Another book thread - Hmmm I wonder what Clare's reading?

Clare - I'll be interested in seeing what you think of "50 Shades of Grey". I heard it was Twilight Fan fiction and that the writing was awful, so I haven't gone near it. Let me know what you think of it.
 
If you are looking for great literature or great writing, 50 Shades is NOT for you. However...... It's totally and completely addicting. Pure smut. It is essentially porn (no doubt about it, no subtlety, it's porn) with a fun character story wrapped around it so you can catch your breath for a few minutes. Totally delicious if you are into it. :)

As for something more serious, as I was just looking to see if Tana French had anything new out (I loved her other books), I remembered two books by Gillian Flynn: Sharp Objects and Dark Places. If you like Tana French, you'll like these as well.

For a tear jerking romance book, I just read The Last Letter from Your Lover and loved every word - I was sad when I finished it. Cried like a baby multiple times, which is a huge thumbs up from me.
 
Yes, Jo Jo Moyes, "Last Letter," I forgot I read this last September as soon as it came out, liked it a lot. Can't remember if I cried or not! I also very much like her earlier novel "The Peacock Emporium", another love story. I have read it several times now.

I forgot, another book I read this year and liked is "The Family Fang." There's nothing else out there quite like it. Very touching, very funny and yet, abusive relationships in spite of the parents' apparent best intentions. What would you do and make your kids do in the name of performance art? Must our every act be a unique articulation of soul, spirit, humanity and art?

As far as "50 Shades" is concerned.... well, I am reading it because a good friend loved it and wanted to lend it to me and get my opinion. I am about half way through. If I never finish it, I will die happy. It is dreary really and so badly written. I have no problem with erotica of any kind and have read quite a lot of it! I take interesting and arousing scenes from all the varied romance/erotic books I have read in my life and carry them around with me to fuel my own fantasy life. However, this book is not at all arousing, it is just badly written and lacks interesting characters and a story! Where is the story?!? Even a novel with a central S/M theme needs a story otherwise it's just a string of sex scenes that fail to arouse/entertain/inform, etc. If I have to read Ms. Steele say "oh crap! once more I think I will fling this book out my front door. And I am just not convinced: having a whip crack across one's clitoris; will this lead to instantaneous orgasm or howling waves of pain? Yes, yes, I know, the pain is the point. However, there is pain that edges right up against the borders of pleasure so intense you think you can't stand it, and then there's pain which is just pain, such as was meted out to slaves through whips from their masters over the centuries.

Oh, bring back the Bridgerton family, all is forgiven!

Love Tana French, so recommendations of an author like her are so welcome!

Meanwhile, a good friend at my local B&N has just given me an advanced readers' copy of the new Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel and I am so spoiled! I can't put the blasted thing down long enough to get any work done! Lucy Jorik's story.

I also picked up the latest Elmore Leonard book (he is FABULOUS, if you aren't reading him, START NOW!) entitled "Raylan," after the character played by Timothy Olyphant on FX's "Justified." Love the series, love the acting, love the characters, love the writing and this novel, well, it's going down just fine! I could probably be done with it by this time tomorrow....but I must exert some discipline and do my work first!

Clare
 
As far as "50 Shades" is concerned.... well, I am reading it because a good friend loved it and wanted to lend it to me and get my opinion. I am about half way through. If I never finish it, I will die happy. It is dreary really and so badly written. I have no problem with erotica of any kind and have read quite a lot of it! I take interesting and arousing scenes from all the varied romance/erotic books I have read in my life and carry them around with me to fuel my own fantasy life. However, this book is not at all arousing, it is just badly written and lacks interesting characters and a story! Where is the story?!? Even a novel with a central S/M theme needs a story otherwise it's just a string of sex scenes that fail to arouse/entertain/inform, etc. If I have to read Ms. Steele say "oh crap! once more I think I will fling this book out my front door. And I am just not convinced: having a whip crack across one's clitoris; will this lead to instantaneous orgasm or howling waves of pain? Yes, yes, I know, the pain is the point. However, there is pain that edges right up against the borders of pleasure so intense you think you can't stand it, and then there's pain which is just pain, such as was meted out to slaves through whips from their masters over the centuries.

Clare, I could not agree more with this entire assessment. The most torturous part of the Fifty Shades experience to me was the whole "Inner Goddess" thing. Ugh. I have read far better erotic romance than this and I can't understand how this... THIS... made it to the national best seller list. Really?? I'm all for smut but I do have standards for the level of writing for said smut. :)
 
Oooooh - didn't even think to search for more by Jo Jo - back off to Amazon to pick up Peacock Emporium..... Multiple aspects of Last Letter mirror stuff in my life right now so it was particularly touching for me - maybe that's why I cried so much. That said, my sister cried as well so maybe it's just how we are wired. :)

I totally agree that the writing in 50 Shades is just awful, but for some reason I'm totally sucked into the story (there is SOME story there.... minimal as it is!). But, this is my first "erotica" book so I have nothing to compare to - come on ladies - spill with some recommendations for the good stuff! :)
 
Try "Passion" by Lisa Valdez. Women loved it. Look at reviews on amazon.com. There is a second book, "Patience" and you can read reviewer comments on amazon.com: "too much smut, not enough love and romance," in a nutshell. Seems there's a balance that must be attained between titillation and romance.

I'll see if I can come up with more titles.

Clare
 
Just chiming in to recommend Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. There are about 17 (+?) books in the series so far and Mr. Child is nowhere near out of steam with regards to this character. :D I love reading and it's been a long time since I've loved a character so much.

Also, honestly, The Hunger Games series is a gem.
 
So - Clare -

I finally finished, "The House of Mirth", this weekend. I read "Custom of the Country" awhile back, and I think I've read, "Ethan Frome", but oh my - oh my - her writing, her observations, her analogies, and her metaphors in "The House of Mirth", were simply awe inspiring. I highlighted many passages to refer back to. And gosh darn it, it being narrated the way it was, I knew the outcome long before I got there. Kind of like, "Anna Karenina." Right? You just know.

Now on to, "Mrs. Dalloway."

I'm not normally this s l o w of a reader, but the garden needed tending, the dogs needed bathing, the floors needed washing, the family needed to be fed etc etc etc.. and now it's Monday again and we get to do it all over. :D

Cheers
:D
 
Janis:

yes, you just know there is no stopping the train wreck of Lily's destiny/tragedy. Sigh. At what point did the tears fall?!!

I know what you mean about housework taking over. Spent all weekend on that myself. Boooooring but necessary.

Well, I finished "50 Shades" vol 1 and I was relieved to be done with it! Doesn't bode well for vols 2 and 3...

I have been watching films this weekend also, as I realized that I have neglected good films for a while. I saw a Quebecois film on Sat, "Monsieur Lahzar" a truly wonderful film set in Montreaul. 5 out of 5 stars. Then last night I watched Ryan Gosling batter his way through "Drive." Oh my! Highly stylized butchery and he did it all for Carey Mulligan. A bit like cinematic poetry really. I am glad I saw it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Next I am going to re-visit "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," two Richard Linklater films I always adored. No action, just 2 people who meet and talk their way through the night or the day, getting to know each other and changing each other's lives. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star. If you like good lit, and I know you do, you will enjoy these two films. It's like literature come to life and being lived out in front of you on the screen.

Mrs. Daloway holds a special place in my heart. I wrote a grad paper on this novel and was advised to get it published. I never did but, I enjoyed the experience of discovery of Clarissa, Septimus, undisclosed desires, how well does Clarissa Dalloway ever know herself and her desire? A series of perfect moments: I love her image of death as a dispersal among the trees, branches, where death and dispersal become the ultimate connection to ... everything. The dispersal of self as enrichment. I need to re=read.

"To the Lighthouse" is my 2nd fave Woolf novel. But two in a row might be a bit much!

I'm going to start the Margot Livesey book next: "The Flight of Gemma hardy." Then it's on to Jennifer Egan's "A Visit from the Goon Squad," which won an award and has been much talked about.

Oh, I also recommend "The Lonely Polygamist" by Brady Udall and you don't have to have any particular ethical opinion regarding polygamy to enjoy this novel. It is a tale of multiple lonelinesses, especially the kids'. All is not ideal in polygamy land: does it in fact make anybody happy? The polygamist himself, against his better judgement, keeps being urged to take on more wives for the good of the community and, supposedly, the women themselves. So polygamy comes across as alternative and equally unsuccessful socio-cultural, anthropological experiment --no better or worse than the standard family unit-- and it may still have little or nothing to do with love. It is also a funny book! Touching.

Enjoy Clarissa. The party! The flowers! A spring day!

Clare
 
Clare -

Hmmmm....

"Well, I finished "50 Shades" vol 1 and I was relieved to be done with it! Doesn't bode well for vols 2 and 3..."

I'm thinking you should swerve around Vol 2&3. :D

I need an Edith Wharton in my life to objectively tell me - from her distance as my narrator - when I am making a misstep, and how that single misstep will cascade into multiple other missteps.

That's what mothers are for, right? Wasn't that her point from the beginning?

Ahhh - I've seen both "Driver" and "Before Sunset", I enjoyed both a lot. I've been meaning to see "Before Sunrise" and then re-watch "Before Sunset." Adding that to my to-watch list.

I'll check out the other films, especially "Monsieur Lahzar."

I am enjoying the stream-of-consciousness quality of Mrs. Dalloway. I definitely have this sort of musing/thought process on occasion. I'd love to read your grad paper when I am finished. :)

:D
 
Thanks, Janis, for letting me know about this thread. So many great suggestions here! Very exciting. :D Sorry it took me so long to see your PM.

I cannot believe that Clare got through the whole 50 Shades book! I think I didn't even make it through the first chapter. Some of the worst writing that ever hit the best seller list. I can just imagine what a chore it was. Clare, you are a good friend!

My latest read was the Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs. Very good if you're interested in the history of the personal computer, which I was. At the moment I'm trying the first in the Lee Child Jack Reacher series. Surprisingly well written, though rather gory, but so far I'm liking the Reacher character. He seems to be another good-hearted tough guy like Harry Bosch, and it sucks me right out of my life, which is the point of my reading for the most part.

I'm bumping this so I can have it handy and download some of the suggestions to my Kindle. Thank you Clare! I love your recommendations. :)
 
I cannot believe that Clare got through the whole 50 Shades book! I think I didn't even make it through the first chapter. Some of the worst writing that ever hit the best seller list. I can just imagine what a chore it was. Clare, you are a good friend!

At the moment I'm trying the first in the Lee Child Jack Reacher series. Surprisingly well written, though rather gory, but so far I'm liking the Reacher character. He seems to be another good-hearted tough guy like Harry Bosch, and it sucks me right out of my life, which is the point of my reading for the most part.
:)


Hi Nancy:

it's been a while. Where have you been hiding?

I started the second in the 50 Shades series and finally gave up when something far more riveting came along. I gave the books back to my friend with an apology, but I just cannot see the books the ways she does. However, she loved the two books I recommended to her! One of which, by the way, was Susan Elizabeth Phillips' "Aint She Sweet" A Great and hilarious read. She writes the best dialogue EVER!

Some Jack Reacher books are better than others. Lee Child has a tendency to pare down his narratives. Take Reacher, put him, purely through chance encounters mind, in a crisis situation where no-one else seems to have a clue as to how to proceed and save themselves, and watch him go to work. But sometimes the environment Reacher has to work in is too closed off from the outside world, almost hermetically sealed and the fact of Reacher winning against some sinister co-orporation when it's 50 (all armed with machine guns) against 1, well it can be hard to suspend disbelief.

The absolute best one, imho, is "Bad luck and trouble." Here, Child's tendency to pare down the narrative and restrict the action to one single vicinity works well because it is relieved by a wider cast of characters interacting with Reacher and the bad guy he's taking down is affecting him personally, so he is emotionally engaged. See what you think.

Sometimes it is hard to view Reacher as "good hearted" because he seems so emotionally distant from the world through which he travels, merely a disinterested observer. With Reacher having so little real communication with others, even despite the frequent sexual escapades, he risks seeming sometimes as a cardboard cutout of a character.

With Tom Cruise about to take on the role, this will probably ruin it for me forever. I shall stay away from all trailers, movie posters, etc. Reacher is a loner, and about 6' 7" tall. Cruise will not and does not measure up. Plus I'm just sick of the sight of the man. This role is too akin to Ethan whatshisname in Mission Impossible. Audiences will have difficulty seeing much difference as both march through their films, firing off shots and cutting swathes through the bad guy population of the world.

Still, Hollywood does not see fit to consult me on casting decisions....

Have fun Nancy and good to hear from you again,

Clare
 
Yup, Clare, I haven't been around here in ages. I just came by yesterday to ask a fitness question.

Very interesting to hear your take on Child. I was suspending belief and hoping all the coincidences would be explained at the end. I was thinking that if they're not, I won't be able to read another one, because I need at least some basis for believing this stuff could happen. And if the stories wind up being paranoid I won't be able to buy into that either.

Tom Cruise? Oh my! That's too far of a stretch (or should I say shrinkage?:D). Matthew McConaughey didn't look like the picture of Mickey Haller I had in my mind and I enjoyed that movie. But Tom Cruise as Reacher is just too way out there.

What do you think of Daniel Silva? He's been highly recommended to me.
 
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I am so glad you stopped by Nancy. :D

Clare - [confession] I am only 60% through Mrs. Dalloway. I am disappointed that life has interfered with my need to read. By the time I pick up the thread of the story, again, my eyes are fluttering shut and the light is swiftly switched off. I'll get back to cast and crew soon.

:D

p.s. did you buy a couch?
 
Hi Janis:

listen, life interferes with reading (and for me, generally speaking, all fitness pursuits) all the time. You have to let it happen, don't fight it, it will only stress you out more.

When you can come back to it, start the book again to retrieve the flow.

I have hardly read for weeks. The new house needs some electrical work, I'm trying to get internet fixed up and it's proving more difficult than you would think. We won't move for another 2 weeks now, got to let daughter number 2 finish her school year first. There's turmoil going on with both daughters regarding academic matters and I haven't been able to get computer access to get on with my work since last Weds, since I share with my daughter and she's got a ton of end-of-semester projects in the works, which is ramping up my stress levels!

The only good light is that my colleague and I have sent off our book proposal and the 2 sample chapters to three publishers. We now have to wait to hear. I'm impatient as hell, I can't wait!!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to start revising another chapter, keep my daughters working, get a few runs in and stay sane.

Yup, life gets in the way of reading! My concentration is so shot all I have done is browse interior design mags all weekend long. I can't focus on more than that!

No sofa yet: need to move first and assess the use of space. Also, see what cash is left after electrical work accomplished. One thing at a time: it's my motto, it's the only way I can get through life without stress accelerating into migraines. One thing at a time. Today I order the modem for the internet and take my daughter to ortho. Tomorrow I sort out how much the rental company still owes me. Next day, daughter's cello recital rehearsal....blah, blah and life ticks on.

Sigh. Give me coffee and chocolate somebody!!!!!! Or actually, a reaaaaaaaally good book!

Clare
 
Love this thread so I keep coming back to check for updates. :)

I am not sure whether anyone has mentioned Ken Bruen yet. I just finished The Guards, the first in his Jack Taylor series. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed it and boy did I rip through it. Bruen's writing style is new to me and I wasn't sure how I felt about it in the beginning. Very stripped down and fast moving dialogues but still with incredible characterization. Also one of the few authors I’ve come across who writes alcoholism accurately… and I should know! It is fairly painful at times. I’m moving on to the second in the series, The Killing of the Tinkers.

Also, just picked up Killing Floor based on other’s recommendations of Jack Reacher.
 
Updates, well, my reading is a litle thin on the ground right now, what with trying to survive the end of semester with my high school girls and moving house next weekend, but I just started Jeffrey Eugenides' "The Marriage Plot" and finally, I can breather a sigh of relief: I have fund my next most excellent book. I'm a couple of chapters in and I already love it.

More details later, when I finish it.

In terms of other culture, I have been watching season 2 of "In Treatment" on DVD (HBO) which is as close to "reading" a great novel as any TV ever gets. Bloody wonderful stuff an Gabriel Byrne is tremendous. All of humanity and the range of human emotion, motivations, denials, desires, etc are laid bare here. It's like modern day Shakespeare in the most capable hands of a wonderful Irish actor whose voice is to die for. I can't recommend it enough, especially season 2 which rocks even more than season 1.

Clare
 
Just bumping this up so that the person who recently posted, asking about summer reading, might see it, consult it and then we won't have to repeat ourselves.

Clare
 

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