The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream

I'm reading this book. Very interesting! Picture is of a wildflower meadow in the park next door. Happy New Year to all.

Pam wants to read Roberto Bolano's novels but they sound so violent. I'm a wuss.

See reference to Bolano here.

Pam is reading this and liking it.

A proposal

How about if we try one more time.

What I'm thinking is trying something new that others have recognized as worth reading.

Specifically, I'm thinking about one of the award winners:

National Book Awards:
Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen (Fiction)
The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed (Nonfiction)
(I don't usually read nonfiction but am willing to try this.)

Man Booker Award
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

I am making this suggestion somewhat hesitantly because I'm the one who picked up The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Pam would probably say a particular book 'didn't hold her attention.' In the case of Oscar Wao I'll just say it outright: I hated it. BTW it didn't hold my attention either.

Let me know what you think.

Ed

About "The Mercy"

On Dec 3, Paula asked: Is Mercy worth reading?
Pam's reply of Dec 12: No. I read 74 pages and decided today that the book just isn't keeping my attention. And the story can be confusing if you're not fully engaged.
Pam

The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit

First of all: Yes. I'm going to be in Silver Spring Feb 11-24. Hope we can get together.

Now I'll tell you what I'm not reading: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I disliked it intensely.

OTOH what I just finished is The Man in the White Sharskin Suit. Written by the youngest child from a Jewish family that left Cairo in 1963. As one of the reviews suggests, it's a real "riches to rags" story. The narrative is helped by the fact that the author now writes for the WSJ. Her portrayal of life in Cairo -- even after the establishment of the State of Israel and another war in '56 -- is all the more poignant because you know what has to happen. It's just a matter of when and how. And of course what happens after they leave Cairo. I know there is no lack of memoirs that search for a missing family or a missing life. But this one is different.

I'm debating about my next read. I'm considering Divisadero (Michael Ondaatje), On the Road (Kerouac) and Kafka on the Shore by Murakami. I've also got The Reluctant Fundamentalist but I think given the events in Mumbai last week I may postpone that for a while.

That's it for now.

Ed.

What's everyone else reading?

I just read this. Good book. Characters really get into your head.

Oh yeah. Anyone want to pretend we're reading a book together?

I just got Mercy by Toni Morrison out of the library. I might read it in the next few days.

Ed is coming to town

Arrives DC 2/11/09, returns to Israel 2/24. Traveling alone this time.

I'm reading Lush Life right now (Richard Price). About cops, crime, and poor people in lower Manhattan. I feel like I'm living there, a sign of a very good writer I think.

What Larry F. is reading next: "2666" by Roberto Bolano

Larry said:

Anyone interested? I have read all of his books.

2666 by Roberto Bolano. 912 pages.

http://www.slate.com/id/2203471/pagenum/all/#p2

$18 from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/2666-Novel-Roberto-Bolano/dp/0374100144/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225722362&sr=8-1

I started reading this odd collection of essays today. Cover was too beautiful to pass up in the library.

Pam

Ramblings

I just saw your (Pam's) note about Luncheon of the Boating Party. I read about 30 or 40 pages and haven't read any more. More, I think, because I've been incredibly busy and also doing a last minute check of the cookbook I'm editing (last minute changes by the author) than because I lost interest. Guess I'll pick it up and try again.

As for the books and discussion on religion -- sorry if I sound shallow -- but I'm so politicked and philosophied out that I'd rather disappear into some fiction instead for now. I'd probably lurk and eavesdrop on your discussion; maybe I'd be inspired to chime in from time to time.

T. C. Boyle sounds good to me or Diviserado -- I'd be willing to try both or either.
Paula

A few suggestions:

Ed wrote:
How about Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient). Check it out and let me know what you think. I brought it back so I'm good to go if you're interested.

BTW, on my last trip to Costco my eye caught The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Never heard anything about it but it won a Pulitzer so I figured how bad can it be. It's actually pretty amusing so far (just started this afternoon). It's one of the few instances of a book with long footnotes that are funny. But not particularly relevant for a book club.

Anyone interested in considering something by TC Boyle? I'm thinking about Talk, Talk. I really enjoyed Drop City. Enough that I'm willing to try something else.

Larry responded:
Hi all

I do want to read this book but I am committed to reading 3 or 4 other books first. Ed, I got a book on the Talmud and find it fascinating. I would like to see us tackle the 5 great religions (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam) and really have some heated discussions. Does anyone realize how wonderfully weird Hinduism is?

Yes and No

Hi. . .

Yes Ryan is adorable. No I didn't drop off the face of the earth.

I just figured since we aren't reading anything as a group I didn't have anything to say. But I have been reading.

I've finished two books by Jonathan Lethem: Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn. They're extremely different -- to the point of seeming not to be written by the same author. Ironically about the only thing they have in common is that they both take place in Brooklyn.

In the past week I've started reading TC Boyle's Drop City. Have you read anything by him? Interesting reading about the Sixties. Perspective is an amazing thing. I've read about a third of the book. He's still setting the scene. What is coming through loud and clear is how anti-women communes were. Perspective again: Shula grew up on a commune and it's definitely not anti-women.

As for what we're going to read when Hagit and I are there . . . dunno. I'll think about it. Whatever it is I guess we have to decide soon. Don't know if I want to read the Vreeland book. It's tempting in that we've made several pilgrimages to see the Impressionists all over France. We went to the homes of both Matisse and Renoir in Nice. The Matisse House is now an amazing museum. The exhibition changes (we've been there more than once). The first time they had several paintings hung next to the windows he was looking out when he painted them. Talking about being blown away! OTOH Renoir's house is a bit disappointing. You can go into his studio but there really isn't much of his work hung there.

I have the feeling that Luncheon of the Boating Party may be too similar to Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong.

Ed

Today is Ryan's 2nd birthday...

So I thought you might indulge me by allowing me to add a photo of him!
Paula (otherwise known as BUBBA -- I really need to buy that pickup truck...)
P.S. His shirt says "I'm listening to Led Zeppelin with my Daddy"

Graphic novels in the news.

I finished "The Quitter" and probably won't be reading many more graphic novels. It DID leave an impression, and I DID love flying through the story, such as it was. But I don't think these glorified comics will ever replace words on a page for me. I was surprised to find out last night, after I finished the book, that the Post ran a very long article yesterday about graphic novels (in the "Style and Arts" section). It helped, sorta, explain the phenomenon of graphic novels, but it didn't make me any more likely to read others.

Sorry that I've hijacked the book blog but my attitude is that it's here for the hijacking. And bless Paula's heart for at least chiming in from time to time.

Pam

Finished the Rimington book. What's everyone else reading?

Let me know if you read "At Risk" Paula. I finished it today and will probably forget everything about it in a few weeks, certainly a few months. But it was just what I wanted for August. Some of the amazon.com reader comments were interesting, especially those that pointed out the book's surprising factual errors.

In the meantime, and trying to ignore how pathetic this sounds, does anyone want to start reading a novel in the next week? I'm up for anything under 400 pages.

I'm half-way through my first graphic novel: "The Quitter" by Harvey Pekar. Interesting. Not sure I'll read more of these but I'm glad I'm reading this one.

And I also started reading "The Great Derangement" by Matt Taibbi, which I'm loving. Mostly because the author makes me laugh.

Doug and I ran into Larry and Camy last night just as we were going into the Greenbelt theater to see "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." (We actually talked only to Larry b/c by the time Camy appeared we were being whisked into the theater.) They had just seen the movie and liked it, as did we. Amazing that we're still getting good Woody Allen movies after all these years.

Pam

I have been totally out of this link and I'm sorry I missed it. It's been insane around here; I've barely been at home. Since the blog seemed to have been abandoned, I thought that when we started posting again, someone would send an email first. Glad I checked back. Sorry my post will be old news but here goes. First, Pam, thank you for telling us about the Rabb article. Remember I was so confused about the young adult classification of TBT? That article and response to it was very helpful. Glad to know that even the authors are nonplussed ;-)

I never heard of The Risk -- was it nominated? Sounds like a good book and I love mysteries -- I'll get it, maybe today, and start reading. I'll get back to you when I get into it.

I read Barbara Walters Audition and enjoyed it. What an amazing life she had, not always happy. And what wonderful insights she gave about just about every "important" person in the world.

So, are we all going to get together when Ed and Hagit are here?
Paula

Started "At Risk"

Easy to read, except for all the references to places in London and the UK in general. Very straightforward read so far.
Pam