"Starquest: Space Pirates of Andromeda" by John C Wright. Brand spanking new space opera series, and it's a lot of fun, a third of the way in.
"Ascent of Mt Carmel" by St John of the Cross
"The Distance Between High and Low" by Kaye Park Hinckley. Catholic southern gothic, without trying to mimic O'Connor. Second time read through - it's that compelling. Hinckley is the real deal.
"Leviathan's Wake", on which the Amazon Prime show The Expanse is based. Good ol fashioned hard sci-fi.
1a. No read alouds.
2. Just finished "When We Have Faces" by CS Lewis; "The Holiness of Ordinary People" by Madeleine Delbrel; "The Abolition of Man" by Lewis; "Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy" by Rumer Godden. I hope to write reviews for each soon.
3. TBR:
"The Stress of Her Regard" by Tim Powers. Good spooky read for Halloween ☠️👻 "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by Willa Cather; "Lieutenant Hornblower" by Forester; "The Shattering of Loneliness" by Erik Varden.
4: What I keep meaning to finish:
"Complete Works of Flannery O'Connor"; "Lost Pianos of Siberia"; "Dante's Inferno" (Tony Esolen's translation).
Mostly, I am doing academic reading for papers I want to write, exams I have to take, and languages I want or have to learn. I just finished Alonso Schökel's Manual of Hebrew Poetics. I am reading Jon Levinson's Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son, the Collected Poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson, and Louise Bogan's Blue Estuaries. My recreational reading has been upended by the attack on archive.org.
1. Currently reading Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong, the first of the Inspector Chen series of mysteries. I am finding it a little hard to get into, but was recommended by someone whose recommendations I generally trust, so I am trying to persevere. Listening to the Close Reads podcast on Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, which is giving me a little different perspective on the book than I had when I finished. I wonder if the people who see it as so sad (as I do!) are older than the average Close Reads reader (as I am!). I didn't really see the supposed humor in the book. And perhaps that is because I am too close to Mrs. Palfrey in age and loneliness is a fear that we face more fully as we age.
Also just finished That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis. I'm doing a deep dive on Lewis this year. Next up will be a reread of Till We Have Faces.
Am also listening to Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series again. I'm on the 4th book - Broken Homes. I adore these on audio.
Purchased but not started: The Mass of Fr. Michel by Michael Kent, recommended by Joseph Pearce.
Keep meaning to read: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. It's been sitting on my nightstand for a really, really long time. Maybe soon????
I also didn't find Mrs Palfrey funny. It was a sad story, but not in a satisfying way like some stories that are sad but also somehow uplifting at the same time. This story was just sad. And I never got to the point where I really trusted Ludo. I was always expecting him to scam her.
I keep meaning to respond to this post and keep getting away from it. That's what this season of my life is like, including my reading life. I am in the middle of so many books, and can't seem to get much traction on any of them. At the moment, I am really trying to get through The Five Wounds, on recommendation from a friend. It's rough going emotionally, which I usually love, but I think so many around me going through hard times is making it difficult for me to read about people going through...hard times. But I'm committed. Intrigued by a number of your recommendations and looking into them. Thank you!
I know that season well, everything just getting away from you, including reading. The Five Wounds looks interesting though. I might add it to my list. Thanks so much for commenting!
1. Reading:
"Starquest: Space Pirates of Andromeda" by John C Wright. Brand spanking new space opera series, and it's a lot of fun, a third of the way in.
"Ascent of Mt Carmel" by St John of the Cross
"The Distance Between High and Low" by Kaye Park Hinckley. Catholic southern gothic, without trying to mimic O'Connor. Second time read through - it's that compelling. Hinckley is the real deal.
"Leviathan's Wake", on which the Amazon Prime show The Expanse is based. Good ol fashioned hard sci-fi.
1a. No read alouds.
2. Just finished "When We Have Faces" by CS Lewis; "The Holiness of Ordinary People" by Madeleine Delbrel; "The Abolition of Man" by Lewis; "Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy" by Rumer Godden. I hope to write reviews for each soon.
3. TBR:
"The Stress of Her Regard" by Tim Powers. Good spooky read for Halloween ☠️👻 "Death Comes for the Archbishop" by Willa Cather; "Lieutenant Hornblower" by Forester; "The Shattering of Loneliness" by Erik Varden.
4: What I keep meaning to finish:
"Complete Works of Flannery O'Connor"; "Lost Pianos of Siberia"; "Dante's Inferno" (Tony Esolen's translation).
I enjoy this monthly post - thanks!
I just picked up "The Holiness of Ordinary People" again this week. It's really lovely but I keep forgetting about it.
I'm halfway through the Buried Deep collection, and so far particular favorites are the Minotaur one and "Seven" (the pottery one)
Yes. I did like the pottery one too. That's a story I think I could read again and ponder at length.
Mostly, I am doing academic reading for papers I want to write, exams I have to take, and languages I want or have to learn. I just finished Alonso Schökel's Manual of Hebrew Poetics. I am reading Jon Levinson's Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son, the Collected Poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson, and Louise Bogan's Blue Estuaries. My recreational reading has been upended by the attack on archive.org.
1. Currently reading Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong, the first of the Inspector Chen series of mysteries. I am finding it a little hard to get into, but was recommended by someone whose recommendations I generally trust, so I am trying to persevere. Listening to the Close Reads podcast on Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, which is giving me a little different perspective on the book than I had when I finished. I wonder if the people who see it as so sad (as I do!) are older than the average Close Reads reader (as I am!). I didn't really see the supposed humor in the book. And perhaps that is because I am too close to Mrs. Palfrey in age and loneliness is a fear that we face more fully as we age.
Also just finished That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis. I'm doing a deep dive on Lewis this year. Next up will be a reread of Till We Have Faces.
Am also listening to Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series again. I'm on the 4th book - Broken Homes. I adore these on audio.
Purchased but not started: The Mass of Fr. Michel by Michael Kent, recommended by Joseph Pearce.
Keep meaning to read: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. It's been sitting on my nightstand for a really, really long time. Maybe soon????
I also didn't find Mrs Palfrey funny. It was a sad story, but not in a satisfying way like some stories that are sad but also somehow uplifting at the same time. This story was just sad. And I never got to the point where I really trusted Ludo. I was always expecting him to scam her.
I keep meaning to respond to this post and keep getting away from it. That's what this season of my life is like, including my reading life. I am in the middle of so many books, and can't seem to get much traction on any of them. At the moment, I am really trying to get through The Five Wounds, on recommendation from a friend. It's rough going emotionally, which I usually love, but I think so many around me going through hard times is making it difficult for me to read about people going through...hard times. But I'm committed. Intrigued by a number of your recommendations and looking into them. Thank you!
I know that season well, everything just getting away from you, including reading. The Five Wounds looks interesting though. I might add it to my list. Thanks so much for commenting!