Wed Reading Meme...

1). What I just finished reading?

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - who is a brilliant literary stylist, and her narrative structure is a work of beauty, tailor-made for academics and frustrated English Lit majors to scrutinize. Didn't much like her story or characters though. Although she does say quite a few poignant things about aging, the time period, and the craft of writing, not to mention the drive. Many of which I've posted within this journal.

Full review, with vague spoilers, is below:

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Note - Atwood is not the sort of writer you read to escape, quickly, on your commute to work or on an airplane. She requires your attention and concentration. Each sentence. Each word. Must be savored.
Like fine fermented wine. Not the cheap stuff that comes in a box. Books are a bit like wine, there's the cheap stuff that you slurp down, get mildly or grossly drunk on, might have a hangover, but forget later. And the fine stuff that you savor, tastes amazing, and you enjoy with chocolates.

2. What I'm reading now?

Almost done with accomplished Italian playwright and screenwriter, Dario Fo's first attempt at novel writing. Let's just say you can tell he's a playwright. Actually, it reminds me a great deal of Machiavelli's The Prince, except haphazardly turned into a play, with the Borgia family in the key roles.

I can't quite decide if the problem is in the translation, and if this would be much better in the original Italian. I'd need someone to read it in both and tell me. Since I can't read Italian. (I can barely read elementary French. Learning Italian isn't going to happen any time soon.)

It's a book club book. Otherwise I would have given up on it by now. I'm 91% of the way through or on page 221 out 247 pages. And it has pictures, lots of pictures, so more like 180 of 200 pages.

The book is a history of Lucrezia Borgia -- making me want to stream the Showtime Series "The Borgias" on Showtime via my streaming device. I'm thinking that would be more entertaining, if less historically accurate. (Speaking of Streaming, Better Call Saul is coming to netflix in Feb, which means I can stream it, a much better way of watching. No dumb commercials.) You'd think a book about the Borgias wouldn't be quite so dull. Particularly one by an accomplished Italian comedian and playwright. Well, you'd be wrong. It's duller than dirt, as they say. I'm bored. It's putting me to sleep. Which is why I gave up reading it on my commute and just read it before bed. Well that and because, I'm having troubles reading paperback books without my reading glasses - which are difficult to manage on the subway.
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The Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath - more entertaining than The Pope's Daughter, believe it or not. Although the prose is a tad less precise and far more purple. The dialogue is a bit more fun. Not fair to compare - one is pulp, one is literary. One I'll remember, one I'll forget, if I don't make sure I put on Good Reads and in this journal. Because honestly all these romance novels blend together after a bit.

My mother has discovered a writer who is similar to Georgette Heyer, but writes in a cleaner style (ie. you don't have to focus on it). Rebecca Connelly. No sex in her books. Focuses on banter and relationship - a la Heyer. I may try her next.

Heath's books are fun, for the most part. But her plots don't quite work. For instance, the hero is shot in the arm, okay, it's just a graze. And he's more worried about cleaning the blood off his estranged wife's dress. I'm sorry, he should be faint-headed, or in pain. Being grazed by a bullet is painful. Also he couldn't figure out that his brother hadn't actually slept with his wife - even though he was clearly fully clothed when he found him in bed with her.

But still fun. And a quick read. You don't have to focus that hard on it. Sort of like eating a bon-bon or drinking a light riesling as opposed to a merlot. Great commuter book - particularly on the kindle for $1.99.

3) What I'm reading next?

Most likely Euphoria by Lily King for book club. Also flirting with Cervantes' "Don Quixote" (it's a translation) for the year long, chapter a night bedside reading, because I need a book to replace The Brilliant Assassin for that category. Of course Cervantes - Don Quixote is also translated, so..same problem as above. I wish I was better at languages. Stupid genetics.

I don't know what I'm reading next.

Oh, do you want to see the list of books that I found at Barnes and Nobel to share with my book club, as potential book club selections? They've had difficulty selecting books of late and asked for new selections. So during my lunch break, I walked over to B&N on fifth and 46th Street, and wandered about picking up books and taking down the name and author of whatever looked interesting or called out to me. Came up with over 20. Went back to work and proceeded to research them via Good Reads and Amazon. Managed to scale the list down to 7 -- I cut anything that the book club had already read, anything over 400 pages (you'd be amazed how many books are over 400 pages...seriously), and anything that had a lot of negative reviews. (Depended on the negative reviews -- a negative review can entice me to read a book or watch a movie.) I also chose to stay far away from over-hyped novels or novels that got marketing blitz. (ie. Girl on the Train, Room, Revenant, etc.)

If you are at all curious, click below for the list:

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All appear to be a bit off the beaten path.