OCTOBER READS

[rapa]

"The harvest moon hangs round and high
It dodges clouds high in the sky,
The stars wink down with love and mirth
The autumn season is giving birth.
Oh, it must be October..."
~Pearl N. Sorrels

Last night finished Albert Camus's THE STRANGER translated from French. It's only 100 pages but you won't forget the story's hero, Meursault. This book was published in 1942 and became known as one of the best novels of the century.
Picked up Sue Grafton's X today.

What are you reading now or are you busy raking leaves?

Hope you remembered to "RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT!"

[Flowergram]

The book sounds interesting- added to my long,long list. I think Daylight Savings Time ends on Novembe 1. 

[rapa]

Flowergram, you're absolutely right!!! Turned my calendar yesterday and saw that daylight savings time started this week-end but didn't compute that the AUS after it meant in Australia!!!! US daylight savings time doesn't end until Nov. 1st. Thanks so much for correcting that!!!!!!!!

[Flowergram]

Wish I was in Australia - do not know about you Rapa but I could use the extra hour of sleep.

[Mandy Muffin]

I'm moving into October with a John Green best seller  "An Abundance of Katherines." It's about a child prodigy who goes on a road trip with a Muslim friend.  He is trying to get over breaking up with his 19th straight girlfriend named Katherine.  Another great coming of age story by the author of "The Fault in Our Stars," "Looking for Alaska," and "Paper Towns." He is on the top of the list of the genre right now, as two of his novels have been made into movies. 

[Carolyn Tewell]

THE PRESIDENTS SHADOW was written by Brad Meltzer and not the Baldacci guy. Lol

A book reviewer is names Mary Swift ( A SWIFT LOOK AT BOOKS) did a review which went like this:

"I began The President's Shadow with great hope that it would be a thrilling thriller I was looking for. Note the emphasis on "began." The much hyped tale of an archivist (at the National Archives!) and his twisted relationships with way too many DC spies will leave your head spinning not in a good way. It jumps around chapter to chapter and century to century. I quit about 3/4 way through because I didn't care who was responsible for the severed arm of who guarded what secrets." ~Mary Swift.

No spoiler as the arm is discovered on page one.

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I am currently listening to CELL by Robin Cook...it drags in places and the beginning chapters make me realize how little I know about medical procedures!!! I will finish it tonight.

I also started an Audiobook called THE SILENT SISTER by Diane Chamberlain. Now, I know it is early but so far I am captivated by the storyline. Need to look up some details at B&N before I give a review. Usually I know exactly what I am getting when I order a book from Library but think I just grabbed this off the shelf when I was in to pick up my "holds." Seldom do that unless I am flying out of town and need a Playaway.

Rough day...funeral for my Aunt who helped raise me. Wasn't going to post anywhere but wanted to get notifications of responses to October thread.~mellow

[rapa]

Carolyn, may good memories comfort you. We are at a stage of life when memories are precious!

[Carci]

Carolyn... so sorry for your loss... our family seems to be celebrating more funerals than weddings these days as well.  May happy memories ease your sorrow.

[Ioruach]

Regarding The Stranger, the final paragraph in the book contains one of my favorite passages in contemporary literature, but I am not sure why. It is in Meursault’s final thoughts as he gazes out of his small prison window at the universe before his execution: “It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe”

[Mandy Muffin]

An important lesson in life is to not looked amused at one's mother's funeral.  For anyone looking to read a classic or two (at least 20th century classics) here is a list from Le Monde of the greatest 100 novels of our century.  Of course Le Monde does have a preponderance of French authors:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/11432.Le_Monde_s_100_Books_of_t...

[Lip Service]

The page mentions that the list is a compilation from a poll which accounts for the appearance of many works usually assigned in high school literature classes (In Search of Lost Time, The Great Gatsby, The Sound and the Fury, ...)

The question that was asked was "which books remain in your memory"

Interesting the four most famous French graphic novels do appear in the list, Asterix at #31 Tintin at #42 Blake and Mortimer at #79 and Gaston at #81

I wonder what would be the result of such a poll if it were conducted in the US

Maybe we could conduct this poll in our little group here 

[rapa]

Try the poll and see what happens. It would take a bit of pondering for me to come up with four quickly. Will ponder just in case! Go for it!

[Lip Service]

Those reading or rereading The Stranger by Camus may be interested in a newly published book called "The Meursault Investigation" giving a different perspective on that iconic work, one that has echoes in present day Algeria

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/23/416828000/algerian-writer-kamel-daoud...