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Kathy Kaiser's avatar

I hoping for some distant time when I can sit down with a big book and spend a whole afternoon with it. Right now my attention span is too short.

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Verna Wilder's avatar

Mine is too, Kath. But I'm hoping I can train myself to take more than nibbles. We'll see . . .

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Anne S.'s avatar

I tend not to read many Big, Fat Books, but I loved Anna Karenina. I've tried The Idiot twice and disappointed myself by abandoning it within 30 pages (though I loved C&P). Same with Our Mutual Friend (though I loved David Copperfield). Maybe the issue with me is how slowly the book unfolds. Meanwhile, Sanborn gave me a BFB for my birthday: The Museum of Abandoned Secrets by Oksana Zabuzhko. Anybody know this one? I haven't started it yet -- am reading Demon Copperhead for a book club. (Unfolds quickly!)

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Verna Wilder's avatar

Hi Anne! Well--The Idiot--I think I kinda sorta skimmed that one for the class I took on Dostoevsky. I read The Brothers Karamozov, slogged through it and kept my mouth shut during class discussion. Now I need to look up The Museum of Abandoned Secrets. Thanks for telling me what you're reading and about to read. Ahhh, books!!

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Santina Kerslake's avatar

I've recently read a couple of big fat books. One was 'Poppy War' by R. F. Kuang which was incredible but was later surprised it was 1 of 3. Each of the other 2 were just as fat. I read another one of hers called Babel....oh my. If you are a word lover you will LOVE this one. She writes extremely well and this one is about words - about the institute of translation at Oxford. Fabulous read.

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Verna Wilder's avatar

Thanks for telling me about your BFBs (Big Fat Books). I will look them up. I love books about words, books about books, books about reading. Fiction or non-fiction. Will you read the other two by Kuang?

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Santina Kerslake's avatar

I will but it is a historical fiction and it is quite dark. I thought I was going to dive into the second one and then got into Babel instead. The Poppy War first book stands on its on though.

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

I love Big Fat books -- The Way We Live Now sustained me through my first pregnancy. I’ve got Barbara Kingsolver’s new one staring at me, and also The Bee Sting. I tried Duck, Newburyport but didn’t make it.

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Verna Wilder's avatar

Hi Elizabeth! I love hearing about what you're reading. I loved Barchester Towers but haven't read anything else of Trollope's. Let me know what you think of The Bee Sting. I love the premise but couldn't get into his other book, Skippy Dies. I have to admit that I didn't try very hard. My ability to read anything over the last 18 months has been skewed, so I may try again. I love that Kingsolver's new one stares at you! Yes!

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Christa's avatar

100% on uses for Victorian lit.

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