The Next Best Book Club discussion
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What are you reading?
Writerlibrarian wrote: "Bridgit wrote: "And I have just started Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne. This is my first Verne and I am very excited." I love Jules Vernes. I have 20 000 under the sea ebook on..."
I am about 3/4 through Journey to the Center of the Earth and feel like a giddy 14 year old boy. I love it! What an adventure! I can't imagine how someone must have felt at the time of original publication to open this up and get lost in such a journey - this would have been light years ahead of anything written at the time in terms of action/adventure/excitement.
Can't wait to get to 20,000 leagues. I bought that at the same time.
Lori - havent read anything else of his, but have 20,000 Leagues. Planning on buying Around the World and Mysterious Island next!
Jamesland by Michelle Huneven. I am liking it even more than Blame. She is an amazing writer with a real gift for language and her characters are all so intelligent and interesting.
Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. Give it a 5. What a great read. It just never lets you take a breath.
Jo, my hubby read that. I can't wait to read it! But first I have to read Sipping From The Nile by Jean Naggar for our Feb book club on The Women's Nest. I'll get there!
I am now reading Extras. I am liking this one better than the other 2 before this one. I am not really crazy about the wrinting but I do enjoy the concept.
I'll let you know. Jean Naggar's book is really interesting so far, too. I have too many books going at once! I wonder if I can invent an extra few hours in the day:-)
I just finished The Hour I First Believed: A Novel. Meh. I was really disappointed - I had absolutely loved Lamb's last book, I Know This Much Is True, but this was a real let down. It was depressing - nothing good ever happened to anybody - and the ending felt very manipulative and false. Moving on to Michael Crummey's Galore, which I've heard great things about.
I felt the same with with The Hour I First Believed. I couldn't even finish it! It was too boring for me.
Linda wrote: "Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. Give it a 5. What a great read. It just never lets you take a breath."I finished this last week, Linda, and agree with you! I thought it was so good and hard to put down (despite the weight of the book -lol).
Mod
I love Jules Vernes. I have 20 ..."
You cant go wrong with any of those! And I am so happy to hear how much you love the book!!! You havent read till youve read a Verne!
Mod
Ive just started Totally Killer: A Novel. This author will do for the 90's what Brett Easton Ellis did for the 80's methinks.
I've started Wuthering Heights and Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits. I delved right into the chapter on Ulysses, having just finished that book, and laughed at his description of it. It's quite spot on.
I am listening to a long abridgment of THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova, and it is a page-turner! I listen to it on my way to and from work in the dark, and the 6 professional readers are captivating. They do a superb job scaring the living daylights out of me. Her new book,THE SWAN THIEVES:A NOVEL will be available for my Kindle in AprilInside I was listening to the unabridged version of THE HELP, and I can't recommend it enough. Three different women do the narration, and their performance is equally as splendid as the above book.
I will write a review of both when finished.
I am setting THE HELP aside for the moment as I must read THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS for my book club this Fri morning. The author will be there answering questions.
Then the following week I have to read some of Harry Bernstein's trilogy memoir for another book club that meets Feb 7. I've read some of everything but will need to get it alltogether with notes. Love my new Kindle too.
I'm reading Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer at the moment. It's been making the rounds at work, and I was feeling a little left out of the reading circle, so when my coworker offered to let me borrow it, I jumped at the chance. It's simultaneously horrifying and fascinating, like watching the proverbial train wreck. I can't imagine having to share a husband with other wives!
Beth wrote: "Last night I started reading Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough"LOVING FRANK we just read for my bookclub a few months ago. Interesting twists and turns in FLW's life. I'm not a spoiler, so will leave comments for later. I think I was in my 20s when I read THE THORNBIRDS, and now I'm 60. Hard to believe it's still around, and the movie (made for tv, I think)starred Richard Chamberlain, and the lead female's name I simply can't remember. Good flick!
Tani wrote: "I'm reading Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer at the moment. It's been making the rounds at work, and I was feeling a little left out o..."SHATTERED DREAMS: My Life As a Polygamist's Wife is also on my TBR shelf, near the bottom. I've been following that religious sect for years, so I can just imagine how trapped that woman felt.
That was quite a cast - Richard Chamberlain, Christopher Plummer, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Simmons.You may be thinking of Rachel Ward, Vonney.
Vonney and Susanna, once I finish reading The Thorn Birds I plan on getting the DVD of the mini-series from Netflix. The book is really good so far!
I am immersed in a very leisurely pass through Dorothy Dunnett's To Lie with Lions, a comfort read I can put down or dwell over. She has such a way of building historical atmosphere.
Hi Janny, Going to have to try Dunnett again. Heard so many great things about her books. Read the beginning of one once and had trouble. Must stick with it next time. Which do you suggest I begin with? Can you recommend?Best, Keta
Tani wrote: "I'm reading Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer at the moment. It's been making the rounds at work, and I was feeling a little left out o..."Have you read Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall? Really startling! And I used to treat children from Colorado City in my dental clinic years ago - all with last name of Jessop - and there were hundreds of them!
I decided to take a short break after reading The Help & Three Cups of Tea... and am finishing a bit of junk-food reading - Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone & Wendy Leigh...and it really is a wee bit of self-indulgent junk. :-(
JG wrote: "I just finished Truly, Madly, which was a fun little book, and now I'm starting Shutter Island. The movie pushed that one right up to the top of my list!Hope you enjoy "Shutter Island" JG. I'm anxious to see the movie now, I loved the book!
Keta wrote: "Hi Janny, Going to have to try Dunnett again. Heard so many great things about her books. Read the beginning of one once and had trouble. Must stick with it next time. Which do you suggest I begin ..."Keta - this author is not a simple read, for several reasons: her erudite vocabulary, her extreme ability to build atmosphere, and her tendency to bring on characters who are not what they seem. The books are complex, build very slowly, and tend to end in ways that whiplash your early presumptions. I read my first on a transatlantic boat trip - and would definitely not have persisted, had I been at home. But since this book was my only reading (very thick) I stuck to it - and was I glad I did! She's become a favorite, since.
To start? If you want a standalone, she did an astounding take on Macbeth that is not anything like Shakespeare's - but fits into the historical culture of the region (she was Scottish) and the times. That book is titled King Hereafter, and most historical readers tend to concur that it's her easiest to access.
If you love long, involved series, and the unpredictability of a character that has been fit into a historical setting, but whose destiny is not "fixed" by a famed persona, then her Crawford of Lymond series is excellent. This begins with The Game of Kings. Be prepared that all of your opinions about the characters are going to be shocked into reverse. (I just love books that do this, for their extreme unpredictability)
Dunnett has also written a series of mysteries - and they are also deep, complex, and nothing like her historical work. The lead character is a portrait painter - among other things. Dunnett herself painted portraits, and also was a singer - this lends a uniquely vivid edge to her prose. Her books are not everyone's cup of tea, but I find them a rare treasure. Her use of language and her breadth of research are impeccable.
i finished Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan last night, it was the February selection for my library book group.it was a decent story, set in a smaller city just north of PGH called Butler, and takes place in about 1974. it was very good writing, and i can see how it won an award in the early 1990s. however, if you aren't one who leans towards "literature" over "fiction", this probably isn't a book that would hold much appeal for you.
not sure what to start next, i was thinking of Serpent's Tale from Ariana Franklin, but I'm thinking this may be book 3 and not book 2 like i thought, so i'm going to need to check that out before i start it.
I finished THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE. It was good, but I did not like the ending. Now am reading ESCAPE by Carolyn Jessop about her life and escape from a polygamist life.
Jamaie wrote: "Next for me is The Help."Please share what you think of The Help, I have heard so many mixed reviews on this book.
Beth wrote: "Last night I started reading Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough"Beth, Are you enjoying Loving Frank? I did like this book when I read it.
Brenda, I'm not very far into Loving Frank but it seems like it's going to be good!
Janny wrote: "Keta wrote: "Hi Janny, Going to have to try Dunnett again. Heard so many great things about her books. Read the beginning of one once and had trouble. Must stick with it next time. Which do you sug..."Thank you so much, Janny, for the most helpful explanation. I will try her again. I just remember selecting one of her books at the library and returning it unread, but now I have a ken to take her on again.
I think we all fall into the trap of discarding a book if it seems deep and complicated, yet at times those are some of the best reads in the end.
I did the same with Anne Bishop. Bought her Belladonna last year, read a few chapters and put it down. When I came across it on my bookshelf two weeks ago, I was determined to re-enter her world and concentrate. I'm enjoying it now, and amazed at how some authors minds work.
Now I'm just starting The Bronze Horseman by Pauline Simons a very lengthy book and she has two additional books that fall after the first. When, oh, when am I going to have time to read all these wonderful stories?
Thanks again, very kind of you,
Keta
http://www.ketadiablo.com
Claire wrote: "Linda wrote: "Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. Give it a 5. What a great read. It just never lets you take a breath."I finished this last week, Linda, and agree with you! I tho..."
Claire: I think I would have finished it sooner if I could have carried it with me when I work out. But the good news is that just lifting it has given my biceps better definition.
I finally finished The Eleventh Man and now I will be starting [book:The Lost Symbol|6411961. It's a heftier book than I thought it was but I am looking forward to it.
I'm going to start The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte tonight, because it's a group read for the Victorians group. It won't be my irst by Anne becaue I've read Agnes Grey, but I'm hoping this one will be a lot better.
Keta wrote: "Janny wrote: "Keta wrote: "Hi Janny, Going to have to try Dunnett again. Heard so many great things about her books. Read the beginning of one once and had trouble. Must stick with it next time. Wh..."It wasn't the deep and the complicated - I thrive on that - it was the fact that her character (the centrally focused one) alienated me with completely maddening behavior - until the key to that motivation and the insight was given - then my jaw hit the floor with a thud! Wow. I had to go back and re-read the whole book in the light of that shifted perspective. An awesome experience, since most plots and twists - (shrug) - are so horribly transparent. (years and years of reading, really, I am not jaded, only become the more wily at spotting stuff in advance).
Well I have about 50 pages in Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell. While I waite for my taxi to take me to work (the airport as I am an air hostess) I just started A Single Thread byMarie Bostwick. I am about to start The 5th Horseman by James Patterson.
Just finished my first Jules Verne - Journey to the Center of the Earth - and I loved it. I had only seen the movie with Brendan Fraser and thought it was total cheese. But reading it as a period book - the first real sci-fi/adventure novel - really made it stand out as amazing. I also appreciated that it was much different than the movie - the book was much more readable and entertaining than the film.
Apparently its sci-fi week here in my house, becuase I just got my husband to read Enders Game (his first book in almost a year) which he loved, and I started Dune last night. Its too early to tell, but am having a little difficulty getting into it. Will give it at least 100 pages to draw me in.
Linda wrote: "Claire wrote: "Linda wrote: "Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. Give it a 5. What a great read. It just never lets you take a breath."I finished this last week, Linda, and agree w..."
Yes, Linda, LOL- I agree! I may use the book as weights now that I'm finished- my biceps are in desperate need of toning!
I'm just about done with Shutter Island and am really loving it. Can't wait until the movie comes out.
F1Wild wrote: "Tani wrote: "I'm reading Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer at the moment. It's been making the rounds at work, and I was feeling a litt..."Tani and F1Wild, Have you read Jon Krakauer's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN? Jon does investigative reporting on a horrible murder case by members of a branch of fundamentalist Mormons. I have read several of his books, and I like his journalistic style. He likes to go places where the average person fears to tread such as Mt Everest(INTO THIN AIR), the outback of Alaska (INTO THE WILD) and the western US where members of this very private religious sect live and thrive.
i started Sepulchre last night. i'm already liking it more than Labyrinth. it felt like i had to force myself to get into that one, but this one is good right from the start.
one of the girls I work with lent me 1st to Die which is the first novel of the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson..I literally just started it though so I don't have an opinion yet.. has anyone else read it?
I am starting Life of Pi. I have heard a lot of good reviews of it.
Currently I'm making my way through the books of Lisa Kleypas. Up now:
Stranger In My Arms
Hello!
I am currently reading The Disappeared by Kim Echlin. I am on page 111. It is quite intriguing.
The novel deals with a displaced (in Montreal) Cambodian man, Serey, and his relationship with a young Montreal woman, Anne. Serey returns to Cambodia once the borders re-open to search for his family, leaving Anne behind. She never gets over him and, 17 years later travels to Phnom Penh to search for him. It is an interesting perspective on a horrendous time in Cambodia's history (Pol Pot and the genocidal massacres). Stylistically it is compelling as the pace, sentence length and rhythm add a sense of urgency to the story.
The Disappeared is undeniably ambitious: Echlin attempts to portray the twin currents of memory and desire while at the same time dramatizing the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, whose operative principle was “Better to kill an innocent person than to leave an enemy alive.” And she attempts to do all this in under 200 pages.
I can fully sense where the story is heading but I will enjoy following the path leading to the end of the novel.
Vonney-"Have you read Jon Krakauer's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN?"I haven't read this book of his, but making the rounds in my family now is his book on local (Arizona) and national hero, Pat Tillman -
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.
I will certainly put Under the Banner of Heaven on my "To Read" list - cheers!
I just started reading John Steinbeck's
and quickly realized why I absolutely love Steinbeck's writing......especially after reading Christopher Ciccone's
which, IMO, was pure crap.
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The Next Best Book Club
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Finished: An Indecent Proposition by Emma Wildes. This was a good erotic romance. I hope to write up a review for it soon here on Shelfari. Wildes is a great writer, and this is a historical -- about a woman who has a tortured past (husband was cruel and he died) and now she's decided to get back into the swing of social life. Two very decadent men have made a public bet that each is a better love than the other. When the widow finds out about the bet, she contacts them and offers to be the judge. Here's where it gets interesting, because we're supposed to have a Happily-ever-after, right? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out how Ms. Wildes accomplished the HEA.
Finished: Drawn Into Darkness: Annette McCleave, This was good. It rate it about a four. An angel/demon theme with lots of scripture quotes. It's also a romantic/paranormal. I believe this is a debut book. I recommend reading if you like this genre.
Reading:
The Bronze Horseman, Pauline Simons. In fact, I just joined a group on Goodreads dedicated solely to this book. It's set in Russia during one of the big wars and features a lot of starvation, war, deplorable state of living and all that angst. It's very good and quite lengthy coming in at over 600 pages. Go to Goodreads if you've read this book or are interested in discussing it.
The Field Guide to Angels and Demons. Don't ask! This is exactly what it says, a guide about all the different demons that exist in society from countries around the world. Legend and lore type thing and how to get rid of a certain demon if you're having trouble with one. I bought this for research purposes, but it's enjoyable.
Enchanted, Elizabeth Lowell, blurb: A medieval age of passion and conquest in a tumultuous era of warriors and ladies. Simon the Loyal has agreed to marry Arianne, an unwilling Norman heiress in order to bring peace to the troubled lands. So far, so good, Lowell is also a good writer, and this is a typical medieval novel.
Belladonna, Anne Bishop. This is the second book in her series. I think the first one was titled Sebastian. And I bought them out of order. Now, I must go back and read the first. The writing is deep and the plot complicated, but if you concentrate and stick with it, quite enjoyable. Blurb: The Eater of the World is casting its shadow over the landscape of Ephemera, tainting people's souls with doubts and fears. Glorianna Belladonna possesses the ability to thwart the Eater, but she's not along. Michael, a man with mysterious power of his own will help.
Warlord, Elizabeth Elliott, an older medieval historical about an arranged marriage. So far so good, although I am not spellbound. This book came highly recommended by readers who love medieval romance.
More later and Happy Reading!
Keta Diablo
http://www.ketadiablo.com
On Order"
House of Dark Desires, Louisa Burton
Soulless