Off-Topic Spring Reading

[Carol K]

Emma was my first Jane Austen that I read for 19th century British Literature in college. I couldn't believe how good it was. That was actually true of all the novels I read for that class.

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by toaster

I finished Pride & Prejudice and really enjoyed it. My MIL also gave me Emma; I'll get to that after awhile.

I started reading the second Dean Koontz Jane Hawk book, The Whispering Room.

P&P was my first Austen. I also love Emma, S&S, and Persuasion. Persuasion is one that’s gained more appeal as I’ve aged — I don’t think it speaks to the young quite the same.

[summer breeze]

I have a big book that contains all Jane Austen's novels. I recently read Pride & Prejudice and loved it. I may have read it many many years ago but I didn't remember it at all. I look forward to reading some of the others. I do need to read other books in between though. As good as her books are, it takes me a little longer to read them and to familiarize myself with the older phrasing. Great reading though.

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by summer breeze

I have a big book that contains all Jane Austen's novels. I recently read Pride & Prejudice and loved it. I may have read it many many years ago but I didn't remember it at all. I look forward to reading some of the others. I do need to read other books in between though. As good as her books are, it takes me a little longer to read them and to familiarize myself with the older phrasing. Great reading though.

I agree - the older books definitely take me longer to read. I'm always impressed with the writing back then and also the actual readers - especially young people. There wasn't much (any?) fluff back then that I know of.

Erica

[Laura S.]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

Gosh, this was my first adult novel by Kaye. Previously, I’d read and loved The Ordinary Princess and didn’t even realize she had also written novels for adults. That said, Shadow of the Moon was not for me. I ended up skimming most of it. So very grim…I mean, that was a terrible era in history, but I don’t like reading very sad things. They tend to linger too long in my mind. Is The Far Pavilions as dark/depressing?

Alison - The Far Pavilions is not as dark as Shadow of the Moon. That being said, it is still an intense book with some dark passages. I never enjoyed Shadow of the Moon nearly as much because it was so relentlessly dark.


I'm reading The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper. This is my first book by her and I'm enjoying it. When I was teenager, Mom had a set of a lot of Louisa May Alcott's books and I could not get through Little Women. I tried several times over the years. But after trying Little Women, I went on to read all of the rest of the Alcott books my mom had.

I've also started re-reading some of Mary Stewart's books on the Kindle. I read them as a teenager and young adult. It has been fun to go back and find that I still enjoy them. I read This Rough Magic and now I'm reading The Ivy Tree.

[toaster]

I'm sure I will enjoy Emma!

At the library this past week, I picked up my next unread book in Jonathan Kellerman's Dr. Delaware series (I'm currently 2-3 books behind), and another Kellerman that isn't part of the series, so I will probably read those next.

[Laura S.]

I finished The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey. It was pretty good. This was my first book by this author.

[Paine]

I'm reading The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore. It's a true story. I'm not very far into the book but I am outraged that this happened.

Beth, I saw the 2020 movie Emma and I liked it. The actress who played Emma had the lead role in The Queen's Gambit.

[Carol K]

That adaption of Emma was the last movie I saw in the theatre before the shutdown.

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by sherry7899

Erica, please post what you think about "Crying in H Mart" My son bought it but has not read it yet. He met the author a few years ago after she played at a tiny club in Philly.

Sherry, I liked the book a lot. I wasn't familiar with the author at all but it's a beautiful book that touched my heart. I don't know if your son would like it though. It's not really about the author's music - it's mostly about her grief over the loss of her mother, her relationship with her mother over the years, caretaking when her mother became ill, and her connection with her culture and family. I don't know if the parts about her grief would be comforting for your son or triggering (or both). Same for you, but maybe even more so since you recently lost both your mom and DH.

Originally Posted by Paine

I'm reading The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore. It's a true story. I'm not very far into the book but I am outraged that this happened.
.

I have this book waiting for me at the library.

Erica