What I read in October 2014

[Emma]

We were liars looks like an interesting one - added to my to-reads.

If I Stay was an October read for me too and rated it the same, glad you enjoyed it too, Rosie.

[madrano]

Bobbie, it occurs to me that i began the sequel, which i think was titledThe Angel of Darkness (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #2) but didn't care for it. Maybe, for me, it truly was learning about the term Alienist as much as the story. :-)

Rosie, good reading month for you. Do you think you will read the sequel to Gayle Forman's novel? I think it's titled Where She Went. Much as i liked If I Stay, i didn't want to read the follow up.

[Alias Reader]

Noorilhuda wrote: "my name is red
"

I read the authors other book Snow--Orhan Pamuk and thought it was quite good. I wasn't familiar at all with Turkey so found that fascinating.

[Alias Reader]

Rosie wrote: "What I read in October...
1) The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman 5/5
2) If I Stay by Gale Forman 4/5
3) The Collaborator by Margaret Leroy 4/5
4) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3/5
5) The Maze Runne..."
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Really excellent reading month, Rosie ! It's nice to have a month with such high rated books.

[Julia]

I only read 2 books to completion in October

by Dan Smith
by Nora Roberts

I can't tell you how many I've picked up and discarded though.

[Alias Reader]

Julia, are you enjoying the Nora Roberts trilogy? I ask because my sister love Roberts and if you are enjoying it I will tell her to check out the trilogy. Thanks !

[Julia]

Alias Reader wrote: "Julia, are you enjoying the Nora Roberts trilogy? I ask because my sister love Roberts and if you are enjoying it I will tell her to check out the trilogy. Thanks !"

Yes I did enjoy the trilogy. IMO it was similar in some ways to her Three Sisters Island collection, but, again IMO, was different enough that it was not like reading the same stories. If your sister is a NR fan, then yes I would recommend these.

[Alias Reader]

Thanks, Julia. I'll tell her about it. :)

[Danielle]

madrano wrote: "Wonderful book reading lists. Happy to see folks sharing. I read two mysteries and one YA last month, truly fluff but they were quick reading, which is what i appeared to need.

Danielle, i REALLY liked Shipwrecks, as well. It was different enough that i wanted more. Have you read anything else by Shipwrecks? I have not, but wonder if i'd like them as well.

No, I haven't Deb

[Charles]

Alias Reader wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Maggie !

I used to read the Janet Evanovich series. I really enjoyed it but quit around book 7 or so when I couldn't tell the difference between the books. Same jokes etc. ..."


Alias Reader wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Maggie !

It is a good companion to "Brave New World," and "Farhenheit 451." Interesting that the British are good with scary dystopian stories. "Fahrenheit," made a pretty good movie in, what, 1967 I think, "Brave New World," didn't seem to lend itself to a movie, "1984," made a dark and distressing movie, which makes perfect sense. They are written not to predict, but to tell us what not to do. I hope we listen.

I used to read the Janet Evanovich series. I really enjoyed it but quit around book 7 or so when I couldn't tell the difference between the books. Same jokes etc. ..."

It is a goo

[Alias Reader]

Charles wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Maggie !

I used to read the Janet Evanovich series. I really enjoyed it but quit around book 7 or so when I couldn't tell the difference between the books..."

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I didn't know Farhenheit 451 was a movie. I see my library has a copy. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads-up, Charles !

Welcome to Book Nook Café. :)

[Shomeret]

Alias Reader wrote: "Charles wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Maggie !

I used to read the Janet Evanovich series. I really enjoyed it but quit around book 7 or so when I couldn't tell the difference b..."

Re Fahrenheit 451-- Ray Bradbury can be a beautiful stylist, particularly in The Martian Chronicles. In college I did an oral interpretation performance of an excerpt of that book because of the exquisite prose. It was like a poem.

[[deleted user]]

Very late to the party I know, but here's my October reads. I had a good month after a non-existent September:

Tender Is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald - This was our group read and even though I can't say I liked the book itself, I enjoyed discussing it with the group and found its psychological insight interesting. Fitzgerald may not write characters you want to read about or spend time with but he really does know how to dig to the root of the human condition. 2.5 stars (3 for GR purposes)

The Hunter (or Point Blank) by Richard Stark - this was supposed to be the noir-est of the noir but I didn't find it as compelling as my favourites of the noir genre. However, after a ho-hum start where the lead character, Parker, is a bit of a cipher and doesn't say much, I got to like him in the second half of the book and became interested in his dark, violent journey. There was a bit of personality lurking underneath the bone-crunching and grunting. I will probably continue to read the series. 3.5 Stars

Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver - I started this book of short stories back in September and forced myself to finish it mainly because it was short. This is just full of middle class, middle American, sex-life related ennui and I could not care less. I gave it two stars because the writing itself was good and the dialogue realistic, which I like, but it just wasn't saying anything and I was monumentally bored every time I opened the book. If this is some of the best the short story has to offer then I don't think the genre is for me. Two stars.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - I loved this weird, dark little book about two sisters living with their aged uncle in a big house and read it in less than a day. It spoke to me about many subjects - patriarchy, the cruelty and stupidity of the masses, family and protecting your way of life, all wrapped up in a disturbing bundle. It may sound strange but the story of Merricat and Constance appealed to me in ways I'm not sure were intentional by the author, but left me thinking for a long time after I finished it. 4.5 Stars

Misogynies by Joan Smith - an excellent non-fiction feminist work, detailing the problematic way women are treated and portrayed in the media. The author starts with her work as a journalist on the Yorkshire Ripper case and goes back and forth in time using examples from history, politics, royalty and popular culture to show the misogyny endemic in our patriarchal culture. This book was published in 1989 but (sadly) could have been written last week, so much of these attitudes are still recognisable. But it made me feel powerful and mobilised to keep fighting these things, and gave excellent arguments against so much of what I feel EVERY DAY when consuming media. Four stars.

[Alias Reader]

Thanks for sharing, Soph. It's never too late !

I have We have always lived the Castle on my TBR list. Actually, it's also on my Kindle ! :) Glad to see you enjoyed it.

[Rachel]

Hi everyone, I'm a bit slow this month because I've been losing my mind during NaNoWriMo. Below are my reads for October.

The 13th Prophet: 4 stars.
Surprisingly great short story. Highly recommended.
Full review here: http://leatherboundpounds.wordpress.c...

Frog Music: 4.5 stars.
Took a while for me to get into it but this became a page turner by about halfway through. Great historical fiction.
Full review here: http://leatherboundpounds.wordpress.c...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: 4 stars.
I didn't actually review this but I really enjoyed it. Fun, prescient and disturbing all in one high velocity package.

Shaman's Blues: Three stars.
Fun mystery with really well developed characters. I felt like the writing could be a little tighter but all in all this was a satisfying light read.

Full review here: http://leatherboundpounds.wordpress.c...

A House in the Country: 3.5 stars. Really good ghost story. You will not see the twist coming. Also a short read, great for your commute or lunchbreak.

Full review here: http://leatherboundpounds.wordpress.c...

[Rachel]

Soph wrote: "Very late to the party I know, but here's my October reads. I had a good month after a non-existent September:

Tender Is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald - This was our group read and ..."

I've had We Have Always Lived in the Castle on my TBR list forever but it feels like I'll just never get to it. Glad to hear it reviewed so positively!

[Alias Reader]

Leatherbound_Pounds wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm a bit slow this month because I've been losing my mind during NaNoWriMo. Below are my reads for October.

The 13th Prophet: 4 stars.
Surprisingly great short story...."

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Very nice reading month, Leatherbound ! Thanks for sharing.

[madrano]

Soph wrote: "Misogynies by Joan Smith - an excellent non-fiction feminist work, detailing the problematic way women are treated and portrayed in the media. The author starts with her work as a journalist on the Yorkshire Ripper case and goes back and forth in time using examples from history, politics, royalty and popular culture to show the misogyny endemic in our patriarchal culture. This book was published in 1989 but (sadly) could have been written last week, so much of these attitudes are still recognisable. But it made me feel powerful and mobilised to keep fighting these things, and gave excellent arguments against so much of what I feel EVERY DAY when consuming media. ..."

Soph, thanks for sharing your list with this title. I have read Smith's mysteries, liking them very much. They've been made into tv movies, apparently, but i haven't managed to see them yet. The ones i read by Joan Smith are in the "Loretta Lawson" series.

Don't Leave Me This Way
A Masculine Ending
Why aren't They Screaming?

I liked them, but wasn't aware there were more. Gotta find them!

Leatherbound, thanks for sharing your October list. How did you do with the NaNoWriteMo? It's a challenge.

deb

[Rachel]

madrano wrote: "Soph wrote: "Misogynies by Joan Smith - an excellent non-fiction feminist work, detailing the problematic way women are treated and portrayed in the media. The author starts with her work as a jour..."

Hi Deb,
I got to just over 50,000 so I "won" NaNo, thought I'm not sure what it is I actually have after all that. Thinking about going back and editing it as a novella or maybe even a short story. Doesn't really have legs as a novel length piece.

[madrano]

Leatherbound__Pounds, at least you have proof of some productive output, which is more than many of us who didn't even give it a go. Congratulations on your achievement, regardless of what you end up doing.