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Book Chat > What have you just read? Opinions, Recommendations, and Reviews, part 3

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Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd
Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd
Enjoyed this indie cosy mystery plus magical realism work.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 302: by Dale (last edited May 16, 2023 07:41PM) (new)


message 303: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma These inventive Backstories of famous (and infamous) people are an entertaining collection by Simon Van der Velde. The reader isn't told who they are, but there are clues to trigger your memory or send you down your favourite 'research' rabbithole.
Backstories by Simon Van der Velde 4★ My review of Backstories


message 304: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma Dawoud/Dawit/David's attempt to get from Eritrea to Israel meant he had to keep changing his identity and left him feeling like black foam, tossed around but never allowed to settle. In Black Foam: A Novel by Eritrean author Haji Jabir, you can see what he's up against. Moving and eye-opening.
Black Foam A Novel by Haji Jabir 4★ My review of Black Foam


message 305: by Esther (new)

Esther (eshchory) | 1368 comments Catching up on a long due review of a dissapointing medieval-style fantasy that needed some significant editing
Scourge (Darkhurst #1) by Gail Z. Martin Scourge
3 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In contrast a more recent and much more sucessful genre-bending scifi-police procedural.
How does the world cope when everyone suddenly goes blind and can we trust the technology that replaces our natural vision?
The Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen The Blind Spots
4.5 stars (rounded up)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 307: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma One of my favourites, acclaimed Irish author John Boyne never writes the same thing twice. The Absolutist is a powerful story of the boys who met in the army and fought in WWI in the muddy trenches of France. It is both wonderful and awful.
The Absolutist by John Boyne 5★ My review of The Absolutist


message 309: by Greg (new)

Greg | 8344 comments Mod
PattyMacDotComma wrote: "One of my favourites, acclaimed Irish author John Boyne never writes the same thing twice. The Absolutist is a powerful story of the boys who met in the army and fough..."

This one looks really good Patty! And great review!


message 313: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma Greg wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "One of my favourites, acclaimed Irish author John Boyne never writes the same thing twice. The Absolutist is a powerful story of the boys who ...

This one looks really good Patty! And great review!"


It is excellent, Greg - read it!


message 314: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma Conspirators on the Dark Web don't need someone to have an internet presence in order to target them. In Aussie author Ashley Kalagian-Blunt's unsettling new book, Dark Mode, anyone is fair game - game as in being hunted for sport. Watch yourself!
Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian-Blunt 4★ My review of Dark Mode


message 315: by Pam (new)

Pam Baddeley | 1531 comments Just read Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5469457152


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro by Viola Ardone
The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro by Viola Ardone
After a long time, found a winner. Loved this coming-of-age historical novel that is based on true facts.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 319: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma I wish everyone could read this and understand the value of ancient cultures and what they can offer the world. I, the Aboriginal, an autobiography, kind of ghostwritten by Douglas Lockwood, has fascinated me for decades. Aussies, especially, should learn our shared history.
I, The Aboriginal by Douglas Lockwood 5★ My review of I, The Aboriginal


message 322: by Dale (new)

Dale Harcombe | 1964 comments My review of Save the Last Dance by Shelley Shepard Gray Save the Last Dance by Shelley Shepard Gray
4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Warm and cuddly and mushy for the most part. A great light read despite some dark topics.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 327: by Tamara (new)

Tamara Agha-Jaffar | 1426 comments I read Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany. A fascinating exploration of 3,000 years of history of the ancient Near East. In this 600+ page behemoth, Professor Podany analyzes cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals to unearth what they reveal about the lives of ordinary people as well as kings and queens, priests and priestesses. Her tone is engaging and accessible. She breathes life into people who lived 5,000 years ago.
I thought it was a fascinating, well-researched exploration.

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


message 329: by Nichole (last edited May 28, 2023 08:39PM) (new)


message 330: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma Raymond Carver wrote many short stories and a lot has been written about them. A Small, Good Thing is a famous, moving one that I see more in every time I read it.
A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver 5★ My review of A Small, Good Thing with links to the story online


message 331: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma What a fascinating mix of biography, mystery, and history.The Postcard, by acclaimed French author Anne Berest, is what she uncovered about the disappearance of her Russian Jewish family during WWII. Just remarkable!
The Postcard by Anne Berest 5★ My review of The Postcard


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood - An anthology by various indie authors.
A Million Ways Stories of Motherhood by Gina Andrew
Loved a majority of the stories in this collection. Good for family drama readers.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments Inheritance by late Aussie author Kath O'Connor
Inheritance by Kath O'Connor
A poignant read, but not as impactful as I had expected.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 338: by Suz (new)

Suz | 1104 comments Love reading diverse topics.

Reclaim by Ahona Guha Reclaim by Ahona Guha

My review 5★

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


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments Children of the Sun by Beth Lewis
Children of the Sun by Beth Lewis
Loved the premise of this cult fiction combined with sci-fi elements, but some elements in the writing could have been better.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 341: by Kathleen (new)

Kathleen | 401 comments I love noir, and this one was even better than the movie.
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) by Raymond Chandler The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I love Anne Tyler's quirky characters. This lesser-known of her novels is now my favorite so far.
Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler Searching for Caleb
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 342: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma I can't pass up a good sampler, and the latest Buzz Books 2023: Fall/Winter is full of tempting excerpts. I've picked some I like the look of and included many short quotes to tempt you too. These are always available for free online from Publishers Lunch as well. Check the GR blurb for more info.
Buzz Books 2023 Fall/Winter by Publishers Lunch 5★ My review of Buzz Books Fall/Winter 2023


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
This had everything that should have worked for me, and yet it didn't. Disappointed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 345: by Leslie (new)

Leslie | 16369 comments Kathleen wrote: "I love noir, and this one was even better than the movie.
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) by Raymond ChandlerThe Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Review: ..."


As much as I love the combo of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, I have to agree! Glad to hear from another Chandler fan :)


message 346: by Leslie (new)

Leslie | 16369 comments I haven't been keeping up here and I won't try to catch up... One of my recent finished books was Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. I can see why it is considered an important book but it really wasn't my sort of book at all. I couldn't bring myself to give it 1 star so it ended up as 2*. I think that its importance was more in the breaking down of barriers of what was acceptable (similar to Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover) - a lot of the obscenity that got it banned is nowadays fairly commonplace. If it had been written today instead of in the 1930s, I doubt it would be so acclaimed. But maybe I just can't see the genius; it has happened before when I read James Joyce!


message 347: by Dale (new)

Dale Harcombe | 1964 comments My review of Like the Wind By Robin Lee Hatcher
Like the Wind by Robin Lee Hatcher
4 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Rosh ~catching up slowly~ (roshreviews) | 425 comments The Road To Dalton by Shannon Bowring
The Road To Dalton by Shannon Bowring
This needs more readers - it is such an excellent literary fiction novel, and a debut one at that!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 349: by PattyMacDotComma (new)

PattyMacDotComma I love Aussie author Robbie Arnott's writing, and I'm sure I would have enjoyed The Rain Heron more if I'd read it instead of listened. It is original, poetic, and magical, but it is also brutal, which is a (little) less confronting on the page than when going straight to the brain.
The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott 3.5~4★ My review of The Rain Heron


message 350: by Suz (new)

Suz | 1104 comments A book that has sat on my shelf for a couple of years:

Home Body by Rupi Kaur Home Body by Rupi Kaur

My review 3.5★

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


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