The Next Best Book Club discussion
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What are you reading?
Emily wrote: "Over the weekend I finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, it was by far one of the best books I have read in a long time. Yesterday I began The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai."Emily - is this book about someone having marital troubles? I've been thinking about reading it too, but I keep thinking I'm mixing it up w/something else.
Emily wrote: "Over the weekend I finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, it was by far one of the best books I have read in a long time."I didn't know what The Year of Magical Thinking was when I started it. I have always liked Didion's fiction. This was different, but I also thought it was very good.
I finished Cannery Row, which I found rather different than Of Mice and Men. It was a little more poetic. I wouldn't recommend it for folks who like plot driven novels, but I definitely liked it. Thanks to all here who recommended it. I've started Waters, The Night Watch. Like Guernsey, it is set in England after WWII, but it is darker and addresses conflicts around gender and sexuality.
i just finished lucky and now im going starting lovely bones! i wasnt to happy with lucky so i hope the next one is better! i bought all 3 of alice Sebolds books! im kind of regreating it after lucky!
Hmmm, Gretchen, I actually really loved "Lucky". I thought it was better than "The Lovely Bones" (thought I thought this was great, too). As for "Almost Moon", yeah, can't help you with that since I never finished reading; I was just too bored.
hmmm.... Alisha, i just didnt like how she kept rambling off the topic in lucky about her family and then about just odd things. it probably didnt help that i was also trying to read it with my son running around me lol!
Gretchen wrote: "i just finished lucky and now im going starting lovely bones! i wasnt to happy with lucky so i hope the next one is better! i bought all 3 of alice Sebolds books! im kind of regreating it after lucky!"I've only read Lovely Bones and I think it's the only book I will read by her. I was really liking the book until I started on the last few chapters. I won't ruin it for you, but it's probably one of the few times I've become so disgusted with a book I wanted to hurl it across the room.
Jackie wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "i just finished lucky and now im going starting lovely bones! i wasnt to happy with lucky so i hope the next one is better! i bought all 3 of alice Sebolds books! im kind of regrea..."wow!!
Lol, yeah I know strong reaction, but I was really pissed by the turn of events. If you read it we can discuss it :-)
(G)Emma wrote: "Hahhhh Laura. ;P"Hey if God really DID make chocolate carrots, I would definitely be on board. Not so much on the elephants tho
;)
Chocolate Elephant sounds like some erotic cookbook.Chocolate carrots would be quite delicious, and HEALTHY.
kelly- I started the series on the 6th of jan, and i'm still working on the fifth. i normally read much faster but a new semester has started and its hard to fit in my fun reading with all the other stuff going on. its been awhile since i've read some of the older books in the series and i've never read all seven together, i'm really enjoying it.katie- i have read the his dark materials, in fact i own them! i enjoyed them, not as much as hp, but its hard to find anything better in that genre.
sorry it took me so long to respond, i'm new and i didn't realize how many posts there would be between responses!
Heather wrote: "Kathy - I'm not sure if you saw Jackie's post above or not...We are hoping to start on Outlander mid-week or so and would love for you to join us!!!!Jeane - I hope you can get your hands on a cop..."
Good to remind me! will check now on the library website....
(G)Emma wrote: "I'm just planning to read it once a year, perhaps twice if I really want to, but no more. I don't want to miss out on some other AMAZTASTIC (new word) books just because I was obsessing over TGDT."Emma, not kidding but I like that word! It sounds so good, so full of meaning..:-)))
Lori wrote: "sorry it took me so long to respond, i'm new and i didn't realize how many posts there would be between responses! "You will get 'used' to it Lori but will keep being amazed.
Hahha Jeane! :DAMAZTASTIC.
It just feels good to say.
Heather wrote: "Kathy - I'm not sure if you saw Jackie's post above or not...We are hoping to start on Outlander mid-week or so and would love for you to join us!!!!Jeane - I hope you can get your hands on a cop..."
I'm going to try to join in. I have a book to finish first, and I'm not feeling too well today. I'll keep note of where you all are in it. Thanks.
Thanks Heather. I'm going to take a cup of decaf coffee to bed and try reading now. Not such a bad life.
I've already used AMAZZTASTIC today.
Emily...I'd be curious to know what you think of Inheritance of Loss. I read it a few months ago for a face to face book club and everyone was pretty underwhelmed by it.
I am re-reading Watchmen as I wait to start Outlander tommorrow. That book/graphic novel is definitely AMAZTASTIC! I wish I could convince EVERYONE to read it just once. I know it's probably a bit out there for most people but it is as far from a comic book as you could ever get!
Kandice wrote: "I am re-reading Watchmen as I wait to start Outlander tommorrow. That book/graphic novel is definitely AMAZTASTIC! I wish I could convince EVERYONE to read it just once."Well, I got it out of the library yesterday, and after taking a quick glance, I had pretty much given up on the idea of reading it. But, you have convinced me to give it a try. The description I read certainly sounded interesting.
Hooray! I am so glad someone is going to. Can I suggest you really pay attention to the illustrations. There's a bit of a mystery involved, and there are numerous clues in the panels. It's hard to remember to do unless you already read comics, but it really does help the story.Please let me know what you think:)
Kandice, I'll do my best to "really pay attention to the illustrations." But, when it comes to graphic novels, I think I should be considered visually illiterate. Or, would that be graphically illiterate? Either way, the visual clues had better be pretty obvious or they are going to go right over my head. At least now I know to look for them. Thanks for the tip!
Haha! Honestly, after you become accustomed to what the particular characters look like, you'll see what I mean. When you read a regular novel, you make your own picture, so I just take a few pages to get used to what the illustrator wants me to see. I don't know if that makes sense! Once you recognize their faces, you'll notice them in the background even if they don't have dialogue. That's the kind of thing I mean.
*high fives and hugs Carrie and Kandice*You get those every time you say amaztastic.
just finished The Thirteenth Tale..now on to Franny and Zooey..one of my all time favorite books.
Kandice, So far Watchmen is going pretty well. For the most part the characters are pretty distinct, so I'm doing okay on that. I don't know about clues in the pictures, but their is certainly a lot of visual humor (especially early on). There has been enough going on (political and social commentary, plot, character quirks, humor, etc.) to keep me reading so far. And, it has been a nice break from my other more ponderous reading.
I just finished The Wolf at the Table. It was well-written and telling. It clearly demonstrates that parental neglect and rejection can be just as toxic to a child as overt abuse. The Wolf was certainly an extremely creepy character and I despised him tremendously.
I just finished "Why Him, Why Her?" by Helen Fisher and I can't decide what I think. Her theory seems so simplistic, and almost too commercial. But the more I think about it, the more I see examples in people everywhere around me. Or is that just my "NEGOTIATOR" personality seeing all sides of the issues. And am I posting here because my secondary type "builder" is hoping to connect with others to work this out. I need to find a discussion on this book!
I finished GRAVE SURPRISE and loved it. Now I have started THE ICE HOUSE by Minette Walters.
Emily wrote: "Over the weekend I finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, it was by far one of the best books I have read in a long time. Yesterday I began The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai."bnoir wrote: "I'm reading Luck in the Shadows. I dont remenber when was the last ti..."
I picked Inheritance of Loss for a book club pick this year and I have to tell you that none of us cared for it. The only good thing that came of it was that one of our members worked in Kuwait for about 5 years as a teacher and she could shed alot of light on the book as far as the social class perspective. We had a really good discussion on a book none of us cared for and I really did learn alot.
It has been a while.I am reading From Dead to Worse. The 8th Sookie book.
Still reading A Sweet Far Thing, but I did get my copy of Outlander yesterday. Whoohooo! or shall I say AMAZTASTIC!!!
JuliAnna wrote: "Kandice, So far Watchmen is going pretty well. For the most part the characters are pretty distinct, so I'm doing okay on that. I don't know about clues in the pictures, but their is certainly a lo..."There are some super funny parts, which is nice because it's not a light read, regardless of the form. I'm glad you're still interested. Are you liking it? I just finished (again) last night.
Outlander today???? Does everyone have a copy?
I am on book #11 (of 12) in Anthony Powell's A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME series. This has been a wonderful reading experience and highly recommended for those in a position to take on such a saga. Although each book could stand alone, a chronological read is certainly the way to go. Characters float in and out of the series and the "back story" on each is important to the layering of the series of novels. For those who have read the series---I'd love to know what you thought.
I am listening to The Thirteenth Tale. It is so creepy! Not at all what I expected. There are two narrators, and that really works, even though I was a bit leary of it when I started! Almost makes me wish my commute was longer.
It's been awhile since I've been able to login, my darn travel schedule for work has been a bit crazy these past few months! I don't appreciate work taking away my reading time :( Anyway, I'm still reading The Stand, but making good progress again finally.
I'm starting Macbeth for English class now! So I'm reading two at once.
*high fives, hugs and gives a cookie to Jackie*WOOT.
Mmmmm, yummy cookie! *pats emu's head*If you girls want to start Outlander this week feel free to do so. I still have to finish my current book and I have a lot of reading this week for class. I can catch up on the weekend if you start a thread.
I got through 1906, which was all about the military and "masculine issues," in The Vertigo Years: Europe 1900-1914 last night.1908 was a bad year to be in Kaiser Wilhelm II's circle - the guy he appointed to clean up the army after a nasty homosexual scandal dropped dead in a pink tutu. And went into rigor mortis in it.
Kandice wrote: "JuliAnna wrote: "Kandice, So far Watchmen is going pretty well. For the most part the characters are pretty distinct, so I'm doing okay on that. I don't know about clues in the pictures, but their ..."Don't have a copy yet but go ahead already. I will see if I can get it fast and catch up.
I've ordered Outlander; hope it gets here soon! Why it has to take more time for free shipping is frustrating but I think it saves a lot of money in the long run. I am always going to be ordering more than $25!
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Now I am on to The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
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The Next Best Book Club
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the elephants, or the water GEmma???
;)