Book Beginnings: An Artist of the Floating World

An Artist of the Floating World
by Kazuo Ishiguro
Vintage, 2012; First published 1986

Opening Lines

If on a sunny day you climb the steep path leading up from the little wooden bridge still referred to around here as 'the Bridge of Hesitation', you will not have to walk far before the roof of my house becomes visible between the tops of two gingko trees. Even if it did not occupy such a commanding position on the hill, the house would still stand out from all the others nearby, so that as you come up the path, you may find yourself wondering what sort of wealthy man owns it.

About the Book

In the face of the misery in his homeland, the artist Masuji Ono was unwilling to devote his art solely to the celebration of physical beauty. Instead, he put his work in the service of the imperialist movement that led Japan into World War II. 

Now, as the mature Ono struggles through the aftermath of that war, his memories of his youth and of the “floating world”—the nocturnal world of pleasure, entertainment, and drink—offer him both escape and redemption, even as they punish him for betraying his early promise. Indicted by society for its defeat and reviled for his past aesthetics, he relives the passage through his personal history that makes him both a hero and a coward but, above all, a human being. (Publisher's description)

Initial Thoughts

 

This is a book I've had on my must-read list for many years, and I finally pulled it out and started it last month. I'm enjoying it, but it's taking longer than I expected to finish. Ishiguro's style in this early novel is a bit meandering, very much like that opening paragraph, and tends to wander around and double back on itself. Enjoyable, but now and then I start wishing he'd just focus and get to the point. 

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

 

2020 Children's and Teen Choice Book Award Winners Announced

As an enthusiastic reader of children's literature, I'm always interested in the various awards presented every year, and I hadn't heard about these before now. 

The Children's and Teen Choice Book Awards are handed out annually by Every Child a Reader, the charitable arm of the Children's Book Council, and are the only national book awards selected exclusively by young readers.

The awards are divided into four categories, and the seven finalists in each category are chosen by children from different regions of the U.S., with supervision by the International Literacy Association. The voting for the winners was held in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and online at home, from September 14th to November 15th.

The 2020 awards were given to books published in 2019. Winners and honor books in the four categories are:

• K–Second Grade

 Winner: The Good Egg by Jory John, illus. by Pete Oswald (HarperCollins)

Honor: The Babysitter from Another Planet by Stephen Savage (Holiday House/Porter)

 
• Third–Fourth Grade

Winner: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illus. by Kadir Nelson (HMH/Versify)

Honor: Mr. Posey’s New Glasses by Ted Kooser, illus. by Daniel Duncan (Candlewick)

• Fifth–Sixth Grade

Winner: Guts by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic/Graphix)

Honor: Pandora’s Legacy by Bones Leopard, illus. by Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)

 • Teen Choice Book Award

Winner: Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita (Disney-Hyperion)

Honor: Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan (Bloomsbury)

(Information from Publisher's Weekly)

These all sound like books I'd like to read...even though I'm several generations past high school age!

 

Book Beginnings: Take a Look at the Five and Ten

 

Take a Look at the Five and Ten
by Connie Willis
Subterranean Press, November 2020

Opening Lines

Everybody has a traumatic Christmas memory, and mine was always Christmas dinner, partly because in my family (a term used very loosely), it's actually a series of dinners — Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and a New Year's Eve buffet, and if my one-time stepfather Dave had his way, we'd also have St. Lucia's Day and Boxing Day and Twelfth Night dinners, and who knows what else.

About the Book

Ori’s holidays are an endless series of elaborately awful meals cooked by her one-time stepfather Dave’s latest bride. Attended by a loose assemblage of family, Ori particularly dreads Grandma Elving—grandmother of Dave’s fourth wife—and her rhapsodizing about the Christmas she worked at Woolworth’s in the 1950s. And, of course, Ori hates being condescended to by beautiful, popular Sloane and her latest handsome pre-med or pre-law boyfriend. 

But this Christmas is different. Sloane’s latest catch Lassiter is extremely interested in Grandma Elving’s boringly detailed memories of that seasonal job, seeing in them the hallmarks of a TFBM, or traumatic flashbulb memory. With Ori’s assistance, he begins to use the older woman in an experiment—one she eagerly agrees to. As Ori and Lassiter spend more time together, Ori’s feelings for him grow alongside the elusive mystery of Grandma’s past. (Publisher's description)

Initial Thoughts

 

Well, my first thought was: That opening paragraph is just one very long sentence! But intriguing. It does make me want to keep reading.

Of course, it also makes me think about traumatic Christmas memories. Yeah, I guess we've all got 'em. Mine have more to do with Christmas travel. After I moved away from Texas and my family, coming home for Christmas usually meant hours of flying or driving in snowy, icy weather. Or, some years, not being able to get home at all. 

But I've got lots of wonderful Christmas memories, too. So I guess it all balances out. 

It's a little unusual for me to read Christmas-themed books during the holidays. Not by plan, just doesn't usually work out that way. Are you reading anything Christmas-y for the season? I'd love recommendations.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

 

Book Beginnings: Head in the Sand

Head in the Sand

(Book 2 in the DI Nick Dixon series)

by Damien Boyd

(First published 2013)

Opening Lines

To the casual observer she appeared alive and well, but anyone who knew her would tell you that she had died twelve months ago when her daughter had been taken from her. She was still breathing, still crying and still feeling pain. Apart from that, she did and felt nothing.

About the Book

The discovery of a severed head in a bunker on Burnham and Berrow golf course triggers a frantic race to find a serial killer that brings the seaside town of Burnham-on-Sea to a standstill.

When the connection is made with a series of unsolved murders over thirty years before, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon finds himself chasing ghosts from the past in a race against time that takes him the length and breadth of the country.  (Description from GoodReads)

Initial Thoughts

 

 I read the first Nick Dixon mystery (As the Crow Flies) when the US edition came out, back in 2015, and really enjoyed it. Not sure why it's taken me so long to get to the second book. So far, it's living up to its description as "a fast-paced thriller" ― which is just what I need right now, to help get me out of these reading doldrums I've fallen into lately.

I do have a little trouble with the Detective Inspector's name, however. Keep wanting to call him Dick Nixon, though he really has absolutely no resemblance to "Tricky Dick."

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

 

Book Beginnings: The Queen of the Tambourine

The Queen of the Tambourine,

by Jane Gardam

(First published 1991)

Opening Lines

7 February
Dear Joan,

I do hope I know you well enough to say this.
I think you ought to try to forget about your leg.

About the Book

With prose that is vibrant and witty, The Queen of the Tambourine traces the emotional breakdown—and eventual restoration—of Eliza Peabody, a smart and wildly imaginative woman who has become unbearably isolated in her prosperous London neighborhood.

The letters Eliza writes to her neighbor, a woman whom she hardly knows, reveal her self-propelled descent into madness. Eliza must reach the depths of her downward spiral before she can once again find health and serenity.

This story of a woman’s confrontation with the realities of sanity will delight readers who enjoy the works of Anita Brookner, Sybille Bedford, Muriel Spark, and Sylvia Plath.  (Publisher's back-of-book description)

Initial Thoughts

 
Forget about your leg? Well, all-righty. After that opening, I sort of had to go ahead with this one.

I've been wanting to read something by Jane Gardam for years now. (Well, why don't you just do it ?!?) Queen of the Tambourine won the Whitbread award for best novel of the year in 1991; it's been on my TBR list for many years, and so far I'm loving it. And after a couple of not-so-satisfying reads, that's a very welcome occurrence. 

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

Hey, it's November! Suddenly! I'm not sure what happened to October. Did it really have 31 days this year?

Well, even though the month seemed to zip right by me, I did manage to get a little reading done. Here's what I read....

 

Snow (St John Strafford #1), by John Banville

 

 

The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1), by Agatha Christie

 

Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary

 

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book,

by Diane Muldrow

Not sure what I'll be reading this week. I've got an ARC that I need to read this month:

 

Take a Look at the Five and Ten, by Connie Willis

So that's a definite possibility. Never read anything by Connie Willis before. And I love discovering new authors, don't you?

Happy reading, everyone! And have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Book Beginnings: Snow

Snow,

by John Banville

(October 2020)

Opening Lines

WINTER, 1957

I'm a priest, for Christ's sake -- how can this be happening to me?

About the Book

Following the discovery of the corpse of a highly respected parish priest at Ballyglass House — the Co. Wexford family seat of the aristocratic, secretive Osborne family — Detective Inspector St John Strafford is called in from Dublin to investigate.

Strafford faces obstruction from all angles, but carries on determinedly in his pursuit of the murderer. However, as the snow continues to fall over this ever-expanding mystery, the people of Ballyglass are equally determined to keep their secrets.  (Description from GoodReads)

Initial Thoughts

 
I was definitely intrigued by that first sentence, and by the book's description. I've been intending to read something by John Banville for years now, so I was happy to get an ARC of this one (yes, I'm a little late getting it read). So far, I'm liking it a lot — Inspector Strafford is really an interesting character, and as yet I don't have any idea "whodunnit." I like that. 

Hope to get it finished up tonight or over the weekend, if all goes well.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

 

Banned Books Week

To kick off this year's Banned Books Week (Sep 27 - Oct 3), the American Library Association has published a list of the Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books of the Past Decade. 

It's an interesting list, with a few of my all-time favorites among the titles (Huck Finn, Lolita, 1984, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Also many titles I've never even heard of and lots I haven't read (and probably won't, at my age). But I'm intrigued, just the same. Here's the list, with the books I have read in bold typeface.

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
2. Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green
5. George by Alex Gino
6. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
7. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
8. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
9. Internet Girls (series) by Lauren Myracle
10. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
12. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
13. I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel
14. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
16. Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
17. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
18. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
19. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
20. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
21. Alice McKinley (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
22. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
23. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
24. Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
25. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
26. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
27. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
28. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
29. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
30. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
31. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
32. It's a Book by Lane Smith
33. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
34. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
35. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
36. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
37. Bad Kitty (series) by Nick Bruel
38. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
39. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
40. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
41. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey
42. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
43. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
44. A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
45. Beloved by Toni Morrison
46. Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine
47. In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
48. Lush by Natasha Friend
49. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
50. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
51. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
52. The Holy Bible (well, I've read a lot of it)
53. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
54. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
55. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
56. Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar
57. House of Night (series) by P.C. Cast
58. My Mom's Having A Baby by Dori Hillestad Butler
59. Neonomicon by Alan Moore
60. The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake
61. The Giver by Lois Lowry
62. Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
63. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
64. Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle
65. Dreaming In Cuban by Cristina Garcia
66. Fade by Lisa McMann
67. The Family Book by Todd Parr
68. Feed by M.T. Anderson
69. Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
70. Habibi by Craig Thompson
71. House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
72. Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman
73. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
74. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
75. Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter
76. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
77. Stuck in the Middle by Ariel Schrag
78. The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
79. 1984 by George Orwell
80. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
81. Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
82. Awakening by Kate Chopin
83. Burned by Ellen Hopkins
84. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
85. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
86. Glass by Ellen Hopkins
87. Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesle´a Newman
88. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
89. Madeline and the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans
90. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
91. Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack
92. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology by Amy Sonnie
93. Skippyjon Jones (series) by Judith Schachner
94. So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
95. The Color of Earth (series) by Tong-hwa Kim
96. The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
97. The Walking Dead (series) by Robert Kirkman
98. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
99. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S Brannen
100. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

 
So here we are at the end of another month, and now it's autumn! Not my favorite time of year, but at least it's usually a pretty good reading season for me. This year, though, I seem to be getting off to a slow start — in the last couple of weeks, I've only finished two books:

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides

and...

 

The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea

The suicide theme there is just a coincidence, not something I planned. At least, not consciously!

Right now, I'm reading:

 

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage,
by M.C. Beaton

And this week, I'm also hoping to get back to another book I've got started:

 

The Talented Miss Farwell,
by Emily Gray Tedrowe

After I get those finished up, I need to start on a couple of recent ARCs:

 Snow, by John Banville

 The Lost Village, by Camilla Sten

Definitely enough to keep me occupied as October gets underway! Happy reading, everyone!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Book Beginnings: The Virgin Suicides

Is anyone else having problems with this new version of Blogger? I'm having loads of trouble getting this post together, so please excuse any weird glitches. I'm sure I'll work it out eventually, but right now WordPress is looking better and better. 

 

The Virgin Suicides,

by Jeffrey Eugenides

(First published 1993)

Opening Sentence

On the morning the last Lisbon daughter took her turn at suicide — it was Mary this time, and sleeping pills, like Therese — the two paramedics arrived at the house knowing exactly where the knife drawer was, and the gas oven, and the beam in the basement from which it was possible to tie a rope.

About the Book

... [The Virgin Suicides] is the story of the five Lisbon sisters – beautiful, eccentric, and obsessively watched by the entire neighborhood.

The boys that once loved them from afar are now grown men, determined to understand a tragedy that has always defied explanation. For still, the question remains – why did all five of the Lisbon girls take their own lives?

This hypnotic and unforgettable novel treats adolescent love and death with haunting sensitivity and dark humor, and creates a coming-of-age story unlike any of our time. (Description from GoodReads)

Initial Thoughts

Well, my first thought when I read that opening sentence was "Wow, that's very disturbing." I still think so. 

I've actually just finished reading this one, and LOVED it. Not sure why it took me so long to find it. I remember that it caused a huge stir when it was first published, but somehow I've managed to miss it until now. I definitely regret that, because it's one of the best books I've read in years.

It was apparently made into a successful motion picture, too —which I also missed out on. I notice it's available from Netflix, so I might have to watch it one of these days. But films made from your favorite novels are generally let-downs, aren't they? So I'll think about that a bit.

Anyway.... Here's another version of the cover — this is from the original hardcover edition.

Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stay safe. Stay calm. And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's been a while since I checked in with a Monday update. And here we are, a whole week into September! I started the summer off with a bit of a reading slump. But in the last couple of months things have picked up and I've actually managed to finish a few books. Here's the list:

A Death Long Overdue

(A Lighthouse Library Mystery),

by Eva Gates

Kill Your Darlings (Mallory #3),

by Max Allan Collins

The King's Justice

(a Maggie Hope Mystery),

by Susan Elia MacNeal

Knot of This World

(a Quilting Mystery),

by Mary Marks 

The List of Things That Will Not Change,

by Rebecca Stead

Also read a couple of classic children's books:

Beezus and Ramona

(Ramona Quimby #1),

by Beverly Cleary

The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip 

(second book in that series),

by Jerry West

Right now, I've got several books going (as usual). This week I'm hoping to finish up these two:

The Talented Miss Farwell, by Emily Gray Tedrowe

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides

And after that....who knows? Maybe one of the two or three thousand books on my ever-expanding "TBR" list.

Happy reading, everyone!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XV

Now that September's here (amazing, but true!), it's time for the annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (RIP) reading challenge/event. This is the fifteenth year for RIP, and I've participated in eleven of those years. I always look forward to it.

It's very informal this year — there's no sign-up, and you can read as much as you want from any of the mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, Gothic, or other "dark lit" genres. Then if you're into Instagram or Twitter, you can join in the discussions there (tags are @PerilReaders and #ripxv). I'm not a huge social media fan, but I might pay an occasional visit. Or maybe not. Either way, I'm still looking forward to doing some spooky reading for the event.

Don't have a specific list of reading to do, but I've got a few things in mind:

• The Lost Village, by Camilla Sten (English edition to be published early in 2021. This one has been called "relentlessly creepy" — which sounds perfect for me and for RIP!) 
• Plain Bad Heroines, by Emily M. Danforth (To be published in October. This one is getting lots of advance hype and sounds really intriguing, but it's much longer than the books I generally choose.)
• Snow, by John Banville (Also coming in October. This will be my introduction to Banville, but I've got tons of his works on my TBR list.)
• The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea (I'm reading an ARC of this, and I really should have finished by now, since the book came out in July!)

I'll also be watching lots of mystery/horror movies and TV shows, of course. And I'll be keeping track of all my reading and viewing over on my challenge blog (HERE).

So, Happy Fall! And Happy Reading, everyone.

WWW Wednesdays: 19 August 2020

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for WWW Wednesdays! This meme was originally hosted by MizB over at A Daily Rhythm, and then revived by Sam Stevens of Taking on a World of Words. Just three questions, once a week:

1. What are you currently reading?

I've got several books started right now, which of course means that I'm having trouble actually finishing any of them. I'm hoping to finish this one this week:

The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea

I've also just started reading an advance copy of this one:

Plain Bad Heroines, by Emily M. Danforth

(with illustrations by Sara Lautman)

Emily Danforth's historical novel is due out in October, and it's getting an awful lot of pre-publication buzz. Sounds like an interesting read, but it's a chunkster with just about 600 pages — so it's very unlikely I'll get it read before it comes out.

2. What did you recently finish reading?

I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries and kiddie lit lately. They seem like good genres for this strange time — sort of comfort food for the mind/psyche/soul. In the last couple of weeks I've finished these:

Knot of This World, by Mary Marks
(Quilting Mystery #8)

A Death Long Overdue, by Eva Gates

(Lighthouse Library Mystery #7)

Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary

(Ramona Quimby #1)

The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip, by Jerry West

(Second in the Happy Hollisters series, first published in 1953)

3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Well, I'm probably going to be reading those first two for a while. But once I finish those (or possibly abandon them?), I'll most likely be looking for something nice and light, with a little humor. Maybe something like this:

Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage, by M.C. Beaton

(Number 5 in the series, first published 1996)

Or maybe something completely different!

So what about you? Have you been reading more than ever, in quarantine? Or about as much as usual? Or maybe you just can't settle down and read as much as you'd like. That's definitely been my problem for the last few months. I guess I'm still waiting for the new normal to feel ... well, normal.

Anyway, happy reading, everyone! And have a great Wednesday.