What are you reading?

sea-nile · Post by **sea-nile** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:35 pm

I received "Shadow Divers" for Christmas. Has anyone read it?

soxfan22 · Post by **soxfan22** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:35 pm

The Personal Memoirs of President/General Grant. A great personal account of America's first 4 star general. When Grant found out he was dying of throat cancer, a friend suggested he write his memoirs. If you have an interest in American history, I highly suggest reading these memoirs.

The first sentence caught my attention:

"My family is American, and has been for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral."

As you read, you find General Grant had many family members who fought for the British prior to the Revolution (including his great-grandfather)...Yet he considers all branches and generations of his family American.

Reminds me of my grandfather, who when asked about his heritage (he was of Irish descent)...would only say, "I'm American".

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:00 pm

Sherban, that sounds interesting. I'll have to pick it up. I love reading books about islands.

I'm reading The Audacity of Hope at the moment. I recently finished Stephen King's Duma Key. I really liked it--it would make a good beach read.

sherban · Post by **sherban** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:43 pm

liamsaunt wrote:Sherban, that sounds interesting. I'll have to pick it up. I love reading books about islands.

Yeah, me too...it's kinda like a vicarious vacation experience in the Caribbean I suppose. Sometimes a good trip report has the same effect.

The island books I have read (or am reading) are:
Don't Stop the Carnival
An Embarassment of Mangoes
A Trip to the Beach
An Island Away (in progress...)

Are there any other good Caribbean/island novels out there?

Lulu76 · Post by **Lulu76** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:13 pm

I got a copy of The Audacity of Hope for Christmas from my brother, so it's next on my list.

I just finished Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Robert Dalby, and I've just started Pawley's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank. They were leftover beach reading from my trip.

I also borrowed a copy of The Last Christmas Ride by Edie Hand that my mom had left out as part of the Christmas decorations in her guest bedroom. I started reading it while I was there, and it's pretty good.

sherban · Post by **sherban** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:32 pm

sherban wrote:For Christmas, I received the book "An Island Away", it's a novel about some people in Aruba. I am enjoying it quite a bit...although I know some of my interest comes from that fact that I have been to Aruba a couple times and enjoy the island...
More info here, if interested....

http://bentpage.wordpress.com/an-island-away/
Cheers, and happy new year!

I finished this book today, it turns out to be mostly about the charaters in San Nicholas and doesn't have much descrition of other parts of Aruba in it. Another thing that took me a while to notice was the lack of references to caribbean island dialects...that is a fun part of the other island novels I have read...they all "play" with the local dialects, this book instead utilizes spanish since the "locals" in Aruba speak Spanish, Dutch, or Papiamento. I missed that "Yes suh mista papuh" feel that comes from the other island books I read. There was aslo very little discription of the beauty in Aruba....too bad. San Nicholas is on the south end of the island and most tourists hang out on the north end....

I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Cheers-

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:32 pm

Sherban - I have read the ones you mentioned (Don't Stop the Carnival - just finished that one last week, An Embarassment of Mangoes, A Trip to the Beach) as well as Desiring Paradise. I am reading The Kite Runner now but when I was done, I was thinking of Sunfun Calypso. Have you read that one?

sherban · Post by **sherban** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:18 pm

nothintolose wrote:Sherban - I have read the ones you mentioned (Don't Stop the Carnival - just finished that one last week, An Embarassment of Mangoes, A Trip to the Beach) as well as Desiring Paradise. I am reading The Kite Runner now but when I was done, I was thinking of Sunfun Calypso. Have you read that one?

Nothingtoloose- What was Desiring Paradise about?

I haven't heard of Sunfun Calypso before either...any word on that one?

Maybe these two are prospects for future reading...thanks for the ideas.

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:12 pm

Desiring Paradise by Karin Schlesinger is about a New England couple's decision to move to St. John and everything they went through. I find it spent more time talking about how they got to their move and less time about living on the island. I prefered A Trip to the Beach because more of it was spent on the island. Honestly, I want to read Desiring Paradise one more time to make sure I still feel that way. I know that I read Melinda Blanchard's book afterwards and, at the time, preferred it, but I want to give the Schlessinger book one more chance.

I did like Desiring Paradise though, don't get me wrong. I definitely still suggest reading it cuz after all, it's about St. John. Heck, I read ANYTHING I can get my hands on about STJ. I thoroughly enjoyed St. John People.

As for Sunfun Calypso by Julian Putley, I forgot I had it and found it when I went through a box of books I had packed up with the intention of reading them. It sounds similar to Don't Stop the Carnival, but is about a British couple that become owners of a charter company and a lodge in the Caribbee Islands. I can't remember where I found the book, but I am sure it was on-line as I don't find many island type books here.

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:11 pm

I LOVED Trip to the Beach, and both the accompanying cookbooks-- At Blanchards Table and Cook What You Love, but I also really liked Desiring Paradise! Plus, I know that the couple it is about is still on the island--her husband is definitely involved with and (I think!) the head of St. John Rescue, a really necessary operation. They are the folks that assist with traffic accidents and operate the ambulance boat to St. Thomas, among other things. I think she (the author) is a real estate agent now.

Worst island book I have read...Live de Life. It's the usual about someone picking up and moving, but the author is just....urgh. I won't say why I don't like it.

Not island, but in the same vein as the other books we are talking about, Gringos in Paradise, which is about a couple that picks up and moves to Mexico and eventually opens a bed and breakfast, is worth reading.

Carolyn · Post by **Carolyn** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:12 pm

My husband requested "Nigh of the Silent Drums" for Christmas and he sped thru it! Found it on ebay as its out of print...It is about the slave rebellion on St John in 1733. I can only tell you that at this point he highly recommends it. I started it and got stalled but am anxious to get back to it. Anyone else read this?

mia · Post by **mia** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:26 am

I highly recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society....it was a wonderful read and I regretted finishing it so quickly.

nothintolose · Post by **nothintolose** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:36 am

I am gonna have to try Desiring Paradise again as the first time I read it, I had only been to STJ once. I think it would mean alot more now.

An Embarrassment of Mangoes made me want to sail down to the Caribbean; I only wish she talked more about the VIs, but I still loved it.

sherban · Post by **sherban** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:29 pm

It sounds like I need to find "Desiring Paradise" and "Sunfun Calypso". I'm not ready for "Night of the Silent Drums" yet...
Thanks for the tips.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:37 pm

Someone was kind enough to loan me Night of the Silent Drums. (I think I may have posted about it before.) It would be worth getting off of Amazon or similar site if you can find it.

Recently I enjoyed, all non-fiction:

Anthony Bourdain's book about the restaurant industry, can't remember the title

The Billionare's Vinegar about the vintage wine industry

Bottlemania about the bottled water industry. I no longer buy bottled water after learning about the environment impacts.

usvi-on-line