The Next Best Book Club discussion

Just started Code Zero and The Phoenix Year

Just finished The Last Game We Played. Kind of mixed emotions on this one: Did things I found interesting, as a writer, but didn't enjoy it much at all as a reader.

Chocolates for Breakfast by Pamela Moore – 3***
Pamela Moore was only eighteen when this debut novel was first published in 1956. At the time it was considered scandalous for the references to homosexuality, divorce and suicide. Apparently all the drinking, smoking and teenager/older man sex didn’t seem unusual. Major book reviews have called it “Permeated with sadness and existential longing” (Los Angeles Review of Books), or “A gem of adolescent disaffection featuring a Holden Caulfield-like heroine” (Vogue). In a sense I agree with these assessments, but I didn’t find it sensational, moving, or terribly interesting. I just found it sad, in the way that I feel sad when reading about any young person who is so very lost.
This Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am just starting Jeeves and the Wedding BellsThis homage to PG Wodehouse brings back Jeeves & Wooster back for one more adventure. Made many best of 2013 list and I am a big fan of the original stories . So far it is very good.

Paula wrote: "I'm starting today."

I've had this book on my library ebook "wish-list" forever. I hope I get the time to read it before it's not available anymore. Have a good read.

I'm almost done reading The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing: A Novel which is such a good book. Lots of dialogue and character development.

Karen M wrote: "Paula wrote: "I'm starting today."

I've had this book on my library ebook "wish-list" forever. I hope I get the time to read it before it's not available anymore...

Thanks Karen, I'm enjoying it so far but am only about 50 pages in so far.

Just finished The Rosie Project (Graeme Simmons?) and Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Kate Atkinson) and have just started The Accident (Linwood Barclay) for a change of pace. Not really my usual genre but the story behind the author was interesting to me so I thought I would give it a try.

I have finally finished Virals by Kathy reich and now i am rereading divergent. There are parts of the movie that i am starting to picture in my head as i read. I will then be reading death sworn and i will try to finish it by monday but i might have to get it again.

Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles – Book on CD read by Kim Mae Guest – 4****
This is a lovely Southern coming-of-age story that deals frankly but gently with the realities of death, in a manner that children can easily understand. I loved Comfort and how genuinely compassionate she was, even when exasperated beyond endurance by her eight-year-old cousin’s “ruining everything.” She’s imaginative and self-confident, but not immune to the hurts of childhood or feeling selfish. She’s a wonderful character. Have some tissues ready for the ending. Kim Mai Guest does a fine job performing the audiobook.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm reading several books right now, but the one that has captured my attention the most is Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I think I've been putting off educating myself about the food industry for way too long, and (against my bacon-loving nature) his expose of factory farming practices is starting to make me think twice about the way I purchase and consume animal products. Tough read, but worthwhile.

I've just started reading My Lady of the Bog. I'm only about 25 pages in but it's an interesting story so far.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gadwitz – 3***
What a wild – and disturbingly scary – ride! Gadwitz returns to the original Grimm tales, which were much darker and violent that what we commonly tell our children today, and makes them even scarier, darker, more violent, disturbing and nightmare-producing. As Hansel and Gretel make their way through the book they are tortured, starved (or fattened), cold, hungry, alone and frightened. There is no one they can trust, as adult after adult betrays them. It is a bleak world, indeed, this kingdom of Grimm. It’s also quite an adventure and the children are brave, steadfast, intelligent, and pure.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

If you like Gatsby, I just picked up "Careless People" by Sarah Churchwell. Think it's about an actual court case that may have influenced Fitzgerald's portrayal of The Great.

Shelley
http://dustbowlstory.wordpress.com

Six Years by Harlan Coben.

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

Just finished reading the new book by Thomas Piketty called Le capital au XXIe siècle (Capital in the Twenty-First Century). Piketty explores the distribution of capital in advanced market economies, both from a theoretical and an historical vantage point. Having established that capital has come to be more and more concentrated since the 1980s (as well as why this is happening), Piketty predicts a return to the level of inequality in wealth seen at the end of the 19th century. At 800 pages chock full of data and astute analysis this book promises to be an important contribution to the great economic debate. A full executive summary is available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2014/04/04...

The Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel – 2**
Book 5 in the Earth’s Children series has Ayla and Jondalar being formally welcomed to his home community – the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. The novel is incredibly repetitious; it is mostly just a long litany of what has occurred in the previous books. Additionally, Auel doesn’t trust her readers to figure out the undercurrents of emotion from context; after showing a confrontation she tells us the character is angry. There is some interesting information about the painted caves in this region of current-day France and about basic survival tools that these ancient humans used. Auel has clearly done a lot of research and I appreciate that. I just wish there was more plot and substance to this book.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have finally finished death sworn and now i am trying to read something wicked by alan gratz. Then i will try to read nobody but us.

Going to start Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok.

I'm reading Fallen Beauty which is a fictionalized portrait of Edna St. Vincent Millay while living at Steepletop in New York State.

The Black Ice by Michael Connelly – Book on CD read by Dick Hill 3***
Connelly crafts a fast and furious suspense-filled thriller that takes Harry Bosch from Los Angeles to Mexicali as he investigates the supposed suicide of a missing narcotics officer. The pace is lightning quick, the plot twists come with no warning, and the reader isn’t any more sure than Harry whom to trust. I was in a delighted state of confusion trying to figure out the clues as fast as Harry. Dick Hill does a great job of narrating the audio version. His pacing is good and he modulates his voice sufficiently to differentiate the many male characters.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm just starting

So I know I don't post in this thread very often, but when I do, you know I've got a doozey!

I'm currently listening to the audio version of The Troop and holy shit you guys! If you like slow horrors, this one is soooo for you.

Think of an internal version of The Ruins and any gross contagion movie or book out there, and you've kind of got the idea behind THE TROOP.

A scout master and his troop of teens camping out on a small uninhabited island for the weekend come into contact with a very strange, very hungry, very sick man.

Go. Get it now. I'm only 20 chapters in and I gotta tell you, I wish my work commute was longer so I could listen to it more!

I am listening to the audio of A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent and I am loving it, great narration by Kate Reading, and a great story by Marie Brennan.

I just finished reading The Troop and it wasn't very good at all. It started off ok for about the first 100 pages but then settled into a rut and was just kind of gross and not very frightening or believable. The more interesting action wasn't even the main story but what was going on away from the main action. Unfortunately, all you got to see of that was a few paragraphs every few chapters.

Jimmy the Kid by Donald E Westlake – 3.5***
I love Westlake’s writing, and particularly enjoy the comic capers of John Dortmunder and his gang of inept accomplices. In this third outing, the gang decides to follow the blueprint for a successful kidnapping they read about in a cheap novel. What could go wrong? For starters, they pick a kid who is smarter than all of them put together. Jimmy’s resourcefulness and superior intelligence serve him (and the gang) well.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished reading Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan and don't know what to read next. I may go for a reread since the last few books I read weren't that terrif. Anything you can suggest would be appreciated.

Now on a more positive note, I did recently read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline which was really good.

The Ghosts Of Sleath by James Herbert

I just finished Longbourn and am just about to finish Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. Not sure what I am going to read next.

Just finished reading . Now I am starting the second book in series.

I'm reading Eleven by Mark Watson.

I am currently reading The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley and Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

Inspired by both the film version and my own lack of prowess in the kitchen, I picked up Julie and Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen this week. I’m only ten pages in, and already finding Julie Powell an insufferable narrator. I don’t know how far I’ll be able to get in this book if something doesn’t change soon.

Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy – 3.5***
Binchy excels at writing ensemble pieces that show ordinary people in some extraordinary circumstances. This novel covers a year in the lives of Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather and their new catering business, Scarlet Feather. They make mistakes, have emotional melt downs, overcome obstacles, find reserves of love and compassion, smile through adversity, and never stop working to achieve their dream. Each chapter covers a month in the year, but is divided into short vignettes jumping from character to character and scene to scene. The result is that the reader gets a more complete picture than any of the characters does.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished reading The Dune and am finally reading A Dance with Dragons.

I have started The Physic Book of Deliverence Dane. It has been on my TBR shelf for several years.

Just finished reading Michael Lewis' new book Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt. Lewis reports on how Brad Katsuyama (a broker from RBC) uncovered a massive (and legal, for now) scam on Wall Street made possible by high-frequency trading. Katsuyama has now started a new type of stock exchange in New York (called the IEX--it opened in October, 2013) with the hopes of eliminating the scamming--and Lewis reports on the progress of the new stock exchange as well. This is an incredible story, and an incredible book that I predict will win the Pulitzer Prize. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2014/04/15...

i am now reading Hopeless and it is pretty good so far. I am also reading Belles. I don't do much for drama but this trilogy has got me hooked. I will then be reading Winter White,Throne of Glass, and Inhuman, which are all very good books that i have heard of. I have also finished Frankenstein but i still have to write a paper. Ugh, I hate writing papers during spring break when all i want to do is play on the computer and read books.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate – 5*****
What a lovely story! Inspired by true events (there really is a gorilla named Ivan who lived in a cage at a shopping mall before joining the troop of lowland gorillas at the Atlanta Zoo), Applegate has crafted a wonderful tale of friendship, loyalty, perseverance and greatness. I love that it is Ivan’s “art” that eventually gets through to the humans. Patricia Castelao’s illustrations are marvelous, adding to the story’s impact. Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've just started and am enjoying it so far.

I'm reading The Returned by Jason Mott.

Paula wrote: "I've just started and am enjoying it so far."

I loved this book but was greatly disappointed in her second book Looking for Me.

Eden wrote: "I'm reading The Returned by Jason Mott."

Do you also watch Resurrection on Sunday evenings. This new TV series is based on this book.

I just finished Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry and The Phoenix Year by David Blond

finished Hopeless last night and i just now finished belles. Now i am reading shatter me and winter white.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (Audio book performed by William Defris)– 3***
Hank Morgan, a 19th century machinist, wakes up to find himself in King Arthur’s England, A.D. 528. This is the story of his adventures and misadventures in that bygone era. Satire is not my favorite genre, but I enjoyed parts of this satire immensely. It seems clear to me that Twain was commenting on the current political and social situations of late 19th century America. He has Hank campaign against poverty, the prevailing class system and slavery. And campaign for better wages and literacy for a broader populace. I can clearly see how this has stood the test of time.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Eden wrote: "I'm reading The Returned by Jason Mott."

Do you also watch Resurrection on Sunday evenings. This new TV series is based on this book."

I've been watching the show since it premiered and think it is great. When I found out it was based on a book, I had to read it. The book is really good so far too.

Eden wrote: "Nancy from NJ wrote: "Eden wrote: "I'm reading The Returned by Jason Mott."

Do you also watch Resurrection on Sunday evenings. This new TV series is based on this..."

I watched two episodes but found it rather creepy. I also tried the book but never finished it. I guess it's just me. A similar book which terrified me was Pet Cemetary by Stephen King.

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Eden wrote: "Nancy from NJ wrote: "Eden wrote: "I'm reading The Returned by Jason Mott."

Do you also watch Resurrection on Sunday evenings. This new TV series is ..."

I think the idea of people returning is interesting and so I keep watching to find out why they are returning. It's just all a mystery right now and I just really want to know how people are returning. It hasn't been explained in the book yet either.

I haven't read Pet Cemetery, but I did watch the first movie. That type of returning is definitely creepy and scary.

I have just finished The Girl who played with fire By Stieg Larsson which I couldn't put down. Now I have started Goodbye Sarajevo by Atka Reid & Hana Schofield, So far it's pretty good. Once I am finished with that it will be back to the millennium trilogy and reading the last of that series The girl who kicked the hornets nest.