Book Lovers Club
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I belong to an on-line bookclub called COnstant Reader. We're on goodreads.com. Been together as a group since the days of Prodigy on-line, and have an annual gathering somewhere. I'm not as active with them as I used to be, but boy did my list grow when I first joined them!
Anne
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Here are some good historical books (skip if you aren't interested, I won't feel bad
).Along with David McCullough's Truman, three others he wrote I've enjoyed are John Adams, 1776 and Mornings On Horseback, a delightful biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt.
Cokie Roberts has two good books about women of the Revolutionary War, Founding Mothers (The Women Who Raised Our Nation) and Ladies of Liberty (The Women Who Shaped Our Nation)
I LOVE the works of Doris Kearns Goodwin. If you really want to get the inside scoop of not only the main subject but all the other important players of a time, she is a great read. No Ordinary Time(Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Homefront in World War II), The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys (covers the history of the Kennedy's from the immigrant days in the 1860s up the the inauguration of JFK), and A Team of Rival (Lincoln and his cabinet).
This month Edmund Morris will be putting out the final book in his biographies of Theodore Roosevelt; the first two are The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (the best and most complete biography of the young Roosevelt that I've read), and Theodore Rex (covering his presidency). Morris's wife Sylvia Jukes Morris put out a good companion biography of TR's wife, Edith Kermit Roosevelt.
OK, that's enough for now. I have more if you want them! Ruth
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Crunchy - I don't want to be responsible for causing you post-surgical pain from laughing too much, but here goes:
Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Yablonsky series (endearing trashy dressing beautician who wants to be a journalist)
Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series (the diaries of Adrian Mole - age 13 through the latest - the protstrate years... and her other novels - royal family kicked out of buckingham palace and on the dole.
Gail Carriger's Alexis Tarabotti series - novels of vampires, werewolves, victorian manners, dirigibles and you name it.
Tom Holt - I have only read one of his books about a firm in London which will provide certain services under contract for your soul - bizarre and hilarious
Alexander McCall Smith - of course the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency are wonderful, but he has several series in Scotland and some in the Portugese Irregular Verbs series which are very funny.
Jennifer Crusie - funny romances
If you are looking for free classics for your kindle, might PG Wodehouse be available? also EF Benson's Lucia series, begining with Queen Lucia. like PG Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster - idiotic British upper crust / nouveau rich of the 1920's.
Now I have to go back to Mary Roach's Packing for Mars - everything you never realized you wanted to know about the preparations for space exploration. just finished the chapter on motion sickness!!!
Julie E
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Ruth- Thanks for posting some of your favorite history books. I hope some of the other folks sharpen their pencils and write down some of the books you recommended. I read most of them too! And they're wonderful! Speaking of Doris Kearns Goodwin, she grew up two towns over from me and I think of her often. I know Kitty Kelly isn't in her class, but have you read some of HER books??? I got hooked on her writing since she wrote her book about Nancy Reagan! In fact, I noticed a mistake in her book about Reagan and wrote to her about it. Low and behold, a few weeks later, and this is certainly back in the day, she wrote back to me in long hand about how I was correct and she would make the publishers aware so they could make the correction in future editions. Imagine, a hand written response??!!!
Julie T - PG Wodenhouse is among my favorites too! Mary Roach is a hoot! Facinating writer! I really love her current book because my youngest son is finishing college and is an aerospace and nuclear engineering major. Her book gave me some "talking points" to have with my son!
Wondering if there are any Michener fans - or am I dating myself?? His book Caravans written in the early 1960's, (No, I didn't read it back then when it was originally published), set in the late 1940's is about Afghanistan. I noticed on Amazon that people are still raving about the book. It's really as contemporary now as it was when it was written. Again, a great primer, in novel form.
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Hi badger: No one answered it directly so thanks. We're apparently the same age and spend our Sunday mornings the same way. I've done some creative "googling" (remember when that wasn't a verb!?) and came up with a few. I may go with REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. It mixes a modern day young woman's experiences with those of a French Revolution setting young woman. I will definitely check out your recommendation, too.
Be well,
Maria
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voraciousreader - thank you for reminding me ofThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - a book that really altered the way I think about culture and people - I try to remember to not make the assumption that others "know" what I know or interpret events the same way that I do. I thought Ann Fadiman was so even handed - explaing the perspective of the Hmong family and the American human services professionals who tried so hard to do good and yet, did so much harm.
now to get back to the funny stuff:
through To Say Nothing of the Dog, a comic time travel novel by Connie Willis, I discovered Jerome K. Jerome a British humorist writing in the 1880s- 1920s. Her book had time traveling historians from the 2060?s Oxford mucking around in victorian england at the same time as Jerome K. Jerome's fictional characters from Three Men in a Boat were making their epic journey up the Thames by rowing boat. Jerome K. Jerome wrote plays and other novels as well. Connie Willis has many books and short stories and when I just checked - two new ones out about the time traveling historians. All thoughtprovoking, not all funny.
I like to look for books on www.fantasticfiction.co.uk where you can look up authors and find synopsis of their books and check to see if any of your favorite authors have new books planned.
Julie E
Julie E
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Hi, AnneW, Fellow Coloradan, and other avid readers,
I have 2 kids who graduated from CU and now live in the Denver area. I'll have to check out COnstant Reader. I don't know if you've traveled to Italy or are interested in books about Venice, but I loved The Four Seasons by Laurel Corona (Vivaldi and an orphanage in Venice, 1700's), based on fact. Also, those by Sarah Dunant; and my favorite for light fiction/mystery, the Donna Leon mysteries - Guido Brunetti, the Venice police detective. So much fun, especially if you know Venice at all, even if you don't. I have quite a list about Italy, if anyone is interested.
Have a great weekend, everyone. It's wonderfully warm here in CO!
Lane
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More historical biography (but more on the human interest side of things):
Franklin & Lucy by Joseph E. Persico; a look at Franklin Roosevelt and the women in his life, particularly his relationship with Lucy Mercer Rutherford, the woman who nearly broke up his marriage and whom he was with when he died!
True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy; his autobiography completed shortly before he died. Very interesting and honest.
Florence Harding by Carl Sferrazza Antony; here's the 'catch' on the cover "The First Lady, The Jazz Age, and The Death Of America's Most Scandalous President".
The Lincolns by Daniel Mark Epstein; a very interesting look at the troubled marriage of Abraham and Mary Lincoln
Edith and Woodrow by Phyllis Lee Levin; an unflattering look and Woodrow Wilson and his second wife.
Vorarious; that is a very cool story about Kitty Kelly and her written response; and especially that she was going to correct the mistake!!
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Julie E - Regarding Anne Fadiman's book, The Spirt Catches You and You Fall Down, I came across this article in The New York Times, last year:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/us/20shaman.html
It seems as though, more than a decade after the book was written, Western medicine is beginning to incorporate the themes of her book! But I must admit, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said about how reading the book was life altering. It was for me too! I never take for granted that I was blessed with an ability to navigate "The System." Reading the book, I could only have imagined how difficult it was for the family. I can only imagine what it must feel like to be sick in another country, with a language foreign to me and with different customs and culture. I'm so happy now that "The System" is beginning to listen. A sidebar: A few years ago, I was entering a hospital lobby and noticed The Patient's Bill of Rights posted along the wall leading to the elevator. I was dumbstruck that it was printed in more than a dozen languages! Progress, I hope!
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voraciousreader, thank you very much for the link to the article about the hospital and the Hmong.
Julie E
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Has anyone read the Jonathan Franzen book "Freedom"? I'm reading it right now and am just about ready to give up, I'm finding it really slow and I don't really like the characters so I need advice whether I should slog on and keep going, I hate to give up on a book but so far I'm just not really into it.
Cheryl
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HBCheryl - I'm so glad you brought up Franzen's book, Freedom. When I found this thread, I was wondering why no one mentioned the book sooner. With all of the breathtaking reviews that he received, and all the hoopla from women authors, I was curious to see how well the masses were enjoying the book.
First off, my close friend whom I walk with everyday, just finished reading the book. A voracious reader, like me, we often take long walks and discuss the books that we are presently reading. I have to say, she slogged through the book. I alerted her beforehand to all of the controversy surrounding the book, which made her that much more interested in finishing the book. Bottom line, she was underwhelmed by the book. I have no plans to read it.
Another author who's gotten "major" press is Gary Shteyngart and, IMHO, rightly so! I enjoyed reading his latest book, Super Sad True Love Story. I gave the book to my mother to read and we disagreed about our feelings towards the book. I LIKED it alot. She LOVED it!
If you enjoy Shteyngart's other books, including Absurdistan, beware! Don't confuse it with the film Absurdistan released in 2009. I got the DVD and watched it thinking it was based on Shteyngart's novel. Five minutes into the movie I realized I made a mistake, one that I was thoroughly pleased with, because it is the most charming film! It's based on a true story about a group of women living in a village that desperately needs water. With little dialogue in this subtitled film, the women explain to the men, there will be NO sex until there is water!
Finally, I've got the book, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob DeZoet: A Novel, on my list of "To Do" reading. Has anyone read that book? It's pretty long and I'm wondering if I should invest the time. Thanks!
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I just bought The Thousand Autumns for my Kindle. Not sure when I'll get to it. reading Tana French's The Likeness right now--slow going for me because I'm on a ton of pain meds for a compressed nerve in my back...
I went nuts buying Kindle books. But the old ones I want to re-read aren't available in that format yet. Anyone read all those marvelous Irving Stone books back in the 70s? I love The Agony and the Ecstacy!
Anne
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AnneW -- I read The Agony and the Ecstacy! Loved! Loved! Loved it!
Let me know about The Thousand Autumns, when you get to it! Thanks!
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I loved The Agony and the Ecstacy! Read it years and years ago, then again a few years ago after traveling to Italy. I also have re-read Hemmingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls and others, and appreciated them so much more now. Has anyone read Rooftops of Tehran (can't remember the author); The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: and other small acts of liberation; Hummingbird's Daughter - Luis Alberto Urea; Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel; The Glassblower of Murano, Marina Fiorato.
Getting so many good ideas here. Thanks so much, and thanks to Elizabeth for starting this!
Lane
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HI
Loved reading through all the posts since I last posted. I finished Carol Burnett's autobiography...the 1st one. I am now reading The Boy Who Back From Heaven by Kevin and Alex Malarky...a true story about a 6 yr old boy and his Dad. They were in a very bad car accident and Alex (the boy) while in a come.. has been in heaven and then comes back. Very cool and interesting book.
Ruthbru, Thanks for the suggesstions of Billy Crystal and the historical biographies.
Julia, good luck with your surgery.
have a good day, all!
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A thousand times YES on A Hummingbird;s Daughter.
Also on The Gift of Rain by Tang Eng.
Anne
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Anne,
I'll look for The Gift of Rain. Thanks!
Lane
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OK, here's a hard question: if you were to pick just ONE book that would be a great read & bring about a great discussion for a bunch of ladies in a Book Club (mine), what book would you recommend?
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laynel57 - That's a terrific story about Michener!!! I love hearing stories about writers and meeting them, as well! I'm so pleased that you found him to be so nice!
Forgot to mention for you Irving Stone fans that Lust for Life was also terrific!
Ruthbru - I had lunch with a friend on Friday and she asked me the same question! Her only requirement was that it had to be "light" because the last three books that were picked by her reading group were too sobering and heavy. She remembered that I raved about Jonathan Tropper's, This Is Where I Leave you, and wondered if that would fit the bill. I told her, "Most definitely!"
I never joined a reading club because, I found, that more often than not, groups often choose these ambitious, depressing books. If I had to read three of those in a row, I'd probably want to jump off of a cliff! Frankly, if I were in a reading club, I would pick a book that followed with an excursion or film tied to the book. You also might consider books that were translated into films by Mercant -Ivory productions.
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We do not usually pick depressing books (although an occasional one might slip in). It has really made me grow out of my comfort zone, as on my own I'd just be reading all those history books! You might actually like this Book Club; our main requirement is that the hostess of the evening serves a good wine and a great dessert!
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Ruth, What about Peter Taylor's A summons to Memphis. Great look at generational issues, old hurts caused by parents, can one forgive what can't be forgotten, etc. There's humor maybe only Southerners "get," but I think it's universal.
I know a group that just did Olive Kitteredge, and I think that would be great for discussion, too.
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We did Olive....thought it was so, so......I'll check out 'A Summons", thanks!
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Cutting for Stone
The Gift of Rain
To Kill a Mockingbird
To name a few off the top of my caffeine-deprived head today...
Anne
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How about A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry?
Lane
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I am going to have to go on Amazon and read excerpts of the books to help me decide.....or maybe just order them all!
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Well I slogged through the Franzen book "Freedom" what a waste of my time, honestly I've had more pleasure out of a Miss Julia book or even an Evanovich. I can't believe all of the hoopla, is it just because Oprah made it a selection and everybody jumped on that bandwagon. I think I'm going to buy the new Jan Karon as I love the Father Tim series and I need to be uplifted also last night I noticed Fannie Flagg has a new book - has anyone read it yet, she's written some great stuff.
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I'm re-reading GK Chesterton's The Innocence of Father Brown, a collection of short stories. I enjoyed them when I was twelve or so, but not so much, now. Just OK. Anyone read A Year In Provence? It's very enjoyable. I'm boring right now as I'm having to do an online class on some software, so I have no time to really read. Bah!
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hbcheryl- Regarding Franzen's Freedom, thanks for taking one for the team!! If I wasn't enjoying it, I probably would have given up reading it after a few chapters!! I admire you for finishing it! Thanks for letting us know! 0
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I think the thrillers by Lee Child featuring Jack Reacher are lots of fun. I've read 2 or 3 so far - Nothing to Lose, Gone Tomorrow. A very likeable character.
Now I'm thinking of taking Freedom off my reserved list at the library. Maybe later! I've too many that sound more appealing to me in my current state of mind.
Lane
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