The Next Best Book Club discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Revive a Dead Thread
>
What are you reading?
I have recently read Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner which was horrendous and has pretty much turned me off reading anything else from her. After that I read The Secret Life of Bees which was okay but not as good as I anticipated and then Mockingjay which was amazng. I am now reading The Count of Monte Cristo and then after that will pick up The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel. Whew!
Monef wrote: "...After that I read The Secret Life of Bees which was okay but not as good as I anticipated ..."I felt the same. What was it you didn't like?
I finishedHomer and Langley: A Novelwhich I might add was interesting. Trying to now finishThe Hundred-Foot Journey: A Novel before I startSouth of Broad
Linda- This dark chapter in history has lately fascinated me, but The Gendarme has made even more curious so I've borrowed a couple books from the library to educate myself.
Nice that you're tackling Count of Monte Cristo, Monef! That's been on my to-read list for a while. I hear it's one of the Best Ever.
Mod
Gasp! You have not read the Count yet Alex? What are you waiting for? Oh my, this must be rectified asap.
I know, I know, very embarrassing. I'm hoping to get to it next year. I'm on Don Quixote now and I have Paradise Lost, Faerie Queene and Brothers Karamazov coming up the pike, so, y'know...one tries to space out one's mammoth reads.
I felt that Secret Life of Bees could have been a real book with a stern editor and a HEAVY rewrite. It was disjointed and muddled, set out to do things that it didn't accomplish. I was reading on an author's blog the other day how editors used to be very much more engaged with their authors and really do a lot of work helping the creative types cut down and focus their writing, and nowadays they mostly issue a few orders and publish or don't. Not everybody is good at being their own editor, probably, but maybe writers just gotta, these days.
Alex, give a shout out when you plan to read Brothers Karamazov. I haven't read that one yet myself. (I think I started it once but didn't make it very far and my memory is fuzzy enough to warrant starting fresh anyhow.)
The vague plan is this spring, El. (And when you're planning six months in advance, things are getting weird.) I'll letcha know.
Esther wrote: "Monef wrote: "...After that I read The Secret Life of Bees which was okay but not as good as I anticipated ..."I felt the same. What was it you didn't like?"
It started off quite well but really lost focus too early on for my taste. There was a lot of pointless meandering that didn't really do anything to develop characters or advance the story. I felt like I was reading the work of someone who has been told that she writes beautifully, and so she pontifiacted endlessly without point. Maybe if I had read it before I read Kathryn Stockett's The Help', I would have been more taken with it, but as it stood, all I could think was how other people have done more interesting and enjoyable things with the genre. All in all, on paper it seemed like a book I would love, but somehow I just didn't.
Ruby wrote: "I felt that Secret Life of Bees could have been a real book with a stern editor and a HEAVY rewrite. It was disjointed and muddled, set out to do things that it didn't accomplish. I was reading on ..."You really got to the heart of the issue with that book much better than I did in all my waffle, kudos!
Alex wrote: "Nice that you're tackling Count of Monte Cristo, Monef! That's been on my to-read list for a while. I hear it's one of the Best Ever."The Count is amazing! It is huge, so it makes it a bit of a nightmare to toe on the train, but it really is amazing. It started to drag somewhere around page 600, but once I got past the hump ot has started to pay off and even though I know the bare bones of the story, I am dying to see how it all shakes out. An absolute corker!
TCOMC ranks among my best read books. I am a sucker for Dumas.
Casi wrote: "I'm currently reading Water for ElephantsIt's really good! I picked it up because I know that there will be a film version of the novel. Sorry folks, bit of an RPatz fan. Most defin..."Wow, it seems as if they're making all the books I'm trying to find time to read into movies. Man, I hope I can get them read first. Jeez, (ha ha) talk about pressuring a girl.
Mod
Oh no, you havent read Brothers K yet either??? That was an amazing novel too!!
Thanks! It just seemed like the editor was on vacation that week and decided just sign off on it!
I just picked up The Book of Lost Things. I was going to the library after work and intended to start Fingersmith next but a day long internet outage at the office kind of forced me to pick something up.
I just finished Affinity by Sara Waters and gave it 3 stars. The ending was a little predictable. I'm starting Promise Not to Tell: A Novel by Jennifer McMahon.
Monef wrote: "....There was a lot of pointless meandering that didn't really do anything to develop characters or advance the story. I felt like I was reading the work of someone who has been told that she writes beautifully......"Ruby wrote: ".... It was disjointed and muddled, set out to do things that it didn't accomplish....."
I agree with both of you. Some of the writing was lovely especially in the 'bee shed' but I felt mysself asking "And?' all the time because she never seemed to fully develop her thoughts.
Edina wrote: "Mockingjay! :)"Loved it! Enjoy!
Suzanne wrote: "Marti wrote: "I finished The House at Riverton and loved it. I did buy her other book The Forgotten Garden, but it will have to wait a little while as I have a couple of book club books and librar..."I agree. The Forgotten Garden is nearly impossible to put down once you get started. I envy you because you have not read it yet! You have a real treat ahead of you.
I finished ONE SECOND AFTER and really liked it. Now am reading THE CONCUBINES DAUGHTER by Pai Kit Fai.
i am reading The Little Book from Selden Edwards. the best way to describe it is captivating. it's kind of hard to describe, but it's about a 47ish year old man who, in 1988, finds himself transported to 1897 Vienna. i'm not too sure what the end result is going to be, or even why he is there, but at about 200 pages in, i am thoroughly enjoying it. the descriptions are awesome, and the narration, which is from the mother's re-telling of his journal, doesn't sound like someone re-telling journal entries, it's so fluid and comfortable. very glad i picked this one up!
Maria wrote: "i am reading The Little Book from Selden Edwards. the best way to describe it is captivating. it's kind of hard to describe, but it's about a 47ish year old man who, in 1988, finds him..."Maria:
Soooooooo happy to hear you are reading this book. Haven't seen it mentioned too much in GR, but I loved it all the way through. There is so much historical "meat" to the novel.
I am currently reading Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham. 1/4 of the way through the book and for the most part I am enjoying it.
Maria wrote: "i am reading The Little Book from Selden Edwards. the best way to describe it is captivating. it's kind of hard to describe, but it's about a 47ish year old man who, in 1988, finds him..."The link for this one came up a different book. I think this is the correct link:
The Little Book
Took a break from Fingersmith and read 4 Andrea Cameilleri Inspector Mantalbano quickies and have now returned to Fingersmith and added 2 Anita Brookners - The Rules of Engagement and Hotel Du Lac ---
I just borrowed Sense and Sensibility from a friend. It will be the first Jane Austen I've ever read.
I just got back from a few days of visiting my step-dad. While away, I finished reading Coffee: A Dark History (interesting in parts; dry in parts) and Crocodile on the Sandbank. I really enjoyed Amelia Peabody and will be reading more of the series. I've now started Island of the Sequined Love Nun and am listening to The Golden Mean, which I'm really enjoying but wish I knew more about Aristotle and Alexander The Great.
Thanks Jodi, I wonder what happened? it worked on the other group I posted it in. oh well!
Sharon wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Marti wrote: "I finished The House at Riverton and loved it. I did buy her other book The Forgotten Garden, but it will have to wait a little while as I have a couple of book club ..."
I just finished The Forgotten Garden too. I loved it and you are right...You just can't put it down once you get into it.
Finally finished Wuthering Heights and I loved it. Just started on Hounds of the Baskervilles, it seems like a fun, easy read.
Claire wrote: "I just finished Affinity by Sara Waters and gave it 3 stars. The ending was a little predictable. I'm starting Promise Not to Tell: A Novel by Jennifer McMahon."Does it bother you to read a predictable ending? It's always a funny conundrum, I think: editors want you to give readers the "satisfying" ending they expect, but then readers are dissapointing that it's predictable. I'm curious as to your personal view...
Flora wrote: "Finally finished The Passage so now I can get back to Wuthering Heights"What did you think of The Passage? I wanted to love it, but after about 200pgs, I was so bored, I put it down...yet my husband is plowing through and enjoying...
I am almost through with The Book of Lost Things (not too impressed) and intended to read Fingersmith next but I just picked up Room and Let the Right One In (why are they calling the movie and the book tie in Let Me In?) and they're pretty tempting! What to start next?
Mod
Im sorry to hear you are impressed with TBoLT. I really liked that one a lot. I think you should totally get started on ROOM. I loved that book. I can't say enough good things about it!!!
i just started freedom/ jonathan franzen namely because it was on oprah,s book club. has anyone else read it or going to read it. i just finished appollasa. parker for a book club. really enjoyed it.
Starting
, next I'll start
, because I received a free reading copy from Goodreads!
Petra I just finished Crocodile on the Sandbank as well. My library only has the audio version of the second book so I've been dying to get to a bookstore to buy it.I also finished reading The Witch of Portobello which I found to be interesting... much better than The Alchemist in my opinion.
Now I'm on to Possession by A.S. Byatt. I've been wanting to get to this one for awhile so I'm hoping for good things!
Lori Ann wrote: "Petra I just finished Crocodile on the Sandbank as well. My library only has the audio version of the second book so I've been dying to get to a bookstore to buy it.I also finished ..."
Oh, Possession is fantastic! Just don't schedule anything important during the time you think it will take you to read it. You might be mentally elsewhere for a few days!
Finished Deceiver, which I loved. Just started Anathem, which is rivetingly different, so far. I'm enjoying the thought provoking complexity.Our neighborhood book club will be doing The Art of Racing in the Rain, which I've heard fabulous things about, so am looking forward to that one.
I'm enjoying It's Not PMS, It's You! like bites of chocolate that make me laugh. I had not expected all the crazy literary references. The juxtaposition of that, and the zany humor is a very light and fun mix. I've enjoyed it as a 'soundbyte' moment kind of book, for those harried seconds I needed a lift - hoarded it that way - and am nearly done. I plan to read it again.
Gloria wrote: "I just borrowed Sense and Sensibility from a friend. It will be the first Jane Austen I've ever read."That is my favorite out of all her books. I hope you enjoy it!
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Little Bee (other topics)Canada (other topics)
Her Fearful Symmetry (other topics)
I Have America Surrounded: A Biography of Timothy Leary (other topics)
Inferno (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
William Shakespeare (other topics)Andrea Levy (other topics)
Kevin Wilson (other topics)
Lauren Carr (other topics)
Lauren Carr (other topics)
More...
Stephanie: I am about a third of the way through with The Gendarme and you are absolutely right. I sometimes feel as though I am walking right through the middle of his dream state sequences.