101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
What are you reading?
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichiePowerful, honest, emotionally authentic, this is the story of a family held together by emotional and physical abuse, a young girl maturing in the brief light of another possibility. The father of the 15 year old narrator is a wealthy Nigerian businessman who is admired for his philanthropy and courageous challenge of political corruption while perpetrating abuse on his wife and children. A self made prominent factory owner, he attributes his success to his education by European Catholic missionaries. He desires the same for his children which results in a form of discipline that is brutal, expectations that are unreasonable. But, this is not a litany of horrors, a blatant attempt to manipulate the reader’s emotions. Instead, the author amazingly captures the tension between fear and love, the desire to please and the need to be invisible even to self. When an opportunity to spend time with an aunt and cousins create the space and nurturing to coax the narrator and her brother to open up to the life within, the transformation is perfectly paced and nuanced. Somehow, the final section, which moved forward in time several years, did not feel as engaging or satisfying.
Just finished reading the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and now reading How i lost my virginity by Richard Brandson
The Rosie Effect by Graeme SimsionCute, but not nearly as enjoyable as its predecessor, The Rosie Project. I suspect that the use of the same humorous premise lost novelty with repetition.
The Love Song of Ms Queenie Hennessy by Rachel JoyceIn the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry an implausible premise was made personal and real by a highly credible execution. In this sequel, a plausible premise is made absurd by its incredible execution. A patient of a hospice, dying of cancer that has left her mute, Queenie is racked with guilt over the role she believes she played in a tragedy Harold’s family suffered 25 years ago. She decides to make a confession to Herald by writing it out long hand for him to read when he arrives. With the Grim Reaper salivating in the corner, severely weakened by her illness, hallucinating from the pain meds, she fills page after page of verbatim conversations among the other patients, lovely descriptions of a peach and her garden, memories of her mother’s Austrian accent and her father teaching her to dance, endless professions of her secret love for Harold and, in fits and starts, her confession. Although, the end suggests that there was no physical act of writing, the idea that anyone desperate to record this account before an imminent death would spend so much time and effort writing about everything else in the style of an author hoping for literary acclaim was absurd. This novel felt like an after thought, as if the author decided to capitalize on the success of the first book but with only the material for a short story. Where as Harold grows in wisdom as he ponders his life on his journey, Queenie never seems to arrive at any real insights or peace. And the portrayal of secondary characters, such as Maureen, is inconsistent in the two books.
Mod
This is a satire of modern angst, family life consumerism and academic pretentiousness, to name a few themes ridiculed in this novel. Our primary character is a middle ..."
I was supposed to read this in college.... I got maybe a chapter into it (although I don't recall if it was set up in a standard "chapter" or not) and decided I had better things to do with my time. I always figured I just didn't "get" it.
Mod
Cute, but not nearly as enjoyable as its predecessor, The Rosie Project. I suspect that the use of the same humorous premise lost novelty with repetition."
I didn't know there was a sequel?! I'll have to check it out!
Finished
by Jennifer McMahon-- 4 Stars!!Wonderfully creepy story that blurs the lines between ghost story and monsters under the bed coming to life. Great book!
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Emily St. John Mandel-- 3 Stars!!Hmmm... this one was a little strange for me- Not really a fan of science fiction. Brilliant writing, but didn't love it.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelThis historical novel of Thomas Cromwell, set during the struggle to nullify the marriage of King Henry to Catherine and the rise of Anne to the throne, has the feel of an impressionistic painting. I felt as if I were watching a series of lavish tableaus fade in and out of focus rather than hearing a well told story. Because of this, I always felt like a distant spectator to the events and frequently felt disoriented. This is a novel that requires the reader to work. Nonetheless, I did value the experience and will probably read the sequel at some point. The portrayal of Thomas Cromwell and Bishop Wolsey were in stark contrast to anything I had previously read of these figures. Cromwell was depicted as a champion of the impoverished, persecuted and powerless, a man of extreme generosity, great integrity, unflagging respect for everyone, as well as a man of supreme intelligence and political astuteness. Wolsey was also shown in a positive light as a kind and respectful man of great power. I would love to know what historians of this period say of these men.
Finished
by Sarah Jio-- 4 Stars!!2 Stories alternate between chapters until they come together towards the end. Perfect time for this wonderful book.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Falling Home by Karen WhiteThis is not my type of book. I found it very predictable. By the third chapter, 10% of the novel, I knew the ending. The only mysteries were how often the romantic lead would fall and what pranks her oldest niece would play. I want to know why romance writers need to create leading characters that surpass rational expectations. The guy who pursues the leading lady can not simply be fun to be with; he has to be the town doctor that does not charge his elderly patients for house calls, exceedingly good looking, a champion of small town values, loved by old ladies, small children and stray animals. It is not enough that the mediocre student grows up to be a doctor, but he has to graduate from both Yale and Harvard. And, why is the leading lady allowed to act like a petulant adolescent with unflagging understanding from all around her giving her the space and time to mature through old wounds while the old fiancé and secondary characters are deemed selfish and shallow for far less immaturity? And, while I am at it, why are the residents of northern, urban locations endowed with such a lack of wholesome values?
Mod
This historical novel of Thomas Cromwell, set during the struggle to nullify the marriage of King Henry to Catherine and the rise of Anne to the throne, has the feel of ..."
I'll be honest, this was one of the most dragging books I have ever forced myself through. Did you feel it was a worthwhile read? I know others that did, so I wonder if it's just a personal interest/personality thing. Or I just didn't read it at the right time in my life.
Finished Leaving Yuba City by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Alana, I did think that Wolf Hall was worth the read. It was not an easy read; I really had to work at it. I am not sure I would describe it as enjoyable, but as valuable. The portrayal of Cromwell and Wolsey makes me want to find out more from historians rather than fiction writers.
Praying For Purpose For Women: A Prayer Experience that Will Change Your Life by Katherine BrazeltonWell, this did not live up to its extraordinary claim. It did not change my life in the least. I have no better idea about what I might be called or how to respond than when I began this book. For the most part, the daily reflections left me uninspired. The final day activity provided me with no clarity.
Finished
by Karen White-- 3 Stars!!The coast of Georgia, a small town where history seems to be repeating itself, and a new husband for Ava Whalen that makes her figure out who she really is...
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Chris Bohjalian-- 4 Stars!!100 years ago- an event in history was forgotten about... The Armenian Genocide was a powerful attempt to rid the world of the Armenian race by the Turks. Bohjalian powerfully creates a story that brings this to the forefront, so that it will never be forgotten again!
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Good German by Joseph KanonThis is an old-fashion who-done-it set in a ruined Berlin during the summer of 1945. Dialogue dominates this novel. The short, clipped half sentences filled with journalistic jargon, often unattributed to the speaker, was difficult to follow initially. But, when I finally learned to decipher it, it became the novel’s greatest strength. It is an American war correspondent that spearheads this investigation allowing this to be solved by simple deduction and careful observation rather than high tech forensics. Unfortunately, the author could not resist the temptation to include spectacularly improbable action scenes with escapes that strained credulity.
I just finished The Road to Character. Some of you who are reading about Eisenhower might be interested in it because there's a chapter on him.
by
David Brooks
The Age of Innocence by Edith WhartonI thoroughly enjoyed the mix of humor and social commentary, of respect for an old social order and openness to evolving norms, the historical setting and the lovely writing in this classic novel.
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk KiddThis is the fictional account of the life of Sarah Grimke, prominent abolitionist and suffragette. The novel is told in alternating chapters narrated by Sarah and by Handful, a fictitious slave growing up on the Grimke family estate alongside Sarah. Prior to this work of historical fiction, I had only encountered the Grimke name as a side note in the biographies better known advocates of female equality. I now want to read some non-fiction about Sarah and her sister.
The Widow’s War by Sally GunningThis novel is set in colonial New England, but the author is clearly set in the Western values of the 21st century. Thirty-nine year old Lyddie is widowed when her husband drowns in a whaling accident. The strong will and independent spirit that her husband loved in her creates tension when she is placed under the care of her only son-in-law in accord with standard spousal inheritance laws of the day. The husband of her only child is greedy, condescending, self-centered, rude and most of all short, and the daughter is callous. Rather than submit to decades of cowering under their roof, she exploits every resource at her disposal to forge an independent life for herself. The same strong will that caused her to flee her son-in-law’s home also enables her to abandon the long-held values and widely accepted behavioral norms in record time. A few driving lessons and the gift of a cell phone and Lyddie could easily be at home in the contemporary world.
Mod
I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of humor and social commentary, of respect for an old social order and openness to evolving norms, the historical setting and the..."
I just started this one today, actually. I'm surprised I put it off as long as I have, since I've actually really been enjoying the dry humor and poking at the societal norms of the day. I'm curious how the ending will go, but so far, I'm really liking it.
Mod
This is the fictional account of the life of Sarah Grimke, prominent abolitionist and suffragette. The novel is told in alternating chapters narrated by Sa..."
I didn't know this was based on a true story! I'll be honest, I tried to read it, and it just felt like "O look, yet another story of a poor black slave who is being treated poorly by the white family and all the terrible things that happen to her," which I know is completely politically incorrect but I felt like I'd read SO MANY books like that recently that I just couldn't possibly handle another one. I gave it up after just a chapter or so. I didn't realize it was based around a real person, though, so I my have to give it another chance in the future.
The Silver Star by Jeanette WallsIt is possible that this novel was intended for a sixth grade reader, a contemporary of the narrator, that I brought inappropriate expectations to the pages, but that was not how it was marketed when I purchased it. Temporarily abandoned by their mother, 12-year old Bean and her older sister travel from California to a small Virginia town, the town in which their mother was raised and left a dozen years ago, to the doorstep of their widowed uncle with whom they have had no contact in as many years. As they try to settle into this new community, they fight off child molesters, help to integrate their new high school and befriend a pair of emus. I was very disappointed by this novel by the author of The Glass Castle. This piece of fiction was clearly modeled on her memoir, but lacked its gritty realism. The writing was flat; the dialogue lacked any slang proper to its time frame circa 1970 and included words that I never heard at that time (Did people call someone “skanky” 45 years ago?) The characters and plot situations were imported from any number of feel good stories: the spunky, orphaned sisters who never have a disagreement, the rich, sinister pervert, the newly discovered extended family whose unconditional welcome and unflagging kindness and good cheer make them candidates for canonization, the childless recluse uncle who transforms into a charming care-giver in less time than it takes to wave a fairy wand. This might have worked for a child’s chapter book, but it did not work as an adult read.
Finished
by Diana Gabaldon-- 4 Stars!!I just love Jamie and Claire. 2nd book in the Outlander series started a little slow, but once it hooks you, you can't put it down!
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Ghost In The Electric Blue Suit by Graham JoyceThis is simply a very well told story without any novelistic tricks or literary flourishes. The 19 year old narrator takes a job at an old-fashioned, all-inclusive family resort the summer of 1976. Two things motivate this decision: it gets him away from his mother and step-father for a few months and it puts him near the place where his father disappeared 16 years earlier, the memory of which he has largely suppressed. Living at this retreat, he is befriended by a thuggish, jealous white supremacist, seduced by the man’s very sexy, greatly controlled wife and unfolds an intimate relationship with a bi-racial peer. As he grapples with the uncertainties, terrors, excitement and tensions in these interactions, he is haunted by the ghostly apparition of a man wearing a phosphorescent blue suit holding the hand of a little boy. This may be the summer in which the narrator transitions into adulthood as he confronts his past, takes responsibility for his present and recognizes that people and situations are often not what they appear to be on the surface.
Unraveling Oliver by Liz NugentThe novel opens as Oliver beats his wife into a coma, then calmly walks to the neighbor to get help. The remaining chapters are told from various people who Knew Oliver. No one had known Oliver to be a violent man, not even his wife Alice. As each voice shares a piece of Oliver’s past, the mystery of Oliver’s unraveling is uncovered, while the mystery of Oliver himself deepens.
Finished
by Alyson Richman- 3.5 Stars!Great book written about the separation of a husband and wife during the Jewish roundup during WWII.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Graham Joyce-- 3 Stars!!Tara Martin goes missing without a trace... 20 years later, she appears on her parent's doorstep, and what she has to say is unbelievable.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
The Once And Future King by T. H. WhiteI had read the first in this four-part volume of King Arthur when I was a young teen. I loved the gently mocking slap-stick humor and was a bit fearful that it would lose its magic if read decades later. But, when it was chosen for one of my GR groups, I decided to read the entire story. I see why I enjoyed it so much as a youth, although it no longer made me laugh out loud. The silliness was beginning to wear thin when the story began to gradually transition into a more serious tone. As Arthur is forced to confront the difficult choices of living with integrity and to come to terms with the meaning of his life, the story took on a power which resonated with me at this later stage of my own life.
I'm currently reading The Martian. Although the dialog gets a little choppy, it's been a really fun, and strong read to me. Definitely recommending it.
Mod
Finished
by Suzanne Rindell-- 4 Stars!A typist in the roaring 1920s!! What more could a person want in a psychological thriller??
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by E. Lockhart- 3 Stars!!Quick read, short chapters, and poetic writing- all mixed together with a twist!
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jennifer wrote: "I am currently reading Rebecca, though I am not supposed to be because it's on The List. I just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower and loved it. I would high..."I remember reading that book years ago. I remember reading the first line, that began something like, 'I dreamed of Manderely.'
The next thing I know I was done. That's how riveting it was all those years ago.
For a thriller it is very well written.
I am reading "One Hundred years of Solitude". I have been hearing about it a lot lately and I decided it was time to read that one.
Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis HiggsTen female characters from the Bible, known largely for their sin or flaw, are examined for a spiritual lesson for women. Each chapter begins with a contemporary short story paralleling the biblical figure, followed by a scriptural exegesis forced to rely largely on suppositions and concluding with several spiritual points. I don’t think I was the intended reader. I found the writing, the attempt at humorous asides, the spiritual points to be rather immature. I disagreed with the call for women to be subservient to men. But, based on the popularity of this title, it would seem that it resonated with its intended audience.
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander EssbaumReading this novel was akin to witnessing a train wreck: Horribly fascinating, compelling in its repulsion. Anna is an American living in Zurich with her successful husband and three children. She would seem to have an ideal life. But, she makes choice after choice apparently in the pursuit of pain and self destruction. This story is told by threads so tightly woven together that it is difficult to distinguish where the action is in time and location. The narrative jumps from the recounting of a dream to a family birthday party to a lesson on German grammar to an adulterous afternoon without any transition. I suspect that the author was mimicking the confused thoughts of a woman spiraling into chaos. The various threads were laid in a way that they had the potential to illuminate the subsequent moment. However, I found this a bit confusing as a reader.
The Stone Diaries by Carol ShieldsDaisy Goodwill Flett is a 20th century Canadian-American woman. From birth to a poor quarry worker in 1905 to young small-town debutant in the 1920s, to June Cleaver knock-off in the 1950s to bridge-playing retiree in the 1980s to death in 1999, Daisy’s life parallels the popular image of women in those decades. This novel is rich with details, and it is the peripheral details that carry the story. Daisy’s story is told through pudding recipes and gardening column for a local paper, through her father’s stone carving and her future husband’s orchid collection. The narration is largely third person, but inexplicably slips into first person for brief moments. And, what is the meaning of this book, or Daisy’s story? In her 60s, Daisy suffers a paralyzing period of depression; various characters guess at its cause, each explanation reflects the concerns and inclination of that figure imposed on the life of Daisy. And, I suspect that is the point of this novel. Each reader will understand Daisy and the construction of the book through their vantage point. Twentieth century women were largely powerless over their fate, carried along by the expectations of a patriarchal society. We can only be honestly known by the relationships we forge, the lives we touch. Women are incredibly adaptable, able to find contentment in a myriad of situations. For me, Daisy served as a myth in the best sense of the word. Always slightly off center stage, she functioned as a period piece that held each decade together ; in her shifting form, that decade was revealed in ways that wars and elections can not.
Finished
by Jeffrey Lent-- 1 StarHate to rate books so low, but was not impressed at all with this one, and the rating fits with how I feel. :/
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Emily Carroll-- 4 Stars!A graphic novel that I read for the BookRiot Challenge- pleasantly surprised!!
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hidden Women of the Gospels by Kathy CoffeyThis is a series of imaginative reflections on largely unheard and often unseen women within the Gospel stories. Each reflection is accompanied by questions for discussion and suggestions for creative spiritual activities. This book is inspired by the ancient Jewish practice of Midrash. What if there had been a wise woman among the Magi, if the unnamed companion of Cleopas had been his wife? How would the parable of the Prodigal Son sound different if told from the perspective of the boy’s mother? How would the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes be understood if experienced by the woman who baked the bread? I am fascinated by but do not trust myself with such an imaginative approach to scripture. These reflections mirrored the contemporary desire for self-actualization and social empowerment of the author. For example, the chapter which focused on the servant girl whose question prompted Peter’s denial of Jesus becomes an opportunity to encourage the reader to confront sexism and other forms of oppression in religious institutions. And, this is exactly my reason for distrust. I fear that we will find only self-reflections, creating a scriptural narrative in our own image rather than allowing the scriptures to mold us into God’s image.
Mod
This is a series of imaginative reflections on largely unheard and often unseen women within the Gospel stories. Each reflection is accompanied by ques..."
This sounds really interesting! So many books I've never heard of, that's why I love discussing books with other people :)
Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniWhen her beloved grandfather, the man who raised her, dies the night of her engagement party, Korobi learns from her grieving grandmother of a long kept secret. Her grandfather had never wanted anyone to know that Korobi’s American father had not died in a car accident prior to her birth as he had told everyone. Korobi is seized with a desperate need to find that man before she enters marriage. While she travels to America to hunt for the father she never knew, her fiancé and his family struggle with financial and other problems. This fit the definition of an average book in my opinion. The characters were neither flat nor did they vibrate. The story line was neither boring nor captivating. The writing was neither dazzling nor atrocious.
Finished
by Catherine Chung-- 2 Stars!It was just OK- hence my rating...
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
101 Books to Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
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Sarah Henning (other topics)
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This is an intricate tale of deceit, vengeance and greed set in New Zealand during the gold rush of the mid nineteenth century. The writing is superb, the plot riveting and the characters complex. Despite its length, it never dragged.