It's Monday, and it's great to be reading again! My reading slump is finally over... now let's see if I can resurrect the blog.
Finished last week//
The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope
This 800 page tome is the third of Trollope's six Palliser novels and the first novel I have read since August. As usual, I approached it as a read/listen combination. Reading Trollope is always a treat, and I posted briefly about the book here.
This probably deserves a separate post and I will do that within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I need to decide whether to start on a new list... it's not like I'm going to stop reading classics ;-)
Current reading//
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
At last. I enjoyed Rebecca many years ago and have wanted to read more Du Maurier ever since. I'll see the new film version of My Cousin Rachel as soon as I'm finished. Very good so far.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Here's a book I felt compelled to purchase the day it was released, yet a year later am drawn to the audio version instead. Read by Nicholas Guy Smith, a new-to-me narrator, it is elegant, atmospheric, and seems perfectly suited to my mood. Towles earlier novel, Rules of Civility, was a favorite and he will be speaking at my Florida library in January. Fingers crossed I "win" seats in the ticket lottery!New to the TBR pile//
We visited our daughters earlier this month and no trip to NYC is complete without a visit to Book Culture, my new favorite indie bookstore. This time I selected two relatively short novels:
Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante - The four books in the Neapolitan series set me off on a mission to read Ferrante's entire backlist. Plus, I just love Europa Editions.
Some Prefer Nettles by Junichiro Tanizaki - The Makioka Sisters is one of my favorite Classics Club discoveries, but have I have never come across any of Tanizaki's other novels in a bookstore... until now. Very excited about this find.
On the blog//
The Sunday Salon: I Finally Finished a Novel!
Coming soon//
Nonfiction November, one of my favorite blogging events of the year, is just around the corner. Get all the details here, then go mark your calendar and start selecting your books!
What are you reading this week?
It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.
I loved Gentleman in Moscow! Great book. It's October, so I'm all about the scary books right now. I'm reading Father of Lies by Brian Evenson, which is creepy on many different levels.
ReplyDeleteAmy - Gentleman is Moscow seems a little slower and more deliberate than Rules of Civility, but just wonderful so far!
Deleteyay for breaking your reading slump. I haven't gotten to Gentleman in Moscow either. Maybe audio is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the classic challenge. I'm impressed.
Beth F - I'm loving the narration of Gentleman in Moscow! Listen to the sample (if you haven't already) and see what you think :)
DeleteI have so many books that I felt compelled to purchase but haven't felt compelled to read yet. lol I'm intrigued by Some Prefer Nettles.
ReplyDeleteKathy - Why does that happen so frequently? lol!
DeleteI'm reading Before We Were Yours. It's not the type of book I normally pick up, but the book group at the library is doing a program centered on it. It is heart wrenchingly sad and based on a true story. my mother was raised in an orphanage and the horrible way children were treated comes as no surprise to me as she often told me stories about the place she called "the Home" I've heard that the audio book is especially well done. If you like historical fiction, books set in the South , and family stories don't pass this one up.
ReplyDeleteDonna - Thanks for the recommendation... I'll look into that one!
DeleteI bet Gentleman in Moscow is great on audio. I think it's the perfect sort of story to be "told" to you. I admire your determination and interest in the classics. I haven't read nearly enough of them and sadly never seem to have much interest in doing so. Have a lovely week!
ReplyDeleteSusie - I decided to give audio a try when my daughter found the print slow going. A little different from Rules of Civility, but Gentleman in Moscow is wonderful on audio!
DeleteI've never read Trollope, but I heard he's the Dominick Dunne of way back when and that I'll probably love him. I'm not in the right space for 800 page doorstops right now, but for another time.
ReplyDeleteSarah - Ha! I totally get that... still can't believe I thought an 800-pager was the way to end a slump. Glad it didn't backfire ;-)
Deletei have so many books that I thought I couldn’t live without but I still haven’t read yet. Anyway...I am so glad you have returned both to books as well as your Blog!
ReplyDeletePatty - Seems to be a pretty common 'problem', I'd say ;-) ... it's good to be back.
DeleteI haven't read any of the books you list. I generally avoid classics preferring to read fluffy, genre books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteKathy - I went on a classics kick more than a decade ago and haven't looked back!
DeleteI know that I should probably read Trollope...but the idea of the 800 pages feels intimidating. Lengthy novels never used to bother me...I read Gone with the Wind three times when I was a teenager. Well, I think it's blogging and the feeling that I should read a lot of books.
ReplyDeleteSilly, right?
I read My Cousin Rachel when I was young...and I'm thinking I need to read it again. But who am I kidding? I have a stack of books I want to reread. LOL.
Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Laurel-Rain Snow - Can you believe I've never read GWTW?? Have seen the movie countless times, but never got around to reading it... it's been on my to read list for literally decades! One of these days...
DeleteReading slumps are so annoying, aren't they? I mean, all you want to do is read and you can't.
ReplyDeleteI am still reading Sleeping Beauties by King. I am halfway thru it. It's pretty good now. It was a little slow to get going.
Ti - I've had reading slumps before, but this one was the worst! It's good to be enjoying books again. Glad to hear Sleeping Beauties picked up... hope you end up loving it.
DeleteCongrats on all those classics! I struggle with most of them, but have enjoyed a few over the years. I've never read anything by Trollope, unless you count his granddaughter's novels. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of A Gentleman in Moscow, which was given to me by Bellezza at least a year ago. I'll give it a try, but am pleased to know that the audio is a winner, too.
I've just recently finished The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer. I thought it was very, very good and am looking forward to discussing it with my book club on Thursday. Now I'm reading News of the World. My mom and husband both thought it was great, but it's a little slow in the beginning. I'm hoping it picks up soon. I'm also reading Travels With Charley (a re-read) here and there when we're traveling. Heading to Bandon this weekend, so it will be back on the top of the stack.
Have a great week! It's sunny and cool. Perfect day for a walk along the bluff.
Les - Think I've made some good choices when it comes to classics... quite a few I know are beyond me and I'm just not that interested in a challenge these days, lol!
DeleteAnn Packer's novel has been on my wish list for a while. Hope you have a good discussion. My book club meets Thursday, too. We're reading Lisa See's latest novel, but I've only just started it. Think I've mentioned that Travels With Charley is a favorite... would love to reread it one day!
We have our first snowflake in the long range forecast. Thinking about heading to FL, then back north again for Thanksgiving & Christmas. We'll see...
So glad your reading slump is over, wow it was brave to see if an 800 pager would be the one! Congrats on meeting your classics goal!
ReplyDeleteNise' - Might have been a little crazy, too, to pick up an 800 page book during a reading slump ;-)
DeleteI loved A Gentleman in Moscow. The writing style of Amor Towles is fabulous. Not sure I would have noticed that as much on audio. As you know from my IG post, I just finished the new bio of Bunny Mellon--The Life of an American Style Legend. Highly recommend! When I returned it to library, waiting for me was Claire Messud's latest called The Burning Girl-a novel. By the time I finish that one, I'm hoping the library will have ready The Last Castle by Denise Kerman, an historical tome about the Biltmore House, the fabulous home built by George W. Vanderbilt in Biltmore, North Carolina (Asheville). Reading a lot more non-fiction than I used to. Just depends on the subject and how well it is written. That's how I like to learn history.
ReplyDeleteJudyMac - Just love Amor Towles writing style! Even tough there is not much action, the words are so beautiful that I often stop listening to contemplate... then mark the passage in my print copy.
DeleteThe initial reviews for The Burning Girl seem lukewarm, and that disappoints me. Will look forward to your take on it. The Last Castle is one of my possibilities for NF November, and I hadn't heard about the Bunny Mellon bio until you posted on IG... sounds wonderful, too!
Once the CYBILS are over I'll be ready to curl up into a long book. Come see what I'm reading
ReplyDeletePussreboots - I'm sure the CYBILS will keep you busy for a while... good luck!
DeleteSomeday I need to go bookstore hunting in NYC, have never done that. Glad your reading slump os over!
ReplyDeleteGreg - Strand Books is another favorite, but that one is so big it can get overwhelming. So many wonderful bookstores in NYC!
DeleteSo glad you're back on the blog and congrats on meeting your 50th classic goal, great! I still haven't gotten to the Towles novel though it's been sitting on the shelf for a year -- I may go the audio route if you think it's good. cheers!
ReplyDeleteSusan - The audio of A Gentleman in Moscow is wonderful, but the writing is so beautiful I'm glad to have to print copy to go back and reread! There's not much action to speak of, but it's an enchanting read.
DeleteCongrats on reaching your CC list target JoAnn - that's a HUGE achievement (& one I'm still dreaming about!)
ReplyDeleteLovely to see your name pop up on my feed again :-)
Brona - It feels like quite an accomplishment... often thought I'd never get there either. So happy to be reading again. Now I need to try to be a little more consistent with blogging!
DeleteVicki - I always love NF November! Not sure if I'll be reading nonfiction all month though, or just talking about it ;-)
ReplyDeleteYay on getting out the reading slump! would love to hear more about your classics challenge and accomplishments so far. I'm looking forward to Nonfiction November as well so if you have any suggestions would love to hear about those as well!
ReplyDeleteIliana - I'm planning a classics club wrap-up for later this week... want to get that taken care of before Nonfiction November begins!
DeletePleased to hear you're enjoying My Cousin Rachel, so far, as I read it earlier this year and thought it was great! I am currently enjoying a comforting re-read of The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman :-)
ReplyDeleteJessica - I'm enjoying My Cousin Rachel very much, but am still only at the halfway make... wish I had more time to read!
DeleteI LOVE My Cousin Rachel and really need to reread it. I also love Trollope, but have yet to read The Eustace Diamonds. Congrats on the Classics Club challenge completion!
ReplyDeleteLaura - I don't know what I waited so long to pick up My Cousin Rachel! Hope I can get a copy of the movie sometime this month, too. Didn't realize you were a Trollope fan. There aren't nearly enough of us out there ;-)
DeleteMy Cousin Rachel is on my list, but I haven't gotten to it yet. Currently reading Britannia Mews by Margery Sharp. Like all her books, it's excellent.
ReplyDeletePatience_Carbstick - I have yet to read Margery Sharp! Downloaded The Nutmeg Tree to my kindle when it popped up as a daily deal last year, but you know how that goes...
Delete