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[ejp626]

56 minutes ago, Brad said:

I’m having a bit of a tough time getting into this, which I didn’t expect since I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. 

That's interesting.  Many Austen scholars consider it her finest work.  I actually have not gotten around to it, but it is on my list. 

Despite its killer first line, I definitely preferred Sense and Sensibility over Pride and Prejudice. 

[Brad]

26 minutes ago, ejp626 said:

That's interesting.  Many Austen scholars consider it her finest work.  I actually have not gotten around to it, but it is on my list. 

Despite its killer first line, I definitely preferred Sense and Sensibility over Pride and Prejudice. 

It’s a hard choice. I think I’m the other way around as there are some very great characters in P & P, but I also love S & S. It’s like choosing between greater and great.

I try to read an Austen book yearly. 

[soulpope]

[kinuta]

[Matthew]

Crime and Poetry: A Magical Bookshop Mystery by Amanda Flower

[Kevin Bresnahan]

C.M. Waggoner's "Unnatural Magic":

C. M. is the niece of an old Jazz buddy of mine, Jeff Waggoner. Jeff may be here on the forums but I remember him more from the Blue Note & Jazz Corner forums.

[kinuta]

[ejp626]

Oliver Sacks - An Anthropologist on Mars

 

I've known about Oliver Sacks for practically forever, but this is the first time actually reading any of his works.  Quite interesting cases, to be sure.

Next up:

[sidewinder]

Just found an original copy of this gem in Oxfam. Superb stuff - turns out that this is the ex Surrey Library copy. Now has a good home.

Many interesting articles, including early reviews of 60s Blue Notes, Nessa releases etc.

[jlhoots]

Attica Locke: Heaven, My Home

[kinuta]

[kinuta]

[kinuta]

[Dave James]

On 11/16/2019 at 8:00 AM, John Tapscott said:

 

Mel Torme wrote this well-regarded biography of Rich in the early 90's:

 

 

 

 

 

[ejp626]

Wrapping up Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Rushdie, which takes place in the intersection of the "real world" and fable with quite a few djinns crossing over and wreaking havoc.  I found quite a few similarities to his children's book Haroun and the Sea of Stories.  It's not top-notch Rushdie but it's entertaining.  I do have higher hopes for The Golden House.

I'm not entirely sure where I got the recommendation for Eugene Marten's Waste, but I just read it (it's barely over 100 pages) but I wish I hadn't.  It's a morally bankrupt piece of fiction (right up there with Blaise Cendrars's Moravagine).  I do wish I had read the rest of the reviews on Goodreads, instead of stopping after skimming the first few.

[kinuta]

[Matthew]

Light From Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker

[ejp626]

Waterland by Graham Swift

A bit of a slow burner, but I'm enjoying it now that some of the (many) family secrets have been revealed.

[mjazzg]

13 hours ago, ejp626 said:

Waterland by Graham Swift

A bit of a slow burner, but I'm enjoying it now that some of the (many) family secrets have been revealed.

That's a beautiful book, such a feeling of place. I must reread it one day. Not sure he's surpassed it although 'Last Orders' is mighty fine.

[kinuta]

[jlhoots]

Sebastian Barry: Days Without End

[soulpope]

On 12.12.2019 at 10:47 PM, kinuta said:

Excellent ....

[ghost of miles]

On 12/7/2019 at 7:42 AM, sidewinder said:

Just found an original copy of this gem in Oxfam. Superb stuff - turns out that this is the ex Surrey Library copy. Now has a good home.

Many interesting articles, including early reviews of 60s Blue Notes, Nessa releases etc.

Excellent Williams collection!

Finishing this right now:

[jlhoots]

Ta - Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer

[ejp626]

Just getting into Rushdie's The Golden House.  Interesting so far.

After this His Only Son/Doña Berta by Leopoldo Alas (NYRB), then it will probably be back to William Maxwell and Dawn Powell.

However, I do have a copy of Mann's The Magic Mountain in the newish translation by John Woods (supposed to be much better than other translations) wending its way to me, and I'll try to tackle that this winter.