JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Jo wrote: " I loved perks of a wallflower its possibly one of my favourite books. I am 20 so i guess it wasnt that long since i left school but i thought it was really good ..."

I loved it too, J..."

Yay :) im glad im not the only one

It was brought to my attention that for this particular thread, it would probably be best to start a new thread each month for "books I read last month" and archive the old one. Then people won't have to sift through a long list of posts and it will be easy for everyone to find and access the old posts.

I'll start this next month.

For other threads, we will stick to the every 3 months or so, depending on how active the thread is, before I archive it.

Thanks !

My June Reads:

Gone are the days when I used to read 7 or 8 books a month. My reads for June are only two.

Beach Trip by Cathy Holton -- I'm always in search of a female bonding book that was as good as Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney or Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. The cover of this book and the inside jacket description gave me hope that this might be the one. Well, it wasn't. Four college roommates meet up twenty years later for a week long vacation. What the author doesn't understand is that to make the book a success, the reader must like the characters. I couldn't stand any of them!!! "6"

Trust No One by Greg Hurwitz -- Oh the power of "Twitter". I have Joe Finder as one of the people I follow and he highly recommended this book more than once. Since Finder is one of my favorite authors, I rushed right out and bought it. What Finder should have said was, "Hey, this guy is a friend of mine and I'm trying to push this book for him." The scenario was preposterous. The book had its moments of a good read but nothing great. When I got to the Acknowledgment section at the end, guess who the author thanked for his help. Yep!! Joe Finder. "6.5"

I am, however, reading a fabulous book right now, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, so I know at least one of my July reads is going to be a winner. I thought it was Sherry who had recommended this to me but I see it's just on her list for June so it must have been someone else. In any event, whoever it was, thank you.

My son foisted POBAW on me & i enjoyed it, too. I felt it gave me some insight into him, as well. Don't you wish we could do that to people? Give them a book so they'd know more about us? Not everything, but clues one hoped they would have picked up on by now? LOL!

deborah

I read it (Perks of Being a Wallflower) when I was teaching high school and thought it was interesting.

Jo wrote: " I loved perks of a wallflower its possibly one of my favourite books. I am 20 so i guess it wasnt that long since i left school but i thought it was really good ..."

I loved it too, JO...and so did my extended family: husband, grown children, sister, nephew, niece.....

Connie wrote: "March Reads

Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory. Interesting historical fiction about Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon. I learned quite a bit about her - that she was the daughter ..."

I loved perks of a wallflower its possibly one of my favourite books. I am 20 so i guess it wasnt that long since i left school but i thought it was really good

I just looked up South of Broad at our library and it all ready has 23 holds so guess the word is out!

Becky

Kim I read the first 2 parts of EPL, barely, and didn't even think about reading the 3rd. The book just didn't appeal to me

I'm not sure what this says about me, but I am not big on spiritual quest books.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy 6/5 !!!!!

Wow!!! Now I can't wait to read it!!!

I love when people post their monthly lists!

I'm such a slow reader that I am still slogging through Eat, Pray, Love which I am determined to finish but will only give a 3/5.

Post #72 Connie's list

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, A History - Lewis Buzbee

For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz Age Chicago
=============================

Connie, I've added these two to my TBR list. You have a real talent for writing paragraph reviews.
Thanks for sharing !

Highly recommended!!

>>>South of Broad by Pat Conroy 6/5 !!!!!

A M A Z I N G

Worth the many years of waiting and yearning for a new Conroy book. I cannot wait to buy my own copy and re-read this so I can savor even more the language, the story, the atmosphere. WOW!>>>

I am so glad to hear this! I loved his last book Beach Music and still remember that summer where everyone I saw seemed to have a copy and be reading it..I hope this one does as well...

Jeanie/KY

Connie wrote: "Although I'll always love John Williams and William Stoner, I don't think that Westerns are my genre. There's really good writing in this book. Just not a subject I cared much about ..."

Connie, this is exactly why I never picked up this book!

Re-posting from Readers and Reading
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1016...

A Country Called Home by Kim Barnes 4/5

This somewhat difficult-to-read novel was a very sad story, but beautifully rendered. Loving writing about Idaho...its wilderness and one of its small town.

I finished this book in the middle of the day. You know when I sit down mid-day and read it is a book I like! Although "like" may not be the correct word for such a sad and dark story. And gritty would be another good descriptor.

I had put off finishing the book until late afternoon because I was afraid of how it was going to end and did not want to deal with it. But the author managed a sensitive and meaningful ending --- without neatly tying up all the ends into a package. We feel the characters' sorrows but do not wallow in them.

My only complaint is that the characters could have been more well-developed - I did not really feel that I "knew" them or their motivations...except that all were searching.

The Associate by John Grisham 2/5

Disappointing. I wish I had liked this book more, as I had looked forward to it for so long. There was so little "meat" to this novel...and the ending was just a fizzle with no bang, no rationale. Even the character development, usually a strong point for Grisham, was lacking. I also thought there were many logical problems in this book, things that just made no sense.

Fortunately, Grisham's ability to "spin a yarn" pulled me in and kept me reading, but it was not the usual page-turning experience I have with his books.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman 5/5

After reading a fantastic book (an ARC of Conroy's upcoming "South of Broad'), I found it hard to believe that I was lucky enough to read another great one right away. I always anxiously await Alice Hoffman's books and this one was well worth the wait.

In "The Story Sisters", the author is back to her old form: less strangeness and more storytelling, similar to the stories and their complex characters that she presented in "Turtle Moon" and "Seventh Heaven". The writing is so beautiful, lush, and magical, with such powerful imagery. It took me about 40 pages to just give myself over to the story and not try to figure out the fantasy life (Arnelle) that the three sisters wove. That was my least favorite part of the book). After that, I was totally captivated and could not put the book down. This story of the redemptive power of love and family bonds was just wonderful.

Highly recommended!!

South of Broad by Pat Conroy 6/5 !!!!!

A M A Z I N G

Worth the many years of waiting and yearning for a new Conroy book. I cannot wait to buy my own copy and re-read this so I can savor even more the language, the story, the atmosphere. WOW!

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg 2/5

I was not enthralled with this book. In fact, I pretty much skimmed the final third. Not much about it appealed to me. The best part was the writing class and its characters. I would have liked to have seen that part expanded. Helen and her daughter were not people I would have any interest in knowing in real life.

The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - audio 2/5

Pretty dreadful, really. Story was not compelling and I do not think her books make good audios. I only finished it because it was the only audio I had in my car for a longish round-trip.

DID NOT FINISH THESE BOOKS:

Literacy and Longing in LA
Confessions of Prep School Mommy Handler
In Hovering Flight

Goldengrove - Francine Prose. Disappointing story of a teenage girl who, when her older sister dies, develops a relationship with the dead sister's boyfriend that you sense is going to end badly. This wasn't a long book, but it was too long for me. There was some nice writing here, but not enough to compensate for a story I just didn't care much about. C


The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, A History - Lewis Buzbee. I absolutely loved this little book! It's about books and bookstores and being a bookseller and reading and enjoying bookstores and the past and future of the book business. I'm not sure if a non-bookseller would like it as much as I did, but I think that anyone who loves to read, who remember ordering books from the Weekly Reader or Scholastic Books and waiting impatiently for them to arrive, would enjoy it. One tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Buzbee makes is that there should be compulsory National Retail Service for everyone in the country, thereby assuring that, having worked in retail, they would become better retail customers in the future. Hear, hear! A


The Help - Kathryn Stockett. In Jackson, MS in the early 1960s, a young college graduate, troubled by the way her Junior League friends treat their housekeepers, begins collecting stories from these black woman of what it's like to work in the homes of white families who entrust their children to them but won't let them use the family bathroom. The maids tell their stories at some risk to their own safety but their stories are compelling and Skeeter's plan is to publish them anonymously. I felt like there was a bit of stereotyping in the parts of the book about the Junior Leaguers, but the voices of "The Help" seemed genuine. A-


For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz Age Chicago - Simon Baatz. The story of Leopold and Loeb and what was, in the 1920s, the "Crime of the Century." I thought the first 200 pages of this book were fascinating, learning about the two men and the crime itself. The second part of the book, concerning the trial, was way too detailed and I found it tedious. Baatz clearly did a lot of research, but I think he could have edited some of it out. As I was reading abut Leopold and Loeb I found myself thinking about the similarities between them and Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.......also well-educated, intelligent, from good families and completely amoral murderers. I give the first 200 pages here an A and the second 200 pages a C. Averages out to a B.


The Well, and the Mine - Gin Phillips. This fairly short book was a slow read for me. Set in rural Alabama in 1931 it starts out with the mystery of who threw a dead baby in the Moore family's well, but after that it just becomes a kind of set piece on being poor in the South during the Great Depression. All the characters were upstanding, decent, hardworking and honest but I still didn't like them that much, and no comments, please, about the possibility that I just can't relate to such good people! <g> My F2F group members like this one a lot more than I did. B-


Butcher's Crossing - John Williams. Williams is the author of "Stoner" - one of my all-time favorite books and since he only wrote 3 novels, I thought I should try at least one of his others. This one is about a young man who leaves Harvard in the 1870s, to head west, full of idealism, to discover his authentic self. He joins up with a buffalo hunter and travels to Colorado with him and a motley crew of what I felt like were sort of cartoonish characters. Although I'll always love John Williams and William Stoner, I don't think that Westerns are my genre. There's really good writing in this book. Just not a subject I cared much about. B

Book that I recently read and liked: Reliable Wife, a little dark but powerful, intense characters and writing. The Art of Racing in the Rain, light and very enjoyable, I highly recommend for a change of pace read. Little Bee, my sister and I featured this on our web site as we both loved it. Never Tell a Lie, again light but fast paced and a page turner. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, you will love the voice of the main character, great mystery.

LaTricia, i liked the behind-the-scenes description at the theater, too. I felt as i was there because characters were coming & going, as the play demanded. But my favorite, probably because it reminded me of a painting i saw last year, was the chapter on the horserace at Longchamp.

deborah

madrano wrote: "Thanks for sharing your May reading, folks! I get great ideas &/or reminders that i "mean to read" some books. Here's mine for May, which contains nary a bit of nonfiction. What's up with that?!

..."

I'm still reading Nana and liking it very much. It seems so contemporary. The theater scenes are my favorite.

Deb read: One Perfect Day




Lauraine Snelling




Oh, Deb! You've discovered one of my all time favorite authors! Her series about Norweigan Settlers in the Dakotas starting in the 1880's called Red River of the North is always at the top of my list to recommend to anyone who's interested in that time and subject.

I'll have to check this one out; I don't think I've read it.

Donna in Southern Maryland

Alias Reader wrote: "As usual, I enjoyed your monthly list, Connie.
And, as usual, you've expanded my TBR list !


[bookcover:The Unl..."

I think you'll like Unlikely Disciple, Alias. The author, Kevin Roose, first visited Liberty University when he was an assistant to AJ Jacobs, the guy who wrote "Year of Living Biblically" as well as "The Know-it-All. I remember how much you liked the latter, and there's that same vibe in Roose's book as there was in both of Jacobs'.

Connie

JAN: Alias, have you ever read any of Mark Salzman's books? I think he's only written one that I didn't enjoy. I loved Iron and Silk, Lost in Place, and True Notebooks. The Laughing Sutra is the one I didn't like as well. If you haven't tried him, you should!
------------------
No, I haven't. He is now on my TBR list.

Alias Reader wrote: "I've added Lost in Place

Alias, have you ever read any of Mark Salzman's books? I think he's only written one that I didn't enjoy. I loved Iron and Silk, Lost in Place, and True Notebooks. The Laughing Sutra is the one I didn't like as well. If you haven't tried him, you should!

JoAnn said: "So although one may not have had personal experience with a person who was affected like Alice, that does not mean that it cannot happen this way."

This is decidedly true, JoAnn. My uncle had Alzheimers and, in addition to all the other symptoms, it completely changed his personality. A man who had previously been quiet and gentle became bitter, vindictive, and argumentative. There were daily scenes of ranting accusations and arguments--all completely unmotivated by reality. While one can always remember the person he was before and love that memory, it would have been impossible for love to have survived in that atmosphere.

Jan O'Cat

Here is my list for May

Flowers on Main Sherryl Woods
Summer on Blossom Street Debbie Maccomber
One Perfect Day Lauraine Snelling
Seaview Inn Sherryl Woods
Love in Bloom Sheila Roberts
The Lost Quilter Jennifer Chiaverni
Dancing in the Low Country James Villas

They were all easy, but I did not like the last one.

Deb

Lisa Genova used her grandmother's Alzheimer's experience and her professional training (she is a PhD neuroscientist) to create the character of Alice. One thing that I have learned is that each incidence of this disease is different. There is no "norm".

So although one may not have had personal experience with a person who was affected like Alice, that does not mean that it cannot happen this way.

My uncle has been cursed with this terrible disease and although he cannot even dress himself or remember what is playing on the TV, he is still loving to everyone who comes into his limited sphere. He remembers that he loves us. Maybe this is not the kind of "love surviving" you all are talking about, though.....

My husband, who never ever reads or watches anything "unpleasant" (his word!) read "Still Alice" in two days and is still raving about it. This is what he says: "This was the most well-written, well-researched, depressing book I have read in a long time and I would recommend it to anyone."

Thanks for sharing your May reading, folks! I get great ideas &/or reminders that i "mean to read" some books. Here's mine for May, which contains nary a bit of nonfiction. What's up with that?!

Two mysteries by Mary Anna Evans about an older student in archaeology. The first, Artifacts, is set in Florida and the second, Relics is set in Alabama. She is a descendant of slaves & owners while her erstwhile companion (not lover) is a Creek Indian from Oklahoma. I like them & will read the series.

Two more mysteries from Susan Kandel, whose earlier works featuring vintage dressing author of biographies on dead mystery writers i've read & enjoyed. These two featured bios on Dashiell Hammett and Agatha Christie, respectively--Shamus in the Green Room and Christietown.

From my Determination List i finished Nana by Emile Zola, which i liked very much. The way Zola wrote a setting, reminding me of a piece of art, was good writing. And when he wrote about a crowd scene, i almost felt i could see them.

I finally finished reading Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzaskis. It's one of those "i'll bet it was groundbreaking at the time but today it doesn't impress me" sort of books. We're watching the movie soon, as DH read the book when we were actually in Greece, of all things.

Finally, i read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor. A short book about an old widow moving into & living at a hotel in London. I liked it, although i wouldn't have said that as i read it. It is another of those books whose ending enhanced a book i was only so-so about.

deborah, who is wonder how others are doing with their DLs. Should we start another thread or just comment here?

As usual, I enjoyed your monthly list, Connie.
And, as usual, you've expanded my TBR list !

I've added

and


As for, Still Alice - Lisa Genova, this book is getting a lot of votes for our monthly read. I don't really want to read about this depressing topic to be honest. And as you noted, "And I take issue with the concept that love survives even when memory is gone. I've been there and done that. I wish it did, but it doesn't. B". I can relate to that. A dear friends mom has this, and she no longer recognizes her. Too sad for words.

You also noted " I don't like rereading, and I intend not to do any more of it for a while".

I think I am going to have to be more strict with this, too. Our last group read, One Man's Wilderness was a re-read for me. It's not that I didn't really enjoy the book, it is more a matter of time for me. With book club obligations and such, I never seem to be making headway in the books I want to read, that I've never read before. Two books that were nominated this time around, Poisonwood Bible, and White Teeth are two of my very favorites. I would hate to miss the discussion of two of my favorite books, yet my TBR continues to grow uncontrollably. I'll have to see, if they win, if I can fit them in, but I can't promise. On the other hand, I think I would rather read these two exceptional books that, Still Alice. I'm so confused ! LOL.

May Reads........a very good month

Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia - Mark Salzman. In this memoir, Salzman writes about his middle class childhood in the Connecticut suburbs and how he never felt he fit in with the traditional life he saw around him. He never takes himself too seriously, and laughs at his earnest attempts to train to be an astronaut by sitting still in a cardboard box for hours. Later when he becomes interested in martial arts, he decides he wants to grow up to be a wandering Zen master. As a huge fan of Mark Salzman, I'm glad he grew up and became an author. A-

Still Alice - Lisa Genova. I guess I'm never really going to love a book about Alzheimer's, but this one was pretty good. Alice is a brilliant 50 year old Harvard professor who develops the early onset form of the disease, and the novel is the story of her decline. I thought there were some very good insights into the progression of the disease, but I also thought Alice was portrayed slightly unrealistically, especially as it related to the things she continued to accomplish even as she got worse and worse. And I take issue with the concept that love survives even when memory is gone. I've been there and done that. I wish it did, but it doesn't. B

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University - Kevin Roose. Roose transferred from Brown University to spend a semester in Virginia at Liberty University, what he refers to as "bible boot camp." He intended all along to write about his experiences, but not with an eye to mocking the school, and he did not mock it. He wound up liking the students, respecting the teachers and advisors, even if he didn't always believe in what they were teaching or advising him. He benefited from the experience and I think I benefited from reading about it. I shook my head a lot in disbelief, but for the most part it was interesting, well-written and highly recommended. A

This month I was also fortunate enough to reread two wonderful books for my F2F book groups - Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Stoner by John Williams. I don't like rereading, and I intend not to do any more of it for a while, but in the case of these two books, which I loved the first time, I found that I loved them even more on second reading. I think that when I read a book once, I'm usually interested in what's going to happen next. The second time, when I know what's going to happen, I'm able to focus on the language and the metaphors and the foreshadowing and all the wonderful details. A+ and A+

Alias, I think Curious Incident is the kind of book that is "discovered" anew every year. I was so disappointed in his next book, though.

I have to agree about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time. I loved that book. It was different. I adored Christopher. He is a character you won't soon forget.

Amazon has almost 1500 reviews for the book !

Fiona, I think that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was the BEST audio I have ever listened to. The narration was simply amazing and perfect.

While I did not listen to the audio version, I really think the author hit the nail on the head of how an autistic person thinks. Love that book!

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Debbie is still a trouper, and continues to perform. She is supposed to have a museum somewhere with loads of costumes she saved from the old movies. Has anyone ever been? ..."

No, but I saw it featured one the CBS Sunday Morning program, and it was incredible. I think it's in Vegas.

Fiona, I think that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was the BEST audio I have ever listened to. The narration was simply amazing and perfect.

I am always impressed by how much people can read in one month. All month I have been reading Unaccustomed Earth and loving it.


I am not a fan of short stories but each one has held my attention and made me want to learn more about the characters.

Here are mine for May:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon (Audio)

Climbing the Mango Tree - Madhur Jaffery (Audio/NF)

Broken Skin - Stuart MacBride

Flesh House - Stuart MacBride (Audio)

Dewey - The Small Town Library Cat who Touched the World - Vicki Myron (NF)

Blood Test - Jonathan Kellerman

Billy the Kid - Michael Morpurgo

Cool! - Michael Morpurgo

The Okinawa Dragon - Nicola Monaghan

Fading into the Limelight - Peter Sallis (Audio/NF)

The Cave - Kate Mosse

Knife Edge - Robert Swindells

Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (Audio)

The Woman in Black - Susan Hill

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips - Michael Morpurgo

Puberty Blues - Kathy Lette & Gabrielle Carey

Whistleblower - Tess Gerritsen

Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier (Audio)

She does talk a little bit about her parents and all the people they married. You may enjoy the book as I remember seeing her movie, "Postcards from the Edge" that she wrote and I was the only person who didn't enjoy it. I can barely remember it now so it would be interesting to see it again at this age and see if I was missing something.

I cannot remember who it was, but someone who is a real fan of Carrie Fisher and of her other books told me that this book was awful.

Wildcats40 read: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
I saw this at the library and thought I would give it a try. It was terrible and very poorly written. 1 star


I'm surprised to hear that, as she is known in Hollywood to be an effective 'fixer' of bad scripts, and apparently does it without getting screen cred. I got this from the Library when it came out, but had too many others to read, and had to return it.

I have to admit, I am fascinated by her mother. Debbie Reynolds. She and Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, and Kirk Douglas were big stars when I was a kid, and I used to read my mother's Photoplay magazine. Such scandal at the time! I love to read stories of old Hollywood.

Debbie is still a trouper, and continues to perform. She is supposed to have a museum somewhere with loads of costumes she saved from the old movies. Has anyone ever been?

Donna in Southern Maryland

Wildcats40---I could not even read 40 pages of ADMISSION. I give you credit for sticking with it.....I could not stand it.

JOANN

May books read:



Columbine
I thought with all the news about this when it happened that there couldn't be much we hadn't heard. The author does a very detailed investigation and reveals a lot of interesting information
I will give this book 5 stars.



Age is Just a Number by Dara Torres
This is her story of swimming and the book mainly deals with her getting ready for the last Olympics.
I enjoyed this also so it gets 4 stars.



The Piano Teacher
This book had a great ending and I kept thinking about it days after I finished it. It covered the war in Hong Kong. 5 stars



Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
I saw this at the library and thought I would give it a try. It was terrible and very poorly written. 1 star





Admission
I was really disappointed in this book as I had read some good reviews. It was a struggle for me to finish it.

Ah, thanks, Carol.

deborah

Thanks Carol, wasn't sure whether to look around as I have only seen the adverts for it.

madrano wrote: "I poked around a bit & cannot see any tie-in between the book & tv show, "The Mentalist." Pity, as i'd like to know more about Patrick Jane.

deborah"

I looked on IMDB.com, and The Mentalist TV episodes were written by Bruno Heller. Nothing mentioned about it being based on a book.

I poked around a bit & cannot see any tie-in between the book & tv show, "The Mentalist." Pity, as i'd like to know more about Patrick Jane.

deborah

madrano wrote: "Fiona, that's quite a reading year you are having. I have to ask the following questions about the books you listed.


From February. The Mentalist. Do you know if this has any connection to the..."

No I don't know if the book is based on the film hon, but it was part of a series of Crime Express books (small).

Never knew the film and book were related and never watched the film neither.

I loved the film and book of Black Beauty as well.

Thanks, Kate. It may be obvious but i'm not very familiar with McCullough's work. I thought The Thorn Birds was her first book. Imagine my surprise to see how many books she has written--i only knew of two. (Not that i'd read either, you understand.) http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/coll...

deborah

Deborah, I'm not Fiona, but I can answer the quesiton about Tim. It is the basis for the Mel Gibson film, and yes, McCullough wrote it. I've read the book and seen the film. It's been a while, but I think I preferred the book. Neither was that great.

Fiona, that's quite a reading year you are having. I have to ask the following questions about the books you listed.


From February. The Mentalist. Do you know if this has any connection to the tv series starring Simon Baker? I like his character & think i'd enjoy a book about him.

From March. Do you know if the Tim listed is the basis for the Mel Gibson film of the same name? I think it was one of his first. I've only seen bits of it but my SIL praised the film. If so, i had no idea McCullough wrote it. Interesting.

And i must add that i enjoyed Black Beauty very much. I hope you did, too.

deborah

Yes, I have now read 65 books this year lol.

Thanks ! I'll move it up my TBR list.

BTW, you sure had a great few reading months !

Alias Reader wrote: "Fiona read: The Bell Jar
-----------------------

For years I've had The Bell Jar on my list of books I want to read.

What did you think of it?"

A very interesting book. Considering its to do with Mental Health issue as well. I would recommend you read it.