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Book Lovers Club

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  • grdnslve
    grdnslve Member Posts: 42
    edited January 2012
    Ruthbru--I LOVED  The Art of Racing in the Rain   highly recommend it.  Just finished Sarahs Key.  Now I need something lighter.
  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 612
    edited January 2012

    I "read" Portnoy's Complaint first whe I was twelve. Well, just for the dirty parts. read it again as an adult and it cracked me up.

    Room--ugh. That kid drove me crazy. I think it was the limited vocabulary combined with complex thought processes. Really??

    Our bookclub just did The Gift of Rain by Tan Eng. for many of us it has become one of our favorite books of all time. The story is riveting, and the writing is stunning.

    Anyone read Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks? We're trying to decide on that for a bookclub selection. I've read everything she's written, but not this one.

  • jelson
    jelson Member Posts: 622
    edited January 2012

    I would recommend Caleb's Crossing. It has historical, cross-cultural, feminist, religious, linguistic and educational issues. Wonderful depiction of landscape. 

    Julie E

  • apple
    apple Member Posts: 1,466
    edited January 2012

    a double mention

    One of the top books now is Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow written by a Nobel Laurete. One of the top books now is Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow written by a Nobel Laurete. 

  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2012
    Apple LOLLaughing
  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2012

    Ya know Apple...I have a funny story about that friend/walking companion of mine who is reading Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow and is raving about it as we take our strolls...

    We have the same pair of walking shoes.  We walk 3 miles on weekend mornings.  The only problem is that the laces come undone.  So during the walk, every few minutes one of us is bending over to tie our laces.  The laces are awful.  So, I was in the 99 Cent Store and saw laces.  They came two sets to a pack.  So the big shot that I am, bought TWO packages.  I popped one package through her mail slot and looked forward to her using them because they were TERRIFIC!  My laces stayed tied!  So....come the following Saturday, we laced up and took our walk and the next thing I know is, she keeps bending over every few minutes to tie her laces.  So I said to her, "Did you change your laces?"  And she says to me....mind you...she's the one who is reading Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow...."No, these laces aren't worn out or broken yet."  And I replied, "ARE YOU THINKING FAST OR SLOW NOW?"  And then we both started to laugh! So, thinking fast, you don't change the laces, but if you THINK SLOWLY...the right decision is YOU CHANGE THE DAMN LACES!Surprised

    AnneW....Portnoy's Complaint dirty?....IMHO it's FILTHY!

  • mumito
    mumito Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2012

    Am presently reading thre girl with the dragon tattoo.Not so sure if I will bother with the rest of his series.?

  • NJvictoria
    NJvictoria Member Posts: 45
    edited January 2012

    I'm currently reading Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, a really good read so far :)

    Vikki

  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2012

    Sounds like I should get Caleb's Crossing, a few of you have mentioned it and liked it, I am going to check it out!

    mumayan- Either you love that trilogy or not.  I was on the not side, read all three and struggled through most of it.

    I am almost done the third book of The Hunger Games Trilogy.  I like them, the first is by far the best but they hold my attention and I look forward to getting back to the story each night.  IMHO that makes for a good book.

    Apple- as always- LOL!

    VR- great story about the laces- I will have to look that book up as well :)

  • mumito
    mumito Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2012

    Thanks Laurie for your input.I am glad that I am not alone.Will move on to another Author.Will look up the Hunger Games Trilogy.

  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 706
    edited January 2012

    Surprised myself but I loved the Millenium trilogy. As soon as I finished the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I had to start the second and am now into the third. I also really liked the movie. But I can understand that either one loves it or hates it. 

  • rachel5738
    rachel5738 Member Posts: 658
    edited January 2012

    Read the millenium series too..loved the first two and struggled through the third until I gave up about 200 pages in. Everyone I know who has read the book has either loved them or not been able to finish. I think they take a while to get going. I was going to try to read the third book again but have probably forgot the story and the characters by now.

    I started the Stephen King 1963 a couple of weeks ago and have stalled around page 100...it is actually quite good but can't seem to dedicate myself to it right now. I am always looking for new book ideas!

  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2012

    Rachel.... My friend is reading the Stephen King book for her book group and is enjoying it a lot! My dentist is almost finished reading it as well and is enjoying it... But also thought it was 200 pages too long!



    I am reading Mildred Savage's A Great Fall and Keith Ablow's Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony. Can't put either of them down! One is on my left and the other is on my right! Oy! Too many books!.

  • mcsushi
    mcsushi Member Posts: 71
    edited January 2012
    I finished reading The Secret Daughter and you can add me to those who really enjoyed it. I also read A Stolen Life by Jayce Dugard. It's her autoboigraphy and in it, she tells of her 18 year imprisonment and abuse. It was intense. I read Room last fall and couldn't help thinking back to it as I read A Stolen Life. I'm about 1/4 into Unbroken currently and I'm really into it. What an incredible story!
  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 3,696
    edited January 2012

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/

    I'd be remiss if I didn't remind all of you Gatsby lovers that the newest silver screen version with Leonardo DiCaprio will be released on Christmas Day 2012....So if anyone hasn't seen the "original", or read the book yet.....Wink

  • jelson
    jelson Member Posts: 622
    edited January 2012

    2 recent books I would recommend:

    My Korean Deli by Ben Ryder Howe - a Boston WASP who works for the Paris Review and his Korean-born lawyer wife help her parents to buy a deli in Brooklyn and then proceed to work in it. All you would ever want to know about purchasing and running a convenience store, immigrant aspirations, hard work, George Plimpton, Brooklyn neighborhoods on the cusp of gentrification. 

    Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris - a murder mystery set in modern Saudi Arabia. provides insight into the daily life of wealthy Saudi families, the tension between tradition and modernization and the plight of both men and women. Great characters and landscape descriptions. 

  • Elizabeth1959
    Elizabeth1959 Member Posts: 78
    edited January 2012

    Jelsin



    Finding Nouf sounded like just the kind of book I like to read. I went to Amazon and ordered it. I will let you know if I liked it. Thanks

  • Elizabeth1959
    Elizabeth1959 Member Posts: 78
    edited January 2012

    I read another another book that I liked which combines murder mystery with another culture, The Keeper of Lost Causes by Alder-Olsen Jussi. It is about a Danish detective. Apparently It is a best seller in Denmark. This is the only book in the series translated into English so far. It made me wish I could read Danish.

  • lovemyfamilysomuch
    lovemyfamilysomuch Member Posts: 762
    edited January 2012

    Just got The MArriage Plot from library, per this wonderful group's recomendation.  I didn't realize it was the guy who wrote Middlesex which I couldn't get into.  I will try to keep an open mind. Am really liking Secret DAughter--actually about to get a cup of tea and settle in with it.  Love you guys!! xo

  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2012

    I liked Finding Nouf, I recommend it as well.

    lovemyfamily- I will have to check out The Marriage Plot, if I remember correctly I did like Middlesex.

    I finished the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.  I really liked the books, thanks for the recommendation ladies!  Then, I got sick...I had nothing to read and spent a day in bed and downloaded a book to my kindle.  I was looking for something that would not require me to have to focus too much- something to keep my interest but not require brain power.   I downloaded Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 

    I read it all in a day.  It's a mystery, kind of ghostly pretty neat read.  The author shows lots of photos through out the book.  It was a nice change from the other things I have been reading.  Except that I couldn't put it down and did not sleep as much as I should have.  Now I can't get back to the library for a few days and am going to have to download another, I am thinking The Boy in the Suitcase or Those Who Save us....

    ps- I couldn't get this to stop tying in bold, sorry!!

  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 47,693
    edited January 2012

    Back with another history recommendation:

    Jacqueline Kennedy~Historic Conversations On Life With John F. Kennedy

    Shortly after the death of her husband, Jacqueline Kennedy sat down and did seven oral history conversations with historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. These were sealed away and she never discussed her memories of this period of life (or any other) with the media again. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of JFKs Inaguration, her daughter Caroline released the 8 1/2 hours on CDs and an accompanying transcript. It is very fascinating for several reasons. One is that it was oral history, so was right in the moment. As Caroline explained, she knew her mother altered her views on many subject and people over the years....but she released them as is, as once you start altering what someone says....where do you stop? and, to me, it shows Jackie very on to of things, and more of a inside player (then just the beautiful wife) than I had thought before. I read the book (transcript) because I can read faster than I can listen, and also it has footnotes that tell you some of the background, and I will go back and listen to parts of the audio when I have time.

    Very interesting for anyone interested in history and/.or the Kennedys

  • ginadmc
    ginadmc Member Posts: 183
    edited January 2012

    I finished Cutting for Stone and I loved it! It had been in my TBR pile forever and I'm glad I finally read it. 

    Laurie, I also read the Hunger Games trilogy and thought the first book was the best. I didn't think I would like the books but I was amazed at how quickly I got into them. I read Those Who Save Us and it was very good. I was on a WW2 kick for a while; Sarah's Key, Skeletons at the Feast, The Girl in the Blue Beret, The Book Thief... I can only read so many of those in a row. 

    I have The Paris Wife and Dreaming of Joy on my kindle that I've been saving for an upcoming trip. I think I'll download The Dovekeepers, too. 

    I stopped reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and never read the others. I saw the movie (American version) a few weeks ago and really liked it. I may re-start it where I left off since I think I can keep the characters and locations this time.

    Thanks for all the wonderful and wide-ranging recommedations!   Gina 

  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2012

    Gina- I read the Paris Wife and liked it, it made you want to read more about Hemingway.  This afternoon I decided to download Those Who Save Us.  I'll submit my book requests on Wednesday and hopefully have some new books for next week!  I haven't read the Girl in the Blue Beret, the rest I had read so I guess I should add it to the list.

    It was  hard to pick between the Boy in the Suitcase and Those Who Save us for the kindle read...

  • jelson
    jelson Member Posts: 622
    edited January 2012

    Elizabeth 59, I will look for the Danish author's book, thanks for the recommendation.

    Laurie08- It's funny, for the life of me, I can't remember where I even heard of Finding Nouf!!! but where-ever, maybe here, I am really glad. anyway - mysteries as a way to explore other cultures? I recommend

    Colin Cotterill - his series about Dr. Siri Paiboun, former communist guerilla fighter/now elderly medical examiner- takes place in late 1970's Laos. The first book is The Coroner's Lunch

    John Burdett - his protagonist is Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a young Buddhist policeman who was raised by his prostitute mother who now owns a brothel in modern Bangkok. The first book is Bangkok 8

    Eliot Pattison - his series is about an exiled Chinese investigator in modern Tibet - a lot of information about Tibetan natural resources, religion and culture being destroyed by the Chinese. The first book is The Skull Mantra  

  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2012

    I started Those Who Save us Last night and I am hooked right from the beginning!!!

  • wenweb
    wenweb Member Posts: 471
    edited January 2012
    Hi Laurie!!  I read "Those Who Save Us" a while ago.  I enjoyed the story, but it drove me crazy that the author chose not to use quotation marks.  It messed with my brain.
  • Laurie08
    Laurie08 Member Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2012

    wenweb!  I was wondering where you were!  I agree, the lack of quotes is confusing.  I reread some parts to see if they thought it or said it...

  • jelson
    jelson Member Posts: 622
    edited February 2012

    Diana Abu-Jaber!

    I just started her latest novel, Birds of Paradise - perhaps a mistake: the protagonist is a pastry chef in Miami and I just began phase 1 of the South Beach Diet!!! Anyhow, Abu-Jaber's dad is Jordanian and she weaves the experience of Middle-Eastern immigrants into several of her books:Arabian Jazz, Crescent and her autobiographical novel Language of Baklava (which contains recipes!) One of her books, Origin is different, it is a mystery. 

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,354
    edited February 2012

    A good friend just had cataract surgery at the same time her turn on the library list for the new Janet Evanovitch "Explosive Eighteen" just came up.  I'll get to read it first.

  • sweetcorn
    sweetcorn Member Posts: 96
    edited February 2012

    Laurie,  I loved Those Who Save Us.  Couldn't put it down.  Has anyone read One Day by David Nicholls?  And glad to see so many using their local libraries!  I am the director of a public library.....

    Jane

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