Book Lovers Club
Comments
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The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat was a good book. I liked the writing, the characters, and the ending.
Now 2/3 through The Scorpion's Tail, another Preston & Child featuring newbie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly.
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I started another Martha Grimes mystery novel last night after finishing one the night before last. I am so enjoying her characters and loosely constructed plots, which meander in a life like manner with no trace of an author in charge. DH is reading Grimes, too. My only regret is that I'm not reading the books in order of publication.
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Carole - I love Grimes. I've managed to haunt enough used book stores to have a pretty good stock, but I didn't read them in order either.
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Love this...all so true for me...especially bottom row, far right. I was in heaven last week being back inside the local library again. I had the place to myself the day I ventured in. Checked out 16 books "just in case." LOL. Reading Dear Edward now by Ann Napolitano. Never read her before but this was definitely a good pick.
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Happy Anniversary to this wonderful thread. Elizabeth, we still miss you!
The Scorpion's Tail was very good, as expected from a Preston & Child, featuring buried treasure and a mummified corpse in a ghost town near White Sands National Park.
Was not crazy about Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. The author's website describes it as "a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined." It was OK but to me he has never equaled A Man Called Ove.
Next up is You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen. The reviews on goodreads were mixed. I hope I enjoy it as much as their twisty psych thriller The Wife Between Us.
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Badger, I've read 3 books now by Hendricks & Pekkanen - The Wife Between Us, The Anonymous Girl, and You Are Not Alone. Thoroughly enjoyed all 3. Their books are sometimes a bit predictable and perhaps a bit unrealistic but always a very enjoyable read!
I recently finished Dear Edward
by Ann Napolitano. Highly recommend. Both tragic and uplifting at the same time.Currently reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Didn't watch the streaming series on Hulu but if the show is true to the book, it's one to add to my list for binge watching. Amazing character development and plot. I can imagine this book being a hot one for book clubs with much to analyze and discuss!
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sundance, IMHO Hendricks & Pekkanen have gotten better as they go. I have now read and enjoyed all three of their books, which you listed in chronological order. I liked the third book more than the second, which I liked more than the first.
Just finished the new Danielle Steele Neighbors. I got it for mom but thought I'd give it a go on a rainy afternoon. Not great but surprisingly good. Haven't read her books in years but I was looking for something to read and there it was LOL. A famous and reclusive actress opens her home to her neighbors when their houses are damaged by an earthquake, and their lives are all changed because of it.
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found this wonderful interview with Vivian Gornick...of course she loved Geoff Dyer’s book, Out of Sheer Rage....
i was also underwhelmed by Michelle Obama’s book. I couldn’t finish it either.
am supposed to read the Philip Roth 900 page book for a library non-fiction zoom meeting. I think I will pass. Although I loved his earlier works, I just lost interest in his writing along the way. And, he just didn’t seem to be very nice....
speaking of Geoff Dyer, his latest book is scheduled for release in May AND I read an interview with him and he said he is wrapping up writing ANOTHER book.Now, if Erik Larson would only give us a hint of what he is writing about next, I would be THRILLED
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Badger, there was a time when I never missed a book by Danielle Steele, Mary Higgins Clark (now deceased, of course), Barbara Taylor Bradford, and Nicholas Sparks. I seem to have gotten away from those authors over time. Maybe it's time to revisit some of their work. Neighbors sounds like a perfect rainy day read!
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I read all kinds of political books & autobiographies. I liked Becoming. :-)
My taste is non-partisan. I have books by Pat Schroeder, Peggy Noonan, Elizabeth Warren, and Bob Dole (who BTW is very funny. Too bad he was so stiff on the campaign trail.). My fave may still be Who Let the Dogs In? Incredible Political Animals I Have Known by Molly Ivins. I have a first edition from 2004. The cover art is caricatures of politicians as dogs.
I have a book habit and had to stop buying books. There's not enough money or room for all the books I want to own. TG for an excellent library! Currently have two books out on loan: an old Phillippa Gregory Three Sisters Three Queens and The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. The only downside is when I'm on a long wait list for a popular book (I'm #54 on the wait list for the new Kristin Hannah The Four Winds). But it's not as if there aren't many other books to read!
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Hi all enjoying my first by William Kent Kreuger "This Tender Land." He seems to have written a lot so I'm not sure how I've missed him. 1930' midwest saga about 4 orphans.
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badger....i miss Molly Ivins, and, Erma Bombeck too! Those two were really great humorists. I wonder if they were still living how their writing would evolve...
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Oh yes, I loved Molly Ivins. And yes, Erma was funny too. Another one I like is Nora Ephron. Her book "I Feel Bad About My Neck: ANd Other Thoughts" is enjoyable. Hope you're visiting the lions regularly VR.
Badger - I'm boxing up books in preparation for sheet rock repair, paint & eventually flooring, I hear you about book addiction. I knew I had a LOT of books, but this is an eye-opener.
Reader - have fun with Kreuger,. I like his books. I have a C.J. Box waiting in he wings.
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Reader: I also recently discovered Kreuger and his wonderful book, This Tender Land. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Badger: Like you, I also found that I had to stop purchasing books. Your comments resonated with me. LOL. Virtually everything I read comes from a local library. I live on the PA/DE state line and am fortunate to belong to library systems in both states, which helps tremendously with waiting periods. I'm also signed up for Hannah's The Four Winds. She's one of my favorite authors!
I'm currently reading Kelly Rimmer's The Things We Cannot Say. So far, an excellent read! Follows dual time lines, modern day US and WWII/Holocaust, told from the point of view of a grandmother and granddaughter from each time period. Grabs you from the beginning and reels you in re both stories. Rimmer is another author I recently found. My first read by her was Before I Let You Go and it touched my heartstrings in a special way. I was nervous about starting it because addiction is the backdrop with the story centered around two sisters, one a physician and the other pregnant and suffering from substance use disorder (addiction). Well-written and very thought-provoking. From a personal point of view, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, I thought my life would forever be defined by that particular "before" and "after" ... and that was the case for many years. However, in 2014, I lost my 22-year-old grandson to an accidental heroin overdose and my "before" and "after" took on a whole new meaning. Seven years later and I'm still struggling to accept his death and all the ways in which my family has forever been changed. Losing a child is such an out-of-order death that it brings with it a complexity of grief that's impossible to describe and even more impossible to process. And when the death is drug-related, well, that adds another whole layer of angst to the mix. A few years ago, I wrote an op-ed piece for our local newspaper in which I compared my cancer diagnosis and the ways in which my community stepped in to provide support and care as opposed to my grandson's equally devastating diagnosis of SUD with the lack of empathy and understanding he received. I lived; he died. My illness was deemed acceptable by society. His was stigmatized and viewed as something dirty and ugly. Eric was a beautiful and loving young man who got caught up in something he didn't understand. His addiction happened almost instantly with the first time he innocently took a Percocet tablet. He could be the poster child for the reason our country is seeing such a high death rate from opioids. Yikes...I kind of got on a bit of a soapbox here. I can't see or hear the word addiction without thinking of my precious grandson. Talking about him helps me to remain his Gram. I hope I haven't offended anyway with my comments. I thought about hitting "delete" but that felt like I was being disrespectful to his memory, so I simply couldn't. Apologies if this is out of line. Back to books and authors...Rimmer is well worth reading!
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sundance...i can’t afford my addiction to books and rely on my local libraries to feed my addiction.
That said, I DO purchase books for others. Recently, my best friend became a grandma, so I purchased books for the newborn. I choose to support independent book stores. Often, I will purchase from my local independent book store. Other times, I will choose an independent book store somewhere...anywhere! It requires a bit more work than going on Amazon, but it is worth the effort!
Among my friend’s favorite authors is Ann Padgett. Padgett is co-owner of an independent book store. So, I purchased books from her store. Had no idea that she also authored two children’s books. So, I bought one of them too! My friend was soooooooo delighted!
book lover. Next best thing after being a new grandma..0 -
minus....haven’t visited the lions is a while....planning on returning to the city soon. Not soon enough. But soon..
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((sundance)) that's a virtual hug for a Gram missing a dear grandson. Before I retired, I worked in public welfare programs. There are parallels between society's views of sick people and poor people. Some are deemed "worthy" and some are "unworthy." IMHO, all deserve care and compassion.
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Sundance, I am so sorry for your loss. Openly talking about your grandson's struggle with addiction and the stigma that only intensifies the pain of his loss will help so many others. Bringing things out in the open is the only way to begin to deal with them.
I have been immersed in biography. I am reading a wonderful book about the young John Kennedy. JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall (this book has deservedly won a Pulitzer Prize). I will be taking a break for some fiction, as I have to get a book read before my next Book Club meeting.
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sundance and friends...one of my closest friends lost a son to suicide. I was the last person to see him alive.
This 20 year old son, grandson, brother, friend and neighbor left no indication of his pain. His mom said to me, "I guess his plans to end his life usurped his plans for living."
What I found so interesting in the aftermath is that my friend had never before been touched by suicide. Back in the day when my kids were in high school, years before my neighbor's son's suicide, I spearheaded a meeting on suicide. I had hoped for a large attendance. Instead, only a handful of people showed up. All of us had lived through a beloved person's suicide. Sadly, I knew of multiple people who ended their own lives.
To this day, I don't understand why suicide and drug addiction deaths are not addressed more freely. I don't think there is anything worse in life than losing a beloved child or grandchild. My friend also said to me, "THIS ( losing her child) was not supposed to happen as part of MY life. He was supposed to bury me."
Sundance, I hope you can keep memories of your grandson that brought joy to your heart closer than the memories of his anguish.
My friend tells me that what keeps her going is that people like me will never forget the joy he brought into our hearts. And that is true! I feel his loss everyday when I open my shades and look across the street and see the house that he and his family once shared. But, everyday I choose to remember all of his wonderfulness as a child. It would have been a blessing for him to have lived a way, way, way longer life. But, the life he had lived and all the wonderful things he did are still a blessing.
My thoughts are with you, Sundance.
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Sundance - I too am keeping you in my thoughts.
VR - I've read and enjoyed several Ann Padgett books.
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Minus Two, Voracious Reader, Badger, and Ruthbru - thank you so very much for your thoughtful comments regarding the loss of my grandson. Your kindness is very much appreciated. BCO is an absolutely wonderful community of caring individuals and this thread, in particular, has been a source of comfort to me over the years. Reading is my escape and I've been provided with many recommendations that have brought me hours of pleasure...hours in which I was able to find some measure of peace in trying times. Not sure why I waited so long to begin posting my own comments...but happy to be here and even happier to feel more connected as I begin to open up and share my thoughts. How wonderful that Konakat started this delightful thread so many years ago!
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In addition to being a trusted website for information and support from people who've "been there & done that," BCO is a great place to find caring and camaraderie.
I liked The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo more than I thought I would. It's a long book but an easy read. From goodreads: A multigenerational novel in which the four adult daughters of a Chicago couple--still madly in love after forty years--recklessly ignite old rivalries until a long-buried secret threatens to shatter the lives they've built.
My hubby and I binge-watched all eight seasons of Game of Thrones on HBO Max so now I am reading the books by George R.R. Martin. The TV series was well-done and I see why so many people loved it but (of course) the books are better. It's been compared to The Lord of the Rings meets The Sopranos.
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Funny description Badger. I read last week that the REAL crown may skip over Charles due to the negative items on Game of Thrones about him & Camilla.
Not reading because of house renovation. Up at 6am, crew her until dark, then prep for the next day. I'm lucky to read two page of Time magazine before dropping off. In fact I have all my daily papers waiting from Sunday on. Thought I'd get there today but no luck. Really depressing to see all the stacks of boxes after I packed 9 totally full & in some cases double shelved floor to ceiling bookshelves.
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I am reading The Private Patient by P. D. James. I'm sure I read it some time ago but so far my recall hasn't solved the mystery for me.
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Oh I love P.D. James. N3w or re-read it's a treat.
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Read the first two books in the GoT series and have the next two on tap. Took a break from the mayhem and read a lovely book by Connie Schultz called The Daughters of Erietown. It's the story of the lives of a mother who comes of age in the 1950s and her daughter who comes of age in the 1970s. I could totally relate!
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Next two GoT books done and the fifth is on tap but I finally got my hands on The Four Winds. So good I stayed up late last night and got halfway through.
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Badger, I'm on the waiting list at two libraries for The Four Winds. Hoping my number comes up soon! I'm currently reading Diane Chamberlain's Big Lies in a Small Town. I read my first book by this author earlier this year, The Dream Daughter, and I liked it so much that I've since read at least half a dozen of her books. Each book so far has had a great story line that has pulled me right in. I love her character development...I feel like I personally know everyone in the story. So glad I "found" her! I think I read somewhere that she has 27 books out, so it appears I've uncovered a new source to tap into! LOL.
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MagicLight - thanks for my laugh for the day!!! Great post.
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