You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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August 2020 - Body part in title
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I'm reading Baby Teeth without really knowing anything. I mean, I've read the blurb back then, was interested, got the copy, and never read it. And now that I decided to start it, I don't even remember the blurb and didn't bother to read it, lol. So (view spoiler)
Ayacchi wrote: "I'm reading Baby Teeth without really knowing anything. I mean, I've read the blurb back then, was interested, got the copy, and never read it. And now that I decided to start it, I..."I read that one, Ayacchi. I'm curious to see what you think of it. I won't say anything yet so I don't spoil it for you.
I'm planning on reading Eyes to the Wind: A Memoir of Love and Death, Hope and Resistance, but probably won't get to it until closer to the end of the month.
I'm planning to read Old Bones with the group, but may read an extra as well. I've been wanting to read a short story The Bone Farm. It is a prequel to a series that I finished. I thought the series was excellent, so I picked up the prequel, then never read it. Maybe this will push me to finally do it. - The Jane Hawk series was a 4 star series for me. It's about an FBI agent who goes rogue to take on some very powerful people after her husband 'commits suicide'. It has some complicated science and a continuing storyline through the series. It was really good, if a bit graphic. If you are interested in political thrillers with a touch of science fiction, this is a good series to check out. The Bone Farm happens before Jane goes rogue.
I also have Eye of the Needle planned for TT. I'm not sure if I'll have time to read it this month, but I'll add it to my list.
Kristie - I read the first Jane Hawk series book, but have not had a chance to jump into the second book. Thanks for pointing out the short story. I might see if I can find it before I go on.
I plan to read Old Bones by Aaron Elkins. This is a different "Old Bones" than the group is reading. It's an early book in the series about Gideon Oliver, a college professor who is also a pathologist, and specializes in analyzing old bones, those that have been buried or lost for a while, sometimes decades or longer. I've read this book before, probably over twenty years ago, and I remember enjoying it. I'd be delighted if anyone else wants to join me in discussing it.
That looks interesting, Casceil.
I wonder whether the tv show Bones was inspired by that book series.
Kristie wrote: "I read that one, Ayacchi. I'm curious to see what you think of it. I won't say anything yet so I don't spoil it for you."I'm trying to figure out what was wrong but my brain can't take it, lol. Maybe I'll leave some questions later here
I have options on my TBR The Sound of One Hand Clapping, The Skull Mantra, The Birdwoman's Palate, and Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia.
Peggy wrote: "I wonder whether the tv show Bones was inspired by that book series."I have wondered that for years. I know Bones is based on a series of books by Kathy Reichs, but I have wondered whether she was familiar with Gideon Oliver books.
Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist. I don't know if she was familiar with Aaron Elkin's books or not, but I imagine she drew from her own experiences to create Temperance Brennan. I always thought that Temperance was fashioned after herself.
I'm sure you are right, Janice. I do think the Gideon Oliver books were out years before I knew anything about Temperance Brennan or Kathy Reichs. And I mistakenly described Gideon Oliver as a pathologist. What he is is a forensic anthropologist. I'm sure Reichs drew from her own experience. I just wondered whether the Aaron Elkins books were an influence.
Oh right, I knew about Kathy Reichs. Who knows, she may have read the Gideon Oliver books, but it does seem likely that she has used her own experiences more.
She doesn't list her influences in her bio, unfortunately. Perhaps Aaron Elkin's books made her realize there was a market for her specialty - if she read his books.
I have started reading the Gideon Oliver Old Bones. I read a series of books about Gideon Oliver years ago, and I had forgotten how much fun they are. I read them before I ever encountered the TV show "Bones" and I remember mentally comparing Temperance Brennan to Gideon Oliver and finding her less interesting. There is a lot more humor in the Aaron Elkins books. Gideon is a professor of forensic anthropology who gives lectures widely at conferences around America and Europe. He has developed a reputation as "the Skeleton Detective," a nickname he hates. In this book, he is in France, at a place called St. Malo, lecturing at a conference, when a partial skeleton is found nearby, at Mount St. Michel, under the floor of an old mansion. Gideon has been to the house years before on a social visit, and knows some of the family who live their. He is brought in to look at the bones, which are probably 50 years old. The patriarch of the family, whom Gideon liked, has just died in an unlikely drowning accident. On Gideon's second day at the house, another family member is murdered by cyanide in his wine. It is all looking connected somehow.
Casceil - your book sounds interesting. I have the first book in the series on my TBR list.
What is the first book? Old Bones was the first one I read, but I see it is number 4.
I've done a little research on the Kathy Reichs/Aaron Elkins comparison. The Elkins' book I have just finished, Old Bones, came out in 1987. The first Temperence Brennan book came out ten years later. Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs won the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. I will agree that Reichs books are based on her own experiences. She has commented that she and Temperance Brennan have the same CV. But I do think it is likely that Rieichs was at least aware of the Gideon Oliver mysteries when she wrote her books. The Gideon Oliver books were the source for a TV series. According to Wikipedea, "Elkins' forensic anthropologist detective starred in the eponymous prime time television series Gideon Oliver that ran on the ABC television network between February 1989 and May 1989 as part of the ABC Mystery Movie rotation."The two characters, Oliver and Brennan, are very different. Rereading Old Bones has reminded me just how different. I would venture to guess, nonetheless, that fans of the TV show Bones would enjoy the Gideon Oliver books.
I’m reading Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia - it’s nonfiction about a monk Tsung Tsai who fled Mongolia in 1959 when Mao was starting to take control in the area. He walked for more than a year to get to China’s southern border, swam across the Pearl River (also referred to as the Guangdong or Canton River) while evading border patrols and miraculously made it into Hong Kong. He ends up in upstate New York and neighbor to the author George Crane. They form a connection translating Chinese poetry together. I’m at the part of the book where George has agreed to return to Mongolia with Tsung Tsai to find where his old mentor monk is buried so he can a shrine. Tsung Tsai plans to carry a three-foot Buddha statue on their trip for the centerpiece of the shrine. George Crane is skeptical that Chinese authorities will allow the Buddha statue to accompany them...we’ll see...
Uggh, I just wrote a big thing on Dragon Teeth, and it just disappeared 😣 I will try again later lol
Finished Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia. It was interesting to learn about Mongolia and China and the travel experience of the monk - Tung Tsai returning home after many years - and his American neighbor - author George Crane being exposed to a culture totally different from his own. The writing was “meh,” and rather basic - I’m not referring to Tung Tsai’s use of the English language, which I thought was rather endearing - he did a great job expressing himself in a language he had to learn. I’m referring to the author’s writing. It would have been great if he had engaged a co-author to write the book. But I found storyline and the people they encountered interesting - got to book travel to Mongolia and check this book off my TBR list!
Cherie wrote: "Kristie - I read the first Jane Hawk series book, but have not had a chance to jump into the second book. Thanks for pointing out the short story. I might see if I can find it before I go on."Audible has The Bone Farm as part of their new Audible Plus program. If you are a qualifying member (gold or platinum I think) you can listen to it for free and it is only a couple of hours long.
I found myself reading a book called Warm Bodies. Does the word body count?
Sorry Renee, but no. It has to be a body part.
I read The Eye of the World as a buddy read this month and discussed it with the reading buddies. I am rereading this series as it was one of my favorite epic fantasy series. I actually enjoyed this book more this time around than the first time. I am looking forward to spending more time in this fantasy world!
Finished reading Baby Teeth.Kristie － He's annoyed me too at first, (view spoiler)
I need a really long time to finish it, sometime I couldn't even finish a chapter in one go, on the first half. It was so intense, the emotions the author tried to imply. The characters building is impressive, especially Hanna. Whenever I read her parts, it's like sailing on a boat in a ocean. You know the currents and the winds, but still it's unpredictable. And the waves, it's throwing you up and down it makes you seasick. With this kind of character, the ending was predictable. Reminds me of a movie called He Loves Me He Loves Me Not (if I'm not mistaken). It occurs to me that (view spoiler)
I don't know whether it's a great book or a bad one, that it deserves an award or should be banned. It disturbs and creeps me out, and for that, I think the author did a great job. But then I don't like how it drains me. I know I could put it down sooner, but I wanted to read it (at least back then) so I've got no choice but to finish it. I should put it away and lock it somewhere. I don't know if I'll read her other books, but if I do, I need a really long time to do it.
Yes, Ayacchi. It's been a while since I read it, but I think he bothered me because (view spoiler) I ended up giving the book 3★ - My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thank you Peggy. I loved the book. It was worth reading even without a badge
That's the most important thing Renee!
It's the end of the month but there are only a few people who reported their book. Don't forget :)
Kristie wrote: "Yes, Ayacchi. It's been a while since I read it, but I think he bothered me because [spoilers removed]"Agree. This one reason why I had to put the book down many times, I couldn't take it (view spoiler)
Ayacchi wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Yes, Ayacchi. It's been a while since I read it, but I think he bothered me because [spoilers removed]"Agree. This one reason why I had to put the book down many times, I couldn't..."
Yes, definitely not (view spoiler)
I just read The Bone Farm. It is a prequel to the Jane Hawk series. I've been wanting to read it for a while now and I'm glad I finally got around to it. It tells a story of a case that Jane solved when she was an FBI agent before she became the fugitive from the series. I thought it was good for a short story, but would have been better as a full length story so it was fleshed out more. Like most short stories this just lacked some depth. I would have liked to have read more about how the agents were brought to the door of the criminal and just had more meat about the relationships in the story. However, I do think that there were some aspects of the story that may have benefitted from having less detail as some scenes would be hard to read if they became too graphic. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Back on home wifi, just in time :)So I read Dragon Teeth and really enjoyed it. It was a great combination of fact and fiction, and entertainment and education. It is the story of two actual paleontologists of the 1800s, Marsh and Cope, but while some elements were drawn from real events, this specific story is complete fiction. It is the preparation for the dig, the dig, and most importantly the protection of the bones afterwards from the elements, the archaic tools and travel options of the time, the Native Americans who were warring with each other (crossfire) and with any white intruders (outright attack), the mindset of the rest of the population which largely ranged from disbelief to outrage at the proof of evolution. And, if they didn't have enough to worry about . . . they hated each other, and would undercut each other at every opportunity.
Fun, quick read/listen, and thoroughly enjoyed. Really glad his family brought this one to print after his death.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Old Bones (other topics)Eye of the Needle (other topics)
The Eye of the World (other topics)
Déjà Dead (other topics)
The Sound of One Hand Clapping (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kathy Reichs (other topics)Aaron Elkins (other topics)
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