What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews Showing 3,151-3,200 of 12,687

[Maria]

I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. It took me a while to get into it but towards the end I really liked it. The author tied up all the ends really nicely.

[Maria]

Chrissie wrote: "I completed As I Lay Dying

1 star - this book is worse than bad,simply terrible!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

It seems people who read it either loved it or hated it.

[Dhanaraj]

Maria wrote: "I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. It took me a while to get into it but towards the end I really liked it. The author tied up all the ends really nicely."

I wanted to read it. I had then forgotten about it. Your comment now reminds me of it.

[Chrissie]

Maria, well you know where I stand.

[[deleted user]]

For me, A Prayer for Owen Meany was one of the best books I've read in the last 5 years. I loved it!! It was funny and so very touching. (I was reading it in the dentist's office and embarrassed myself when I couldn't stop laughing.) I'm planning to explore more of John Irving.

[Angela M]

Finished and loved Whistling Past the Graveyard. My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Dhanaraj]

Terri wrote: "For me, A Prayer for Owen Meany was one of the best books I've read in the last 5 years. I loved it!! It was funny and so very touching. (I was reading it in the dentist's office and em..."

Thanks for letting us know.

[Chrissie]

I just finished Ham on Rye. I gave it four stars and so liked it a lot, but I will not recommend it to everyone.

I try to explain what you will get in my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here is the last two lines of my review: So why do I like this book so much? Because it both let me understand a life very different from mine AND it made me laugh.

[Eman]

I've recently read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Amazing autobiography covering Maya's childhood and adolescence.

[❀ Minesha ❀]

Just read: Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas.

I must be in the minority, to have hated this book so much. Heroine writes a column called 'miss Independent' but is far from being it. She cannot make up her mind and decide what her basic life values should be and keeps changing them as she changes her boyfriend to suit 'them'. How independent is that?
'Hero' is an insufferable hunter who shoots animals for his pleasure and then claims to be an environmentalist.

Author portrays Texans in a negative light by showing that they are voracious meat eaters who will cry if they do not get their daily dose of meat. I don't believe that is true? She also indirectly shows that vegans are self-absorbed people who care ONLY about animals and will refuse to help any human. Which is quite ridiculous because the whole concept of veganism is to be fair and nice to everyone.

[[deleted user]]

Just read Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray.

I found this book really enjoyable. It was a long-term commitment, taking me ten days to complete, but it was well-worth the effort. Thackeray is delightfully sarcastic, and I found myself shaking my head at the follies of the characters many times throughout the novel.

[Shirley]

Maggie wrote: "Just read Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray.

I found this book really enjoyable. It was a long-term commitment, taking me ten days to complete, but it was well-worth the effor..."

Maggie, glad you liked it, I read this earlier this year and really enjoyed it

[Gill]

Maggie wrote: "Just read Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray.

I found this book really enjoyable. It was a long-term commitment, taking me ten days to complete, but it was well-worth the effor..."

I'm so glad you enjoyed this Maggie.

[Gill]

Eman wrote: "I've recently read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Amazing autobiography covering Maya's childhood and adolescence."
Glad you enjoyed this Eman.

[Wendy]

Chrissie wrote: "I completed As I Lay Dying

1 star - this book is worse than bad,simply terrible!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I found I could not read it so I gave up

[Wendy]

Justin wrote: "has anyone read Zoo by James Patterson?? is it any good? can you recommend me some of his best books! "

I found his best books were his earliest. After that I am not sure what happened. Too much pressure to write too many books?

[GeneralTHC]

I just finished A DARK MATTER from Peter Straub. I think the guy's a genius.

[Diane S ☔]

Finished The Boston Girl: A Novel https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrissie]

Wendy wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I completed As I Lay Dying

1 star - this book is worse than bad,simply terrible!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I found I could not rea..."

I do occasionally give up on books, but rarely, since some do in fact turn around. But not As I Lay Dying!!! Better to spend your time on a good book. I saw you recently read and enjoyed A House in the Sky.Me too! Time better spent, but how do you know if you don't test?!

[LauraT]

Finished Moon Over Manifest; liked it quite a lot. Great description of peripherical America in the eriod between the two wars. Sometimes it seems written in those years..

[Maria]

I just finished A Scanner Darkly. I liked it better than I thought I would since I hardly ever read that kind of book. However I was surprised to see it was written in 1977. It felt very modern to me.

[Angela M]

I just finished Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas. A good introduction to the writing of the Nobel Prize winner, Patrick Modiano. My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Wendy]

Chrissie wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I completed As I Lay Dying

1 star - this book is worse than bad,simply terrible!

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I found I..."

As sad as it was "A House in the Sky" was an amazing book and one that will remain with me for a long time.

[Chrissie]

I today completed Still Life - a cozy mystery.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

LOTS of people love Louise Penny's books, but not me.

[Wendy]

Chrissie wrote: "I today completed Still Life - a cozy mystery.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

LOTS of people love Louise Penny's books, but not me."

Same with me, I have a problem getting into the story.

[Maria]

Angela wrote: "I just finished Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas. A good introduction to the writing of the Nobel Prize winner, Patrick Modiano. My review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Thanks for your review. I might give him a chance.

[Kristin]

Finished Year of Wonders and ended up giving it three stars. I liked the story, and both the characters and setting felt real to me. I haven't read anything about plagues before, and reading this gave me some new thoughts and perspectives on how living through that might shape people and communities. I also found it well-written, although I sort of regret reading in in English instead of my native Norwegian. I struggled with the old fashioned language, which made it difficult to get into - so that might have influenced my rating as well.

Also, I didn't really like the ending. To me it felt rushed and crammed, with lots of things happening seemingly out of nowhere. So in brief, it wasn't a favorite, but I still think it was worth reading.

[Angela M]

@Maria ,
I think it's worth a try . This one is pretty short . Let us know what you think when you get to it .

[Chrissie]

Wendy, hmm. We seem to react quite similarly.

[Wendy]

Chrissie wrote: "Wendy, hmm. We seem to react quite similarly."

It will be interesting as to what other books we like and do not like

[Mari]

I just finished The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I grew more excited in anticipation each time I listened to the book Although I love her style of writing and storylines, I ended the book, wishing there was more to the story. I felt the same way after The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton. The Secret Keeper is by far my favorite. But what can I say... She kept me coming back for more... :-)

[Mariana]

I am just finishing reading The Scarlet Pimpernel and just starting re-reading Mockingjay! I really enjoyed the scarlet pimpernel, its really old though.. Its fiction and non-fiction literature! And im re-reading mockingjay because i liked it very much and read it 1 year ago and finding out that the movie is coming this early november! Love this books really much

[Wendy]

I have Ken Follet's new novel on the coffee table to glance at once in awhile. He used to write well but not now.

[B the BookAddict]

Follet's too dry and dusty for me.

[Chrissie]

I finished Chicken Dreaming Corn. Read it. It is good.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[GeneralTHC]

I'm looking for a certain type of book and I would really appreciate some help. Let me try to describe. Something set around late 19th-early 20th century high society in a big city like New York or Boston. Maybe something sorta Middlemarch-esque set around Christmas time. I know that isn't much of description, but if anyone could throw out some titles I would much appreciate it. Thanks!

[Petra]

Chuck, perhaps Christmas Holiday?

[GeneralTHC]

Petra wrote: "Chuck, perhaps Christmas Holiday?"

No, not exactly, but thanks--I bet that is a good book. It's going on my TBR for sure.

I'm looking for something with a large cast of characters that's set in an American city like Boston or New York. I guess it would be a little Soap Opera-ish in a way.

[Nicole]

Chuck, maybe New Year's Day? It's Edith Wharton, so it's New York and high society. There is quite a bit of flashing back (and forward) in time, but the pivotal temporal moment is New Year's Day.

I think Nancy Mitford also has some potential things, though I haven't read them and also I would imagine that they are probably country rather than city. Christmas Pudding, maybe?

[LauraT]

Sandy wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Finished Moon Over Manifest; liked it quite a lot. Great description of peripherical America in the eriod between the two wars. Sometimes it seems written in those yea..."

I was talking about it with my husband this morning. One of the thing I liked most in the book - even if as Petra didn't like he character at all - is the way the teacher realise that History, a subject we think cast in iron, is so dependent on who tells it or writes it. He was thinking about Irish partecipation to WWI, I was thinking of how the Jiulio-Claudian dynasty was described by the historians of the time, all of course coming from "Republican" familes. They came out as crazy drunkards, while they were simpy trying to subvert old institutions with new ones, better fitted to the empire. Claudio was not crazy when appointing his horse as senator: he wanted simply to say that the Senate didn't have any power left...
Think of how Nerone is depicted by Peter Hustinov in "Quo vadis". Did you know hathe was one of the Emperor who built most new buildings and servises in that period. THe ire actually took place, but it wasn't him who started it!!!

[LauraT]

Nicole wrote: "I think Nancy Mitford also has some potential things, though I haven't read them and also I would imagine that they are probably country rather than city. Christmas Pudding, maybe?"

Petra wrote: "Chuck, perhaps Christmas Holiday?"

Other two titles to add up!!!

[Chrissie]

I am going to add Christmas Holiday. It looks good. Thanks, Petra.

[Gill]

Emma, it's nice that you've enjoyed the book you've mentioned, but you've now mentioned it in several different threads here with exactly the same words. I see you've also posted the same thing in several other groups. We have a rule that says no self-promotion or spam. I thought I'd tell you in case you'd missed where it tells you that.

[Kirsten]

Just finished Festive in Death by J.D. Robb last night, the latest in the In Death series. I loved it! I thought it was one of the most fun and enjoyable of the series:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Petra]

I'm glad that Christmas Holiday is being added to so many lists. Sorry that it didn't work out for your Christmas reading, Chuck. I'll keep thinking....

It would probably be an idea to have a Christmas shelf here on GR.

[Angela M]

I just finished Etta and Otto and Russell and James. My review :https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kirsten]

Last year I read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. It was hilarious! I highly recommend it for any Christmas reading list.

[GeneralTHC]

Nicole wrote: "Chuck, maybe New Year's Day? It's Edith Wharton, so it's New York and high society. There is quite a bit of flashing back (and forward) in time, but the pivotal temporal moment is N..."

That Edith Wharton book sounds pretty darn close. Thank you so much!

[GeneralTHC]

Petra wrote: "Sorry that it didn't work out for your Christmas reading, Chuck. I'll keep thinking...."

Oh, no biggie, Petra, I thank you for your help. Your recommendation does sound really good. I've added it to my TBR and I'm sure I'll read it when the mood strikes me.

[B the BookAddict]

I've finished The Moment by Douglas Kennedy

My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...