Sunday, May 01, 2016

The 2016 Infomaniac Book Challenge: Your March-April Choices

It's time for you Bitches to have your say.


[via]

Tell us what you've been reading during the months of March and April for The 2016 Infomaniac Book Challenge.

42 comments:

  1. I'm reading this. You know, just in case...

    ReplyDelete
  2. First off, I have a pair of pants just like that sweater. Could it be the same designer? Well, I read one book. How's Your Romance by Ethan Mordden. I have it for a while, but finally got to read it. It's the final chapter of tales about a tightly knit circle of friends who live within the shifting confines of gay Manhattan. One of the reviews says, " One of our community's major contempory writers... his style combines the satirical urbanity of Juvenal, the wit of Oscar Wilde, the intelligence and drawing room sophistication of Jane Austen...this volume is a splendid gift to us all" Plus I loved the cover art.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MISTRESS MADDIE: Regarding that hole in your pants…front or back? And is it “tightly knit” like the characters in your book?

      Delete
  3. I read the Golem and the Jinni. Golems are part of Jewish folk myth and Jinni are Arabic, so the cultural conflict is implied, but it's set in very early 20th century New York so that's not really a part of the story. There's lots of discussion between the two about Predeterminism and free will. Loved it.

    I'm re-reading Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Clever and charming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neverwhere is a book that I keep meaning to read. I like Neil Gaiman, but have only read two or three of his books (Good Omens with Terry Pratchett being a favourite)

      Delete
    2. PEENEE: “The Golem and the Jinni” has been beckoning from the book shop shelves for a couple of years now. I’m embarrassed to admit that the fact that it’s over 500 pages long has held me back, in case I got part way through and didn’t like it. Your recommendation proves my fears are unfounded.

      MR. DeVICE & PEENEE: You can’t go wrong with Neil Gaiman. I’ll add “Neverwhere” to my list.

      Delete
    3. I recently listened(on the pc) to a BBC radio adaptation of it.It may be available on your side of the Pond...

      Delete
  4. Aside from the re-read of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "relaunch" that I'm going through (next stop: The Soul Key), and one or two new Star Trek releases, I've flicked through a couple of bird books that I was fascinated with as a child. Oh, and a Mary Berry cookbook!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MR. DeVICE: I see you’ve posted a very interesting book meme.

      I may try to post one myself at a later date. But I still haven’t done that music meme that’s making the rounds!

      Delete
  5. How inventive. A KNITTED glory-hole. Jx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS I am half-heartedly reading Dancing With Demons: The Authorised Biography of Dusty Springfield by Penny Valentine and Vicki Wickham. It's very sad, so I need to choose my moments carefully. Other than that, nada. Jx

      Delete
    2. JON: Knitted for your comfort.

      Dusty was tremendously talented yet tortured. I understand why you need to choose your moments carefully to read her bio.

      Delete
    3. HUGGY JON: Les Moulins de mon Cœur.

      Delete
  6. I've been busy writing my own book entitled: Poor Quality Short Stories For Peasants By Eurydice Moore (my pen name) with titles such as:

    The Bad Girls Home
    Come And Buff My Lladro (a maid's story)
    Lesbians Are Not The Only Fruit
    Trepanning For Dummies
    The Seductive Smell Of Urine

    Plus many more.

    It should be out hopefully by early 2018 by Bloomsbury, talking book read by Maureen Lipman and braille edition by 2019. Something to look forward to.

    Metamorphosis by Franz kafka. (Kindle free) A traveling salesman wakes up to find he has been turned into an insect. I read this throughout hoping to find an explanation for his transformation but none was given.

    My Family And Other Animals
    Birds, Beasts and Relatives
    The Garden Of The Gods by Gerald Durrell Three books in one called The Corfu Trilogy. I saw this on a 'Take a book, leave a donation' table in Morrison's supermarket, it looked brand new and it was the best 8p I've ever spent. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I only wished I'd kept it.

    The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis.

    Slimming World- Veggie Deluxe. It's a cookbook for fatties.

    The good thing about Kindle is you can buy a book, read it within 14 days of purchase and get a full refund.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MITZI: I see why you purchased “Slimming World” but I see you also enjoy gospel music and are inspired by our Lord.

      “Come And Buff My Lladro (a maid's story)” is sure to be a best-seller. I’m pre-ordering for The Houseboys.

      I read “My Family and Other Animals” when I was a child so I’ll keep the other two books in the trilogy in mind. I’ve been meaning to tune into the TV series “The Durrells” as well.

      Just read a description of “The Dark Portal” that begins… “In the sewers of Deptford there lurks a dark presence that fills the tunnels with fear.” Intriguing!

      Am I the only one who didn’t know about the refund policy?

      Delete
    2. Ye Gods!

      I've read all Robin Jarvis's books somehow the Deptford Mice trilogy had slipped my radar.

      On Amazon go to Manage Your Content and Devices.
      2. From Your Content, select the Actions button next to the title you want to return and then select Return for Refund.
      3. In the pop-up window, select Return for Refund.

      I've saved £££ over the years knowing that little tip.

      Delete
    3. MITZI: Thanks for the hot tip!

      Delete
  7. i'm sorry, but a dog peed on my infomaniac book report. i'm not sure i'll be able to write another!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm reading Charmed Lives, a charming memoir by Michael Korda of his childhood among the colorful and rather intimidating Korda family. It's some measure of how it went that his stepmother, Merle Oberon, is pretty much the least interesting person around. The most, by far, is his uncle, Sir Alex Korda, a visionary/rascal/genius of sorts, about whom the author writes with equal parts reverence and wit. Good stuff.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MUSCATO: I recently read Carly Simon’s memoir, “Boys in the Trees” in which she describes how her father, Richard L. Simon, co-founder of Simon & Schuster, was betrayed by his colleagues.

      Since Michael Korda was a former editor-in-Chief of Simon & Schuster, "Charmed Lives" would round out my “famous moguls of publishing houses” reading for the year.

      Delete
    2. was surprised to see carly on jackie robinson documentary telling how the the robinsons lived with her family & how jackie had taught her to swing a bat.

      Delete
    3. NORMA: Carly mentions in her memoir that Jackie Robinson was a frequent house guest at the home of her parents, along with other notable personalities of the day.

      I saw that same PBS documentary on Jackie Robinson, recently. Excellent work, as usual, from Ken Burns.

      Delete
  9. I've finally finished reading a book on art & architecture that I started in January. And I took a chance to reread a book that I once read as a child. I'm looking at anthology next, but we'll see.

    Now I want to reread Neil Gaiman's The Sandman & his other works mentioned above.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EROS: That art and architecture book you were reading sounded like something to savour. In cases like that, you don’t want to rush to finish your book.

      Delete
  10. Just before I left The Land of Aus to spend a few weeks in Florida/Ohio, I re-read Stig Larsson's "Millenium" trilogy;that's the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series.Just as enjoyable second time around.And at Brisbane airport i picked up "The Words in my Hand" by Guinevere Glasfurd;historical romance about the maid who had a child by Rene Descartes.Lovely writing.When I get home I plan to haul out some Neil Gaiman goodies.

    http://www.tworoadsbooks.com/fiction/the-words-in-my-hand-guinevere-glasfurd/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DINAHMOW: Just read the description for “The Words in My Hand.” What a novel use of beetroot!

      Delete
    2. You should see what they do with walnuts.
      Sx

      Delete
  11. Well, I did finish The Hourglass Factory. I feel it needed the laces pulled tighter. I am now reading The Visitors by Sally Beauman, which is about the discovery of Tutankhamun, and Howard Carter. I am enjoying it so far.
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MISS SCARLET: At a whopping 544 pages, I expect you'll still be working on "The Visitors" during the next Book Challenge check-in.

      Delete
  12. I won't bore you with the details of my latest reading from my CEO employer who extols her life experience in the form of reflections on famous poetry. Rather I have just started reading Grace Jones' recently released biography. So far her eccentricity shines through from her earliest days. I will reserve more critical judgement for later but so far I can imagine her reciting her stories to a writer that earned every penny of what feels like the musings of someone with bipolar disorder. In March I was in Paris for work and just happened to be shopping at the Bon Marche book department when she arrived for signings. I suppose I should have joined the line to get an autographed copy but instead I ordered off Amazon. We'll see if I regret that decision after I've finished reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HAYWARD: In my opinion, Grace Jones’ memoir was a rollicking good read.

      Delete
  13. May the 4th be with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LX: And a belated whatever it’s called to YOU!

      Delete
  14. I'm on book number three of Dumas Malone's Thomas Jefferson biography. There are six books altogether. I inherited this biography 21 years ago. Tried to read it once before and couldn't get into it. Now I'm into it. My take away so far is the only thing that changes in the U S of A. are the people playing the parts in the drama. What is happening today happened at the start. Everything old is new again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JEFFREY: Right you are and I’m channeling Peter Allen when I sing…

      ♫When trumpets were mellow
      And every gal only had one fellow
      No need to remember when
      'Cause everything old is new again♫

      Delete
    2. Jeffery, pardon me for continually spelling your name incorrectly.

      Delete