What book are you currently reading? The Giver by Lynn Hall.
How far in are you? A third of the way in
What's it about? A 15-year-old girl with a somewhat-reciprocated crush on her homeroom teacher.
Are you enjoying it? I have been promised it's the best kind of student/teacher story: the kind where nothing actually happens. The writing is lovely, despite some mild secondhand embarrassment, so I'm lovin' it.
(it's weird that it's shelved in juvenile fiction, though, because so far it alternates perspectives from the girl to the 40-something teacher and the girl has overheard her mother talking to a friend about her father's infidelity; it all seems very non-age-group-appropriate)
What book are you currently reading? Chasing Cezanne - Peter Mayle
How far in are you? about a quarter
What's it about? art - forgery - skull dugerry - the south of France - the Caribbean - more art
Are you enjoying it? it's a re-read. It's february, cold, a bit bleak, i have a cold where better to be? a romp with art, a personable hero, gourmet lunches on terraces in the south of France
Thank you for doing this -- I was just thinking about it the other day, and totally forgot it was the 15th!
What are you currently reading? The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell
How far in are you? A little over 2/3 done.
What's it about? From the dust jacket: Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren't telling...
Are you enjoying it? Not as much as I had thought I would -- the jacket implies that it's a story about two loving sisters going through a hard time, but it's not really like that at all. Usually I like dark humor, but it's more ugly than funny, and too heavy on their geographic (England) slang, which feels heavy-handed instead of authentic, at least to me. But I'm still reading it, just to find out how it all turns out.
You're welcome - I suddenly realised I was missing it. :)
I considered this book as one that might appeal my fourteen year old granddaughter. She has pretty adult tastes. Unfortunately I was put off by a line on the opening page: My dad had a gay name, Eugene. It may be 'down with the kids' but in my world it's offensive. And my granddaughter would, I know, agree with me.
I don't know about America, but in the UK, 'That's so gay' has transcended mere homophobia & become a derogatory & ubiquitous expression to describe anything that's 'rubbish' or 'boring' or perceived as 'stupid.'
Even if there wasn't homophobic language, I don't think I would recommend this novel for a 14 year old. There are some really rough situations (sex, drugs, not to mention a very descriptive section about what happened to their parents that left *me* a little squeamish -- and I'm a huge fan of Stephen King, so I can stomach most things).
I do agree with you about the language being offensive, but it's one of those situations where the girl who says it WOULD say that sort of word. It doesn't excuse it, but it's appropriate for the character -- like a character in a book about the American south in the 1960s referring to a character using the "n word". It's hateful, but it's how that character would speak.
What book are you currently reading? a: Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris b: The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet by Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan
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What book are you currently reading? Legion by William Peter Blatty.
How far in are you? About half-way through.
What's it about? It's basically a horror-whodunnit where a police detective is trying to solve a series of gruesome murders.
Are you enjoying it? It's okay but it's not nearly as good as The Exorcist. The protagonist goes off on a LOT of philosophical tangents and it gets tiring.
Comments 17
What book are you currently reading?
The Giver by Lynn Hall.
How far in are you?
A third of the way in
What's it about?
A 15-year-old girl with a somewhat-reciprocated crush on her homeroom teacher.
Are you enjoying it?
I have been promised it's the best kind of student/teacher story: the kind where nothing actually happens. The writing is lovely, despite some mild secondhand embarrassment, so I'm lovin' it.
(it's weird that it's shelved in juvenile fiction, though, because so far it alternates perspectives from the girl to the 40-something teacher and the girl has overheard her mother talking to a friend about her father's infidelity; it all seems very non-age-group-appropriate)
Reply
Reply
Chasing Cezanne - Peter Mayle
How far in are you?
about a quarter
What's it about?
art - forgery - skull dugerry - the south of France - the Caribbean - more art
Are you enjoying it?
it's a re-read. It's february, cold, a bit bleak, i have a cold
where better to be? a romp with art, a personable hero, gourmet lunches on terraces in the south of France
Reply
What are you currently reading?
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell
How far in are you?
A little over 2/3 done.
What's it about?
From the dust jacket:
Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren't telling...
Are you enjoying it?
Not as much as I had thought I would -- the jacket implies that it's a story about two loving sisters going through a hard time, but it's not really like that at all. Usually I like dark humor, but it's more ugly than funny, and too heavy on their geographic (England) slang, which feels heavy-handed instead of authentic, at least to me. But I'm still reading it, just to find out how it all turns out.
Reply
I considered this book as one that might appeal my fourteen year old granddaughter. She has pretty adult tastes. Unfortunately I was put off by a line on the opening page: My dad had a gay name, Eugene. It may be 'down with the kids' but in my world it's offensive. And my granddaughter would, I know, agree with me.
I don't know about America, but in the UK, 'That's so gay' has transcended mere homophobia & become a derogatory & ubiquitous expression to describe anything that's 'rubbish' or 'boring' or perceived as 'stupid.'
Seeing it used in a book is disappointing.
Reply
I do agree with you about the language being offensive, but it's one of those situations where the girl who says it WOULD say that sort of word. It doesn't excuse it, but it's appropriate for the character -- like a character in a book about the American south in the 1960s referring to a character using the "n word". It's hateful, but it's how that character would speak.
Reply
a: Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris
b: The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet by Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan ( ... )
Reply
Legion by William Peter Blatty.
How far in are you?
About half-way through.
What's it about?
It's basically a horror-whodunnit where a police detective is trying to solve a series of gruesome murders.
Are you enjoying it?
It's okay but it's not nearly as good as The Exorcist. The protagonist goes off on a LOT of philosophical tangents and it gets tiring.
Reply
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