You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Chit Chat About Books
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What are you Reading and Why
I finished both Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen and Fin & Lady: A Novel by Cathleen Schine.I began Fin & Lady: A Novel loving every page and wondering why I hadn't read than The Love Letter by this prolific author. But somewhere mid book, it began to be repetitive and not really as good as I thought it could have been,
I reread Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen which I first read in 2009. I decided to read on with this series and had to read from the beginning to remember details. An OK read and I'm wondering how many more books about this Irish detective new to America I will read in the future.
Forgot to add to my above message that now the fun part is ahead of me - choosing my next title.
I would like to recommend To the End of the Land to everyone. It is the best book of fiction I have read this year. Why? Because it is so close to real life, that's why.My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I listened to the audiobook, and will now continue on with Speak, Memory, narrated by Stefan Rudnicki. It is autobiographical, speaks of synesthesia already in the second chapter and the writing by Nabokov is "Nabokovian" of course!
I never did choose a new book after finishing two books late last Thursday evening. I think I'm going to reread Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg.Well, it's happened again. I've decided not to continue reading the Molly Murphy series. I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I really don't like mysteries except for a handful of writers which include Nelson DeMille and Harlan Coben.
I hesitate to say I've started reading The Land Of Dead Flowers just because I opened it on my Kindle app and read the introduction. The intention is there. It will be the next book for my alphabet challenge. It appeals to me more than the one I had originally chosen for "L".
I finished my first 'Just Because' monthly challenge book, The Book of Lost Things
. I enjoyed it but not as much as I thought I would. I gave it 3 stars but my actual rating would be 3.5. My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...I am moving on to Gone Girl
which is also a 'Just Because' challenge book.
Finished Alexander McCall Smith, Friends, Lovers, Chocolate for both the Alphabet Challenge's ess and a Connection Challenge.Brief Review
Starting Earl Derr Biggers', The Black Camel for a Zodiac Challenge.
and then James Thompson's Lucifer's Tears for the tee in the Alphabet Challenge,
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke for a Connection Challenge.
I finished my N book, Nefertiti so now I can get started on Mudbound. And I'll start looking at my O choices, a candidate for 'Just Because', get ready for the August Toppler, and anything else that comes up.
I watched the first hour of the production of The White Queen which is on the Starz cable station and based on the book by Philippa Gregory and loved it. I then went to the library and found the audio and am now listening to it. Funny but some of Gregory's books I really enjoy, others not so much.
Travis of NNY wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Kafka on the Shore just because. And also still working on Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen as an audiobook while I run (ha..."Travis, this was my experience exactly with the Kafka on the Shore. The writing pulled me in but at times it was very confusing and disturbing. I couldn't wait to get back to it each time. I gave it 4 stars but may reassess. I wish I was smart enough to "get" all of it.
Just finished Dragon Bones as an audiobook and really liked this complex mystery set against the 3 gorges construction for the dam. Am now reading a canadian mystery Death Plays Poker: A Clare Vengel Undercover Novel as I need something simple after two complicated books. This one is an easy read and is the second in the series.
I finished Tell the Wolves I'm Home last night. I am late to the party but I am glad I got to read it.I started Railsea in audio for my M book and will give another try at Joe Nesbo for my N book. So many of you here like him that I will give The Bat another shot.
Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies then a couple HG Wells short ones The Magic Shop and The Valley of Spiders a quick Herman Melville Bartleby, the Scrivener and now Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Just started Robert B. Parker's Lullaby
. Not ordinarily a fan of the concept of a new author trying to perpetuate a franchise when its originator dies, particularly when the character is as iconic as Spenser, and even more particularly when said iconic character is one of my three all-time favorites. That said, I'm 30 pages in and the voice is there. We may have a winner.
I started reading One Hundred Years of Solitude for the buddy read but I've abandoned it already! So on to Joyland - another just because book. I'm pretty sure I'll have more luck with that one!
Sarah, I too disliked One Hundred Years of Solitude, but don't give up on the author totally. Love in the Time of Cholera is very good.
Sarah wrote: "I started reading One Hundred Years of Solitude for the buddy read but I've abandoned it already! So on to Joyland - another just because book. I'm pretty sure I'll have more luck with that one!"I'll be interested in what you think of Joyland since I have it on Audiobook.
Janice wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I started reading One Hundred Years of Solitude for the buddy read but I've abandoned it already! So on to Joyland - another just because book. I'm pretty sure I'll have more luck wit..."I've only read 50 pages so far but I'm really enjoying it. I can feel it's going to be a good one! It's one of his shorter books too at only 283 pages so it shouldn't take me long to read it.
Just noted some new titles to be published in the next month which I have added to my TBR list. Thought I'd add them here as well.Sycamore Row by John Grisham
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
The Girl You left Behind by Jojo Moyes (don't think this is brand new but it showed up as a new book - maybe in paperback)
The Daughter of Mars by Thomas Keneally
After Her by Joyce Maynard
The Returned by Jason holt
The Affair of Others by Amy Grace Lloyd
Dissident Gardens by Jonathan Lethem
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Someone by Alice McDermott
Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron
The Quest by Nelson DeMille
Janice wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I started reading One Hundred Years of Solitude for the buddy read but I've abandoned it already! So on to Joyland - another just because book. I'm pretty sure I'll have more luck wit..."I read Joyland recently after pretty much abandoning King's books BUT since I loved Joyland, I have placed many of King's titles on my TBR list. BTW - Joyland is old time King and more about a place, time and characters than it is about a mystery or murder.
Finished The View from Penthouse B by by Elinor Lipman who has been called the Jane Austen of present day. Now to choose another book to read as I continue to listen to The White Princess by Philippa Gregory.
Nancy, in future, could you link any books that you mention? (Just click the "add book/author" link above the comment box.) It makes it so much easier for people to look at the book and add it to their TBR with links in place. I'm curious as to why you abandoned Stephen King?
I've just finished reading Joyland which I loved and now I'm reading a book for my alphabet - O for Oryx and Crake.
I finished Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill last night and continue to listen to The White Princess. I may begin Oleander Girl by and Indian author Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni whose books I really enjoyed in the past.
Sarah wrote: "Did you enjoyDaughter of Smoke & Bone Almeta? "Well, I did enjoy it, but it is really just a loooong prologue to the next book. It was an introduction to the important characters and their cultures. I am hoping the next one has more action!
Helen - I assume you live in Rhode Island. We will be in Warwick Sunday meeting with our daughter's in laws for lunch. We will be on our way home from visiting friends in Boston for the weekend.
I have finished and started a couple:Speak, Memory was fantastic, for how it is written. But it will not be every one's cup of tea.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Reading The Surrendered after To the End of the Land was not a good choice. A comparison made it totally impossible to appreciate "The Surrendered".
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Both present multiple love relationships within a historical background. In one you empathize with the characters and in the other they remain at a distance. Grossman's is fantastic.
I have begun Snow Hunters and am thoroughly enjoying it. For me HOW an author strings together his words is VERY important. This is an audiobook narrated by he author and it really works well, at least so far.
On kindle I am reading The People in Between: A Cyprus Odyssey for the history of the Cypriot conflict. The writing isn't exceptional, but the historical facts are well woven into the fictional tale. I have just begun.
Half way through my u book for 2 weeks now still in a procrastination to finish it mood so started V for Vendetta. When I ordered this book many months ago it showed up with a free mask. It comes in handy to freak out the family at random times
Travis of NNY wrote: "Half way through my u book for 2 weeks now still in a procrastination to finish it mood so started V for Vendetta. When I ordered this book many months ago it showed up with a free mask. It comes i..."I really liked the film - I wonder how true to the book it is - I have it on my TBR. Freaking the family out with the mask sounds fun too!
Travis of NNY wrote: "Half way through my u book for 2 weeks now still in a procrastination to finish it mood so started V for Vendetta. When I ordered this book many months ago it showed up with a free mask. It comes i..."I want a mask!
Nancy wrote: "Helen - I assume you live in Rhode Island. We will be in Warwick Sunday meeting with our daughter's in laws for lunch. We will be on our way home from visiting friends in Boston for the weekend."I believe Helen is in the UK, unless she's moved across the pond while I wasn't looking. I think the confusing came in with RL, which some of us abbreviate Real Life down to. Ie. not a Goodreads bookclub.
Enjoy your trip. Boston is on my list of places to go to if I make it to the States one day.
I was 38% into The Land Of Dead Flowers and I just couldn't stand it any more. So I zipped to the end and read the last couple of pages. I wish I had quit earlier. Now, I'm trying to decide what to start next. Maybe I should go back to my original book for "L" - Last Night in Twisted River.
Not sure where to post this question but I waned to ask about the alphabet challenge. Do we need to read the alphabet in order? Does this mean we are required to read the 26 books one after the other. I do this challenge for other groups both for titles and another one for authors but the challenge is for a year and you slot them in as you read them.
Will someone let me know, please? I am a mood reader and rarely if ever plan out my books except for my f2f book groups which meet monthly.
Sarah wrote: "Travis of NNY wrote: "Half way through my u book for 2 weeks now still in a procrastination to finish it mood so started V for Vendetta. When I ordered this book many months ago it showed up with a..."I haven't seen the movie but they say the novel is much darker and the characters more evil. In order to make the movie enjoyable it had to be lightened up a little is what I've heard.
Nancy wrote: "Not sure where to post this question but I waned to ask about the alphabet challenge. Do we need to read the alphabet in order? Does this mean we are required to read the 26 books one after the o..."You need to read the books in order of the alphabet. I gave quite a bit of consideration to this when I set up the challenge and decided to go with the requirement. It helps to make the challenge... challenging! :)
This thread will give you all the details on the challenge.
Just finished The White Queen and will choose my next book to read as well as to listen to.
Travis of NNY wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Travis of NNY wrote: "Half way through my u book for 2 weeks now still in a procrastination to finish it mood so started V for Vendetta. When I ordered this book many months ago it sh..."I will have to give it go then - sounds good!
I'm reading Stupid & Contagious by Caprice Crane. I picked it from my long list of books to read because I was looking for a fun and easy read and its description sounded interesting. Also, one of my goodreads friends rated it 4 stars. I like it so far!
Peggy wrote: "I'm reading Stupid & Contagious by Caprice Crane. I picked it from my long list of books to read because I was looking for a fun and easy read and its description sounded interesting. Also, one of ..."I really liked that book, Peggy. Enjoy! :)
Just finished
for the just because challenge and am now reading
for my alphabet challenge
Just started South of the Border, West of the Sun - I must be on a Haruki Murakami kick and I realize that there are worse things in life! lol
I began listening to Seconds Away this morning and then realizing that I wouldn't be able to listen after today - we're off to Boston and my husband has no interest in listening to a book in the car - I ran to the library and took out the book as well. I was home most of the day and the book was such a quick read, I just finished a little while ago. Now I need to choose a book for the trip on my Kindle and I am also reading a traditional book Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Shannon wrote: "Just started South of the Border, West of the Sun - I must be on a Haruki Murakami kick and I realize that there are worse things in life! lol"I pick up every Murakami book I see in my second hand bookshop, whether I know anything about them or not. And this was the last one. So looking forward to your thoughts!
I finished
and thought it was really cute. So glad I decided to check if my library had this series :) 4 stars. I highly recommend them to the cozy mystery fans in the group.
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (other topics)Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson (other topics)
The Afghan Campaign (other topics)
The Hunt for Atlantis (other topics)
The Tenth Chamber (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Steven Pressfield (other topics)Rainbow Rowell (other topics)
John Steinbeck (other topics)
Jo Nesbø (other topics)
Jo Nesbø (other topics)
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My reivew: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Moving on to The Surrendered. I have wanted to read this for ages. Setting Korea.
I am listening to To the End of the Land. I am absolutely loving it. How it depicts parent/child relationships is unbelievably good. In addition there is the theme of the Israeli conflict. I haven't read such good fiction in ages, but that is me. Maybe you will react differently. One bit of advice is that before you pick this you should know that the beginning has a long prologue that is set when the three main characters (Ora, Avram and Ilan) are young, sick, scared and alone in a hospital. Only later do you flip to the trip Ora and Avram take walking in Galilee.