This Week’s Blog Posts:
Three very different posts were shared at Grab the Lapels this week. Monday kicked off with the 12th book of #ReadingValdemar, Storm Rising. While not a lot of plot is developed, the characters are, leading me into unexpected emotional places.
Wednesday was a popular day, as many readers weighed in on my argument that literary fiction is not a genre, that it serves more as a label to prove one is reading respectable books. Thank you to all who shared their thoughts, responded to my and other comments, and contributed to an interesting discussion.
On Friday, I said goodbye to summer and hello to #BackToSchool season! Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman is a work of fiction, but her experience in the classroom and use of an unconventional form (especially in 1964) made for a realistic read.
Next Week’s Blog Posts:
For Tuesday: Expect my review of Kerry Greenwood’s mystery novel Earthly Delights, starring a fat woman named Corinna Chapman who just wants to bake bread, but is left to deal with junkies, witches, vampires, rats, and a missing teen girl. If you’re not into mysteries, still read the review; this one may surprise you.
Friday I’ll continue with Corinna Chapman in the second book in the series, Heavenly Pleasures, which is both the title and the name of a chocolaterie that opens near Corinna’s bakery, Earthly Delights. The drama may have moved away from bread, but it’s checked in with chocolate.
Book I Own by a Male Author:
You guys. Stop telling me Charles Dickens is a dude. I’m aware.
I have a goal each month to read from select categories I’ve chosen for myself:
- A book for my fat women quest
- The oldest book I own by a woman
- The newest book I own by a woman
- A #ReadingValdemar book
- Something from the library on my Goodreads TBR
- A book I own by a man
The books I read to my spouse vary wildly in content, theme, genre, and gender of author. It something separate that we do together, but I update folks on what I’m reading to him, and it’s one of the most commented aspects of the Sunday Lowdown, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Book I’m Reading Aloud to My Spouse:
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens has hit a hiccup. The Mr. and Mrs. Page household was on the verge of fisticuffs this week when I noted that there are several scenes in which David seems entirely absent, despite the novel being framed as David in the present penning his memoir and reflecting on his life. Mr. Page, who loves and has read the book before, argues that David isn’t really writing. I mean, I know — David Copperfield isn’t a real person. It’s a flaw in the writing that Dickens seems to lay his protagonist down like a paper doll but forgot where. Will we go on??
Books Added to the TBR Pile:
Thank you to Amanda and Anne for their recommendations!
Grab the Lapels 
I’ve never been able to finish David Copperfield, but I haven’t tried to read it in a long time! Good luck with it. I love reading books aloud. I often enjoy them more that way.
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I’m sure we’ll likely finish, though sometimes it takes compromise. I said we should each read two chapters on our own to get us to leap ahead a bit and get some more action in faster, and then I will resume reading aloud.
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I don’t think I dare read your upcoming post on book 2 from Corinna Chapman – I only have to hear the word chocolate and I begin drooling
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I love how the use the word “choccie” instead of chocolate. Oh, Australia!
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Looking forward to your first Kerry Greenwood review. Loved the debate you generated over Literary Fiction. Sorry about C Dickens is a guy.
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LOL! You were not the only one! 😀
Thanks for joining in the debate about Literary Fiction. I saw you review in which you mentioned my post, and it seems like the folks who follow your blog are feeling pretty pissy about my conclusion on literary fiction. Oh, well. Can’t please them all.
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It’s been a great debate and seems to have spilled over into comments on my blog as well. I enjoy Literary Fiction, at least partly for the intellectual challenge, and I enjoy genre fiction, sometimes quite badly written for … fun probably.
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Looking forward to reading the comments in full on your lit fic blog post, but you raise many interesting points. I’ve always found Dickens hard going but wishing you the best should you two continue!
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He has so many characters; however, his writing is extraordinarily funny — I will give him that. We did find a compromise that helped us continue: we each read two chapters on our own and then jumped back in a new place with me reading aloud. It helped. I think Mr. Copperfield was just dragging along for a while, and me reading out loud takes us longer to get through sections that seem less worthwhile. My husband pointed out that some sections of the book are meant to make the reader of the time laugh, even if the scene doesn’t add much to Copperfield’s story. Thus, today’s reader may feel bogged down.
Glad to hear from you! Your absence is always felt.
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Are people complaining/lecturing to you that Charles Dickens is a man? Oh lord people, in the words of Taylor Swift, you need to calm down.
Anywho I hope you like my book recommendation AND I can’t wait to read any review about a book with chocolate in it
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No, no, they keep pointing out that in my book TBR by a man I wrote “none” and then I write that I’m reading Charles Dickens aloud to my husband. They’re different categories/goals, so I keep them separate.
I started the chocolate book. So far, not a lot of chocolate
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Oooh The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek! I’ve been hearing good things about that read. I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts about it!
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A lot of what I’ve seen online is that people got interested in the book because they didn’t believe the blue people of Kentucky were real. I think their existence really elevated some people’s interest in a book that already has a strong premise if you love books!
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