An all-time favorite, year after year: Shallow Water Dictionary by John R. Stilgoe. The language of estuaries and how the loss of words of description may well lead to the loss of fragile landscape. It is a stunning little gem of a book.
So, you're praising Osborne with faint damnation - or something like that? For the Bangkok book, you must mean Osborne's The Glass Kingdom, I bet? Yep, that was kind of stifling. (So was Dear Mr. M by Koch, sort of in the same way).
Very impressive to read 100 books/year. I never know how to count what I read. I seldom read non-fiction cover to cover, but rather dip in and out for research. What to do with those books? Count 'em, or no?
Yes, I really disliked The Glass Kingdom and so was surprised how much I loved and admired On Java Road. I also loved his books on wine. I am a birder and so love making lists... have kept lists and counted things all my life. Nowadays with books, I just use Goodreads, and my rules are "no counting unless I write a review on Goodreads and I need to have something to say about it as a book", which means I would read most of that book enough to write a review. I don't count books that I refer to until I have read a kind of critical mass of that book and feel like I know it. Last year, there were none of those books. My bird list is also very personal. I only count birds that both my husband and I both see. That has caused some issues in the marriage but I am continuing with it... I also allow birds seen in oil paintings, but mainly if one of my ID apps recognize the bird somewhat accurately. When I was young, I counted countries and cities visited but I don't do that anymore, though I know how I would do it. I have lists of favorite operas and opera houses, favorite museums, top ten drives, mountains/ranges, and hotels!!
Interesting you've chosen Lawrence Osborne as your favorite this year, Leanne. I'll put that title on my list, that's one I haven't yet read. I've enjoyed the way he captures just sort of general, atmospheric unease in SE Asia, though. Also The Forgiven, set in Morocco, made me very ... uneasy. Lawrence Osborne evokes a sort of a certain ennui, do you agree? Dutch writer Herman Koch does that, too. He had a book, The Dinner, that kind of broke through in the US market several years back, after which I sampled another book or two of his, Dear Mr. M, Summer House with Swimming Pool and yep, same Patricia Highsmith kind of unease.
Anyway, thanks for recommending Java Road, I'll check it out.
Hi Bill, I am not a fan of Osborne --I love his nonfiction books on wine. And I have absolutely LOATHED all his other fiction. Especially the one set in Bangkok. Java Road was the first work of his fiction that I loved. He reminded me of other modern expat writers that I dislike. Just like you said. My 2022 reading was not the best. I read around 100 books, but many of those were for writing classes and I was reading things I didn't like at all. So that might be another reason Java Road stood out so much. I thought I had a review of this book coming our in the Dublin Review but they never published it. I will maybe put it here later. LOVED your last post!
“The Happiness Hypothesis” for nonfiction and “Love in the Time of Cholera” for fiction. And I agree with you about Pamuk - in the middle of it now thanks to you 😀
The happiness hypothesis looks really interesting. Somehow I hadn’t heard of that book and now I really want to read it! Love in the Time of cholera as one of my favorites. And Pumuk’s new one that is absolutely awesome!! ❤️
An all-time favorite, year after year: Shallow Water Dictionary by John R. Stilgoe. The language of estuaries and how the loss of words of description may well lead to the loss of fragile landscape. It is a stunning little gem of a book.
I somehow missed this comment from you. I have never heard of this book but I’m going to look into it right now. Thank you so much!
Anything by Stilgoe is worth reading! He is New England through and through, but you will be fascinated!
Enjoy reading your knowledgeable essays. Now reading "En dramatikers dagbok" (Diary of a playwright) by Lars Norén (1944-2021).
Thank you so much! I’m going to look up that book immediately. I hope you have an enjoyable holiday season!
So, you're praising Osborne with faint damnation - or something like that? For the Bangkok book, you must mean Osborne's The Glass Kingdom, I bet? Yep, that was kind of stifling. (So was Dear Mr. M by Koch, sort of in the same way).
Very impressive to read 100 books/year. I never know how to count what I read. I seldom read non-fiction cover to cover, but rather dip in and out for research. What to do with those books? Count 'em, or no?
Thank you on the Rapa Nui post.
Yes, I really disliked The Glass Kingdom and so was surprised how much I loved and admired On Java Road. I also loved his books on wine. I am a birder and so love making lists... have kept lists and counted things all my life. Nowadays with books, I just use Goodreads, and my rules are "no counting unless I write a review on Goodreads and I need to have something to say about it as a book", which means I would read most of that book enough to write a review. I don't count books that I refer to until I have read a kind of critical mass of that book and feel like I know it. Last year, there were none of those books. My bird list is also very personal. I only count birds that both my husband and I both see. That has caused some issues in the marriage but I am continuing with it... I also allow birds seen in oil paintings, but mainly if one of my ID apps recognize the bird somewhat accurately. When I was young, I counted countries and cities visited but I don't do that anymore, though I know how I would do it. I have lists of favorite operas and opera houses, favorite museums, top ten drives, mountains/ranges, and hotels!!
Interesting you've chosen Lawrence Osborne as your favorite this year, Leanne. I'll put that title on my list, that's one I haven't yet read. I've enjoyed the way he captures just sort of general, atmospheric unease in SE Asia, though. Also The Forgiven, set in Morocco, made me very ... uneasy. Lawrence Osborne evokes a sort of a certain ennui, do you agree? Dutch writer Herman Koch does that, too. He had a book, The Dinner, that kind of broke through in the US market several years back, after which I sampled another book or two of his, Dear Mr. M, Summer House with Swimming Pool and yep, same Patricia Highsmith kind of unease.
Anyway, thanks for recommending Java Road, I'll check it out.
Hi Bill, I am not a fan of Osborne --I love his nonfiction books on wine. And I have absolutely LOATHED all his other fiction. Especially the one set in Bangkok. Java Road was the first work of his fiction that I loved. He reminded me of other modern expat writers that I dislike. Just like you said. My 2022 reading was not the best. I read around 100 books, but many of those were for writing classes and I was reading things I didn't like at all. So that might be another reason Java Road stood out so much. I thought I had a review of this book coming our in the Dublin Review but they never published it. I will maybe put it here later. LOVED your last post!
“The Happiness Hypothesis” for nonfiction and “Love in the Time of Cholera” for fiction. And I agree with you about Pamuk - in the middle of it now thanks to you 😀
The happiness hypothesis looks really interesting. Somehow I hadn’t heard of that book and now I really want to read it! Love in the Time of cholera as one of my favorites. And Pumuk’s new one that is absolutely awesome!! ❤️