What I read in May 2011

[Maree]

It takes a while to do a post for the end of the month for me, but I think it's worth it. As you've seen, I link both the book as well as my personal review of the book for people to check out if they're interested, as well as a sentence or two about if I liked it or not.

Posting my reviews straight on here would probably put me past the character limit some of these times, and I'm sure not everyone wants to read them. This way, they have a choice.

Also, this group isn't my only group, and aren't the only people that like to know my opinions on books -- often times, the monthly read for one group is the same as one I've done in the past for another group, which is why I like to post my reviews with my books, so everyone can read them. People are left out otherwise. :)

[Babs]

Michele wrote: "My May books--- I don't know how to link my reviews, but I think it's a great idea, and a time-saver. I will figure it out when I have more time and do it next month. I hope.

Tangled Webs: ..."</i>

If you enjoy Hemingway you might want to read
[book:The Paris Wife. I am reading it now and love the simplicity of the writing and the overall tone of the book from the perspective of his wife Hadley.

[Madrano]

Maree wrote: "It takes a while to do a post for the end of the month for me, but I think it's worth it. As you've seen, I link both the book as well as my personal review of the book for people to check out if ..."

We appreciate it, Maree. I like that people share their entire list for the month, not just what they think one group or another might like. Here, particularly, we seem to be eclectic, so the more variety, the better!

deb

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

That is one more thing I like about this group -- collectively, we read just about anything, and the "What Did You Read Last Month?" posts are a great way to find more terrific books, and avoid ones we probably wouldn't like. I'll work on getting my May reads posted today or tomorrow. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

[Madrano]

Susan, spreading out our lists might be a good plan. Sometimes i'm overwhelmed by all everyone has read & listed!

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

Thanks for that great excuse, Deb -- I was stalling intentionally just out of the kindness of my heart, just so people wouldn't have too many posts to read at once. ;-)

[Alias Reader]

Welcome to BNC, Martha. Thank you for sharing your read. Did you enjoy The Paris Wife~Paula McLain ?

[Madrano]

Welcome, Martha! I've been hearing good things about that book but i have such a low tolerance for Hemingway to begin with, that i do not think i could take a novel about him.

deborah, pleased i could help Susan & her stalling ways ;-)

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

I had a pretty good reading month, considering that I was not supposed to read for part of the month (eye problem, all fixed now). This is my list in the order I read them. My favorite two books were Downtown U.S.A. and The Homecoming of Samuel Lake. My reviews can be found from my Read shelf at http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/... and on the books' individual pages.

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalvan
This is a memoir about a U.S. veteran dealing with PTSD as well as physical disabilities, and the golden retriever who helped him with both. I enjoyed the story even though the writing wasn't spectacular. I had a few quibbles with the book, but did find it interesting.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
The Sisters brothers are a couple of hired killers, not much bothered by pesky scruples, and are employed by a man with even fewer scruples. They are headed to Gold Rush country in the 1850s, sent to kill a thief, no questions asked. Eli, the less violent of the two, tells us his story, and does it in wonderful, formal language of the times. I really liked Eli despite his considerable shortcomings. As advertised, this book is filled with some very dark humor and terrific, quirky characters. I really enjoyed reading about the brothers' travails, about Eli's very enthusiastic introduction to toothbrushes and toothpowders, his almost compulsive desire to get rid of his money, and his attempts at romance.

Given that, if you are an animal, you don't want to be anywhere near the Sister brothers – it is a given that things will go horribly wrong. I really, really liked Tub, a long-suffering horse. Don't get me wrong: people don't fare any better, and there is more than enough gruesome description to go around. It's just that I really, really hate to read about animal cruelty so that unexpected theme knocked off a star for me. All in all, if you are very sensitive to reading about bad things happening to good animals even when you know it's fiction, you might want to skip this one. For everyone else, it is a fun, odd, escapist read.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
It's refreshing to read a memoir by an author who doesn't have a horrible childhood to relate. This is a fun and interesting book, not specifically a book of humor but still one that made me laugh several times. I would have liked to read more about Fey's early life and a little less about Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. It didn't quite live up to my expectations but I'm glad I read it.

Downtown U.S.A. by Susan Madden Lankford
I love this large-format book of stories and striking black-and-white photos of the homeless. The writing and the photos showed compassion and empathy but never became saccharine or unrealistic. Being the over-the-top animal lover I am, the stories about animals touched me as deeply as the stories about people. I highly recommend this one.

In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan
This one is a gritty, dark contemporary mystery with some very nasty murders. It fed my dark side.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
This classic play about the Salem witch hunt didn't engage me as much as I expected, but now I can check this one off my “should be read someday” list.

Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace
Historical fiction based on the real-life doctor who tried to treat Vincent Van Gogh during the last part of his life, this book did give me insights into Van Gogh's life. The treatment of the mentally ill, and the physically ill who were thought to be mentally ill, was so sad. Reading this book caused me to take frequent Google breaks so I could find some of the paintings and situations. I enjoyed this one but didn't love it.

Before You Buy! by Michael Corbett
I learned a few things, but not as much as I expected, about buying a house. Much of it is for a first-time homebuyer. Still, it was helpful. I skimmed through a couple of other books on the subject.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
What I expected of this novel was Southern Lit mixed with a mystery, and didn't get quite a full dose of either. What I did get was some characterization with depth, and a few Southern stereotypes. I enjoyed it, some of the writing especially appealed to me, but it is not a book that is going to stay with me, that I will think about months from now.


Iron House by John Hart
Iron House is an antiquated orphanage where the bullies run the show and the weak don't stand a chance. It takes all of Michael's strength and courage to keep his brother safe. Then there is a killing and one brother has to run away, one brother is adopted. Years later, Michael is a bad guy, trying to be a good guy, but can he really change after being a mobster's go-to guy when anything awful needs to be done? I'm a John Hart fan, and this book didn't let me down. There is plenty of mystery, but there is also depth to the characters. Nothing is quite as it seems, and this multi-layered story kept me engaged to the very end. One part was especially gruesome, too much so for my tastes, and I skimmed through those few pages. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, a mystery but so much more. Another book to feed my dark side.


Original Sin by Beth McMullen
A former spy for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Lucy is now firmly on the mommy track when her former life as Sally Sin, Professional Spy, decides to interrupt. It's darn hard to get out of the spy business. Good for passing a few hours on the beach, but not quite as funny or entertaining as I expected.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
John Moses couldn't have planned a worse day, or a worse way to die, if he'd planned it for a lifetime. Which was possible. He was contrary as a mule.

These first lines grabbed me, but I wasn't sure I would be able to read this book. After I requested a galley, I read a review that said there was a lot of animal abuse in the story, and I have a really hard time reading about that, even in fiction. There was, and I loved this book anyway. There was also child abuse, domestic violence, and general mayhem of the sort that you can't help but believe is real. All of it was integral to this family's story, set in 1956 Arkansas, and I very much enjoyed the book.

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Downtown U. S. A. by Susan Madden Lankford
In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Leaving Van Gogh: A Novel by Carol Wallace
Before You Buy!: The Homebuyer's Handbook for Today's Market by Michael Corbett
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
Iron House by John Hart
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure by Beth McMullen
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake: A Novel by Jenny Wingfield

Happy reading, everyone, and thanks for sharing your reading month with all of us.

[Michele]

Madrano wrote: "Welcome, Martha! I've been hearing good things about that book but i have such a low tolerance for Hemingway to begin with, that i do not think i could take a novel about him.

deborah, pleased i c..."

Thanks for the great synopses. I am adding The Homecoming of Sam'l Lake and The Sisters Brothers to my list.

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

I think you might like them, Michele. I did a quick compare on our books, and we have similar ratings on quite a few books (I think it said 77% similar), and very different ratings on a few, so no guarantees. :)

[Michele]

I'll take a chance!!! I'm always looking for books that escaped my eye. I read check the NYTimes Book Review most weeks, Bookmarks magazine and Book Browse in addition to Goodreads, and there are still good books I miss. So little time....

[Alias Reader]

Susan wrote: "I had a pretty good reading month, considering that I was not supposed to read for part of the month (eye problem, all fixed now). This is my list in the order I read them. My favorite two books ..."
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Wow ! Susan you are a reading machine.

I really enjoyed reading your reviews.

Thanks for sharing.

[JoAnn/QuAppelle]

The Sisters Brothers


Love this title!

[Susan (aka Just My Op)]

Alias Reader wrote: "...Wow ! Susan you are a reading machine...."

Nope, I'm retired and trying to make up for all that time when I read too many technical manuals and not nearly enough of the books I wanted to read. And I'm doing a dang good job of reading only what I want to read. :-D

[Madrano]

Susan wrote: "I had a pretty good reading month, considering that I was not supposed to read for part of the month (eye problem, all fixed now). ..."

Remarkable, Susan. Ya can't keep a good reader down! Thanks for sharing your reviews.

deb

[Michael]

My list of books for May:

Bossypants (Fey)
Casino Royale (Fleming)
Here's Johnny (Macmahon)
Full Dark, No Stars (King)
Flashing Swords #1 (Carter)
A Deadly Shade of Gold (MacDonald)
Amazonia (Rollins)

I have reviews posted for each one.