All About Books discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
General Archive
>
What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
Mod
Awesome Greg. It was my first one and it was pretty good. Def read it when you get a chance. It was very short.
I had the pleasure of reading for the first time, Forever, and really enjoyed! My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Petra wrote: "I've finished 2 books this weekend:The Power and the Glory
My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Casual Vacancy
My review is here: ht..."
Hi Petra!
how are you...The Casual Vacancy has been on CDN TV recently in 3 parts --- quite a good take off of the book..
I really enjoyed this novel, it speaks to truth in some parts of life/people.
Angela, yeah, I have heard that The Wright Brothers is very good. I have it soon to listen to on my Ipod. And it is my new Ipod, the one that was not working at all. It just stopped misbehaving and is working fine. Oh gosh, please. I hope I haven't jinxed myself.
I have it too, and can't wait to read it.
Have any of you read The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris? That one by McCullough I have yet to read .....but several of my friends say it is not as good as his others. It just sounds so interesting so I cannot decide about it.
I've finished The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai today and enjoyed it very much. After an inital bumpy start due to the endless sentences Krasznahorkai strings which require some getting used to, this wordy, quirky, dark, funny and very intelligent allegory of Eastern Europe won me over, and definitely belongs to the best books I've read so far this year.
@ Jenny: I am happy that you liked it.
Janice wrote: "The Casual Vacancy has been on CDN TV recently in 3 parts --- quite a good take off of the book.. I really enjoyed this novel, it speaks to truth in some parts of life/people.
..."
Janice, I didn't realize it was a mini-series! I think it would make an interesting show.
I was rather pleased with the book. It started a bit slow, I thought, but then I got caught up in the lives of all the people and enjoyed the intersecting circles of their lives.
Sandy wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Have any of you read The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris? That one by McCullough I have yet to read .....but several of my friends say it is not as good as his ..."I agree, it sounds super interesting so for that reason I cannot disregard it, BUT I have been told that it covers too many people with too little depth. Flashy names are thrown around. What is so impossible in choosing books is that the success of a book is all in how the author deals with the topic. How do you know that before reading the book?!
I finally got around to reading The Haunting of Hill House yesterday. I really enjoyed some parts, but overall I didn't think it was that great. No idea why it became such as classic. It's a bit confusing in places and not scary at all, IMO.
Mod
I was rather pleased with the book. It started a bit slow, I thought, but then I got caught up in the lives of all the people and enjoyed the intersecting circles of their lives. "
I didn't know it either
I do not recommend The Story of a New Name to anyone. Yes, one of the few books I have dumped. I have listened to more than half and another 8.5 hours I just cannot bear.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is no longer about friendship but instead about mean behavior.
Mod
More psychological study / psychological thriller than horror really, though I did like it.
I've just finished Duet. I couldn't understand why I'd never heard of it, but then I realised it's a volume with 2 of her shorter novels in, Small Ceremonies and The Box Garden. I always love her writing. I gave it 5 stars.
Gill , I love Shield's writing as well . Hope you had a great trip !
Gill, I didn't catch where you have been?
Gill wrote: "I've just finished Duet. I couldn't understand why I'd never heard of it, but then I realised it's a volume with 2 of her shorter novels in, Small Ceremonies and Gill, I've just added The Stone Diaries by her to my wishlist, as the two you are talking about are hard to come by in Germany. I hadn't heard of her before (btw: lovely to have you back!! :) )
I have read her Larry's Party and Unless. Unless made a bog impression on me and is a book I still remember. But I need to read more by her, she was a wonderful writer.
@Jenny, The Stone Diaries is my favorite by Shields .
@Diane , both of those were 5 stars for me .
I read her books years ago . If I didn't have so many others I want to read , I would reread some of them.
Angela M wrote: "@Jenny, The Stone Diaries is my favorite by Shields .
@Diane , both of those were 5 stars for me .
I read her books years ago . If I didn't have so many others I want to read , I would reread so..."
I
I'm thinking of seeing if people fancy a read along of her, pick your own book. Maybe in July or August.
Diane, is there much of a chance Carol Shields would fit me? I have read nothing by her. Those of you who have read her, which are your favorites? Thanks for your help.I can see joining too.
Great, I'll ask Leslie to add it, say midJuly?,
Chrissie wrote: "Diane, is there much of a chance Carol Shields would fit me? I have read nothing by her. Those of you who have read her, which are your favorites? Thanks for your help.I can see joining too."
My favourite is Larry's Party, Chrissie. Everything else I've read runs it a very close second!
Chrissie wrote: "Gill, I didn't catch where you have been?"On a cruise, Chrissie, from New York to Barcelona.
Gill, wow, that sounds fun. You must have some great new experiences to remember afterwards. OK, so that one is your favorite, even if you enjoy all of them. It is a fun idea to not choose the book but rather the author.
Absolute favorite Carol Shields book for me was Larry's Party. My f2f bookclub had a great discussion about it.
Chrissie, what I forgot to say is that IMO Unless is different from the other books, still great but more unsettling and moving.Ok, I'm setting up the readalong thread now, only 2 months in advance!
Jenny wrote: "Gill wrote: "I've just finished Duet. I couldn't understand why I'd never heard of it, but then I realised it's a volume with 2 of her shorter novels in, Small Ceremonies...Gill, I've just added The Stone Diaries by her to my wishlist, as the two you are talking about are hard to come by in Germany. I hadn't heard of her before (btw: lovely to have you back!! :) ) "
Love The Stone Diaries!
Me too Bette . My favorite of hers .
@Gill and @Jenny You might also like Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Available in audio and the author reads the book herself.
I'd definitely be up for a readalong of a Carol Shields! I tthink Unless is her very best Shields fave of mine.
Gill wrote: "Chrissie, what I forgot to say is that IMO Unless is different from the other books, still great but more unsettling and moving.Ok, I'm setting up the readalong thread now, only 2 mo..."
Will we get a reminder? My memory is shot.
Looking forward to my first Shields then! Bette, Stones from the River sounds really good, another one I'd never heard of.
Gill, moving sounds good.... Bette, you liked that one best? Hmm.
Well it is BAD that I have read none of hers. That has to be remedied.
B the BookAddict wrote: "@Gill and @Jenny You might also like Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Available in audio and the author reads the book herself."I ditto Bette on Stones from the River!
B the BookAddict wrote: "Gill wrote: "Chrissie, what I forgot to say is that IMO Unless is different from the other books, still great but more unsettling and moving.Ok, I'm setting up the readalong thread n..."
If I remember, you will!
Chrissie, not sure how you will feel about Shields, I, have only read two of hers,, though I do own Stone Diaries,
I always like books by David McCullough, so it doesn't surprise me that I thought The Wright Brothers was worth four stars. No, not perfect; I wanted more, but still what I got I liked a lot. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Diane, thanks for telling me. I am not so good with "dysfunctional family" books, but feel I ought to try her. Maybe hopeless?! I don't know.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
All About Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Red Shoes for Rachel: Three Novellas (other topics)Kindred (other topics)
Kindred (other topics)
Kindred (other topics)
The Promise Girls (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Octavia E. Butler (other topics)Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
Marie Bostwick (other topics)
Deon Meyer (other topics)
More...
It always makes me happy when people enjoy Agatha Christie :)
I finished The Maltese Goddess, a mystery which was only so-so. I'm glad I got it from the library instead of buying it! This is the second book in a series; I liked the first one (which I read because it started with the letter X -- The Xibalba Murders). I like the setting & learned some interesting facts about Malta so I might try another book in the series sometime despite my disappointment with this one.