MoFo Book Club: July 2022

Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.

It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's got to do it.



Let's get your nominations in, Folks!

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I've read A Dirty Job and it's fun, like most of Moore's stuff.

My nomination would be:

This is a great book. I'm not going to join but whatever little it may count, I'll vote for this

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I should also clarify that I wouldn't mind rereading A Dirty Job at all.

I'm okay with Moore, too, but I wouldn't mind nominating this since I literally just started reading it today:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141014083/

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Linda's Author Website
Linda's Amazon Author page

We can suggest older books?

I've read and enjoyed Maus--it's another one I wouldn't mind rereading.

I have tried and failed like three different times to get past the first 50 pages of Possession. But maybe having it be a club pick would motivate me to actually get through it.

I’ve also read Maus.

As for Possession . . . three failed tries suggests a level of difficulty we should probably avoid, at least for now, for the book club. Maybe later on we could take on a difficult book that where everyone would break their teeth on.

So, I’m going throw a vote at The sounds of building coffins / Louis Maistros

Looks like there are just 4 of us? I was going to ask for ballots today, but if two people have coffins at #1 already, I think that already decides it.

Let's just call it and get started!

Book of the month is The Sound of Building Coffins

I need to order a copy, and I will get started when it arrives.

I need to keep my eye on this thread now 'cause I want to see what y'all think of this.

Ordered my copy. Had to go through Abe Books, and sometimes they are slow on the shipping. Hopefully I don't get started too late! In the meantime, I am reading a quick parenting book while I wait for my copy to arrive!

Okay, I placed my order for it on Amazon (my local bookstore couldn't order it in).

It wasn't difficulty in the sense of the book being challenging. It was more that I wasn't enjoying the main characters and when I would look at the book I just didn't want to pick it up. The writing style itself was fine, but also not something that strongly engaged me. You know when you suddenly realize that your eyes have read a whole page but you weren't actually reading the words?

But it is a longer book, so maybe the more compelling dynamics kick in a bit past where I'd read to.

I decided on the Kindle edition of The Sound of Building Coffins. It was only three bucks, plus I got it instantly... and I have a three-hour plane trip (plus time at the gate) on Thursday where I can at least start this book. And if I don't finish it, I'll have a similar set of circumstances on Monday heading back home.

I’ll order the book either today or tomorrow.

My in-betweener is going to be . . . Possession. The only observation I can make so far (page 166) is this book is a little more densely written; commercial fiction usually has one idea per page which makes for two literary ones for every pulpy page.

It’s still early in the story, but the main thing is that academics have to bet the success of their careers on a subject or author early on; they have both come up a bit short on two different (now obscure) Victorian poets. However, that these two writers may have known each other has already given both their careers a serious jolt.

Tracking says my book should arrive today! I will get started ASAP.

After finishing my parenting book, I fired up A Dirty Job, which I am about halfway through with. The book is equal parts entertaining and annoying, so I will probably end up giving it a middling rating unless it all of a sudden blows me away.

Anyway, will dive right into this month's book once I have it!

You can tell the Kindle readers versus the print readers: "I'm on page 56!" "I'm 7% done!"

Actually, that's about where I am: 7% through. A very odd book to start late at night while you're away from home. But today I fly back so if I feel inclined to read at the gate or on the plane, I'll continue reading.

I am that weirdo that reads to get away from screens, so am firmly anti-kindle, at least until my eyes get worse.

My book arrived from Amazon over the weekend . . . and was totally covered in mildew. The smell was so bad I had to wrap it in plastic.

I'm waiting on a replacement.

Started it this morning. This fellow is an actual writer, not to be confused with a storyteller, who just throws words on a page to tell a tale. Not on a level with say, a Thomas Wolfe, but much closer than most of the authors I have read. Elegant use of language here, even if the material is morbid and mysterious. Good so far!