Finished Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker. It was a little too preachy and political for my tastes even though I agreed with most of it. Otherwise, formulaic Spenser novel.

Finished A Savage Place, also by Parker. Spenser goes to Hollywood, again a vehicle for Parker's social/political views. Another standard Spenser plot.

Started Pastime, also by Parker.

Restarted and swiftly finished after a lengthy hiatus. Tenant is outstanding. Gripping, perfectly paced and utterly before it's time: Anne captures lad culture, toxic masculinity, gaslighting and the like with perspicacity few will have matched in the bicentenary since. All written by a sheltered woman in her mid 20s considered her family's Ringo! Tenant doesn't overflow with flowery language but there are highlights:

Beautiful no?

The only issue with Tenant is the weird epistolary framing: I hoped this would make sense as the book progressed but the novel's conclusion made the construct queerer still! But this is handwaved easily enough.

I will endeavour to read Wuthering Heights & Jane Eyre within two years - are they really that good or is rather, as seem likely, Anne unfairly maligned?

Warning! The book is commonly found in mutilated (abridged) form. I read the full version but the abridged version is perhaps more common (and hard to spot). I didn't realise this until I'd finished reading the book. If you're unsure which version you are looking at - the full version starts "Dear Halford", mutilated because with "(Chapter 1) You must go back with me to the autumn of 1827." The full version has chapter headings ("Chapter 1: A Discovery") the mutilated doesn't. All the free versions (Kindle, Project Gutenberg etc.) appear to be the abridged version.

Finished Pastime by Robert B. Parker, started Sixkill, also by Parker.

Pastime is a standard Spenser narrative with a subplot involving family relationships and a minor resolution variation.

I've been reading a lot of long novels lately, most recently John Crowley's Little, Big (which at ca. 600 isn't that long, but it felt much longer--the effect, no doubt, of what one reviewer describes as its languorous prose).

I had previously greatly enjoyed Crowley's The Translator, one his non-fantasy novels, but I had been hesitant about this because I don't read a lot of fantasy. However, I decided to give it a shot after I learned it had been called an overlooked masterpiece by Harold Bloom. (I was also impressed by the various accounts of readers who have become entranced by Little, Big.) But, as a sampling of Goodreads or Amazon reviewers shows, this is one of those book that sharply divides readerships—between those that love it for the meandering modern fable it is and those that are impatient with its leisurely movement across time and its lack of strong narrative progress.

For my own part, I'm glad to have read this, though it was sometimes easy to put down and hard to pick up ... Still to read it is to enter a dream-like state.

For those that like meta-fiction, there's quite a lot of fun self-reflexiveness in the book, especially as one gets deeper in. See, in particular, one of the character's thoughts about the soap opera that he is writing (“A World Elsewhere”):

I’ve been reading Book Without End so far this year. Tax season + 1,000 page book makes for a long haul.

I really enjoy follett but gd. There are a lot of pages.

Finished God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker. God Save the Child, The Judas Goat, and Paper Doll may be the three best Parker-written Spenser novels.

Still reading Sixkill, Parker's last Spenser novel and one of the worst. Also still reading Berlin by Jason Lutes and L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais.

Recently skimmed through Figuring by Maria Popova. It has a fascinating intro followed by too much detail for me. I felt guilty about not finishing it and recommend it to anyone interested in Popova's work or her website, brainpickings.org.

Does anyone here read book reviews? I have to admit I don't think I've read more than two or three in my life. Am I an aberration? I read a lot but never read book reviews.

Book review readers: Do you read these before or after you've read the book? Why do you read these? Is it to find something to read? Is it to know what's going on in the book world? Or something else?

I don't read them for fiction because they're spoiler replete which I'm a nit for. I'd appreciate a Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes but nothing more. I enjoy reading reviews after reading the book.

I don’t even read the book jacket for fear of spoilers.

Just open to page 1 and go

Finished Sixkill by Robert B. Parker. The last book published by Parker before his death in 2010, it has not been as well reviewed as many Spenser novels. I thought it was as good as most, but not as good as the best.

Reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I've read it three previous times making for no surprises, but those times were high school, college, and Army and the last over 45 years ago, so it's like revisiting an old wine and savoring the flavor.

Also reading Early Autumn, the last of a group of Spenser novels I was given. Still reading Berlin and L.A. Requiem.

Finished Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker, a different Spenser series book, heavily influenced by Parker's own experience in raising children.

Still reading in Invisible Man and Berlin.

Started and finished Playmates by Robert B. Parker. It is not as good as most Spenser novels and deals with sports betting and games fixing similar to Mortal Stakes. It's not up to the standards of vintage Spenser.

Reading Robert B. Parker's Lullaby by Ace Atkins plus Berlin and L.A. Requiem.

The Canadian poet Patrick Lane died yesterday, leaving behind an extraordinary work of a lifetime, more than 50 years of poetry. The product of rural British Columbia, who worked in lumber camps as a young man, when not knocking around on the road, many of his poems dealt with his struggle to understand the nature of manhood. Here's an early poem, one of his signature works:

Damn, that's pretty good.

That "tall" in the last line is devastating.

Power vs. Force, David R Hawkings.

Any suggestions after finishing the Malazan series? I have read the Name of the wind, mistborn and stormlight.

First Law is fun, much more of a typical fantasy adventure, but still dark fantasy. I enjoyed the standalone books more than the trilogy, but still enjoyed them all.

Prince of Nothing is much darker, with lots of world building and an ancient, strange, civilization that the author clearly spent a lot of time on. (I'm only on book 2, and the first two are supposed to be the best)

The Book of the New Sun is supposed to be excellent and the best written. Its next on my list.

Finally finished Book Without End. Kingsbridge book 2. Follett. If you like ken follett you will like this book.

Checked the word count and it’s in the top five longest booms I’ve read. Next up is War and Peace. Which will be the longest.

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss- This is a negotiation book by Chris Voss, who was a lead FBI negotiator for many years. He goes into his overall tactics and mindset and the psychology of why people say what they say during negotiation. I learned a lot and think this is worth reading if you are interested in this topic.

WS Merwin, great poet
Obit a fine sketch of a singular genius
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...e83_story.html

Just wrapped up a few decent reads:

The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum. Highlights the efforts of Chemist Harvey Wiley and his quest for food safety in America and the establishment of the FDA.

Blitzed by Norman Ohler. Explores the role of methamphetamine in the Nazi ranks.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared, and The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100 Year Old Man by Jonas Jonasson. Silly, humorous, well written. And silly.

One More Thing, Stories and Other Stories by BJ Novak. Who knew Ryan from the office had a literary gift. A mashup of bizarre short stories, some funny, some depressing, others...just weird. Great to listen to on a road trip.

Finished Robert B. Parker's Lullaby and Robert B. Parker's Old Black Magic both by Ace Atkins.

Still reading Invisible Man, Berlin, and L.A. Requiem.

Started Robert B. Parker's Wonderland by Ace Atkins

Finished Greeks Bearing Gifts, the last of Kerr’s Bernie Gunther novels - until Metropolis is published posthumously next month. I have really enjoyed the series, and learned a lot about various aspects of Nazi Germany.

Yeah! Erik Larson is amazing.

Highly recommend Issacs Storm and Dead Wake. Great reads.