. Not that "Rich People Problems" by Kevin Kwan requires heavy concentration It was really fun as usually. I thought it was better than China Rich Girlfriend by a long way. It's the perfect summer read.

Now I need to get some Southeast Asian food tonight. The food descriptions in the book always make me so hungry.

 

[millyskate]

Has anyone else started/read The Ministry of utmost Happiness? It's Arundhati Roy's 2nd novel. I was really looking forward to it but it's hard to get into compared to The God of small Things.

 

[MsZem]

Now that the wedding is over, I finally could focus on reading. Not that "Rich People Problems" by Kevin Kwan requires heavy concentration It was really fun as usually. I thought it was better than China Rich Girlfriend by a long way. It's the perfect summer read.

Oooooh, I want to read that! But will wait for the price to drop, 12.99 for a Kindle edition is outrageous.

 

[Jenny]

On a related note, a movie version of Crazy Rich Asians is in the works. Here's hoping they have a big production budget! The lead Rachel is being played by Constance Wu, who currently stars in the American comedy Fresh Off the Boat.

 

[oleada]

Actually any book rec's along the line of the Crazy Rich Asians series would be great. My brain can't handle anything deep right now.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I've been reading all heavy stuff. Sorry! I'm halfway through Nagasaki, which follows five people from the the day before the bombing until the present. It's horrific. I often go back and forth about whether dropping the bombs was the right thing to do, and after this book, I'm going to have to go with no, it wasn't. (And I think the author does a good job of explaining both sides)

 

[oleada]

I've been reading all heavy stuff. Sorry! I'm halfway through Nagasaki, which follows five people from the the day before the bombing until the present. It's horrific. I often go back and forth about whether dropping the bombs was the right thing to do, and after this book, I'm going to have to go with no, it wasn't. (And I think the author does a good job of explaining both sides)

I agree. That book is heartbreaking.

 

[clairecloutier]

@oleada I don't know if there's any good summer reads on here, but here's a list of current notable books from The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/entertainment/summer-reading-list-2017/

 

[nlloyd]

I'm enjoying Britt-Marie Was Here by the Swedish author Fredrik Backman, and think it probably qualifies as a lighter read. It brings together a middle-aged, middle-class woman with a profound desire for cleanliness, orderliness, and civil behavior and the demoralized, impoverished, and disorderly inhabitants of a largely abandoned post-industrial town. It's a courageous premise and Backman explores the interaction between the two parties in a humorous, original, and deft manner, that is also insightful and empathetic.

 

[Jenny]

Actually any book rec's along the line of the Crazy Rich Asians series would be great. My brain can't handle anything deep right now.

May we assume you have read the back catalogue of Jackie Collins? Not even close to the level of names/brand names dropping, but juicy good fun nonetheless. Word is that many of her characters and plotlines were based on real stuff she learned on the Beverly Hills ladies who lunch/spa/shop circuit