What are you reading this week of November 1, 2015?

[scarletwoman]

Hi all! I noticed that the weekly reading thread hadn't got started yet, so here's a quickie version.

I actually wrote a fairly long post about 45 minutes ago, but my computer hiccupped and it disappeared. It's taken me all this time to get back online. I'm too tired to recreate what I wrote, so this will have to do for now.

The main point, of course, is for YOU to tell the rest of us what you're reading this week!

[Enthusiast]

1. Hello, everyone! Thank you for the thread, scarletwoman.

Sorry you had a computer glitch, scarletwoman. I've been having a bit of that myself. I hope you will return later and fill us in on your weekly reading.

I finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. That was some book. I was impressed by Kingsolver's skill in bringing the characters to life. TexasProgresive, I guess I'm no fan of post colonial Africa. I don't think much of colonial Africa either. It seems the people of Africa are forever being exploited for their resources. They are suffering for this even today. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone that encouraged us to read The Poisonwood Bible, just wonderful. I'll get around to Barbara's The Lacuna soon.

Since I finished The Poisonwood Bible I have been reading A Swimming Monk by Malachy McCourt. This is highly entertaining. Malachy is just a mess, but in an entertaining way. Thank you for the recommendation, TexasProgresive.

Mrs. Enthusiast finished The Black Book by Ian Rankin. I think she feels this is the best Rebus adventure yet. Now she is reading Ivan Doig's The Bartender's Tale. She likes this one as she did the previous Doig books. Thank you for the recommendation, japple.

[TexasProgresive]

2. "Hunny the TV Man: Tales of an Aging TV Repairman & Don Juan" by Veda Dalsette

A generous free offer by our own valerief. I've read 15 Episodes (chapters?) and find it a delightful change from the darkness of Scotland and dingy London. When I finish with Hunny I will return to Inspector Rebus in Skip Jack.

[valerief]

8. Thanks for the nice comments. nt

Last edited Wed Nov 11, 2015, 02:59 PM - Edit history (1)

[japple]

3. Hi All! Thanks, scarletwoman, for starting the thread. I finished Ivan Doig's

The Bartender's Tale, which I very much enjoyed--more than Last Bus to Wisdom. Enthusiast, I hope Ms. E enjoys the characters in The Bartender's Tale as much as I did.

Downloaded Andrew Ervin's book, Burning Down George Orwell's House from the library and got hooked immediately. I had put it on my wish list based on a review I read in Book Notes. There was a review in the NY TImes but I didn't read more than a few lines as it appears to give away the whole story and I'd like for it to unfold before my eyes. I'll go back and read the review after I've read the book.

Happy reading, friends!

[hermetic]

4. Hi, all. Thanks for the thread scarletwoman

I had some kind of bug for the past 3 days. My tummy, not my computer. Blargh. Feeling somewhat better today.

I've had things disappear like that, after spending so much time writing and then, poof. Very aggravating.

Still reading Outlander and I am really getting hooked. I will say, though, I was very unhappy about the spanking and was tempted to just give it up. But Gabaldon did such a fine job of putting it all into perspective, I just sighed and figured I'd move on with it.

Stay well, everyone. It's getting to be "that" time of year.

[Enthusiast]

5. Hi, hermetic. I hope you feel better shortly.

[sharp_stick]

6. I'm just getting near the end of Lamentation

This is the 6th book in the Matthew Shardlake series by CJ Sansom.

Shardlake is a lawyer and a commoner in the years of Henry VIII starting as an agent of Thomas Cromwell in book I and now coming up near the time of Henry's death in book VI. In this book he's working for Queen Catherine Parr and trying to find a copy of a book that was stolen from her room. She and her family are worried that publication of the radical text might be bad enough to cause Henry and the conservatives that surround him to have her killed.

It's a great series, a lot of fun and a pretty good examination of life during the time of the Tudors from the point of view of a commoner with access (not always welcome) to the royal court.

Queen Catherine Parr did actually write a book called The Lamentations of a Sinner in 1547 but it was not published until 1548, after the death of Henry VIII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lamentations_of_a_Sinner

[Enthusiast]

7. Thanks for sharing that, sharp_stick.