As it turns out, I made some real progress on my planned reading last week, finishing four of the six books (Odyssey's End, Playing Games, Crow Mary, and They May Not Mean to, But They Do) that I started the week reading, abandoning one (Time Is a Killer), and making steady progress on the other (Demon Copperhead). Somewhere along the way, I also unexpectedly started reading Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson, Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo, Where I'm From by Rick Bragg, and All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby. Three of the mid-week adds are library holds that became available quicker than anticipated and one (The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks) that just happened to catch my eye on a library shelf.
So this new reading week starts this way:
I am happy to report that I am fully immersed in the life of young Demon Copperhead and that by reading 50-60 pages a day in this remarkable coming-of-age novel, I should finish it on time for the next person waiting on it. I've read just over 400 pages now, and I'm really enjoying the vast cast of weirdos and social misfits who make up Demon's immediate world as they come and go. Finding the humanity in each of them is sometimes a challenge, but there's always a payoff with each new character. The opioid crisis portion of the book, however, is becoming a bit of a drag now.
Elizabeth Strout is another of my favorites, and I'm enjoying my reunion with Lucy, William, and their daughters despite the rough time they are all having in Lucy by the Sea as Strout portrays all of the anxieties, grief, and disorientation that so many of us experienced in 2020 as we all listened to the experts lie to us 24-7 about the scary new virus that threatened to kill us all in our sleep. I have no idea what Strout was going for here as regards reader reaction, but my own has been a strange blending of sadness and anger...probably not what she was shooting for.
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks caught my eye one morning when I went to the library to pick up another book being held for me. I find it impossible to walk past any book that has the word "bookshop" in its title, so I picked this one up for a look despite its rather blah cover - and I ended up bringing it home. It's turned out to be fun so far, a book about a barely surviving store whose "silent owner" bans any book written after 1968. So...the new emergency store manager starts an underground book club and dares to sell new books under the counter. All very tongue-in-cheek.
I'm halfway through S.A. Cosby's fourth novel, All the Sinners Bleed, and to this point I don't find myself enjoying it to the degree that I did the earlier three. That may be because this one is considerably more preachy about current day politics and race relations in this country than the first three books were. It seems that a certain amount of subtlety has been sacrificed in favor of ensuring that certain points are not missed. Still a headfirst, full throttle crime novel, though, and Cosby's writing skill is as obvious as ever.
I was in the mood for an audiobook late last week, and I found this one by Rick Bragg, a man whose reflections on life I've been enjoying for a long, long time. What makes this one so special is that it is read by Rick Bragg himself in that slow Alabama drawl of his that makes these Deep South "stories" come back to life as Bragg recounts memories from his boyhood to his current life. This one - especially if you can resist the urge to kick Rick's delivery up to 125% speed on your device - is just kind of beautiful to anyone having grown up in small town America.
So there you have it, the plan. Now I can't wait to see the surprises that come out of nowhere.
Oh good roundup here. Have you read each in the Russo trilogy? I think I might like to do that. I did read Demon Copperhead & Lucy by the Sea. I was exhausted but i made it. I liked both - they made an impact. Too bad about the Cosby novel. I don't like preachy fiction, argh. Even the 2nd one was a bit like that. His first novel I liked best. Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteI've read the others in the trilogy, and I'm finding it really easy to get back into that world with this new one. Russo is an excellent storyteller that it all seems very real.
DeleteI'm getting closer to the exhaustion stage myself with Demon and his opioid addiction. It still angers me that the family responsible for all of that death and destruction walked away with the bulk of their illicitly gained fortune in tact.
I kind of hope that Cosby gets over the preaching habit at some point very soon. I'm willing to write this one off as a mistake on his part, but if this becomes a habit with him, his appeal will be tarnished for sure.
Hi Sam, congratulations on your progress getting through so many books and you have chosen some really good ones here. I must read Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge before the year ends. So many have read that novel and loved it and I keep putting it off. Also its high time I read Richard Russo, particularly since growing up in NYC I have always been fascinated with upstate NY. It's so vast and from the few times I visited it was like a different world and Russo would really be able to give me a sense of the place and the people.
ReplyDeleteOlive Kitteridge is one of those fictional characters destined to become legendary. I love the way she is popping up even in this latest Lucy Barton novel via third-hand encounters in an assisted living facility. She's apparently feisty as ever but starting to grieve the loss of her few remaining friends.
DeleteIf you are at all familiar with New York state, I suspect that you will love the Russo books even more than I love them, Kathy. Russo is a real gem of a writer.
Nice mix of books you're reading! I thought The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks was a fun read. I, too, have difficulty passing up any book with bookshop in the title. ;D
ReplyDeleteThat one makes a nice "break" from some of the more serious novels I'm reading right now. Demon Copperhead, for example, is really exhausting at times as Demon's struggle with addiction to opioids goes on and on and on despite his good intentions.
DeleteI almost brought another one home with me whose title intrigued me, but a closer look showed it to be pretty much a bunch of silliness...but it was close. :-)
You've got some great books going again this week, Sam. Demon Copperhead was truly an exhausting read, but well worth the effort. And Richard Russo is a great storyteller! I think I've read almost all of his books and am looking forward to his latest. I listened to the two previous Fool novels and this will be different without Sully, but I have confidence in Russo. Elizabeth Strout is a treasure.... I loved this latest Lucy book and will reread it as soon as my copy finds its way back to me. Any title with "Bookstore" in it makes me want to pick it up, lol!
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about this group, JoAnn, is that I'm enjoying each of them in entirely different ways. They turn out to be a pretty diverse group of genres and styles, and that really helps them all to stay fresh. I've even added one called Dwellers by Elisa Victoria that's some kind of cross between SciFi and Horror.
Delete90 pages to go on Demon Copperhead and I'm starting to think that maybe Demon will finally turn the corner on his lifestyle...if not, I'll be disappointed. Russo is a true treasure, especially since several of my old, longtime favorites have passed away now. And Strout...what can I say? Best discovery I've made in years, and I love her work.