Book Lovers Club
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Last week's book was Horns (2010) by Joe Hill. It's an older book found in the stacks while looking for Practical Magic (1995) by Alice Hoffman, which was already borrowed, but I wanted to read before The Rules of Magic (2017) which is on the new book shelf. I've read most of Joe Hill's books except for NOS4A2 (2013) which I will look for today. Apparently, I am on a magical mystery tour. :-)
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I finished Sully, the book by the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson. In this case the movie with Tom Hanks was way better. I found the book to really drag on, much of it was him talking about what a good pilot he was, and what good training he had. While the actual news story and movie made you feel like he was a hero, this book made you feel like he was a man with a little too much ego. He glossed over the NTSB investigation of the crash (which was big in the movie), and the next thing you know he was going to the superbowl. Very disappointed in this book. Not sure what is up for me next, but it will definitely be fiction!
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Had a fun time over the weekend re-reading one of the old John D. MacDonald books in the Travis McGee series - A Deadly Shade of Gold. This 1965 book was re-printed in 1995. It's astounding how many authors agree with me that he's the "bee's knees". Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Dean Koontz, Jonathan Kellerman, Robert Parker, Carl Hiaasen and on & on. For those of you who haven't read the Travis McGee series, he lives on a house boat in Florida that he won in a poker game. He cares about the environment and the underdog and honesty, "rugged & sentimental, fearless & flawed...", and sends himself on occasional odd 'assignments' when he feels a wrong needs to be righted. Along the way he is a philosopher. Each book has a color in the title. In the early 70's I had them all and am sorry I parted with them.
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Disappointed in The Music Store by Rachel Joyce whose The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey I had enjoyed.
Am returning to the library Beartown by Fredrik Backman without reading it. I enjoyed A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and to a lesser extent, Britt-Marie Was Here. I think Beartown is going to be similar to the latter except small town hockey instead of soccer and more violence - bleh.
I loved The Lido by Libby Page - a young introverted reporter is asked to write an article about a public outdoor pool which the council is planning to sell to a developer. The old woman who has swum there all her life, who she is sent to interview insists that she swim in the pool first - and gradually an effort to save the pool begins, leading to all types changes for the people involved. very enjoyable, although I found myself weeping (in a good way) at the end.
Surprised to like The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man and Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron - whose maudlin book about dying dogs totally turned me off. These books are very funny murder mysteries with great engaging characters. setting - northern michigan among people who routinely get their cars repossessed.
Having really liked Jess Kidd's Himself, I was happy to find Mr. Flood's Last Resort just as good. The main character is a caregiver assigned to a difficult case, an old man living with garbage and cats, but all is not as it seems. The caregiver is a seeming no nonsense Irish woman who is accompanied by saints and there is a mystery to be discovered. I really liked both these books, beautifully written.
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Goodness, Jelson! You are a reader! And a good reviewer.
Minus, you may have prompted me to download a Travis McGee book to my Kindle. I'm sure I must have read at least one in the past.
I'm almost finished with Bruno, the French policeman, and uncertain as to whether I will read the next book in the series featuring Bruno. It's an easy and rather charming read. But one may be enough. There are 7 more in the bag my resort neighbor brought over. Another neighbor is working her way through them.
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Must be the last (this has been waiting on the shelf for sometime to be read) yet finally read When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Cried my head off at the ending. What what an exceptional talent, in so many ways, that this cruel effing cancer has taken down.
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LilacBlue, I loved that book too. Isn't it incredible that his widow wound up with Nina Riggs' widowed husband? Kalanithi & Nina Riggs were both such amazing individuals - what losses for our world.
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Happy to find this thread. I generally love books once i start on them, but have to motivate myself to start one, so i started a book club. We have read some really great books. Some of my favorites so far: A Gentleman From Moscow, Here I Am,The Handmaid's Tale, All the Light We Cannot See, News of the World and LaRose. Current book is Snow Falling on Cedars. Have you discussed any of these? Would love to hear about books that produced the best discussions. Happy Reading
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JKL2017, yes, rather remarkable.
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Hi all and welcome dancermom. Minus I love the Travis McGee series! Wasn't allowed to read them as a child but have read them all as an adult. (Note I also wasn't allowed to watch Laugh In.) Wouldn't be seen as so naughty today. The re-issued series was introduced by Carl Hiaasen, which introduced me to him. Happy find BTW.
This week's library books are NOS4A2 by Joe Hill and Y Is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton.
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Badger - I remember liking Joe Hill. Will have to look for more.
Finished We Were the Mulvaneys (1996) by Joyce Carol Oates this week. This is a two generation family saga. Hard to believe how everything came apart for the parents and their four children who had everything. Interesting comment on the back "...profoundly cathartic...in plumbing the darkness of the human spirit, has come upon a source of light at it's core." I always like Oates, but this wasn't one of my favorites.
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minus....I haven't read anything by Oates. HOWEVER.....She turned me on to Geoff Dyer!!! I was watching her on Book TV (of course) and she mentioned that she loved reading Geoff Dyer's Out Of Sheer Rage. She said it was a book about writer's cramp. In fact, it was the most hilarious book she had ever read. Needing a good laugh, I got it, read it, laughed, and another Dyer fan was born.... thank you Ms. Oates!
Reading Bad Blood about Elisabeth Holmes and Theranos. Wasn't going to read the book because I was following the debacle in the news. A friend was looking forward to reading it and made a compelling argument why I needed to read it and so I am. Read the prologue and said...WTF! Can't put it down....my weekend plans are ruined!
Another book...100 Books that Changed the World. Written in chronological order the book touches on 100 major books throuhout history and their importance. While I knew the titles of many, the authors' perspectives were fascinating...
I especially enjoyed learning about Edward Gibbons and his book, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and the effect the book had on Winston Churchill. Doubt I will ever read it...but it is interesting to appreciate where Churchill's ideas incubated from....
Another Summer reading book....slim book you can read in a day is Stanley Fish's How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One....he really does a fantastic job of explaining how a sentence pops. You all know one when you see it. You savour it. You read it again. And again. And wonder with delight how the writer crafted it........
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Reading Grapes of Wrath for the first time since high school. I thought it was incredibly long & boring at age 16. Life has intervened and more than 50 years down my personal road, I can see the heartbreak and the history. It won't be a fast read because I want to take my time & savor the language & the thoughts.
VR - I'm going to put the "100 Books" on my list.
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Hi,
Just thought I would jump in. I read all types of books/authors. Summer reads have been easy, little sappy but Elin Hilderbrand are really sitting yourself on a beach chair read. Easy and for the most part light. Just started reading Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn also wrote Gone Girl, which I liked the book much better than the movie personally. So far its been pretty good. Also had read the The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks..also good. Evanovich books Stephanie Plum , I know someone mentioned a bit back, they are entertaining and quick reads. I also like horror, Stephen King...oh so many books. They are so darn expensive too!!!! My library is not too well stocked either.
I look forward to reading some of the books suggested.
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Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny - about marriage and love - a couple in NYC with a mildly autistic son - it is a second marriage and the younger wife is just outrageous. I loved her character but what I loved most was the husband and his love for her. She is the type of person that people gravitate to, she knows everyone and everything - always helping people make the right connections - also always inviting people to dinner and to stay in their apartment - the doorman, their son's friend, his grandfather and the grandfather's dog - for a month. They even forge a new relationship with the husband's first wife with whom he hadn't spoken in 12 years - a woman seemingly just the opposite of the second wife - and yet he loves them both. I recommend this one!
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I'm currently reading The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean Pendziwol. What a wonderful book, I love the way it moves from past to present to past. Rich descriptions of time and place, and secrets revealed one by one. I think someone on here recommended it, thank you.
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I read the Lightkeeper's Daughters by Pendziwol. Very enjoyable read. The ending was good and I won't give away spoilers!
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just finished reading Bad Blood regarding Silicon Valley’s Elizabeth Holmes who founded Theranos. Medical thriller....reads like fiction. But sadly, all true. Jennifer Lawrence wants to make it into a film....
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I love reading when I go to the beach. Haven't done that much this summer but hope I get there at least one more time before summer is over.
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Just finished a book that had so many delicious switches it was impossible to guess what might come next. There's a couple of 'who-done-its', but who's watching them? Who set the trap(s)? What do they want? Highly recommended & guaranteed you won't put it down. Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas. 2018 paperback in the US. The author lives in Bath, England and has won a couple of awards. NY Times - "Thrillingly tense & twisty."
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Got three books I am reading at a time. I read a little bit of them every chance I get.
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Finished Lightkeeper's Daughters and loved it! Didn't see the ending coming. Have a few books on my shelf to read, but instead of reading I'm doing chores and being social. Will pick a new book today and read some before bed.
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Couldn't sleep last night so read Still Alice. I'd been wanting to read it ever since I saw the movie and found it on top of a pile at a used book store for 75% off. She does an amazing job of describing Alzheimers through the eyes of the afflicted. And the progression of the disease with no hope is frightening.
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Loved both of the above books!!
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Reading The Sympathizer about the Vietnam war. Like it very muc
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Started reading The Other Typist. It started kind of slow, but now I'm a bit further into the story and find it intriguing, plus I am getting used to the authors voice and language.
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VR - copying this from my Indie bookstore email in your honor. Wish I had a grandchild to buy this for.
Don't miss this picture book! Steadfast Fortitude and curious Patience are waiting every morning to greet visitors of the Library. That is until, one early morning, when Fortitude finds Patience is missing. The city is about to awake, and the lions absolutely must be in their places before the sun rises. Now, Fortitude must abandon his own post to find his best friend in the Library's labyrinthine halls. With Josh Funk's clever rhymes and Steview Lewis' vibrant art, Lost in the Library ($17.99) introduces young readers to a pair of unforgettable lions, as well as the famed New York Public Library, and includes bonus material loaded with facts about Patience, Fortitude, and the NYPL's history.
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Minus..thanks for thinking of me! Aboveis a video link for the book. Notice Patience is reading Caps For Sale! Happens to be one of my little one's favorite books! Will DEFINITELY recommend that my library purchase the book and if he loves it, I will purchase it...on that note...A few days ago, I had a meeting at a library and before the meeting commenced, I checked out their Books for Sale section and found a dozen books for my little guy. Among the books were old favorites of his and mine. He now has a practically new copy of Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Also, a WONDERFUL old book, The Friendly Duck. He loves, loves, loves the sweet story. And the illustrations are BEAUTIFUL. I would love to frame one of the pictures of the duck because his face is soooo sweet. Another great find, A Color Clown Comes to Town. What a great book! In simple detail it shows how to make the colors of the rainbow from red, yellow and blue. He is at that tender age where he is starting to paint and the book resonates with him. All told, I spent $2 for all of the books. Yesterday, together we read all of them. Those books....PRICELESS. I highly recommend reading all of them.
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Just finished reading (an hour ago), The Museum of Lost Art. I often attend art lectures so some of the art mentioned in the book I was familiar with. That said, the stories are fascinating...and sad
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I've read all of her books (not many of them!). She's a good writer.
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