101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
What are you reading?
Finished
by Andy Weir-- 3 stars.Appreciated the humor and the diary format- did not appreciate all the science.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregoryhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a fictionalized account of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn as told through the eyes of her sister Mary. This was overly heavy on traditional chick lit elements and a bit questionable on historical elements. It was unnecessarily long, becoming repetitive.
Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase by Louise Waltershttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If I had to find a single word for this novel, I would choose insipid. The story line, writing style, characters, plot resolution, were all notably bland. In 1940 England, a handsome, intelligent, gregarious, kind 30 year old Polish fighter pilot knocks on the farmhouse door of a dowdy, reclusive, depressed housekeeper 10 years his senior and the two fall instantly in love. Although his squad is transferred a short time after their momentous meeting, the single night of passionate love making awakens a joy and zest for life that changes the woman’s life forever. Meanwhile, seven decades later, the woman’s granddaughter stumbles on a letter in an old suitcase that calls into question what she thought she knew of her family history. Although the crux of the novel rests on reconciling these discrepancies, we see almost nothing of the granddaughter’s quest. Rather the contemporary sections are taken up with her accompanying a colleague for an abortion, terminating her affair with a married man, finding treasures at a used book store, and so on. And, of course, there must be a closeted millionaire because every community has one of those ready to make ordinary dreams come true.
Almost done reading Paulo Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die.
Britany wrote: "Finished by Andy Weir-- 3 stars.Appreciated the humor and the diary format- did not appreciate all the science.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads..."
Wondering to-read or not-to-read !!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just love Margate Atwood. She's such a feminist, how much ever you try to ignore it in her books, a witty feminist sarcasm just pops up. Or may be only a woman can identify it.
Mod
by Andy Weir-- 3 stars.Appreciated the humor and the diary format- did not appreciate all the science.
My Review:
https..."
I enjoyed it, but I like the science, so depends on what you like :)
The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrandhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
As the title implies, this is a novel about gossip and scandal among a tight knit group of friends and neighbors on Nantucket. For 80% of the novel, I was repulsed by the selfish, short-sighted, immature behavior of the adults, (I could excuse the bad behavior of the teens), When the proverbial shit hit the fan and the awful consequences of this behavior became apparent, the immerging of humble goodness in the main characters felt inauthentic, as if the author was grasping for an ending appropriate for the Life Time Channel.
Finished
by Roxane Gay-- 3 stars.This collection of essays was infuriating. I loved it, then hated it, then came to love it again.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Before She Met Me by Julian Barneshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A middle-aged man in his second marriage suddenly and seemingly inexplicably obsessed with his wife’s romantic partners prior to their meeting. I found this irrational, self-centered, jealous man incomprehensible and unlikable. It is a testament to Barnes’ incredible skill that I was drawn into the orbit and life of such a character in this short book. Despite the very limited action, I could not put this down.
Currently reading Claudia Gray's Stargazer.
The Noonday Devil: Acedia the Unnamed Evil of our time by Jean Charles Naulthttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This theological presentation of the ancient monastic sin of acedia began as a doctoral dissertation. It assumes a significant amount of familiarity with theological terms. When it addresses the contemporary manifestation of acedia, its primary audience is monastic. Implications for the lay reader are not well developed.
Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage
Finished
by Megan Miranda-- 4 Stars.Suspenseful thriller told backwards-- thought it might not work, but it did- so brilliant!! If you enjoyed the movie Memento- you'll LOVE this one.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The stories of four Chinese women who migrated to California in the 1940s and their now adult daughters who were raised in America are woven together. We learn of the cultural forces that shaped these women and the reason for the tension and misunderstandings with their daughters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and got lost over and over as each new bit of personal history opened and invited me in.
Finished
by Sarah Addison Allen-- 3 stars.Sweet with a side of magic.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There has been a mass shooting at the local high school. Witnesses report two gunmen, but only one has been found, dead of a self-inflicted wound. The other is believed to be Jake. Chapters alternate between that fateful event and moments from Jake’s growing up, all told through the eyes of his stay-at-home father. The book was an easy, engaging read. The ending meandered into over-sentimentality.
Finished
by Emily Giffin-- 3 StarsCutesy book about sisters that are complete opposites trying to find common ground.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegnerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a story within a story. It is the account of Susan Ward, a cultured New York young woman, a talented illustrator, who moves to the untamed West in 1875 with her engineer husband who moves the family from one primitive setting to the next in pursuit of jobs. It is the record of the thoughts and observations of her grandson, a 58 year old historian, a man severely crippled by a degenerative illness that robs him of his ability to move, who spends his days combing through his grandmother’s affects to write a fictional account of her life. While Susan resists the primitive conditions of her new life, her grandson resists the reduced physical situation of his life. I think this novel intended to explore themes such of our limited perceptions, the nature of interpretation, maybe even the passage of time. But, I was not up to the task of comprehending the deeper layers built into this book. I never felt as if I fully understood any of these characters and found the movement between past and present diminishing to both rather than mutually illuminating as was obviously intended.
The Door by Magda Szabohttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the account of a relationship between two women. But the older woman is an enigma, a woman of contradictions and mysteries that puts people under her spell as she keeps them at a distance. The writing was excellent. I felt as if I knew these women and felt their inner struggles. I anticipate that this novel will haunt me for some time.
Done with
.3 stars.
Very brilliantly written book and my intelligence failed me to grasp it properly. :( I could feel my low IQ through out the book. :)
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A Train In Winter by Caroline Mooreheadhttp://www.thriftbooks.com/
This is a survey of women in the French resistance during WWII who were arrested and interred in Nazi concentration camps. Most of these women died during their interment. A few survived and struggled to return to normal life after the camps were liberated. This book is very well researched, filled with enormous details about numerous women gleaned from written documents and interviews with those still alive in 2008 when this project got underway.
The Innocent by David Baldacci
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A professional paid assassin and a 14 year old orphan hunt down killers while avoiding being the next victims. Nothing about this plot was plausible, not the superhuman strength, power of observation and marksmanship, not the endless near misses and the survival of the good guys while everyone else is gunned down, not the over-the-top response of the federal government. This was fine for mindless entertainment, but not for much else.
Finished
by Tatiana de Rosnay- 4 StarsShort stories, Cheating, and I have no idea why I enjoyed this one as much as I did-- what is wrong with me?? :)
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carrollhttps://littlefreelibrary.org/
Two lengthy, detailed childhood dreams are so vivid that the little girl can not distinguish them from reality. Although this is not my type of book, I am glad I read this iconic piece of children’s literature.
Finished
by Caroline Moorehead- 3 StarsNonfictional account of the French Resistane women who were arrested and sent to Auschwitz during WWII. Good account, but not great.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
by Megan Miranda-- 4 Stars.Suspenseful thriller told backwards-- thought it might not work, but it did- so brilliant!! If you ..."
Sounds interesting!
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The stories of four Chinese women who migrated to California in the 1940s and their now adult daughters who were raised ..."
I've heard so many good things about this, but have never gotten around to reading it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Finished 
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Not much of a mystery
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Abandoning
It sounds intersting but its not when you read it. Most of the witticism and jokes went over my head. So stopping it for now, marking with 1 star. Maybe i will try when i feel I am more mature :(
Finished
Absolute Love<3
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bird Box by Josh Malermanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A malevolent force has appeared. Anyone that views it is turned into a homicidal maniac. To be fair, I do not like horror or survival books. However, I found this wanting on a number of levels. The writing was lackluster. Information was repeated ad nausea. I felt as if the author was trying to meet some minimum word count, including much that was irrelevant or so obvious that it did not need being detailed. I also found large gaps in the plot that prevented me from buying into this fantastical premise. I would not recommend this book to anyone nor do I imagine I will read another book by this author.
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Having escaped from maximum security prison where he was serving time for armed robbery to support a drug addiction, the narrator flees to Bombay where he quickly rises to the top of an organized crime group. The narrator is a mix of a stupendous street fighter, a brilliant linguist, business man and astute observer of human nature, a lovable and loyal friend to all and a sexy, commitment-phobic dude. 930 pages was just too much time to spend with this over-the-top guy who seems to have an inflated self-image if this is indeed largely autobiographical as it is advertised to be.
Mod
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Not much of a mystery
https://www.goodreads.com/revi..."
I hear so many conflicting opinions about Haruki Murakami, but your summary makes me want to check him out!
Mod
The funny thing is, I swear I've read it before, and petered out halfway through the 2nd or 3rd book because I just kind of got bored with it, but when I picked it up to reread this first one, I barely remembered more than the first portion (although the rest of the plot played out entirely predictably). How DOES one forget so many details so quickly?
Finished
by Josh Malerman- 4 Stars.Page-turning freaky goodness, that you can finish in one sitting. A freakish phenomenon overtakes the world where people "see" something and suddenly commit suicide- what do they see? Will our protagonist survive?
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Satiawan https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
With its magical elements, non-specific time frame and archetypical characters, this had the feel of a modern fairytale. Like most traditional fairytales, this story told of negative relationships overcome and the victim triumphing. I do not favor this genre of storytelling. It deliberately avoids much of the complexity, subtlety of literary elements and smart dialogue I enjoy. But, I suspect that those who do like this type of book will have a positive reaction to this novel.
Finished
by Oliver Sacks- 4 Stars.Short and poignant take on an author's final words. Everyone should read this one.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Ann Hood- 3 Stars.Two alternating storylines during two different periods in history. Enjoyable yet predictable, and starring weaker female leads.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Chris Bohjalian- 3 Stars.Bike accident gone horribly wrong, a homeless man that leaves behind incredible pictures, and the Great Gatsby!! Too much? I think so.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Secret Cord by Geraldine Brookshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I always struggle with the movie adaptation of a book I love. When the director makes choices about details that do not match the images I have created, I am upset. We both can’t be right, after all, and I can’t be wrong. That was my experience with this fictional account of the story of King David. This is obviously well-researched and Brooks is faithful to the elements of the story recorded in Scripture. But, it was all those pesky details that did not match the images in my head. Where does all the red-gold hair and the blue and green eyes come from in this part of the globe? Why is David’s father Jesse and his brothers depicted as drunken brutes? (Well, maybe I should have expected that since Brooks seems to have drunken, brutish patriarchs in all her novels.) Why are people sitting at tables in chairs in the courtyards; isn’t this the culture of cushions and low tables? Why does the prophet Nathan sound like a 20th century college educated American with a literary bent? If this had not been a story I knew so well, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. But just as reading a book before seeing the movie tends to ruin it for me, so did my frequent reading of this biblical account ruin this novel.
Billy Bathgate by E.L. Doctorowhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Doctorow is such a master wordsmith. His vocabulary is impressive, his turn of phrase striking, the cadence in his character’s voices is captivating. This is Billy’s story of his attempt to escape his impoverished tenement neighborhood in the 1930s by affiliation with a well-known gang of mobsters. This runs from funny to morbid, from tender to cruel with amazing agility. I enjoyed this book. My only problem was that Billy’s narrative voice was too sophisticated for a minimally educated 15 year old. It is not until the final chapter that we learn that Billy is relating this story as an adult with many experiences that would have shaped his voice.
Finished
by Delia Ephron-- 4 Stars.Two couples vacation to Siracusa Italy and madness ensues. A character study with people I loved to hate. Really enjoyed this one.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Such a hectic life, sad that I only look at my books and sigh!Yet finished 2 books
1. Cider with Rosie
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. Alice in wonderland
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished
by Emily Giffin- 3.5 Stars.Two narrators telling a story alternating chapters. Light and perfectly enjoyable for the summer.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Arthur & George by Julian Barneshttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Arthur and George, two men who come of age in England in what might be described as genteel poverty at the end of the 19th century, end up with radically different experiences of life. When their lives intersect, they quietly make history. In the hands of this literary master, Arthur & George became so much more than a novel of historical fiction or of criminal investigation. Barnes creates psychologically vivid and complex characters. An interesting plot is narrated in striking prose.
An Ornithologist’s Guide To Life by Ann Hoodhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This collection of short stories revolves around women in the wake of failed relationships. For the most part, these are women who are coping with a divorce or romantic break-up. On a few occasions, the primary character is a youth coming to terms with a parent’s new romantic alliance. I like the short story for its tight construction which can carry such a punch. But, these stories rarely had that sort of power behind them. The characters and situations have shown up in so many novels and TV movies that they felt a bit tired.
Finished
by Caroline Kepnes-- 3.5 Stars.Joe's back and this time he's not leaving anything behind. Crazy situations, murder, drugs, and explicit language. I devoured it guiltily and greedily.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Irene - I didn't realize Brooks had written a novel based on a biblical account. It sounds like a great idea, but from what you describe, I think I would have the same feelings about it.
I too am finding it difficult to read that book The Double Bind Britany :( Finished
-- set of short stories and loved them. If you love murakami, then you will love this book too.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
-- I liked it , though i hate to think can these people who are victims of bad incidents group like this and help each other to over come it? Well, no questions in the story. It kept me reading till the end and it's a sad but light story.
101 Books to Read Before You Die
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Really fell in love with this author when I read Sarah's Key but haven't found another book by her that I've loved. This narrator is MVP for this book, which I listened on audio, otherwise, disappointed in the lackluster second half.
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...