brightphoebus

Woman At Point Zero - Nawal El-Saadawi

Blimey, I go away for a few days and find that Meg and Momac have been through the wars. Please get better soon, both of you!

Outrageous Acts And Everyday Rebellions - Gloria Steinem

The Voluptuous Delights Of Peanut Butter and Jam - Lauren Liebenberg

I've been dragooned into joining two real life book clubs, as people know how much I love reading, after holding out for decades, and I'm not completely easy with them. I feel I'm being dragged away from my own book choices when I have tons and tons of waiting books. I have to concede, though, that through the groups, I've re-read, and re-evaluated some old favourites, had to defend my favourites, and also have had to read some books which I would never have chosen but were not as bad as I feared, and some better than expected. Equally, a very few were awful, because I feel I can't veto every awful book as it is meant to be a happy collaborative space and not one for me to behave like the book police. I've now decided to skim-read any awful ones to stop myself weeping with frustration. I tell myself that the social aspect is equally important as the books, and I do learn a little more about books, myself, and others. This sounds like a grumpy post but it's not really, as I'm glad it's made me less insular about my reading! It's only been made possible by retirement and having more time to read. I'd love to know how others here feel about real life groups nowadays since the last post here was Grammath's in 2009.

I've been dragooned into joining two real life book clubs, Binker, as people know how much I love reading, after holding out for decades, and I'm not at all easy with them. I feel I'm being dragged away from my own book choices when I have tons and tons of waiting books. I have grudgingly to concede, though, that through the groups, I've re-read, and re-evaluated some old favourites, had to defend my favourites, and also have had to read some books which I would never have chosen but were not as bad as I feared, and some better than expected. Equally, a very few were awful, because I feel I can't veto every awful book as it is meant to be a happy collaborative space and not one for me to look like the book police! I've now decided to skim-read any awful ones to stop myself weeping with frustration. I tell myself that the social aspect is equally important as the books, and I do learn a little more about books, myself, and others. I'd love to know how you feel about it some months down the line.

You're right, Binker, I did read it last year, after reading reviews which praised the writing but also homed in on the sensational back story of the real-life affair with Philip Roth. I decided to give it a go. I thought the first part showed well the nuanced power balance between the young woman and much older writer, but it was the second part (which I had not known about and came as a big surprise) that made it such a good novel. It seems to address the power of imagination of the novelist, of the ability to conjour up a life completely outside the writer's own experience and how that can enter the consciousness of the reader and create something both imagined and real for both. So what I thought might be an interesting take on an affair with Philip Roth turned out to be a meditation on writing itself.

Go Tell It On The Mountain - James Baldwin

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple

I'm so sorry, meg. Such worry and sadness for you all. Sending hope and all possible good wishes for the future.

All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

Snow Falling On Cedars - David Guterson

The Call OfThe Wild - Jack London

We looked forward to his posts every day. Such an intellect, and so kind and wise. Such a loss.