Book Lovers Club
Comments
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I agree Carol - I just don't see the difference with the library buying a hardcopy or an electronic copy! I won't buy more books either, just stop at the library building to get my hard copy.
Thanks for the book suggestions everyone - this thread is terrific!
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Marybe- I read Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. I chose it 1) because I had read her first book, The Dogs of Babel - which was quite strange, a man's wife falls from a tree, the only witness is the dog and he tries to teach the dog to talk to find out what happened that day and 2) because it had a parrot on the cover. Although unfortunately the parrot really didn't feature much in the story - just a prop actually, I enjoyed Lost and Found because it gave me insight into the experience of televised contests - in this case couples on a world-wide scavenger hunt - married, one mother daughter. why would anyone participate in such a thing, what did they learn about themselves and their partners?
Naturegrrl- I haven't read the books you are searching for, but if I find them, I will post here. I am on a similar quest: two books, set in post war London - working class neighborhood - following a girl who is being raised by a loving couple but whose actual mother reappears on the scene off and on and she gradually learns her background and the sense that the entire neighborhood has in a loving way supported her.
Voraciousreader- I will check out Dreaming in Chinese having recently completed Dreaming in Hindi written by Kathy Russell Rich - 17 year Stage IV BC survivor.
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I can't believe it, but I finally found her: Abigail Padgett. I thought her name began with a "P" and I thought one of her books had "turtle" in the title. Right on both counts. Sure took a lot of searching to find them!
So, added to my list, her books:
Child of Silence 1993
Strawgirl 1994
Turtle Baby 1995
Moonbird Boy 1996
The Dollmaker's Daughters 1997
Blue 1998
The Last Blue Plate Special 2001I thought I'd only read three of her books but maybe the first 4... but then Dollmaker's Daughters sound familiar, too. Well, anyway, I felt some satisfaction to finally track that down! I know I enjoyed whatever I read at the time but sometimes when I re-read something (not often, but sometimes) I'm not impressed. So we'll see.
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i love this thread! So many good suggestions on this thread, i'm gonna have to make a list
Perhaps Cutting for Stone should be my next one. I just finished The Help and loved it! I was on the waiting list at the library and finally broke down and bought it on my kindle. So worth it. For a good laugh and a light read, i've been making my way though the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum novels. I'm up to nbr 7. Recently just finished a novel called The Girls by Lori Lansen which i also really, really enjoyed and would recommend. Still on the waiting list for Fall of Giants... one of these days it'll come up.
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I read "The Girls" many years ago. It was great.
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Crimson Petal and the White is premiering on the BBC this month. Perhaps it will make it over here soon after. Supposed to be a great production.
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I also read The Girls and really liked it.
voraciousreader- I would love to see that about the Crimson Petal and the White. It took me a while to get into the book but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to all of you for suggesting Cutting For Stone. According to my kindle I am about 25% in and I am loving it!
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Has anyone read "The Girl in the Green Raincoat" by Laura Lippman? Just wondering if it's a good read?
Thanks!
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we have been in quartzsite, arizona for the winter, and got a library card here with no problem. we can't use the library at home because we 'don't live in the city limits'. am i crazy, or is that really wierd.
went to a book signing the other day due to the encouragement of some friends. they suggested this author they like from wyoming. his name is cj box - he writes a series about a game warden set in wyoming. dh & i are battleling over who gets the book--we are both hooked. ended up buying four.
good reading ladies--ta ta
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Kellie, I've read many Laura Lipmann books and liked them but I haven't read that particular book. I would say they're good and enjoyable, but probably not great, reads. I'd read anything of hers but I'm not sure I would buy it -- but I have a narrow limit on what I buy so you may not want to go by me.
I finished Nelson DeMille's The Gate House and laughed all the way through it. It's not a comedy (sort of a thriller) but the protagonist has this very sarcastic wit that made me laugh out loud several times. Some of it was a little too predictable and pat, but still, I liked it a lot. Not in the "great literature" category but definitely a good read.
grdnslve, libraries all have different and sometimes strange rules about who can use their library. Too bad they can restrict patrons right out of using them, but I think some of it has to do with tax dollars. I'm glad right now I have access to two different systems. Thanks for the CJ Box suggestion -- love things set in the west, since I can't be there right now!
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Just finished Crimson Petal and the White. Took me awhile, but it was worth it. I would love to see the BBC production of it.
I'm now starting The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's been on my "want to read" list for some time now.
Mary
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I should add, regarding Crimson Petal and the White- I can totally see Tilda Swinton in the role of Sugar. I wonder who will play her in the production?
Mary
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Romola Garai will play Sugar. She's a wonderful young actress!
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I just want to add, I'm not a lover of fiction...but I read The Crimson Petal and the White years ago...and it was..okay. But I love Romola Garai and I love all things British when it comes to productions, sooo, I'm really excited about seeing it too!
I know this is off topic, but it involves Shakespeare. If ANYONE wants to see a terrific production of The Taming of the Shrew....get the DVD, Shakespeare Retold...and see their version of The Taming of the Shrew. The BBC got together the best producers, directors and actors and had them "retell" some of Shakespeare's great classics, BUT IN A MODERN SETTING. Rufus Sewell (I shake from looking at him, he also plays Tom Builder in The Pillars of the Earth) and Shirley Henderson ( in my humble opinion, England's Meryl Streep) star in this unforgettable production. I got a copy of the DVD from my library.
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Jelson, I just finished reading the Augusten Burroughs book I got on sale You Better Not Cry so I will now start Lost & Found since you enjoyed it.
The one I just finished was actually a good book...he can be a bit crude at times, but he really has a way with words and a lot of times makes me laugh out loud. There was one part of this book where he was writing about the love of his life (Burroughs is gay) and it was so moving and could have been written about any hetrosexual realationship , he did such a wonderful job of conveying the feeling he had, that I was thinking Wow, this guy is really a good writer. But I already knew I liked his books. His brother John with the Asperger's is in this one and I also read his book, Look Me in the Eye, but like Augusten's writing much better. Often I will find a writer I like and then read everything they ever wrote...used to do that with Stephen King, but got burned out on him. Another author I did that was was Karl (C?) Hyacinth...his are light easy reads.
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I loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, enjoy!
My daughter got me into reading the Abby Cooper psychic eye series by Victoria Laurie. Like the Stephanie Plum novels, they are an easy read, very entertaining with lots of action but with a psychic slant for a different twist. All caught up now though, and waiting for the next one to come out.
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Finished Dreaming in Chinese. Loved it! VR's mother and best friend are reading it and loving it too! So enlightening!!!! A gem!!!
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Almost forgot, What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life. Really good book!
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I picked up and read "Aloft" by Chang-Rae Lee because the setting was Long Island, and it was a "book club" selection at my library. Worth the read.
Just finishing "Cutting for Stone" and liked it more than I thought I would when I started. As always with a good book, sad to have it end.
Be well,
Maria
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My husband and I listened to the audio version of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience & Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It is a long story & required several "road trips." I highly recommend - we loved it!! Such a tremendous story of Louie Zamperini whose plane was shot down in the Pacific & survived as a POW in various Japanese prison camps. Laura Hillenbrand also wrote Sea Biscuit. I have read that Unbroken may be made into a movie.
I just finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I really got into this story. It requires some patience (as it is a long, very detailed story), but worth my time and effort!
Has anyone read The Lincoln Lawyer or Water for Elephants? Both are slated for upcoming movies, and they are on my list. I like to finish the book before I see the movie. Otherwise, the movie serves as a "spoiler" for me!!
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Water For Elephants is very good.
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I loved Water for Elephants, recommeded it to all my friends. I don't know about The Linco[n Lawyer, but the movie got a good review. My turn for The Fall of Giants finally came up at the library today yay! can't wait to start it.
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I agree Water For Elephants is a great book. I have never read Lincoln Lawyer. Chili- yay on getting your turn on Fall of Giants! It's a good book, I still like Pillars of the Earth better, but well worth the read.
I Loved Cutting For Stone and have just requested from the library another book by the same author- I forget the name. I am now reading The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I read tow of her other books, The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden and loved them. So far this one is keeping me interested as well, I really like it. She always writes about families with deep hidden pasts that need uncovering and always sets her books in amazing places, like old houses and castles. It's a nice break after reading a lot lately about WWII and Africa and India- although I do have another heavy read lined up:0)
I can't imagine a movie made from the book Unbroken, what a wonderful book, yet I think the pain and anguish it allows us to view in our minds could never be matched with something on a screen. Just my opinion, although usually I movie never does compare to a book
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Laurie - I'm reading The Distant Hours right now too!! I loved The House at Riverton as well.
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This is why I love this thread! Saralmom- I hope you are enjoying the book as much as I am. I am about 1/2 way through.
I have read the best books at the recommendation of you ladies in this thread, thank you!
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I recently read The queen of Patpong by Tim Hallinan on my kindle. I love mysteries and this was a good one. The twist on this book is the sympathetic description of Thailands sex worker's plight. You realize how being poor and a woman in some cultures is a very tough pathway. It's always interesting to learn something new.
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http://www.oprah.com/world/Travel-Books-to-Take-on-Vacation
Dreaming in Chinese is a terrific book. If anyone has a book club and are itching to read non-fiction...here's the book for you! It has book club questions at the end of the book! I've already had three people read the book and they're all raving about it.
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Loved Water for Elephants, but I certainly did not picture the characters in my head as the ones they chose for the movie. And Cutting for Stone is also high on my list. For some reason I cannot get into Lost & Found, although I am sure I will finish it one day and I have started The Abstainence Teacher and am finding it to be very entertaining.....love books that make me laugh. I want to read What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life after Voraciousreader's review of it on another thread.
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I agree, Water for Elephants was an excellent book. I also read The Lincoln Lawyer and liked it. I'm about 1/2 through Pillars of the Earth. I'm really enjoying it despite it's length. I had started it last year but was not in the right frame of mind so I quit reading it. I'm very glad I picked it up again. Based on the recommendations here, I've reserved Cutting for Stone at the library, it might be a while because there were 378 holds on 70 copies! I'm going to my library book sale this weekend and hoping to re-stock my TBR pile ~~ it was a long winter! Happy Reading, Gina0
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So much catching up to do here! My "Winter of the Tudors" has extended into spring. I'm slowly working my way through Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel--about Sir Thomas Cromwell. The writing is lyrical and there's not a lot of dialog, so quick reading just doesn't work. I hope I'm done by book club time in a few weeks!
I loved Water for Elephants and Pillars of the Earth, though could get into Follet's following books. Cutting for Stone was a recent favorite of mine.
Any ideas out there for 5th-6th grade reading levels? My granddaughters need some books (they're 2nd & 4th grade, reading above level) and I sent them a bunch of books last year, like Misty of Chincoteague (can you believe--little girls not into horses?? Maybe closer to puberty) But I was reading weird stuff at that age, so I'm no judge!
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