2012-10 - Pulitzer Prize - Post October Reviews Here

[Tien]

What did you pick up for this month's reads?

Was it great? Was it hard? Do share your experience with us...

[LynnB]

Today I tried reading by Paul Harding but I just could not get into it. I ended up reading about 20 pages. Think I'm going on to other books.

[Tien]

wow - is everyone so busy with the bday games?? Remember this shelf is also on the Mini SAT so to complete it you'd need to read a pulitzer-prize book too!

Or is everyone having trouble like LynnB too?
PS: @LynnB, sorry you couldn't get into it - that book sounds quite sad (probably not something I'd attempt either)

I have read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan and whilst I had a little difficulty in getting into it at the beginning, I quite enjoyed it at the end.

It was difficult to begin with because the characters were just so flawed that I didn't really like them but I was interested enough to keep going to find out where the author is going with it. However, as it was not a chronologically progressive storyline (technically, the book is made up of short stories), it really was hard to keep up with it. The stories were snapshots of different characters throughout their lives and jumped all over the place however they are somehow inter-connected which therefore, wove a pretty interesting novel overall.

[Bea]

Tien wrote: "I have read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan and whilst I had a little difficulty in getting into it at the beginning, I quite enjoyed it at the end.

It was difficult to begin with because the characters were just so flawed that I didn't really like them but I was interested enough to keep going to find out where the author is going with it. However, as it was not a chronologically progressive storyline (technically, the book is made up of short stories), it really was hard to keep up with it. The stories were snapshots of different characters throughout their lives and jumped all over the place however they are somehow inter-connected which therefore, wove a pretty interesting novel overall."

And those are the exact reasons I hated this book. :)

[Tien]

Bea wrote: "And those are the exact reasons I hated this book. :)"

Aww, ha ha ha, I guess that really highlighted the fact that a book does not fit everyone's appetite!

I don't love it but I did like it :)

[Bea]

Tien wrote: "Bea wrote: "And those are the exact reasons I hated this book. :)"

Aww, ha ha ha, I guess that really highlighted the fact that a book does not fit everyone's appetite!

I don't love it but I did ..."

Yep... seems like I sometimes don't march in step with others. From the reviews, it seemed to me that most people liked it...many a lot.

On another group, one of the group reads was Like Water for Chocolate and wouldn't you know..most who chose to read it did not enjoy it and I did! It is the very reason that I seldom jump immediately on books that are all the rage.

[Tien]

Bea wrote: "On another group, one of the group reads was Like Water for Chocolate and wouldn't you know..most who chose to read it did not enjoy it and I did! It is the very reason that I seldom jump immediately on books that are all the rage."

Uh, yeah, I didn't like that one either - Oh, how miserable! I have to say that it has that type of story which I don't usually like in books so that pretty much ruined it for me. I really liked The Law of Love though.

[Bea]

Tien, I own The Law of Love, so maybe it will turn out to be one that I can agree upon.

[LynnB]

Tien wrote: "wow - is everyone so busy with the bday games?? Remember this shelf is also on the Mini SAT so to complete it you'd need to read a pulitzer-prize book too!
Or is everyone having trouble like Lynn..."

I had started out with 3 choices for books and the first two were duds. Just couldn't get into them. Haven't started the third one yet.

[Ebony]

Tien wrote: "wow - is everyone so busy with the bday games?? Remember this shelf is also on the Mini SAT so to complete it you'd need to read a pulitzer-prize book too!

Or is everyone having trouble like Lynn..."

My pultizer prize book for the SAT is also a western. I dont particularly enjoy westerns, so i thought if im going to read a western, it better be a good one! I may get around to it sometime this month, but its only 2 shelves for the SAT so maybe not. Will get through my other SAT books first!

[Coralie]

I have finished The Bell Jar which I gave 3 stars. It had its good points but it just isn't my sort of book. I prefer books with lots of points of view and this is a very narrow first person narrative.

I am having difficulty getting the other books for this shelf which also fit in the SAT so it looks as though I won't be reading many more of them.

[Susan]

I'm reading mine. Just not done yet. :)

[Mindy]

My goal this weekend is to read one of the many pulitzer prize winning books that my roommate had on his shelves. I did try The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay but fell asleep. That is a really bad sign since I usually can't go to sleep until I finish a book!

[Tara]

Mindy wrote: "My goal this weekend is to read one of the many pulitzer prize winning books that my roommate had on his shelves. I did try The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay but fell asleep. That is a re..."

I had a hard time with that book too. I ended up not finishing it. I tried really hard but I just could not get into the story.

[Tara]

Tien wrote: "wow - is everyone so busy with the bday games?? Remember this shelf is also on the Mini SAT so to complete it you'd need to read a pulitzer-prize book too!

Or is everyone having trouble like Lynn..."

I had the same problem with that book. It was not until I was about halfway through it before I started enjoying it.

[Susan]

I read Laughing Boy, and I thought it was amazing. Yay for our group -- it's an older book [Some editions were published in 1929] I'd never heard of that I would never have picked up, except I was trying to find something that appealed to me on the Pulitzer shelf. I recommend it to everyone. My review here .

[Mindy]

After a false start with The Corrections, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and gave it four stars. I really enjoyed it and even picked out a couple of quotes that I liked. The one thing I would have liked was to have known the boy's name.

[Tien]

Coralie wrote: "I have finished The Bell Jar which I gave 3 stars. It had its good points but it just isn't my sort of book. I prefer books with lots of points of view and this is a very narrow first person narrat..."

I also gave that one 3 stars - not my sort of book either but not because of the 1st person narrative but just a little depressing... :p

[Tien]

Susan wrote: "I read Laughing Boy, and I thought it was amazing. Yay for our group -- it's an older book [Some editions were published in 1929] I'd never heard of that I would never have picked up, except I was ..."

Oh, I'm so glad you found an amazing book for October :D
Am not a fan of tragic ending though - I wouldn't read a book if I knew it's going to be a tragic ending; the foreboding sense of what's to come is just too much for me LOL

[Tien]

Mindy wrote: "After a false start with The Corrections, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and gave it four stars. I really enjoyed it and even picked out a couple of quotes that I liked. The one thing I would..."

I'm proud that you've tried a number of books, Mindy, even though a couple (?) of them (Chabon & Franzen) didn't work out for you. Third book's the charm, aye?

I really liked The Road too... Still have to watch the movie. One day...

[Penney]

I read Gone With The Wind. It's an 'easy' read and I really enjoyed it. I got to appreciate a little bit of the hardships of the American Civil War too.Gone With the Wind

[Tien]

Penney wrote: "I read Gone With The Wind. It's an 'easy' read and I really enjoyed it. I got to appreciate a little bit of the hardships of the American Civil War too.Gone With the Wind"

Oh, I read GWtW a very long time ago and remembered loving it! I believe there are sequels? Do you think you'd read the sequels, Penney?

& btw, welcome to GR & the group too! How are liking it so far? & pssst, I'm in Sydney too :)

[Penney]

Oh, I read GWtW a very long time ago and remembered loving it! I believe there are sequels? Do you think you'd read the sequels?

Hi Tien, I looked at the sequels and others' reviews are fairly damning. They also weren't written by Margaret Mitchell - just authorised by her estate. So, no, they're not top of my list(s) to read right now!

[Penney]

Tien wrote: & btw, welcome to GR & the group too! How are liking it so far?

Good, but I'm nearly spending more time reading my group posts and exploring good reads than actually reading!

[Tien]

Penney wrote: "Oh, I read GWtW a very long time ago and remembered loving it! I believe there are sequels? Do you think you'd read the sequels?

Hi Tien, I looked at the sequels and others' reviews are fairly dam..."

I think I've actually read the sequels - again it's over a decade ago, I think, LOL - so I'm a little bit vague. I certainly didn't remember that it wasn't Mitchell who wrote it! I don't remember DISliking it but GWtW was definitely much better ;)

[Tien]

Penney wrote: "Tien wrote: & btw, welcome to GR & the group too! How are liking it so far?

Good, but I'm nearly spending more time reading my group posts and exploring good reads than actually reading!"

Yup, that's normal - we do that still ;)
well- we spent a lot of time planning for our reading challenges and so have a lot less time reading LMAO

[LynnB]

I just finished Lonesome Dove which is a Pulitzer winner and epic story of the American west. I'm not very interested in westerns usually, but this was reviewed well and I've had it on my "to read" list for a long time. It was a very enjoyable read! I gave it 4 stars and actually would have nudged it up to 4-1/2 if I could.

[Amy]

I also read Lonesome Dove and agree with Lynn. It is a 4-star book with great characters. It started a tad slow and had me wondering how I'd get through the 900+ pages, but then things picked up and I was engrossed in this western epic.

[Tara]

I have been trying to read Swamplandia! and alas I still have not finished it. I just have not been reading as much this month.
It is pretty good though, but not a book I have to read... if you know what I mean.

[Coralie]

I have finally finished Never Let Me Go. This is the third book I have read by Kazuo Ishiguro and I can't say that I have really enjoyed any of them. This was the worst of the three.

I am still plodding along with A Thousand Acres which I am determined to finish although nothing about it appeals.

[Tien]

Coralie wrote: "I have finally finished Never Let Me Go. This is the third book I have read by Kazuo Ishiguro and I can't say that I have really enjoyed any of them. This was the worst of the three."

Ah, no... the one with the 'sci-fi' spin to it too! I liked The Remains of the Day best :)