As the Page Turns (the Book Thread)

[barbk]

I don't know about the "nobody likes assigned reading" thing. I volunteered in the book room at the high school, and the books I remember kids returning with comments about the book having been great were The Things They Carried (brilliantly taught in English while corresponding US History classes were teaching the Vietnam War), and a James Thurber anthology that included The Night the Bed Fell.

Personally, I was pretty confused with some of what I read of 19th Century English Lit until I encountered What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. Maybe Edith Wharton would have made more sense if I'd had the equivalent decoder ring.

 

[Prancer]

Personally, I was pretty confused with some of what I read of 19th Century English Lit until I encountered What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. Maybe Edith Wharton would have made more sense if I'd had the equivalent decoder ring.

There's a whole school of thought about why readers should not have history and context for readings, but I think it's hard for people to see the insights and universal themes when they are all tangled up in verbiage and unfamiliar cultures. But even with context, sometimes you just don't like something and it's work to slog through it. I feel that way about a lot of early modern lit.

I find the same true of music. I rarely get any kind of context for pieces of music I am given to play, but I do some research because I think it's useful to know where the piece came from; it helps me understand how the piece was intended to be played and why it is as it is. Other people don't care; the music either moves them or interests them or it doesn't, much like reading.

 

[Trillian]

I loved the “classics” when I was a kid/teen to an extent that went way beyond the required reading, but I also knew I was the only weirdo who started the school year by flipping through my English textbook to see what looked interesting. I also spent plenty of time reading Point Horror books and VC Andrews and whatever other garbage we read in the 90s, though. And spent my entire junior year of high school carrying around a copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker like the absolute ray of sunshine that I was.

I know people need to learn critical reading skills somewhere and it’s hard to do that without some kind of required reading. But I do think the best way to encourage people to enjoy reading long-term is to make sure kids have plenty of access to books and aren’t shamed for reading things that might not be the most highbrow or might be at “easier” reading levels. Nobody is going to learn to read well if they haven’t learned to enjoy reading in the first place. Neither of my kids has ever been a bookworm, but they had enough free range when they were younger that they have solid enough reading and writing skills to do well in school, and if you turn them loose in a library they could find something to read for pleasure. That seems like a pretty good benchmark for success for people who don’t naturally gravitate to reading.

 

[MacMadame]

IME, literature is nearly always depressing and always has been. Did you read anything happy when you were in school?

As You Like It and Midsummer Night's Dream come to mind. I also took an elective in Science Fiction and a lot of those books were not depressing and some were even happy.

It's true that a lot of it wasn't: 1984, Animal Farm, Heart of Darkness, Lord of the Flies, various Shakespear tragedies. I still found most of them fascinating. (Well, not Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet -- those books are dumb) But not cheery.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Selecting reading for students is hard because students, like everyone else, have their own tastes. English teachers tend to be people who love literature, so they tend to think everyone else does, too. There are always some students who do, too. I read a long rant from an English teacher that the reason kids hate reading is that teachers keep giving them modern books when they should be reading the classics, which they love, and I laughed. There are students who enjoy canonical lit and then there's everyone else.

I also resist the idea that all the 'classics' are the same as a bloc of literature that you'll like or loathe. There are classics that I've liked or loved and classics that I've hated (I find Dickens tedious and barely made it through Tess of the d'Urbervilles), and was the same with the modern literature we were assisned in my last year of high school and in year one English literature at University.

 

[Finnice]

As a literary scientist I think books are the same than figure skaters: sometimes you just appreciate the tecnical writing or skating skills, but the story/performance lefts you cold.

Then some of the 3 triple programs and sillt books can just touch your heart.

 

[barbk]

The Washington Post asked readers to opine on books that should be ejected from the canon, and those that should be added.
https://wapo.st/3Wvf7VG. (Gift Link)

 

[Prancer]

I also resist the idea that all the 'classics' are the same as a bloc of literature that you'll like or loathe. There are classics that I've liked or loved and classics that I've hated (I find Dickens tedious and barely made it through Tess of the d'Urbervilles), and was the same with the modern literature we were assisned in my last year of high school and in year one English literature at University.

And you never know what will hit with a student or a class and what will not. The book that is a huge hit one term will be a major drag the next. A student who hates everything will suddenly connect with the most unlikely book. The student who reads everything will detest a book you would expect that student to love.

The Washington Post asked readers to opine on books that should be ejected from the canon, and those that should be added.
https://wapo.st/3Wvf7VG. (Gift Link)

Another list I would classify as "Everyone has opinions."

Liking or disliking something has almost nothing to do with academic goals (and who cares about the canon other than academics?). If you are trying to teach certain things, there are works that are effective and works that are not, no matter how anyone feels about them. I do know faculty who make up lists based entirely on their own tastes, which does not work out well in multiple ways. One of my friends used to cry every semester because students often hated her assigned reading and she took it all very personally.

 

[rfisher]

Kathy Reichs has officially jumped the shark. Her new Tempe Brennan book Fire and Bones is beyond annoying. She writes in first person, which is fine, but she's making stupid jokes and comments to the reader. Like "you know" and "I'll explain later." They are pointless and totally throw you out of the story. I don't remember her doing this, or not to this extent, in previous books and cannot figure out why she and her editor thought this was a good thing. She needs to go back to teaching. Except she's not been a real forensic anthropologist in a very long time.

 

[Prancer]

Kathy Reichs has officially jumped the shark. Her new Tempe Brennan book Fire and Bones is beyond annoying. She writes in first person, which is fine, but she's making stupid jokes and comments to the reader. Like "you know" and "I'll explain later." They are pointless and totally throw you out of the story. I don't remember her doing this, or not to this extent, in previous books

Are you sure she's still writing them?

 

[rfisher]

Are you sure she's still writing them?

I think so, but it could be her nephew. He's co-written a couple of books with her but they didn't do all that well. When I was in grad school, we'd have students in the biological anthro labs read a couple of her early books for extra credit. She's always info dumped, but it was good info for the students at that level and they enjoyed how she applied what we were teaching in lab in her mystery. But, this writing style is way off. I may send an inquiring email to a couple of her peers and see if she's farming out the series. If so, they need to terminate it and be done with it. She's still involved, or someone with her background is, because of the info dumping about the physical aspects of burn victims.

 

[Bunny Hop]

I saw an ad for her latest book yesterday and was surprised the series was still going. I haven't read any in some time. The forensic stuff was interesting, but the rest of the story just became annoying.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

The latest Pendergast book released today and since that series jumped the shark about 6 books ago, I'm waiting for the library to get it and the waitlist is long.

 

[Garden Kitty]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a collection of short stories that are upbeat ? I want to send a bunch of things to a friend who is spending a lot of time in the hospital with their spouse. There's too much coming/going/stress to really follow a novel, but a couple of the short stories collections I saw seemed pretty depressing. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Kasey]

Maybe the "Chicken soup for the soul" volumes?

 

[rfisher]

The latest Pendergast book released today and since that series jumped the shark about 6 books ago, I'm waiting for the library to get it and the waitlist is long.

That had been my plan. I got on the library list weeks ago and was 3rd in line with 5 copies.

Much to my surprise when it showed up in my ebook library, I'd actually preordered it from Barnes and Noble. . At least I made the number 6 in line happy when I cancelled my hold.

 

[Prancer]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a collection of short stories that are upbeat ? I want to send a bunch of things to a friend who is spending a lot of time in the hospital with their spouse. There's too much coming/going/stress to really follow a novel, but a couple of the short stories collections I saw seemed pretty depressing. Thanks for any suggestions.

Uplifting short stories and witty stories, all on the web if she has a way of reading them there.

Short story collections in print are usually a mixed bag.

 

[puglover]

My mother, who loved Shakespeare and Dickens, also read a lot of Harlequin Romance and I was never a big fan of the latter so I have always avoided romance - even Daniele Steele who must be one of the most prolific writers of our time. Anyway, I have also never gotten into the rom/com section. This past year my algorithm must have identified me as a "reader" as I get a lot of book readers/reviews coming my way. Many of these rave about their favourite authors in the rom/com category such as Emily Henry, Elin Hilderbrand and Abby Jimenez. They are recommended often as summer reads and so this summer I did purchase a few from audible. I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. They certainly have similarities to the old romance stories but now have a liberal dose of soft porn. In the voice of a really good narrator like Julia Whelan, the dialogue between the two long suffering lovebirds is witty and sometimes made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed the descriptions of places like Nantucket which I have never thought about. In our troubled world, it isn't too bad to know I am headed for a happy ending!

 

[Prancer]

My mother, who loved Shakespeare and Dickens, also read a lot of Harlequin Romance and I was never a big fan of the latter

Harlequin Romance is not exactly known for great writing . I do think it's a good publisher for some writers to develop their writing skills, though.

There are a lot of good writers who write romance. There are a lot of bad writers, too, just like in any other genre.

 

[sk9tingfan]

I am in the process of finishing a trilogy by Penny Vincenzi, British writer who writes very large(600-800 page) books. The trilogy covers the post Victorian period through the ?70's(end date TBD). These books are full of complex relationships both familial and romantic and is centered on the transatlantic Lytton publishing family. These books saved my life after being displaced for six weeks for radiatiation therapy. They were a welcome distraction.

Book 1 - No Angel
Book 2 - Something Dangerous
Book 3 - Into Temptation

 

[Garden Kitty]

Just finished The Wedding People by Alison Espach. I thought the plot was too predictable and unbelievable, but loved the writing style. Liked the way the author described people and situations. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it.

 

[mattiecat13]

I just started the “In Death” series by J.D. Robb, also known as Nora Roberts. They are murder mysteries that start in year 2058 with the main characters being a cop in NYC and her husband who has a shady past. Don’t know how I missed these before as I like Roberts’ books and I find the characters in this series well-drawn and the writing sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. So far I’ve read less than a dozen of them and I’m hoping the quality doesn’t diminish the more books I read, as sometimes happens.

 

[CDANN1013]

I just started the “In Death” series by J.D. Robb, also known as Nora Roberts. They are murder mysteries that start in year 2058 with the main characters being a cop in NYC and her husband who has a shady past. Don’t know how I missed these before as I like Roberts’ books and I find the characters in this series well-drawn and the writing sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. So far I’ve read less than a dozen of them and I’m hoping the quality doesn’t diminish the more books I read, as sometimes happens.

I love J.D. Robb books and have read all of them. With that being said, some books are better than others. I also enjoy watching all of the characters grow.

C

 

[Desperado]

I’m only at Book 3, but I’m loving the Murderbot Diaries.

 

[genevieve]

The Seattle Public Library is s l o w l y recovering from the Memorial Day ransomware attack - I was happy to get to return a few of the books I've taken out, but now I can place holds again, and their Peak Picks is back up to speed

I got Kate Quinn's newest, The Briar Club, and it's a fun whodunit (also a whowuzitdunto - I'm almost halfway through the book and the deceased from the opening pages hasn't been identified!). The only other Quinn book I've read is The Alice Network. Has anyone read her Italian Renaissance novels? Are they as good as the 20th century stories?

During the library meltdown I've been re-reading my old Tana French books in anticipation of getting her newest. Faithful Place is still as great as when I first read it, but The Secret Place was surprisingly good again too. I've breezed through the Likeness several times over the years, despite it not being my favorite. The premise is just too, too unbelievable, but I can't resist it.

 

[Habs]

The Seattle Public Library is s l o w l y recovering from the Memorial Day ransomware attack - I was happy to get to return a few of the books I've taken out, but now I can place holds again, and their Peak Picks is back up to speed

I got Kate Quinn's newest, The Briar Club, and it's a fun whodunit (also a whowuzitdunto - I'm almost halfway through the book and the deceased from the opening pages hasn't been identified!). The only other Quinn book I've read is The Alice Network. Has anyone read her Italian Renaissance novels? Are they as good as the 20th century stories?

During the library meltdown I've been re-reading my old Tana French books in anticipation of getting her newest. Faithful Place is still as great as when I first read it, but The Secret Place was surprisingly good again too. I've breezed through the Likeness several times over the years, despite it not being my favorite. The premise is just too, too unbelievable, but I can't resist it.

I love Kate Quinn - The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye were also really good. I have the Briar Club but haven't started it yet.
I was disappointed in The Phoenix Crown, which she wrote with Janie Chang. It was a bit dull and the pacing wasn't as good as her other novels.

I haven't read her Renaissance novels either but have been wondering the same thing.

 

[flyingsit]

I love Kate Quinn - The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye were also really good. I have the Briar Club but haven't started it yet.
I was disappointed in The Phoenix Crown, which she wrote with Janie Chang. It was a bit dull and the pacing wasn't as good as her other novels.

I haven't read her Renaissance novels either but have been wondering the same thing.

I wasn’t thrilled with Briar Club.

 

[cygnus]

I wasn’t thrilled with Briar Club.

I loved it- my favourite of hers after the Rose Code (I haven't head Diamond Eye yet, or the Renaissance novels).

 

[kwanfan1818]

I’m generally not a romance of any kind reader, but I often read at night before bed and have avoided books that would keep me up or give me nightmares — it took me forever to finish Bloodlands, because I could only read it during the day — but a free Amazon First Reads book is a free Amazon First Reads book, and not all of them have been awful.

ETA: I second being that the Seattle Public Library is coming back, and that I got to return a book today that I’d checked out in April.

 

[genevieve]

I wasn’t thrilled with Briar Club.

I finished it last night, and I liked the first half and then it started to drag a little, and the ending was ridiculous. It was overall a satisfying summer read but yeah, I feel you.