Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion
Spoiler Talk on Books We've Read
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The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
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This was a true saga. I do like that Luther wound up at home with his wife and baby. Wasn't so thrilled that Danny and Nora were permanently estranged from his family, especially Joe, and that Connor was blinded while saving Joe.I did think we were going to see more of Connor in his law enforcement capacity, so having not seen that, his conclusion seemed sort of gratuitous.
If you haven't read about the Molasses spill, you should go to Wikipedia and read up on it immediately. It's quite fascinating. I also want to read a little more on the police strike. I found it absolutely infuriating that the striking police were ostracized after the riots ended and that the officials gave the replacement police the raises and improvements to the station houses -- the things they had been striking for. AND that Samuel Gompers sort of sold them out publicly, as did others. Politics. P-tooey!
Carol:I loved the sweeping saga of The Given Day A Novel! I was sorry for it to end. It alternately made me sad, angry, proud and chagrined, and ultimately very glad I read it. At first I wasn't sure of the Babe Ruth angle to the story, enjoying those segments, but feeling they took me away from the "real stories of Luther Lawrence and Danny (Aiden) Coughlin. In the end I thought Lehane pulled it all together very skillfully. I must agree, Michael Boatman was fabulous as the audio reader.
I imagine the story and history might resonate even more for you as a Boston resident knowing the area. Agreed, poo poo on the politics and unfairness portrayed.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I'm starting this topic with my review of TGD. Discuss!
I wasn't in a hurry to read this, historical type saga's not being my thing, even when done by Dennis Lehane. But I was completely immersed in this. ..."
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "This was a true saga. I do like that Luther wound up at home with his wife and baby. Wasn't so thrilled that Danny and Nora were permanently estranged from his family, especially Joe, and that Co..."i loved the given day, also, carol. if i didn't have that " i read it, poof it's gone" thing going on i'd be able to discuss it with you all! ;)
Barry wrote: ""poof, its gone?""lol, yup. i read it, then poof, i forget what i read almost immediately so if i'm going to talk about a book i have to do it right after i read it..
Sherry:I know that 'poof it is gone' feeling, especially for details when I listen to an audio book. And then again, spending more time with an audio book, often 2-3 weeks in the car for a longer book, sometimes makes them more memorable for the way they made me feel reading them.
I use that factor to help me rank books. Memorable books are higher ranks since they are so rare. It may only be that faint memory of how they made me feel and my notes taken soon after, but some books just resonate more than others. TGD was one of them.
Sherry wrote: "Barry wrote: ""poof, its gone?""
lol, yup. i read it, then poof, i forget what i read almost immediately so if i'm going to talk about a book i have to do it right after i read it..
"
I also suffer from "poof, it's gone" though I remember not wanting this audio to end. I too was ignorant of the history and found it very interesting. Then again, I love your city, Carol, and have never read a book about it which I didn't like.
Thought the "poof it's gone" thing was just me! Glad to hear others are experiencing it also. That is one of the reasons I hold off on my ratings for a week or two. If I can remember what happened 2 weeks later, than the book gets a higher rating cause it sticks with me more? Make sense?
I read too much to keep great detail in my mind, but some books, and given day was one of them, get a few more brain cells. I also discus books over coffee one day each week with reading buddies, so that helps as well, and we are never on the same book as we split the buying and reading.
Liz:Yep, makes perfect sense to me except if I waited two weeks I would never be able to write much about my books! :) I also let my ranking decisions simmer a little bit to see how memorable a book is after a day or so. I'll write up detailed notes as soon as possible for future reference if I really liked a book.
LizH wrote: "Thought the "poof it's gone" thing was just me! Glad to hear others are experiencing it also. That is one of the reasons I hold off on my ratings for a week or two. If I can remember what happened 2 weeks later, than the book gets a higher rating cause it sticks with me more? Make sense?..."
Barry:I am jealous you have those great reading friends to share with at work! How fabulous is that! Just curious, all men or a mix of genders in the group?
... thinking about how to start this where I work... ;)
Barry wrote: "I read too much to keep great detail in my mind, but some books, and given day was one of them, get a few more brain cells. I also discuss books over coffee one day each week with reading buddies, ..."
Mixed genders, some people dropping in and out. It started about 20 years ago with a sec'ty talking about mysteries, and we were reading the same stuff, so we started swapping. Then a supervisor saw a Deaver and got involved, then somebody saw a pile of books on my desk and asked about it...Some people have moved, and we still swap, with monthly boxes of books. The only originals are me and the sec'ty, but we no longer work in the same area, so we started the coffee shop meets to talk and swap. Always the same place and time, so people find us there.
Of course at work 25% of my bookshelf space and a drawer of my file cabinet are devoted to books for swapping. As is a bag in my home office and the boxes that are waiting to be filled.
Ann wrote: "Liz:Yep, makes perfect sense to me except if I waited two weeks I would never be able to write much about my books! :) I also let my ranking decisions simmer a little bit to see how memorable a b..."
I keep a book journal where I write down whatever I find significant about a book immediately. Then when I discuss the book, I can refer to the book journal even years later. So I've avoided the "poof it's gone" syndrome.
Shomeret
Poof, my whole brain is gone. The 70's were very, very good to me.
Ann wrote: "but some books just resonate more than others. TGD was one of them. ..."also Shutter Island and God is a Bullet.
(Carol, ducking)
Boston Terran is writing his first new book in a long time very soon!
Barry: I saw that and look forward to it! Boston Teran, The Creed of Violence
Barry wrote: "Boston Terran is writing his first new book in a long time very soon!"
Carol said: "If you haven't read about the Molasses spill, you should go to Wikipedia and read up on it immediately."Carol, I'd never heard of this before reading TGD, nor had I ever considered the possibility of such a thing as a giant container of molasses spilling. I couldn't imagine the destruction. With everything that happened in The Given Day, the molasses spill remains my most vivid mental image.
Jan O'Cat
Jan O'Cat and Carol:The size and scope of the molasses accident was something and the mental pictures were quite vivid. It reminded me of stories my Grandmother told of the night the city of Nashville resovoir broke and water rushed out taking people from their beds with it. The molasses spill was such an unexpected and dangerous event.
JanOMalleycat wrote: "Carol, I'd never heard of this before reading TGD, nor had I ever considered the possibility of such a thing as a giant container of molasses spilling. I couldn't imagine the destruction. With everything that happened in The Given Day, the molasses spill remains my most vivid mental image."
JanOMalleycat wrote: "Carol, I'd never heard of this before reading TGD, nor had I ever considered the possibility of such a thing as a giant container of molasses spilling. I couldn't imagine the destruction. With everything that happened in The Given Day, the molasses spill remains my most vivid mental image...."
Jan and Ann, reading the accounts of it was horrifying. A tsunami of water is one thing; a tsunami wave of molasses is frightening to imagine. Other than that, I remember the comment that it took months to get rid of the smell.
Carol: Yes, I noted that comment in the book too - they said the unpleasant smell from the molasses remained for years afterward.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "reading the accounts of it was horrifying. A tsunami of water is one thing; a tsunami wave of molasses is frightening to imagine. Other than that, I remember the comment that it took months to get rid of the smell...."
Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends
Books mentioned in this topic
The Creed of Violence (other topics)The Given Day (other topics)
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I wasn't in a hurry to read this, historical type saga's not being my thing, even when done by Dennis Lehane. But I was completely immersed in this. Doesn't hurt that I'm from Boston. I had special interest in the various historical points, the locale, etc. Even Wikipedia'd some of the events to see them from another side.
I loved the way he wove together disparate tales -- the Irish Catholic family of law enforcement officers; the working class African American families. I even tolerated the Babe Ruth thread.
I do agree with at least one reviewer that the plot bordered on ultra-dramatic. The things that befell many of the main characters seemed almost too much. Still I recommend this highly, especially the audio version read by Michael Boatman, who reads many of the Walter Moseley books. As an African American man he nails the black characters, but he does a fairly good Irish brogue and even manages to do the Boston accent without making me cringe, which is rare.