What we're reading in August 2014

I finished 2 novels yesterday and today. One was a book I've been meaning to read for years, and I loved it: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The other was one in a series of mystery novels and I didn't like it much at all-the story, dialogue, characters all didn't appeal to me: Stone Killer by Sally Spencer.

Today I'm spending my time away from the office by reading about the office: Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace, by Nikil Saval.

I'm reading The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman to wind up my WWI reading binge.

ted - I loved the Cellist of Sarajevo too

>1 ted74ca: and4, one of my favourite all-time books.

I've finished two excellent action packed stories, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair and Fourth of July Creek.

I abandoned the Bees. I objected to the human qualities imposed upon the bees, especially the class consciousness and snobbery, and did not like the monastic atmosphere of the hive, naming the bees Sister this and Sister that. Petty maybe, but so it is.

I was very stressed this week (my cat was lost for 36 hours) so to calm my nerves I finished a book a friend had lent me 2 years ago when I was visiting my mom in hospital after her cancer surgery. It was too much of a romance novel for my liking then, and it still is. But, just what I needed this week!
The Long Walk Home by Will North

ted, from your message it sounds like you found you cat?? Hope all is well.

I read Women from the Country by D'Arcy Niland (touchstones did not even get close with that one) Not as good at his famous The Shiralee this book still had some stunning Australian language and tone.

I just started The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared.

6 - sounds like a very stressful week! Hopefully your mom is recovering successfully and your cat is home. If you need something funny and light, you might want to join fmgee and read The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared. It was one of the funniest things I have ever read.

>1 ted74ca: I haven't read Cellist yet, but I just loved The Confabulist. My thoughts are here, as I haven't copied the review to LT yet.

>6 ted74ca: Hope kitty and family are fully recovered. Such a worry!

Just finished The Lobster Kings, which I managed to spin out for weeks, but finally had to finish in a burst today, as I knew (it's a Lear retelling) from an event which had occurred in my last session, that things were about to rush along. I loved Touch too.

Now reading some short stories Just Pretending and Mark Lavorato's Serafim and Claire: both good so far.

re: #10,9 and 7 comments. Yes, indeed I did find my escaped cat, on the sidewalk 3 houses down,in the middle of the night-I have achieved the dubious distinction of being a crazy cat lady now- and it was very worrying time indeed. He is a strictly indoor cat, I had just recently moved, and he'd never been separated from his brother before, so there was a lot of distress for all involved. I'm being ultra careful when opening the doors to outside now, as Dexter is keeping a very close eye on the door and seems to want to repeat his adventure.
And yes, I did read The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, just recently and I too, loved it.

Today's read was a winner: The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black, a copy-cat Phillip Marlowe novel, which takes one back to the good old days in LA. Really liked the dialogue, the descriptions, and the humour.

Glad to hear you enjoyed The Black-Eyed Blonde. I just got that one recently and it sounds like fun.

It seems cats have a built-in escape mechanism. He must have been startled to find himself in the big outdoor world! Glad he is home, telling his brother about his excellent adventure.

I'm starting River City by John Farrow.

I was not a fan of The 100 year old man and I am struggling through The year of the flood (I think it might get better soon). The Stone Cutter is filling the niche of the all day easy read.

I just finished a short but brilliant novel: The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan. Bleak and lots of coarse language, but well written, I thought.

I'm starting my latest ER book, Flirting with French by William Alexander

I'm reading The Leopard, by Giuseppe di Lampedusa, my audio book is The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (Maggie Tulliver is such a great character!) and my non-fiction book is a biography of Buddha, by Karen Armstrong.

Trying out some Stephen King after a long hiatus: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

19, I like his earlier stuff, and I also enjoyed 11/22/63.

I'm reading Six Metres of Pavement by Farzana Doctor.

20. Lynn- I, too, liked King's earlier books. I took out 11/22/63 from the library last year, but was daunted by its size and returned it unread. Maybe I'll give it another go this winter.

Second in a fair-to-good mystery series: The Fire Baby by Jim Kelly

Just got back from a couple of nights camping and finished The Year of the Flood which got way better at the end but was not as good as Oryx and Crake for me. I wonder if I am going to get to MaddAddam I have struggles a little with the first two in parts. I also finished The Stranger by Camilla Lackberg.

I really enjoyed Lee Smith's Guests on Earth, an early reviewers gift. I'm finally reading And the Mountains Echoed.

I'm starting Cleave by Nikki Gemmell today.

I"m reading Alistair MacLeod's The Lost Salt Gift of Blood. I don't usually read short stories but made an exception for this as it's such a classic. He is an excellent writer, but I wish he had used a different title. I can never remember this one as it doesn't make sense, but the next story in the book has this title and maybe it will make sense then.

A thriller/suspense novel that didn't thrill me: Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke

I'm going to read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier which I picked up at a yard sale. I feel as if I'm the only person who hasn't read it!

ETA: I left Rebecca at the gym yesterday! I hope everyone else has read it and it's still there. I'm super-motivated to go to the gym today!

In the meantime, I started A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel which I'm enjoying.

Just finished MaddAddam easily the best book of the series for me. Finally the best parts of Ornx and Crake come together and make more sense. I am now reading The Cruellest Month.

Still working on Robert Harris's latest, An Officer and a Spy.

It's still summer.... Big Little LIes was perfect, and Dear Daughter was entertaining, a bit rough.
Next up must be Search and Rescue, a Rapid Reads book by Gail Anderson-Dargatz. by I was surprised to open this package from Early Readers to find a slim volume, largish print with plenty of white space. Okaaaay. I'm not sure who the intended audience is, but it's not me. Big decision, read the book or paint the wall. I'll let you know. It is kind of late afternoon Friday, but so far the wall is winning.

A set of short fiction stories by Stephen King: Full Dark, No Stars. Pretty good read.

Just got to this thread now, right at the end of August. I've read eight books this month, most recently the Norwegian crime thriller Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo. I think I'm going to read Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog next.