Joanie’s Comments (group member since May 31, 2008)

Joanie’s comments from the The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List group.

I think I listened to this on tape, I'm not sure. It's about the deterioration of a family after a tragic event. I don't know what it was about this book, I kept expecting it to take a totally different turn than it did and I wound up feeling disappointed.

I didn't love this book either. I usually like books with quirky characters but so much of this book was really sad and stark, I just wanted it to be over.

I love Amy Tan's writing style. Like the Joy Luck Club this book is about mother's and daughters and they secrets they keep. I liked this better than the Joy Luck Club in some ways because the story doesn't involve as many characters.

This is about a woman who copes with the chaos of her life by baking cakes. It was a fun, quick read.

This was a really sad and heavy book. A man's wife is found dead and there were no witnesses to help clarify if her death was an accident or suicide. His dog was found near his wife's body so he sets out to teach the dog a way to communicate so he can try and get some answers.

I've had my sister's copy of this book for at least a year, maybe longer but I just can't seem to make any real headway with it.

I don't know. I think that's the point though, we're left with uncertainty.

I didn't realize she wrote Angry Housewives too, I wonder if this book has become more popular since she's had some success with her other books. I knew nothing about the author or the book when I took it out of the library-I just had a long commute then and would listen to almost anything. I really wonder if I would have liked it even more if I read it. The fake Minnesota accent drove me crazy.

This book was really good but my memory is definitely clouded by the movie version-which was pretty different. The basic premise is that a single mother moves into a village and opens a chocolate store during lent and stirs up all kinds of longing in the villagers, much to the dismay of the mayor (or maybe he's the mayor in the movie and the priest in the book-can't remember.) Both the movie and the book will make you want chocolate in the worst way!

Yes, that's the full name-no wonder they shortened it for the movie. FGT and Steel Magnolias are both great chick flicks with substance, definitely worth watching. My husband has had to sit through both several times and doesn't actually seem to mind except for how upset I get at Steel Magnolias. You should watch them with you wife.

It made me laugh that this book was on the list because I could have sworn I was the only person who read it! I go this out on tape from the library years ago and truly I remember very little other than the very heavy, very fake accent the narrator used when reading the book. As the name implies it's about a beauty parlor and I think a lot is told from Patty Jane's daughter's perspective but I could be wrong. I'll read some reviews and come back and edit.

Loved this book, it's such a great story about friendship. I read it back in college before the movie came out and intially I was a little disappointed in the movie having just read the book. Now that it's been so long I love the movie but it definitely took me awhile get over the comparison.

I read this in high school because my parents had it around the house. Let's see what I remember-the main character is a travel writer but I feel like there is some twist there like either he does his research but doesn't take the actual trips. He winds up meeting a dog groomer who is much more free spirited and he struggles between the desire for security and wanting to experience something new. I liked it okay but I was probably too young to really get the whole thing.

I've had this from the library but just haven't felt compelled to start. After reading about so many people having to force themselves to read it I think I'm going to pass on this one.

I just finished this yesterday during my son's nap. I was listening to it on CD but then I got so sucked in I couldn't leave it just to my time in the car so I borrowed my sister's copy. Being able to go back and read was really helpful, especially since the book was filled with so many little subtle clues.

I loved the Jane Eyre connection-loved how it was woven throughout the story and I was so glad that I actually read Jane Eyre for the first time this winter.


*Spoilers*

As for the ending I was reading posts here before I was done and saw the one about "third twin"-I should have known better since the title of the thread was "spoilers" but I didn't know if some people would still put a spoiler alert so I took a chance-my own fault. Anyway I knew the ending, I don't think I would have figured it out on my own. Reading the last 1/3 or so of the book knowing the ending made it easy to pick up on little hints that there was someone else in the house.

The fact that it was possible that it was Adeline who was resuced and not Emeline made my heart hurt.

There are so many things to talk about with this book, I won't go into them all right now. I'm really glad we read this one!

I agree, I was really disturbed by Clare having sex with Gomez-that really bummed me out. I didn't view any aspect of Clare and Henry's relationship as adulterous nor did I think Henry was a child molester, they did not have any sexual contact until Clare was of age.

I totally agree with you Tera that Clare and Henry were both who they were because of the time they spent together at various stages of their lives. I don't think either of them would have been the same person had it not been for their visits.

This book was all about waiting and longing-I loved it.

Loved this one and lots of other early MHC books but I definitely got sick of her. All characters were always coming home, putting their hair in a chignon and having tea and toast-come on Mary, mix it up a little! That said this book was really good, totally creepy, I didn't want to put it down.

Can't remember if I read this one or Kiss the Girls first but I really loved them both. Patterson isn't a great writer but the early Alex Cross novels are totally engrossing.

I agree that Angels and Demons was better. I liked this but didn't think it lived up to all the hype. I agree with you Emily, good story, not great-and about Tom Hanks' hair in the movie!!

You raise a good point Emily. I hadn't thought of it that way, that's why I love goodreads!