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Tell us what you are reading this month.

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I'm going to start You Are Not a Stranger Here, one of our group reads, in a few days. Is anyone else planning on joining in on that one?

I've been reading How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life. It's just like the title says: the author walks you through a normal day in Victorian England, from how you'd wake up (cold and hungry) to how you go to sleep (I haven't finished yet, but I assume I'll still be cold and hungry).

i will read Blueberry Boys and The Price of Salt in this month.

Still going through Unfettered.

I started the last book in a current SciFi trilogy Poseidon's Wake by Alastair Reynolds, wonderful contemporary space opera.

I'm reading Conversion

Finished Unfettered , started Widdershins .

I just finished reading both The Analects of Confucius and Tao Te Ching for research. They were enlightening. And really really dry. Not big on sarcasm or irony, Confucius and Lao Tzu.

(And as an aside, I loved Widdershins and the whole series - the Kevin Connor mysteries too).

A. wrote: "I just finished reading both The Analects of Confucius and Tao Te Ching for research. They were enlightening. And really really dry. Not big on sarcasm or irony, Confuc..."

Well, they were more teachers than writers, though The Analects was written by Confucius' students.

I actually read the abridged cartoon versions first, back when I was only a child, so I don't know how much of it I actually understood, especially Tao Te Ching.

As to Widdershins, my favourite author Lois McMaster Bujold mentioned reading Book 7 of the series, so I grabbed it immediately. This is coming full circle, though, 'cause I started reading Bujold because my favourite slash writer recommended her.

The philosophical aspect was fascinating, but both were the sort of thing I had to read a little at a time, several times over, then put down and walk away from it while it sank in.

And your reading sounds like an 'x degrees of separation' situation! :D

I'm reading Isherwood's A Single Man and it's fantastic. Right from page one, sentence one. Love the way it's written.

I finished the Poseidon's Children trilogy by Alastair Reynolds, a wonderful modern space opera.

I started Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, the newest novel in the Vorkosigan Saga (#16). I need to go thru all my book boxes again. so I can re-read the series again while there's time.

Bryn wrote: "I'm reading Isherwood's A Single Man and it's fantastic. Right from page one, sentence one. Love the way it's written."

Great Bryn! I'm excited to hear what you think of the ending when you get there. :)

A. wrote: "The philosophical aspect was fascinating, but both were the sort of thing I had to read a little at a time, several times over, then put down and walk away from it while it sank in.

And your readi..."

I felt the same about the Tao Te Ching Arin. Fascinating but I read it over time in chunks too.

I'm thinking of trying to find the Stephen Mitchell translation because I've been reading Mitchell's translations of the German poet Rilke (The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke), and I've been finding thst translation just brilliant .. incredibly vivid and alive. I wonder if Mitchell's translation of the Tao Te Ching would be a little less dry than the other one I read? Of course, I don't expect Lao Tzu to be a barrel of laughs regardless. :)

Alex, were you able to read it in the original language (Chinese I guess)? I'm not sure which languages you speak - you're such a capable English writer I was thinking English was your first language, but I think you said you're living in Taiwan now? If you have read it in the original, I'm curious, is it written in the style of poetry?

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
New York City Lonely Planet City Guide
Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule

Natasha (Diarist) wrote: "The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
New York City Lonely Planet City Guide
Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule"

Did you ever see the movie that was adapted from Desert of the Heart? I think it's called Desert Hearts...

Greg wrote: "Alex, were you able to read it in the original language (Chinese I guess)? I'm not sure which languages you speak - you're such a capable English writer I was thinking English was your first language, but I think you said you're living in Taiwan now? If you have read it in the original, I'm curious, is it written in the style of poetry? "

Yeah, I read the Chinese version of it. I speak Chinese and English fluently, and I'm Chinese by ethnicity. I'm currently living in Hong Kong, where I was born and raised until 10 (moved to San Francisco Bay Area after that).

The Tao Te Ching is originally written in Classical Chinese, and there was indeed an effort made to make it sound more poetic, imho. A lot of three-word or four-word phrases comprising couplets, etc.

Alex wrote: "Greg wrote: "Alex, were you able to read it in the original language (Chinese I guess)? I'm not sure which languages you speak - you're such a capable English writer I was thinking English was your..."

Oops Alex, that's right - Hong Kong not Taiwan. Sorry about that! :) How wonderful to be fully fluent in two languages!

Thanks for the information too - I was figuring it was written like poetry. I'm definitely going to check out the Mitchell translation when I get a chance then. Thanks!

Middlemarch

Raul wrote: "Middlemarch"

A fantastic book Raul but also a very long one!

Raul wrote: "Middlemarch"

I've been putting this off for ages. I've seen the miniseries, but am not sure how it could do the book justice,

I've never read an Agatha Christie novel before so decided to give and then there were none a try. I've seen several of the movies based on the book—hoping she's better.

Kernos wrote: "I've never read an Agatha Christie novel before so decided to give and then there were none a try. I've seen several of the movies based on the book—hoping she's better. ..."

I found And Then There Were None an entertaining light read Kernos.

Alex wrote: "Did you ever see the movie that was adapted from Desert of the Heart? I think it's called Desert Hearts..."

Hi Alex, yes, I saw Desert Hearts a number of times in the mid nineties. There weren't many known lesbian films around at that time. It was a sensation. I loved it. I still remember how THE scene started. Beautiful.

Greg wrote: "

A fantastic book Raul but also a very long one!"

It is brilliantly written, you're right on it being a long one since it took me almost a month to get half-way done but the wit and the beautiful prose is more than enough to keep me reading.

I started The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal. I've loved his books I've read.

PS- Don't read his new preface before the novel. He gives away the ending...

Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes, big sprawling indescribable ideas-driven historical fiction. Was wowed by it years ago, am trying out a re-read. Hope to admire it as much...

Bryn wrote: "Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes, big sprawling indescribable ideas-driven historical fiction. Was wowed by it years ago, am trying out a re-read. Hope to admire it as m..."

I've read a number of Latin American writers, but somehow I don't think I've read Fuentes yet. Looking forward to hearing what you think on your re-read.

Currently reading Save of the Game- an ARC and Through These Eyes-borrowed

I finished The City and the Pillar. It was scary, like looking through a dark mirror.

And started The Master by Colm Tóibín

I finished listening to Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming. I liked it very much, and appreciated that it is only peripherally like other Hollywood/ Broadway memoirs.

The day before that I finished the sf novella Binti by Nnedi Okorafor.

I am currently reading The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë by Laura Joh Rowland for my RL book club. I've read a little less than 150 pages and I'm not liking it, it's a bit of a Nancy Drew and Charlotte Bronte mashup, which works less well than one would think, in my opinion. But we often have a lot of fun discussing these books some of us don't like.

Kernos wrote: "And started The Master by Colm Tóibín"

Curious to see what you think of this one Kernos. This is the one by Tóibín I'm most curious to try.

Greg wrote: "Kernos wrote: "And started The Master by Colm Tóibín"

Curious to see what you think of this one Kernos. This is the one by Tóibín I'm most curious to try."

It is compelling so far. I wish I were more familiar with Henry James' work and his contemporaries', I've been spending a lot of time on Wikipedia - which is good.

It was on the short list for the Booker prize, the year The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst won�2004. The Master is at least as good, IMO. Both are LGBT novels, The Master being much more subtle as would be expected for James—A great year for Insular literature.

Kernos wrote: "Greg wrote: "Kernos wrote: "And started The Master by Colm Tóibín"

Curious to see what you think of this one Kernos. This is the one by Tóibín I'm most curious to t..."

Oh it sounds like I will love this one - on my to -read soon list for sure!

I'm reading Pure Soapmaking: How to Create Nourishing, Natural Skin Care Soaps

Jillyn wrote: "I'm reading Pure Soapmaking: How to Create Nourishing, Natural Skin Care Soaps"

Is this the wood ashes and animal fat recipe?

Lots of reads I've got going!

Recently finished Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde, highly entertaining I thought (4 �)

And I'm almost done with You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Both on track to high ratings, though the Shakespeare is a re-read.

Meanwhile I recently started As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (about 1/4 way through). I'm loving the lyricism of it! And I've been slowly mixing in The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks as a light, entertaining background diversion.

Just finished The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon, and Our Gamble over Earth's Future. Only read it because Bill Gates recommended it. Worth a read.

AvidReader1987 wrote: "Currently reading Save of the Game- an ARC and Through These Eyes-borrowed"

Finished Save of the Game 5 stars see my review:
/review/show...

After I read The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë, I didn't care for it-- too too schlocky. I read Zone One by Colson Whitehead, which I finished last night. It's a literary zombie novel and I liked it. I'm currently reading Shylock Is My Name by Howard Jacobson.

I'm in the middle of four books right now, two of which I expect to finish tonight.

The Planets by Dava Sobel, a poetic and informative astronomy book with lots of history and elementary science.

The Boy in the Mirror by Tom Preston an intense short memoir that just came out in September from a young man who was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma at age 21.

Bhagavad Gita: The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Guide by Nicholas Sutton. This is part of my life study of spirituality, and I don't pressure myself to finish books like this quickly. It's a new translation with commentary, and I'm finding it very helpful.

2113: Stories Inspired by the Music of Rush edited by Kevin J. Anderson, an ARC of an anthology to be released soon.