The Next Best Book Club discussion
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Book Related Banter
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What Are You Reading - Part Deux
Nancy from NJ wrote: "Book concierge - I have read and taught Of Mice and Men for upmteen years. And each time I do, I find something new to think about and discuss. Do you find the same thing happens to you."Yes ... definitely with great works I DO find something new each time I re-read. As my own life experiences accumulate, and my focus changes in real life, what resonates with me changes as well.
I do agree with you Book Concierge. I also find that things which I found so worthwhile when I was younger no longer have that same appeal.
I'm about a third of the way through The Power by Naomi Alderman. I'm enjoying it very much so far.
Claire wrote: "I am perusing my bookshelves and can't decide what to read. I am t thinking of A Discovery of Witches, which has been on my TBR for a long time. I am also reading some of the short s..."I keep putting A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories on my coming-up list and then it gets bumped by some silly thing I've said I'd review. I must stop getting 'new' books and read some of the good ones! Hope you're enjoying it, Claire!
This brand new children's picture book, My Friend Sleep by Laura Baker, could help youngsters deal with with some sleep problems. I've included lots of Hannah Peck's artwork.
4★ Link to my review with illustrations
This 55-year-old "lost American classic" has lost none of its power or relevance and certainly does deserve to be republished. A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley takes place in a fictitious US State in the Deep South.
5★ Link to my review
I am currently reading The Blue Pendant which is the prequel to a three book series😃.
Just finished:Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Ruins – Scott B Smith – 3***
I read Smith’s earlier novel A Simple Plan , which was a great novel full of psychological nuance, family drama and several twists and turns. I didn’t see the same level of writing with this book. On the plus side, the action moves fairly quickly, though it does start off slowly. On the other hand, this group of young “adults” is almost uniformly unlikeable.
LINK to my review
For a group read, I read Raymond Carver's short story Cathedral, which was curious indeed. It is the title story of a collection that was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. I included a link to where The London Magazine has published it online. 
Link to my review
Yesterday I finished Warlight which was for my FTF BC and already a few members (haven't actually had our meeting yet) commented they found it hard to get into. I didn't have that problem. The beginning was just odd enough that I found it intriguing and so read it over three days time. I really enjoyed it.Have now moved on to From Doon With Death because Ruth Rendell never lets you down.
Evan Smoak is still answering his phone and asking the desperate callers "Do you need my help?" Well, duh! Of course, that's why were given the secret number of The Nowhere Man! This is #2 in Gregg Hurwitz's action-packed Orphan X series.
4★ My review
Post-Truth: The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back by Matthew d'Ancona - 5 starsA short non-fiction and extremely topical
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The early teens sure can be tricky! Crush, by Svetlana Chmakova, is Awkward #3 in a big comic series for kids in middle school. Covers heaps of issues. My review, with many screen shots:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Later today I'm going to start reading The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill. It's the fifth book in the Simon Serrailler detective series. It's been a great series so far! 😀
Finished:The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My 4 star review of Kill Shot: A Wyatt Thriller by Garry Disher
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My 2 star review of The Girl at the Border: A Novel by Leslie Archer
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My 4 star review of The Silent Christmas: A Jayne Sinclair Genealogical Mystery Novella by M.J. Lee
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Maurice Swift, author, is the thoroughly reprehensible creation of wonderful real author John Boyne in his new book A Ladder to the Sky. I absolutely loved hating him - Maurice, of course, not John!
My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm looking forward to reading that book, patty. I love John Boyne 😀
Listening Woman – Tony Hillerman – 3***
Book three in the Joe Leaphorn mystery series begins with Listening Woman trying to perform a cleansing / healing ritual for Hosteen Tso, an old man who refuses to divulge all he knows. I like Leaphorn; he’s smart, determined, physically and mentally strong, quick to respond to a threat but also deliberate and cautious. It took me quite a while to get into this one, but once Leaphorn was caught up in the chase, I was fully engaged.
LINK to my review
Just finished Rich and Famous part 3 by Joy Deja King.
Jackie wrote: "I'm looking forward to reading that book, patty. I love John Boyne 😀"Enjoy, Jackie!
In My Real Name Is Hanna, author Tara Lynn Masih gives us a "Ukrainian Anne Frank", based on real, terrifying events during WW2. An excellent read for adults and easy enough for YA readers, who should all read it!
4.5★ Link to my review
My 4 star review of The Blood King Legacy by David Leadbeater
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My 5 star review of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan are intriguing little stories with his unique illustrations, some of which I shared in my review.
4.5★ My review with pictures
My 5 star review of The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've run across a couple of groups reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, so I decided to have a look. Overall, I enjoyed it (if one can be said to enjoy WW2 in France), but with a few niggles.
4★ My review
Henrik Ibsen nailed the child bride syndrome way back in 1879 in his famous play A Doll's House. Hard not to be infuriated, but the situation continues today.
My review
The Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Lee Stewart – 4****
Book number one in a children’s middle-grade series. I can certainly see the appeal for middle-grade readers. There are issues common to all children (and adults) here – what makes us afraid, bullying, learning to get along, and tolerance for other people’s differences. It’s a fun adventure story of friendship and courage.
LINK to my review
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Mrs Jeffries On the Trail – Emily Brightwell – 3***
Book Six in the Victorian Mystery series has the team investigating the murder of a flower seller. It’s a fun cozy mystery series that I’ll keep reading.
LINK to my review
Another "tanfastic" book from Aussie author/artist Shaun Tan, who wrote/created The Arrival in 2007 to describe migration without words. 
5+★ Link to my review with lots of pictures
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The Next Best Book Club
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The Incredible Journey – Sheila Burnford – 4****
Three beloved family pets – a young Labrador, an aged bull terrier, and a Siamese cat – head home across 300 miles of wooded and mostly uninhabited territory in Ontario, Canada. I saw the original Disney movie when I was a child and read the book at about that same time. I’m glad I revisited it now. It’s a wonderful tale of adventure, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, and kindness.
LINK to my review