What are you reading or what books have you read or heard about? (Part TWELVE) Ongoing general thread. Showing 2,201-2,250 of 2,793

[Nina]

Read an interesting interview of Reese Witherspoon today in the NYT and she said she got her best references for books to read on her Goodread page.

[Jim]

Cool! Unfortunately, that probably means another flood of people. Those sorts of things always seem to bring out the spammers & scammers.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Read an interesting interview of Reese Witherspoon today in the NYT and she said she got her best references for books to read on her Goodread page."

That's interesting, Nina.

[JAKe]

I just finished reading Inferno by Dante Aligieri. Not an easy read even with the translation.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

JAKe wrote: "I just finished reading Inferno by Dante Aligieri. Not an easy read even with the translation."

That's great, Jake!

[Linda]

Nina wrote: "The book that Linda mentioned isn't totally a detective story; it is a delightful book filled with amusing characters with the background a mystery but not at all like most detective plots. It happ..."

Very true Nina. About a woman who is a "detective" solving local "problems" and how this woman using her math solving skills and logic to solve them. Interesting characters. Yes, "amusing" characters. Light, easy reading.

[Jim]

I'm on the last of John Sandford's Prey series I'm likely to listen to for a while, Golden Prey. There are 50+ people holding for the next one. I'll get one more of his Virgil Flowers Deep Freeze & then I'm stuck. There are over 150 people holding for the last one. I hope the library notices & buys a few more copies of these books.

Well, it's been a good run. I've been listening to Sandford's books almost exclusively since July. I don't think I've ever enjoyed such a long run in any series before. Usually I get bored & I'm fairly grumpy about it. Sandford deserves a lot of credit for keeping me entertained for over 2 months.

[Linda]

John Sandford is good. 50 people waiting! Wow!

[Nina]

I am currently reading, "The Olive Farm," a memoir by Carol Drinkwater. She was the actress who played the part of Helen Alderson Herriot. This surprised me. She has a novel coming out titled, "The Lost Girl."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thank you all for your interesting posts.

[Nina]

I looked it up so she was in "All Creatures Great and Small," over forty years ago. Now she is an author.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

My local library's Overdrive program doesn't have any books by Carol Drinkwater yet.

I recently enjoyed listening to the following at YouTube:
"Conversations with Kenneth Branagh". The link is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CukL6...
It's very entertaining. He's very articulate and has a magnetic personality.

Here's his Wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth...
"Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is a British actor, director, producer, and screenwriter from Belfast in Northern Ireland."

Kenneth Branagh

[Nina]

I am now reading, "The Library at the Edge of the World," by Felicity Hayes McCoy and so far so good. Set in Ireland.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I am now reading, "The Library at the Edge of the World," by Felicity Hayes McCoy and so far so good. Set in Ireland."

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Sounds good.

[Linda]

Finished, "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" interesting stories.

Its a book you can read one of the very short stories (main character solves a problem for one of the locals) and you can put the book down and pick up days later.

Some of the book club members didn't like the book. Most of us felt it was good, very light reading, interesting how the woman solves problems with her insight, talking to other locals, and reading their faces and learning about their character.

Takes place in Botswana. You learn about this small rural town in South Africa which is described as another character of the story.

This is the first of a series. Here's a link from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_No....

[Nina]

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the African series. You should try his Scottish ones. Marvelous.

[Nina]

I am reading still my good book, "The Library at the Edge of the World," by Felicity McCoy just in case you missed my first notice.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for the link, Linda.

Thanks for posting, Nina.

[Linda]

Nina wrote: "I've read and thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the African series. You should try his Scottish ones. Marvelous."

Some of the book club members suggested reading both the African series and Scottish ones too. Thanks, Nina.

[Jim]

Feeding The Mind by Lewis Carroll is a 30 minute essay comparing the feeding of the mind to the body. Great parallels. I do try to vary my diet & I do consume books regularly, but I find myself guilty of gluttony & his warnings against this were fantastic. I do need more time to digest at times. The style was very much like that of the Alice stories, narrated the same way, & just as interesting. Highly recommended!

I also read Goldman's abridged version of The Princess Bride. It was a hoot. I gave it 4 stars.

[Nina]

Seventy degrees tomorrow and then Halloween night forty five to fifty degrees for the little goblins when they are our trick or treating. Hope they all have fun. My kids loved Halloween. When I was young there wasn't any trick or treating that I was aware of; I just thought it hadn't started yet but someone reminded me it was in the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim and Nina, thank you for posting.

[Nina]

Just finished reading three of Madeleine L'Engle;s novels; author whose, "A Wrinkle in Time," won the Newberry Award and was published Fourteen million issues and was then the most banned book of all times. I need to read A Wrinkle in Time again.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina, below are IMDb links to the filmed versions of the sc-fi book: A Wrinkle in Time ) (by Madeleine L'Engle ):

A Wrinkle in Time (2003)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290382/...
DESCRIPTION: "A young girl and her genius kid brother are aided by three curious witches in their search for their missing scientist father, captive of an omnipotent otherworldly villain simply called 'It' whose evil is slowly infecting the universe."

Stars: Katie Stuart, David Dorfman, Gregory Smith

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620680/...
"After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him."

Stars: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon

[Joy H., Group Founder]

PS - Here's an online review of the movie, "A Wrinkle in Time":
https://www.ksl.com/?nid=1205&sid...

"Review: 'A Wrinkle in Time' isn't the fun family movie night you're hoping for."

[Jim]

I read A Wrinkle in Time again not long ago as an audiobook read by the author. My 4 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was one of my early SF novels & has always been dear to me. I will NOT watch the movie. I've seen too many movies butcher good books to subject myself to that.

[Nina]

Interesting review, Joy. I seem to think I saw the movie but it was so long ago I can't remember it. It must not have been memorable as I do remember many movies from when I was a child. I am now wondering if I really ever read the book. I must try it again to clear up this confusion. Let you know what I think after I do so. But, won't bother with seeing the movie. You are right; rarely do the books live up to the movie. Two I thought that did; "Dr. Zhivago," and "The World According to Garp."

[Jim]

"The Man Who Would Be King" is another movie that lived up to the original story, possibly surpassed it. Sean Connery & Michael Caine are an awesome duo.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "".... Sean Connery & Michael Caine are an awesome duo."

Two of my favorites.

[Linda]

Jim wrote: "I read A Wrinkle in Time again not long ago as an audiobook read by the author. My 4 star review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It was one of my early SF ..."

We watched the movie last week. It was Ok. My husband and I both said, this is really a movie for kids? Think not.

Yes, if you've read the book or listened to the book - don't bother watching this movie.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting.

[Jim]

Thanks, Linda.

[Jim]

I've just finished The Poets' Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family by John Lithgow. I'm not much into poetry mostly because I don't know how to read it, I think. Plain ignorance on my part. I'm hoping to cure some of that & an audiobook is the perfect way. I can't seem to read poetry on paper properly unless I've heard it read before. I usually can't get the rhythm going in my head right.

I also often lack enough knowledge of the poet, so I don't get where they're coming from. These poems are picked by Lithgow, a thumbnail sketch of the poet & poem are given, plus they're read by some of the best voices around. Better than I expected & I had pretty high expectations after listening to his autobiography, Drama: An Actor's Education.

Anyway, The Poets' Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family highly recommended! My review is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I've always enjoyed John Lithgow. I read and enjoyed his autobiography, Drama: An Actor's Education .
Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jim]

Nina told me to check out Ted Kooser, a poet from her neck of the woods. I read the blurb on him here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poet...
& immediately noticed that he was an insurance executive. It caught my attention because another modern poet, Wallace Stevens, was too. Sure enough, that gets mentioned in the article.

This website has poems read by the poet. They're easy to find by just searching the poet's name in their search box. I really like hearing them read their own poems. Here's "A Blind Woman" by Ted Kooser:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
If you listen to it, he gives a short explanation of his muse.

Thanks, Nina.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for posting, Jim.

[Jim]

Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn was a surprisingly good read. Basically a murder mystery in Downton Abbey. The mystery was good, so I'm comfortable recommending to all of my friends no matter how savage or delicate their tastes. I plan to read more in the series.

I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nina]

Sounds good. I put it on my list. Thanks for the recommendation and as usual a very good instructive review.

[Jim]

You're welcome, Nina. I think you'll like it.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

RE: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

I read this book a long time ago. I've always enjoyed Anita Brookner's novels.

Tonight on YouTube I enjoyed watching a film adaption of the book. It was so well done.
"Hotel du Lac"
YouTube LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPZ1h...

IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091222/...
"An authoress, whose career is more successful than her private life, arrives at a Swiss hotel and finds her life changing in unexpected ways.

[Linda]

Jim wrote: "Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn was a surprisingly good read. Basically a murder mystery in Downton Abbey. The mystery was good, so I'm comfortable recommendin..."

Oooooh! A murder mystery in a good setting - Downtown Abbey. Definitely adding this to my ever-growing list.

[Linda]

Current book club selection is "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger.

Takes place in Minnesota in 1961. From main character's perspective 40 years later. Picked up the book last week and I'm already halfway through. A book I don't want to put down but life gets in the way. I'm setting aside time later today to read. Here's my setting, I'll be sitting in a cozy chair, blanket on my lap (we keep heat low in house but comfortable), hot chocolate, light classical music in background .... I may fall asleep!!

http://www.williamkentkrueger.com/boo...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

RE: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Thanks for posting about this, Linda.

[Nina]

Sounds like the best of both worlds; the book world and yours.

[Nina]

Hotel du Lac was one of my favorite books. She is a great author.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Hotel du Lac was one of my favorite books. She is a great author."

I agree, Nina.

[Linda]

Nina wrote: "Sounds like the best of both worlds; the book world and yours."

Ha! Indeed. :)

[Jim]

Caught by Harlan Coben was really good & hit a pet peeve of mine (public shaming) right on the head. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Linda]

Years ago I used to read Harlan Coben, Sidney Sheldon and others but got away from them. Good to see a review on Harlan. Thanks Jim.