I read Iron Curtain by #VesnaGoldsworthy. A page-turner set in the 1980s. A young privileged 'red princess' from a poor unnamed central European country elopes to London in the name of love. The sense of displacement has echoes of the Patricia Engel book I read just before this. There's also enjoyable farce here even if the clichés about the UK are laid on a little thick at times. #bookToot#bookstodon#keefsreads
Enjoyed French Braid by #AnneTyler. Yes, it's the same book exploring the ordinary lives of America middle-class families she always writes. But the characters as ever are completely believable. Nothing much happens, but I really want to know about it. #bookToot#bookstodon#keefsreads
Just finished Reward System by #JemCalder. Short stories about young adults navigating their lives in the smartphone era. Not much happens. But the writing is plenty good enough to maintain interest. #BookToot#bookstodon#keefsreads
Read #Bournville by #JonathanCoe. Redeemed a bit by a strong finish, when the writing and subject matter clearly gets personal, but a really disappointing clunky book. Too reliant on lazy nostalgia; I expected spangles and Choppers to appear at one stage. Some odd writing. Rather than develop characters naturally he just bungs in their internal monologue on one occasion. #bookstodon#BookToot#keefsreads
Just read Animal Life by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir. Musings on life, death and light seen through the eyes of two generations of Icelandic midwives. Not much happens. But that's ok. What did I take from it? A reminder that human life is odd in some respects. Babies of other animals develop far quicker...and the earth will outlive us all. #bookToot#bookstodon#keefsreads
Just finished Lucy by the Sea by #ElizabethStrout, the last of the #LucyBarton series. Set, and I guess written, in lockdown. Not convinced either is conducive to good art. Didn't enjoy as much as the first installment. My main thoughts were that it is striking that Lucy, despite her success as a writer, has little agency over her own life and where it goes. And perhaps that shows us the effects of earlier poverty and poor parenting are hard to shake off. #bookToot#bookstodon#keefsreads
Took a while to get going, but very much enjoyed Shrines of Gaiety by #KateAtkinson. A tale of gangland crime set in London just after WW1. A reminder of how cheap life (particularly female life) was back then. Although the main reason to recommend it, is because you will really want to know what happens to the characters she creates. #bookstodon#BookToot#keefsreads
Read The Exhibitionist by #CharlotteMendelson. The central figure is an appalling man child who everyone else spends their entire time trying to appease. If you've had a narcissist in your life, this may not be the book for you. I guess women deliberately downplaying their success not to upset men is a theme many will recognise. Did I enjoy it? On balance. But the dickishness of this man is relentless. #Bookstodon#BookToot#keefsreads
Antes que nada, esta es obviamente una edición especial.
No está Susi, nos va a faltar y lo vamos a sentir, y el Club nunca será el mismo sin ella. Y sin embargo, creo que también es por ella que tenemos que hacerlo. Sólo muere quien se olvida.
Además, hay gente nueva que nos lee, que tal vez y ojalá participe y nos dé la oportunidad de conocerlos. Por ellos uso las etiquetas nuevas en estos toots introductorios, espero que a nadie le moleste, luego seguiré con las nuestras.