Other Women's Stories: What I'm reading this week (4/15/19)

Last week I finished:

You know me, I can't resist reading what everyone else is, even if it's not my usual thing. I'm not one to enjoy a sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll story, but I nonetheless had to give Daisy Jones & The Six a read. And I'm so glad I did. I really ended up falling for this book. At first, the documentary transcript style seemed a little dubious and contrived, but there was something about this style that also really pulled me in a kept me interested. This is the (fictional) story of the rise and fall of the late-1970s rock band The Six, and, as it was known for a year or so, Daisy Jones & The Six. The story moved very quickly, almost too quickly at times. It seemed Billy had a drinking/drugging problem for only a couple of pages before he was in rehab. And the band's eight years together seemed more like eight months. But it was forgivable, because drawing out the story to 400 pages or more would have compromised the story. I felt that I really got to know the characters, their motivations, their weaknesses, their brilliances. These are characters you can root for in situations you can imagine. I was disappointed in what I felt was a rather contrived plot twist near the end. It seemed unnecessary and sentimental, but I mostly forgave it. There was swearing, of course, and there was drinking, drug use, and sex, but it was never graphic. If you like books about musicians and flawed artist-types or are just looking for a good fiction read, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I was very happily surprised. Reese's book club picks are rather hit or miss for me, but this one was a winner. My rating: 4.5 stars.

Well, I guess we can go ahead and make it official: I am just not a fan of the Little House series. I loved the heck out of the television show as a child, and I may or may not have read some of the books (I know I owned this one, book 3, Little House on the Prairie), but if I did, they left no impression on me whatsoever. Perhaps it's too late for me to read them for the first time, but I think it's something else. I just do not like the way they're written. I think children's literature has become leaps and bounds better since the tepid succession of declarative sentences in these books. (And what's with the "this-is-how-Pa-built-that" descriptions? They drive me bonkers.) Sorry, I just need more depth, more emotion, more nuance. I think it was a mistake for Wilder to think children were too young to appreciate that. Also, I have to say, I listened to this on audio because I'd heard folks gush over Cherry Jones's narration, so I though I might like the book more if I listened to it. But I do not see what the fuss is. Jones's voice irritated me. It was a little too manly and had a lilting accent that I found all wrong for the book. Also, her singing is atrocious. All of my complaining out of the way, I did like the story. The Ingalls family leaves their home in Wisconsin to move to Indian country, where they set up a homestead in Indian Territory. The family dealt with constant threats from Indians (who would steal from them), wolves, and fever. It's a great story. I just wish it was written in a different way. I know I'm in the minority here, and I'm glad. I'm glad so many people love these books, even if I just can't. My rating: 3 stars.

The Mitford series is a sentimental favorite for me. (I haven't even made it through them all, but they're sentimental.) In book 5, Father Tim and Cynthia were away from Mitford, and book 6 was a retrospective of their wedding since so many fans were disappointed that Karon didn't write about it, so it feels like forever since I've been in Mitford, which is where we find Father Tim and Cynthia in book 7, In This Mountain. There is a lot going on, with so many characters to catch up on. Dooly is in college, many of the townsfolk are experiencing health issues--including Father Tim, one of the missing Barlow kids is found, Cynthia wins an award for her latest Violet book and goes on tour, the church attic jewel thief (reformed) returns to Mitford, and much, much more. I keep waiting for the books to get tedious or for me to outgrow them, but it's not happening. I always listen to these on audio (though I buy them, too), because I adore the narrator's voice--especially when he sings hymns. There is a lot of prayer and talk of Christian life, and I eat it whole. I enjoyed this one as much as the others. My rating: 4 stars.

Last week I abandoned:

It's interesting, but there are also a lot of words per page, if you know what I mean. It's not that I didn't like the book or that it was poorly written (it was not), but I just felt bogged down by it.

So, I'm currently reading: