The Next Best Book Club discussion

I'm currently reading A Simple Plan by Scott Smith.

Today I made an executive decision. I decided to stop reading this book. Why?

1. It's boring and repetitive
2. I read three of his other books almost together to read Natchez Burning
3. It's too long at this time - 791 pages
4. Was I reading this because I had read so much and would feel guilty - do I feel guilty yes
5. Will I try to read this again - probably when the next book in the trilogy is published.

On the plus side I read that Greg Iles was in a horrendous car accident and at one time there was some though he would never or could never work again. So I am glad he is well and writing and maybe next time.

Deciding what to read next. I have Small Blessings waiting for me at the library but they are closed today for the summer soooo.

Just started reading 4 books simultaneously.

The Hindenburg Murders
King and Mawxell
Children of Liberty
The Thief

Jackie wrote: "I'm currently reading A Simple Plan by Scott Smith."

Great book!

The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde – 3***
Audiobook performed by Elizabeth Jasicki. Fforde entertains with another flight of fancy and fantasy. The plot has been written before – evil geniuses out to control the world, thwarted by an honest, morally upright young person with right on her side. I like that Jasper’s heroine is a strong, intelligent, resourceful young woman who uses wit and intelligence rather than might to best her enemies. Jasicki’s audio performance helped me suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the ride. On the whole, however, I think this is a book best enjoyed by a younger audience; ages 10-15 seems to be the target group.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Book Concierge wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I'm currently reading A Simple Plan by Scott Smith."

Great book!"

Yes, that one is really good. There's a movie they made from it that's also supposed to be good, but I haven't seen it.

Sylvain Reynard

I'm currently reading the third book, and I'm curious as to how Gabriel and Julia face up to married life, having a baby and grad school. I'm still on Chapter 10, but slowly I feel like I'm not ready to end this trilogy. :( More books like this please.

I'm reading The Dog, a story collection by Jack Livings. I'm liking it -- it's well-done and takes me into another culture. I was expecting to like it, because Jack produced a "self-interview" at The Nervous Breakdown, and in it he talked about setting fiction in another culture (in this case, China). And yes, Jack clearly knows that China is an enormous place and does not have a single "culture." I wanted to read The Dog because in my own work, I do something similar -- set the stories in another culture (in my case, a small culture in the southwestern Pacific).

Here's Jack's interview: http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/tn...

And here's mine: http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/dm...

Renee wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I'm currently reading A Simple Plan by Scott Smith."

Great book!"

Yes, that one is really good. There's a movie they made from it that's also supposed to be ..."


The movie is very good; well-acted. But the ending is slightly different.

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood – 2**
The dust jacket promises: “A rich debut novel [that] celebrates taking joy in the simple things, and the deep reward that comes from caring for others. The characters and the setting are so real and heart-felt that you will be drawn immediately into their world.” I didn’t get any sense of joy or deep reward. As for the characters – I got really tired of the irascible Gladys, the sweet Arbutus, the confused Madeline, the stoic Paul, etc. I knew going in that this wouldn’t be great literature but was hoping to find a heart-warming story. I was disappointed. If it hadn’t fulfilled a challenge, I would not have finished it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm reading 'Eating Animals' by Jonathan Safran Foer at the moment. It isn't easy to read since I'm a sucker for animals to know and it shocked and appalled me what poultry animals go through at factory farms. Still, this book is insightful and informative so I'm liking it so far.

Today I'm going to start The White Princess by Philippa Gregory.

I am currently reading Small Blessings and listening to Eleanor and Park.

I've recently read Mr. Mercedes and Ex-Heroes. I was hoping Ex-Heroes would have been better.

Now I'm reading The Bottoms. I've been looking forward to this one.

The Day the Music Died by Ed Gorman
3***
This is a basic murder mystery with a sprinkling of cultural references from the late 1950s that had me taking an enjoyable trip down memory lane. The plot has several twists and complications that kept me guessing, and there is a bit of romantic tension to add interest. Sam McCain is a great character and I like his interactions with the various women in his life. On the whole, it’s a short, fast, enjoyable read, and I’ll probably read more of Gorman in the future.
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I just finished Fangirl and The Leftovers. I am starting The Engagements.
I enjoyed both books, but Fangirl was my favorite.

i just started the inheritance by Robin hobb and megan lindholm

I am about two thirds of the way through , and so far it is really good. I had heard so much about it, and thought it was about time I got it off my T.B.R. list!

I have finally finished reading and and they were okay but i am now deciding on whether or not i will continue both series. I am now reading and since i am going out tomorrow i might take or with me. I haven't decided yet. Salvage is a book for home since it is so big.

I finished The White Princess by Philippa Gregory. Not one of her best but still 4 stars for me.

I'm now reading Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach which is pretty good so far.

A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley – 3***
Audiobook performed by Simon Prebble. A human corpse, mostly eaten by hyenas is found in the Kalahari, and Detective David “Kubu” Bengu leads the investigation. This is a wonderful debut mystery with a great central character. He combines intelligence, education and sound police procedures with tenacity and a keen intuition. Kubu also loves opera, good wine and his wife. The plot is fast paced and complicated, with plenty of suspects and several plot twists that I did not see coming. Simon Prebble does a marvelous job performing the audio. I’ll definitely continue the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ill Wind by Nevada Barr
3.5***
Book #3 in the Anna Pigeon series, has the national park ranger assigned to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. When a child dies the new-age proponents attribute it to the upset spirits – Chindi – and predict things “will happen” with the summer solstice. But Anna is convinced that the real culprits are human. Anna Pigeon is a great character – intelligent, mature, physically fit and tenacious. The plot was a little slow to take off, but the many suspects really kept me guessing right up to the time that Anna unveiled the perpetrator. On the whole, this is a very satisfying mystery read.
This is a Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

At the moment, I'm on A Most Wanted Man by John le Carre. The introduction had captured my attention a while back and I had been meaning to read it. Then I found out Philip Seymour Hoffman was in an upcoming adaptation, so I wanted to dive into the novel before I watched the movie. It's been excellent. I have come to love le Carre's comfortable familiarity with spycraft and the ease and believability at which his characters manipulate each other. Gunther Bachman is a very likable, cranky, humorous character as well.

A quick read of Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes, a snarky look at Hawaii's History. The book tag caught my eye, Manifest Destiny gets a sunburn.

Looking forward to starting And the Mountains Echoed today. Gave his other books 5 stars, so high hopes for this one.

I am currently reading The Paris Architect and Big Little Lie. I am also listening to Tiger Eyes which is a YA book by Judy Blume.

Buzz Off by Hannah Reed – 2**
This has all the hallmarks of a successful cozy mystery: a likeable main character, a budding romance, an interesting backstory (beekeeping), and a plausible reason for our amateur detective to get involved. On the other hand, Story’s need to put everything into bullet-points and her sister Holly’s continued use of text-speak completely irritated me. While I liked the basic premise for this series, the irritations in the dialogue and style tipped the scales and I’m giving it only 2 stars.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm only a little into Night Film but love it so far. Pessl has a great voice as a writer.

I finally finished and it was pretty good but it was longer than i thought it would be. I am now trying to listen to but i am only on chapter 4 and i have to return it on a couple of days. i am now reading and and they are pretty good so far.

I just finished reading a biography of Louisa May Alcott (I'd like to strangle her father), so I'm about to go get one of her lesser-known books called Work.

Shelley
http://dustbowlstory.wordpress.com

I just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie that was just ok for me, probably because it has been in my list for so long that my bar was set too high.

Today I'll startTrieste by Daša Drndic.

Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh – 2**
Book # 2 in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series has him witness a murder on stage when the prop gun is loaded with live ammunition instead of blanks. There are more than enough suspects from the sleepy doorman to the theater owner/producer. The action is told almost entirely in dialogue with little descriptive prose. I’m not sure why but I was left feeling rather “blah” about it, so only 2 stars.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I have started Lev Grossman's The Magicians.

I gave up Trieste by Daša Drndić, since I couldn't get into her style.

I'm reading now Frog Music by Emma Donoghue

phone call from heaven by Mitch Albom.

I just finished reading From the Streets of Kathmandu - here is my review of this riveting story.



The authenticity and heartbreaking honesty of Basu Rai’s voice is remarkable. He sweeps the reader into a painfully illuminated, often desperate world - whether writing from the point of view of a small child who is thrust into a hostile, predatory environment or from the perspective of the social activist he miraculously survives to become.

Imagine what it would be like to walk out the door of your childhood home forever at the age of four, with no destination, your father dead and your mother missing. Imagine being beaten senseless by a gang on your first night sleeping out in the open, until one of the tough boys discovers his conscience and takes you to the hospital. Imagine a doctor asks for your name and you have no idea what it is.

This little Nepalese boy, having been called ‘son,’ by his father, knew his dad was a “Rai’ and his mother a ‘Basu.’ And so Basu Rai christens himself and takes his first step in creating an identity out of virtually nothing.

What follows is a story, that if it were not so vividly told, one might find hard to believe. How was it possible for people to be so cruel to this small child – to refuse him food until he was forced to steal, and when he finally obtains work, to mistreat him so badly that he is much better off thieving on the street?

What this reader finds even more astounding is that somehow Basu’s spirit remains intact. As he puts it, “Just as we develop a colourful picture out of a dark negative roll, so does the brightness unroll from the darkness of desperation.” This is wisdom earned at the highest of prices and it fills the pages of this remarkable narrative.

I will not give away what happens to change Basu’s life forever, when at the age of nine, he is brutally attacked and left at death’s door. But I will say that you will cry tears of joy.

To learn more, you will need to read From the Streets of Kathmandu. More than a book, it is a genuinely unforgettable experience.

Highly Recommended.

I'm going to start reading The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons today.

Jackie wrote: "I'm going to start reading The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons today."

I haven't heard of that one, but I like the title.

Hiya Renee,

I haven't heard anything about the book or the author before either but, like you, I liked the title so I bought it lol. Not far enough in yet to tell whether I'm going to like it or not, although there's not really many books that I don't finish.

Jackie wrote: "Hiya Renee,

I haven't heard anything about the book or the author before either but, like you, I liked the title so I bought it lol. Not far enough in yet to tell whether I'm going to like it or ..."

I read a book years ago called Holding Out where most of the women in America stop having sex with their husbands or boyfriends to protest a court decision where a man who beat his wife to death gets off scot free. I liked the title and the idea, but the story wasn't very good.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (Audiobook read by John Lee)
3.5***
In a future world, society is ruled by a Colortocracy, with a social hierarchy based upon one’s limited color perception; in this world, you are what you can see. This novel is unlike anything I’ve read before and yet I recognize many elements. Fforde has written a book that combines science fiction, dystopia, romance, quest, coming-of-age, adventure and political espionage. He touches on themes of racism, friendship, slavery, euthanasia, loyalty, love, family and courage. I grew to love Eddie and Jane and was cheering for them right to the bitter end … and beyond.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Renee, do you keep on reading until you've finished the book even if you don't like it? Or do you give up?

Jackie wrote: "Renee, do you keep on reading until you've finished the book even if you don't like it? Or do you give up?"
It depends....if it's a library book or one I bought used I might stop reading it if I don't like it. If it's one I paid full price for, especially if it's a hardback then I'll at least try to finish it. I try to finish most of them anyway, just because I keep hoping it will start to pick up.

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene – 4****
During WWII a 12-year-old Jewish girl with a turbulent family life comes across a German prisoner of war who treats her with respect and makes her feel, for the first time, that she may be a worthwhile person, a person who could be loved. This is a novel about compassion, loyalty, self-realization, courage, faith and self-preservation. Patty is a wonderful character – intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and courageous. But she is also a child and her immaturity shows in her impetuous actions and telling of tales. I love that final image as Patty imagines herself treading water, still far out to sea, but in sight of land, and deciding that she’ll try to swim for it.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Book Concierge wrote: " Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene – 4****
During WWII a 12-year-old Jewish girl with a turbulent family life comes across a German prisone..."

I read this years ago, when I was about 14 I think. And then they had the made for T.V. movie on a few times also. I think the book was much better, it left out a lot of what Patty gained by hiding him. There's a sequel to this book but I haven't read it.

Starting The Golem and the Jinni today - excited!

I just started Step on a Crack since I have the day off I'm getting a lot of cleaning and reading done!

Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith (Audiobook read by Simon Prebble)
3***
This is an ensemble piece providing a slice-of-life look at the residents of Corduroy Mansions, the nickname given to a block of mansions in a London Pimlico neighborhood. It’s not plot-driven but character-driven; the “action” is the kind of action most of us have in our everyday lives: a date here, a visit with a brother there, a stressful job, a new car, a dog that chews your favorite shoes, etc. I thought it was charming and enjoyable. A nice light read with characters I (mostly) liked. I’m reminded of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Every Crooked Nanny by Kathy Hogan Trocheck – 3***
This is a good start to a mystery series. Callahan is a strong central character; her previous experience as a cop and private detective makes this more than the typical cozy. Yes, we still have a cast of colorful characters in her house-cleaning crew, and her mother, Edna, who is also her business partner, provides a nice counter balance. It was fast paced, entertaining and kept me turning pages. I’d definitely be up for trying another in the series.
Link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...