WHAT TO READ NEXT

I am stumped, I have read several books but none of them on the reading the 100 list. will give a brief review on those but I need to pull out my list to see what I want to read next. After my deciding not to read "NAKED LUNCH", it came up in a book I was reading as part of their reading list. I thought that was funny but did not really want to start reading it again. Plus it is hard to get a book that the library only has one copy of in the entire area which encompasses at least 10 libraries. How instrumental could this book possibly be if no one has it. Back to my list: THE BALLAD OF TOM DOOLEY, by Sharyn McCrumb- great historical fiction, her take on the events seems very plausible. She did tones of research and actually visited the places where the events took place. Very enjoyable read. She really made me want to smack the real life characters in the head and shake them up a bit and of course ask "What were you thinking." THE BLACK HOUSE, by Peter May- Mystery with some twists set in UK, the detective who is central to this story in Fin short for Fionnlach. I probably spelled that wrong, I had to take the book back today. I really liked this book and am upset that I cannot find the two other books here in the States. I really good way to get a look at life on some of the islands. BLUE TWILIGHT, by Jessica Speart- Mystery based on poaching butterflies, with Rachel Porter as the Fish and Wildlife person taking on the case. This author is getting better and better with each book. I wish my library carried her books, so I would not have to keep buying them. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, James Patterson- Another detective book, but I love a fast read when I am traveling, so that if you need to leave it behind you can. I have the third book in this series waiting in the wings. When I read a series book I have to read them all and then I put them aside for awhile, it is an addiction. NEXT NON-LIST BOOKS: WISH YOU WELL by David Baldacci (Book Club Choice) AMONG OTHERS by Jo Walton MY HEART IS BOUNDLESS: Writings by Abigail May Alcott, Louisa's Mother, by Eve LaPlante So what am I going to read next on the list, I will let you know as soon as I figure it out.

Naked Lunch

I am afraid gentle reader that I am not going to read this book, I entered into this book and got to the fourth chapter when I said "Nope, can't do it." There are two reasons, the first is that it is overdue and I do not think that I wish to pay over a dollar for it being turned in late. The second and most pronounced reason is hinted to in the first sentence I wrote. The author, William Burroughs, makes comments, as told by the junkie, "I am afraid gentle reader that though I shouldn't I must explain what I saw." Okay I do not need to read about ___ being stuck into___. I am not a prude I am just not interested in reading it. Maybe if I were younger or on drugs, but I am neither. I am sure it is well written, he seems to have a pretty good concept of what an addled brained drug user might be like. I just do not need to read some of the descriptive passages and there was an entire chapter based on some pretty wild descriptive passages. So whoever has this book next, have fun reading it, but I am on to the next book. Maybe when I get to be an addled brained octogenarian I will try it again.

FINISHED

Okay I have finally finished "A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES" by John Kennedy Toole. This man's real life is so tragic I wonder if this account was somewhat biographical. I am sure he changed it up just a bit, but here is a man who writes a novel, cannot get anyone to read it, puts it into a box and hides it away, then at the age of thirty-two kills himself, his mother finds the manuscript and forces someone to read it and it is published. Now if we look at Ignatius, we find a man who lives with his mother, writes pages and pages of documents explaining his theories and thoughts, who believes that he has great writings which no one will understand, a mother who nags him continuously and does not understand him and who he does not want to see his work, who is on the verge of being put into a insane asylum when he is rescued by a woman he would sooner kill. Ignatius is in his 30's living with his mother, I am not sure that Mr. Toole had the same fate. So it is viewed as a comedy and there are parts that make you want to laugh, but maybe I should have not read about Mr. Toole before reading the book because Ignatius character makes me kind of sad. I think that I relate with the mom in that she wants her son to do well, move out of the house and make something of his education. I would hope that my son would not want live independently. However, unlike the mom I do not drink and bemoan my fate. I am thinking that Ignatius may have had Asperger's syndrome, the reason I say this is that I know some children that have had this and they did not like being touched, they did not like to get their hands dirty and they just burst forth with statements that maybe other people would keep to themselves. So once again I do not find the character funny, but the predicaments he gets himself into that is another story. The whole book is filled with desperate characters trying to make a life for themselves, so as in life some of these failings can be amusing. I agree with the Walker Percy, who wrote the forward in my book, you have make your way into the book in order to become invested into it. I had to hit the halfway mark in order to want to finish the book. I could why it may have been a hard sell, if the publisher only read the first chapter or two. IT gets better, would I put it on my top 100 list -no.

DRAT

I went on vacation and I forgot "THE CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES", now I have to read fast, because "THE NAKED LUNCH" is due back at the library this week. That is unless I want to help maintain the library with an overdue book. Has anyone else noticed that the overdue book fine has become rather expensive? It used to be around .50 cents a month, now depending on how popular the book is you can get charged $1.00/ day. Yikes. So you can see why I need to get these books back to the library, which means tonight I will have to finish "THE CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES" tonight. I do feel now that I got to know the characters better the book is somewhat humorous. But I am close to the end so we will see how it goes and I keep thinking how would these characters be portrayed now. There are some things in the story I find interesting and will see how the book turns out to see if I can tie it in with todays dilemmas.

Crazy Story

Still in the midst of the book "CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES." It is rather interesting and I really should pick the book up again and just finish it. However, the list of crazy characters and there interconnections could go on forever, so suffice it to say I am at a loss on how best to describe it. I will finish hopefully this week and then give you a synopsis of the story and if it has redeeming qualities. After I finish this book I will be starting "THE NAKED LUNCH", drugs and the underbelly of society, yeah for me.

Ballad of Tom Dooley by Sharyn McCrumb

I just finished the book and I must say I can see that Ms. McCrumb dislikes Pauline Foster and I cannot say that I blame her. When I suggested this book for book club I was drawn to the fact that it is part of her ballad series, but knew that it was not quite like her other books in that series. I also suggested to the group that they will hate the character of Pauline. I have to say I was not thrilled by the character of Anne Melton and would have hated to be pitted against her. I have always wanted to know the history behind that ballad and know that I know I want to know more. I feel like I want to travel to that part of the world to see the things that Ms. McCrumb found. I appreciate the story but did get a little lost initially with the dated headings. I think that one of the March titles is really an April title, but that is what happens in the editing world. A good read, lots of emotions, most of them anger at one character or another.

GO TELL IT ON A MOUNTAIN by James Baldwin

SO I had to look up James Baldwin as I have never read any of his books, he is also a poet. He was born in Harlem New York and according to Bio.com this book is somewhat autobiographical. He was born to a single woman who did not tell him his father's name just like our character John. But in the book, I believe that John truly believes that his father is the preacher who his mom married to his mom, which must really bug him when his own father does not love him. In fact we know this to be true. WHen his mother has another son by John's stepfather then he is really put on the back-burner. The preacher condemning all those around him, but living a double life of lives and deceit. Married but messing around with another woman who he sends away after he finds out she conceived a child. She dies and the baby comes to live in the town, but he does not visit him, the only poignant moment that occurs is when he tells the boy to be careful about being out in town when there is a bunch of white boys around. Then that son tragically dies without ever knowing, though it is intimated he does, know his father. After reading the description of the preacher and knowing that this is somewhat autobiographical, I feel sorry for Mr. Baldwin and hope that his step-father, who was a preacher, was not as bad as this man seems to be. I do know that the North were just as hard-lined on race issues as the South, especially in the 1950's. There is always that treatment of all races as if they are not worthy of the ground they stand on. I believe that things have changed dramatically since that time period, but do we just use other scape goats? It seems Mr. Baldwin pulled himself up and out of Harlem, eventually moving to Paris. This book is about a man's life and how he makes the decisions that will affect him the rest of his life. The turning point of changing hell into heaven. But there is a part in the end when I wonder what he means after he has watched his mother and father, where he turns to Elisha and says no matter what happens, remember I was saved, I was there. It gives me pause.