Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in September.

Please provide:
~ A GoodRead link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Happy October, one of my favorite months and the beginning of my favorite season.

In September, I read:

Tell the Wolves I'm Home A coming of age story about a teenager grappling with life issues. The girl, June, has a favorite uncle, her godfather, who is a famous artist. He's dying of AIDS in the '80's, and June knows that there is some issue between her mother and her uncle. Her older sister knows more, and they eventually put the story together. Meanwhile, though, June meets and comes to love her uncle's life partner, with surprising results. 4 stars

Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal Comprehensive study of the sins of the fathers and how the lawyers broke through the stone wall of the Church. Interesting about how the priests view themselves vis a vis the masses, and how the church attracts the worst sort of men. 4 stars

The Orchardist This book reminds me of Wallace Stegner's books about the west. It's spare, and the characters are unimaginably repressed by their hard lives and tragedies. It's set in Washington state apple country just after the turn of the last century. The problems it discusses are local rather than national, and the writing reflects the stultifying but spiritual nature of life lived mostly alone with nature. At the same time, it explores how people need one another and try to save one another, usually without much success. The hero is an apple farmer whose sister was lost without a trace when she tried to run away from the farm as a teen. Her brother remained, buried their mother, and got up every day to run the orchard. He befriended the local Indian band of workers who became like family, stopping by several times a year to train their captured wild horses and help with the apple picking. Then he encounters two wild girls, sisters who have run away from a monster of a man, and tries to help them heal. He discovers that they are both pregnant; only one baby lives, and is raised on the farm. I recognize that The Orchardist is a great depiction of a time and place, but I didn't enjoy it as much for all that. I gave it 3.5 stars, with a bullet.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock This is more my kind of book, or better or for worse. Leonard is a boy intent on committing a school shooting with his grandfather's old Lugar. There is a lovely relationship involving Bogart movies that Leonard has with his elderly neighbor, a lonely widower. Leonard's mother is a narcissist, his father absent, and he has an issue. Good book for a teenager, and I liked it, too. 3.5 stars

Night Film I love Special Topics in Calamity Physics, though its plot was not as strong as the writing, so I anticipated this book with pleasure. I did not think it was as good as her first. It is about an investigative reporter and a famous and reclusive horror movie director. 3 stars

The Tender Soldier - for some reason I'm having trouble making this link work, so I apologize. The book is a true story of war and a well-meaning but completely idiotic American program to win hearts and minds. Very affecting. 4 stars

A Guide for the Perplexed Perfect title. Mangled in every way. Main characters include Maimonides, Solomon Schechter and a modern computer genius named Josie who has invented a program that keeps track of your whole life. She is kidnapped by a crook in Egypt. They fake her death, but she manages to get a text message to NYC where her jealous sister has set up house with Josie's husband and five-year-old daughter. OMG 2 stars

The Story Of My Assassins I couldn't finish this one. It was very well-written, but so violent and disgusting in its depiction of India that I finally just stopped after the umpteenth anal rape. 2 stars

The Good Lord Bird The story of a young man, who pretends to be a girl, and who is kidnapped and "freed" from slavery in Kansas by John Brown --yes, THE John Brown. It follows the old man and the boy from Kansas to Harper's Ferry and there is a very strong depiction of those few days and their aftermath. It has been long-listed for the National Book Award. 3.5 stars

All the Truth That's In Me I loved this mystery set in colonial America--at least I think it must be in New England somewhere in the mid- to late 17th C. The heroine has been raised by a loving family on a farm near a village that is under some sort of theocratic reign. They have stocks, for instance, and people get fined or put in the stocks for not attending church. The girl, Judith, is kidnapped and has her tongue cut out. Then all hell breaks loose as the homelanders (the British I suppose) invade and she has to go to her kidnapper for help to save the village. That's only the beginning. 4.5 stars

SEPTEMBER READS

This was a BUSY month for me personally, and we are almost done with the purging. In October, we should finish everything here at home, and we look forward to seeing our boys in Texas.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain -- 4/5
I really liked Hadley and the early years with Hemingway as husband. But over time things changed, and Pauline joined their private "twosome." I think Hadley was very different from the people Hemingway hung out with. Even though she liked her drink, she was also more grounded than the others who drank absinithe, attended crazy parties and ventured into multiple sexual partners. Hemingway had 4 wives, but Hadley was the only true love of his life.

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson --4/5
Enjoyed his writing and all the emotional characters.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford-- 5/5
New Release!! Set in the early 20th century and the Great Depression is the story of the separation of a loving, raped young woman and her orphaned son. Jamie Ford writes beautifully, even when the story is filled with tragic abuse and isolation. I loved the characters-- especially the relationship between William & Willow and William & Charlotte.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro -- 5/5
In postwar England, this story focuses on being "a perfect English butler." Stevens has devoted 30 years of his life to "his concept of duty and responsibility", hoping to reach the pinnacle of his profession through totally selfless dedication and a ruthless suppression of sentiment. He is proud of his impassive response to his father's death and his "correct" behavior with the spunky, former housekeeper, Miss Kenton. Ishiguro builds Stevens's character with precisely controlled details, creating irony as the butler unwittingly reveals his pathetic self-deception. In the end, Stevens realizes that he has wasted his life in blind service, and that he never discovered "the key to human warmth."

My normal 2 books for September. 1 was a quick read and was actually a re-read. But both were good reads. I'm positive that I will not finish Wolf Hall before midnight since I'm only 1/3 through. It will be finished sometime mid-October at the rate that I'm going! But for September:

Dream Man the quick read which I give a 4 star rating to. I've seen this book described as a paranormal romance but I just don't buy that. It's staying a heavy-breathing romance novel. So the heroine has visions where she sees murders through the eyes of a murderer. I don't call it paranormal. More of thriller.

The other book was A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. This was a family saga narrated by 3 women. The grandmother, the mother who has suffered a stroke and has difficulty speaking and the daughter. I enjoyed this book since the characters were interesting as was the situation that they found themselves in. 4 Stars.

These are my reads from August and September.

The End of Your Life Book Club - Will Schwalbe. Schwalbe and his mother formed a kind of 2-person book club as she went through diagnosis and treatment for pancreatic cancer. And though I really expected to like this book, I didn't care for it very much. The mother was so idealized and perfect that it kind of put me off, although it wasn't her fault that she was brilliant, well-traveled, philanthropic. Also, several of the books they read together and loved were books I didn't care for at all.

Wave - Sonali Deraniyagala. The author was the sole survivor in her family of the big tsunami in southeast Asia in 2004, and in this short memoir she explains the different stages of grief she went through as she mourned her husband, her two young sons and her parents. A heartbreaking read.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America - Barbara Ehrenreich. Life as a minimum wage worker in America isn't easy. I look at hotel maids, house cleaners, Walmart employees and nursing home employees differently now that I've read this book. The edition I read is from 2001 and I'm sure it's been updated since then.

Quicksand - Nella Larsen. Although I enjoyed this book I did not care for the main character, Helga Crane at all. She's a young biracial woman living in the 1920s who is unhappy with her life no matter where she is, and in this book she moves from Nashville to Chicago to Harlem to Denmark to rural Georgia. In reading the reviews of Quicksand I learned about the expression "Mary Sue" which I'd never heard of before....a fictional character based on the actual author of the novel. Helga is Nella Larsen's "Mary Sue."

Benediction - Kent Haruf I loved Haruf's writing style that's so simple yet so eloquent. The story is set over a few hot summer months between Dad Lewis's fatal cancer diagnosis and his death in a small town in rural Colorado. I actually teared up with emotion a few times as I read this, and the picture Haruf paints of the town of Holt is so vivid to me that I imagine anyone who reads his words would see the exact same images I saw.

The Returned - Jason Mott. What happens in the world when dead people start returning to life and, in many cases, returning to their families? Pretty much what you'd expect - chaos, confusion, governmental incompetence! I never really "bought into" this story, but other readers and reviewers loved it.

Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music Burt Bacharach. I found this memoir in my library's digital collection and figured it might be interesting. Not so much. Burt Bacharach is a better songwriter than he is a human being and I like his music a lot more than I like him.

Someone: A Novel - Alice McDermott. Alice McDermott's lovely writing is always wonderful to return to. This is the simple story of a woman's life. Nothing more, nothing less, but what better thing is there to tell than the story of a life?

Tampa - Alissa Nutting. A very disturbing and graphic novel about a young woman who is sexually attracted to preteen boys and who gets a job as a middle school teacher so that she can satisfy her predatory desires. Parts of the story were quite difficult to read, but I stuck with it, eager to find out where the story was going to go and how it would end. The last paragraph or two are some of the most troubling I've read.

Baker Towers - Jennifer Haigh. Life in a small coal-mining town in Pennsylvania may not sound like much to read about, but Haigh makes you care about the members of the Novack family and their neighbors on Polish Hill. I'm a big fan of Haigh and I have no idea why I waited so long to read this book that came out years ago.

Michele wrote: "Happy October, one of my favorite months and the beginning of my favorite season.

In September, I read:..."
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Wow, Michele ! You were on fire. I really enjoyed reading your reviews. Thank you for the many, new to me, titles.

Carol wrote: "SEPTEMBER READS

For a busy month, you had an excellent reading month, Carol. You had all 4's and 5's. Nice. The Remains of the Day sounds like one I would enjoy.

Lori wrote:The other book was A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. This was a family saga narrated by 3 women. The grandmother, the mother who has suffered a stroke and has difficulty speaking and the daughter. I enjoyed this book since the characters were interesting as was the situation that they found themselves in. 4 Stars."

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Thanks for sharing, Lori.
A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty sounds like an interesting read.

Connie wrote: "These are my reads from August and September.

The End of Your Life Book Club - Will Schwalbe. Schwalbe and his mother formed a kind of 2-person book club as she went through diagnosis and treatm..."

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You had a nice August & Sept. Connie.

Sorry to hear you didn't like The End of Your Life Book Club as much as I did. In fact, I recommended it to the members of my library group today. I listened to it on audio and the son read it. I don't know if that made a difference.

I read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America A long time ago. I did think it was an interesting read. However, for some reason I was put off a bit by the author. It seemed she kept having to make the point that she had a higher education degree all the time. I know this wasn't her intention, but it seemed like she kept separating herself from her subjects. Still, it's an important book to read.

I still want to read her other book Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America

I really enjoy Kent Haruf books. Thanks for the new title. Somehow it got passed me. I'm happy to hear it's a winner.

My Sept. Reads

I don't think I ever had a month where I gave a top rating to the all the books I read.

Heart 411: The Only Guide to Heart Health You'll Ever Need~~Marc Gillinov
Nonfiction
Rate 5/5
I don't have any medical issues with my heart and I want to keep it that way. That is why I read this book. I thought it was excellent. The authors are doctors from the Cleveland Clinic, the #1 hospital for heart health in America. It is chock full of useful info. I wrote 6 pages of notes on the book !

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business~~Charles Duhigg
Non fiction
Rate 5/5
Audio book - Reader- Mike Chamberlaine
I really enjoyed this book. The reader was excellent.
If you want to know about the brain and why you do certain things this book is for you. The author says 40% of our daily routine is done by habit. Learn how to use that info to transform your life. Want to lose weight or start a exercise program? Read this book. He also discusses how corporation and even the government use this info to make people behave a certain way. How did they turn a failing product like Fabreeze into a billion dollar product? Read this book. It really is a compelling read.

Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt~~Aida D. Donald
Non fition
Rate- 5/5
Audio book- Reader Pam Ward
I enjoy this biography very much. At first I thought the choice of a female reader was questionable, especially when she would quote TR. However, I soon became used to it. The bio is fascinating. One can't miss with TR as a subject. Bully !

Oh my goodness, I have just added at least half a dozen books to my TBR. Thank you all!! (I think ??)

I found some 5 star books in September, and read a nice variety.

Flight Behavior A family experiences the migration of monarch butterflies onto their Tennessee farm, starting a discussion of global warming in the community. I didn't connect with anything in this book. 2 stars.

No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf A fascinating account of her unusual life. I loved the detail. 5 stars.

Ghana Must Go A driven American family of African heritage flies to Ghana to bury their father who moved back years earlier. With 4 siblings there is a fair dose of sibling rivalry and shocking secrets. Written in a poetic style, it was hard work, but worthwhile. 4 stars.

Night Street Based on the life of Melbourne artist Clarice Beckett, with rich description of her surrounding. 4 stars.

Little Bee A Nigerian girl and a London woman witness an atrocity on a beach in Nigeria. This past is revisited when the girl seeks asylum in England. Riveting, horrifying, any somehow there are a couple of funny moments. Could make a good movie. 5 stars.

Oscariana: The wit and maxims of Oscar Wilde I picked this up at the library as part of their 'downsizing'. A collection of quotations from his books. 3 stars.

Maya's Notebook An American teenager gets caught up in the drug scene before being sent off to Chile to rehabilitate on an isolated island. Here she learns more of her Chilean heritage. There is a lot going on in this novel, and some of it I found unbelievable. 2 stars.

Animal's People This was a second attempt to read this one, but I gave up again. The story is based on a chemical disaster in an Indian town, from the pov of a young boy. I could handle the raw language, but was confused by the boy's dialogue. Although I didn't finish it, I feel I have invested enough time to rate it. 1 star.

Of Mice and Men I see this as the classic American classic. I am a fan of Steinbeck and this short story did not disappoint. 4 stars.

Cry, the Beloved Country Set in South Africa in the 40s/50s, this important story had some rich descriptions of the rural areas too, which I always enjoy. 4 stars.

It was a pretty decent month for me, despite deciding to send Of Human Bondage to my Did Not Finish Pile. I did read half of it which is 360 pages - practically a novel in normal terms. Alas, it cannot count!

Everything else I read was four star and above, huzzah!

Bossypants by Tina Fey - a funny, fast read. I liked her observations about women in society and personal anecdotes, less so the stuff about TV shows and improv. Still, I read it so fast I had no time to dwell and enjoyed it quite a bit. Four stars.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
No synopsis necessary here as this tale is so well known! Had to give this 4.5 stars - not quite the five stars because there was nobody to love in this book. Except the author himself, because the language was beautiful, stunning in places (and I mean that in the shocking sense). Nabokov is brilliant and this is a work of genius.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
This memoir of the author's childhood was also shocking in places. I read it quickly and enjoyed it but really, really hated the parents. I tried to temper it with understanding they may have had undiagnosed illnesses or something, but I could not help being angry with them. (Spoiler: when the four kids are literally starving and raiding garbage cans for food and the mother was secretly eating a huge bar of chocolate under a blanket, I could have shaken her silly!). For people to have such education and ability to then waste it by being neglectful was upsetting to me. Sure they gave a lot of knowledge to their kids, but as far as I am concerned it cannot make up for the basics they were able to and refused to provide for them. The author's very purposeful matter of fact tone got on my nerves a little by the end as I was desperate to know how she felt about her own childhood and never found out. Still, it was a very interesting story and I enjoyed reading it so a solid four stars.

I only made it through 4 books this month, for a number of reasons. Mostly because it took me three freaking weeks to get through Wolf Hall. (Lori, I feel your pain...)

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman: A memoir about a woman who is convicted on a drug charge 10 years after the crime, and is sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison in Danbury, CT. This book is an enjoyable read, both well-written and honest about her experience. Even though the author was so much more privileged than a typical female inmate--and had a lot more family support to boot, the book gives you a good feel for not only her experiences but those of the more unfortunate inmates. 4/5 stars

Early Decision: Based on a True Frenzy by Lacy Crawford: Because I work at a university, and because I have two sons who already have/are currently going through the college admissions process, I find myself gravitating toward books about it. This one was OK. It was about a woman who works with students to hone their college essays, and delves into the parental mania that surrounds the process as well. I thought the book spent a little too much time focusing on the love life of the admission counselor, which is why I gave it 3/5 stars.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: I was conflicted by this book. It took me forever to finish, but the story was interesting. It was a chore to read, yet the book was well written. I went back and forth on whether I actually LIKED it or not. It was long and detailed--perhaps too long and detailed, at 650 pages. I think it could have been edited and not suffered from the cuts. And it took a while to get into the mindset of reading from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell--as he was only referred to as "he" when talking about him (the only time he was referred to as "Cromwell" was when somebody was speaking directly to him), I had to keep going back and re-reading sections to make sure I had the correct "he" in mind. And even that narrative choice threw my mental processes into conflict--although it annoyed me, I still appreciated the originality of it. In the end I couldn't decide, so I wimped and defaulted to 3/5 stars because that's a safe, middle-of-the-road ranking for me.

The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel: Full disclosure: When I was growing up, I worshipped Carl Sagan and wanted to be an astronaut--to the point that I actually enrolled in college as an astronomy/planetary sciences major. (Then I met my Waterloo--advanced Calculus. Needless to say, I am not an astronaut today, although "Apollo 13" is one of my favorite movies...) However, I am still fascinated by anything to do with the space program. This book is an interesting look at the other side of things--from the perspective of the wives who toiled away at menial jobs to put their men through engineering school (fun fact: 22 of the original astronauts graduated from Purdue! Who knew?); wives who held down the homefront for months on end, waiting for the dreaded knock on the door that told them "there's been an accident"; women who were thrust into the public eye and forced to live up to the expectations of them as "the perfect patriotric American wives." The book is indeed interesting, but a bit too breathlessly written for me. Too many exclamation points for my taste. 3/5 stars

Amy wrote: "I only made it through 4 books this month, for a number of reasons. Mostly because it took me three freaking weeks to get through Wolf Hall. (Lori, I feel your pain...)

Orange is the New Black: M..."

Thanks for the sympathy for my slog through

Wolf Hall. I'm hoping it won't take longer than your 3 weeks for me!

I enjoyed your take on The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story. I will hope to pick that 1 up soon. Your backstory reminded me of how much I enjoyed The Right Stuff & Space by James Michener. The Right Stuff, especially, delved into what made the wives tick.

Lesley wrote: "I found some 5 star books in September, and read a nice variety.
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You had a very nice month, Lesley. Thanks for sharing we the group.

I am so glad we agree on Little Bee. I thought it was terrific. It certainly gives one a lot to think about. I read it a few years ago, and I thought it was the best fiction book I read that year.

I read Cry The Beloved Country twice. The last time I think with Deb. I agree with your assessment, Lesley. I loved it. The writing was terrific. It's a quiet thoughtful book.

Soph wrote: "It was a pretty decent month for me, despite deciding to send Of Human Bondage to my Did Not Finish Pile. I did read half of it which is 360 pages - practically a novel in normal terms. Alas, it ca..."
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I really appreciate you giving Of Human Bondage a try. You are a good sport to stick with a book that long when it wasn't your cup of tea.

I'm so happy you enjoy The Glass Castle. I had a bit more sympathy for the parents as I think they had serious mental issues. Spoiler-- however the one part where if I am recalling correctly they are in a bar and the father sends in very young daughter to be with some guy at the bar. I found this out of character with the rest of the story and profoundly disturbing. On the whole it was a very interesting read.

Amy wrote:
The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel: Full disclosure: When I was growing up, I worshipped Carl Sagan and wanted to be an astronaut--to the point that I actually enrolled in college as an astronomy/planetary sciences major. (Then I met my Waterloo--advanced Calculus. Needless to say, I am not an astronaut today, although "Apollo 13" is one of my favorite movies...) ."

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Amy, you have such a talent for writing. Your reviews always make me smile.

Orange Is The New Black sounds interesting. This was a cable show or movie, too. Is that correct? It sounds interesting. Why was she treated better than the rest of the inmates?

Alias Reader wrote: "Orange Is The New Black sounds interesting. This was a cable show or movie, too. Is that correct? It sounds interesting. Why was she treated better than the rest of the inmates?
..."

I think it's a series on Netflix, maybe? I haven't seen it--I'm having enough trouble trying to catch up on the "Breaking Bad" episodes! Re: the author--it wasn't that she was treated better than the other inmates. She was still required to follow the rules. It's that she is college educated, had a family that supported her and regularly visited her throughout her prison stint, and had lots of friends who sent her books to read and money to put on her account so she could purchase stuff from the prison commissary. All of those things helped make her time more bearable. A lot of the other inmates--the vast majority, actually--were not as educated, didn't have any outside support, were recovering addicts, etc. I don't want to say that the author's experience wasn't real--I mean, she spent more than a year in a federal prison. But for her, it was a blip/detour on her life's journey, which continued on its merry way as soon as she was released. For a lot of the other inmates, however, being in and out of prison was a way of life. And many of them didn't have much to look forward to when they got out. The book talks about that, too--how prisons do a crappy job of preparing people to be productive members of society when they get out.

Thanks for the explanation, Amy. I think I will have to put that one on my list.

Speaking of prison, have you read the book about the prison librarian? I thought it was interesting.

Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian~~~Avi Steinberg

I have not read it, no. It does look interesting!

I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments - and have added several books to my TBR list! Some great books mentioned.

My September was pretty slow - I finished up A Passage to India so near the beginning of the month that I needed a little break.

Of Human Bondage was 3.5/5 for me (obviously I liked it more than Soph did!), but it was a slow read. The book follows Philip, a young man with a club foot, from childhood when he is orphaned through early adulthood. This is one of those books in which no one is particularly likable, though toward the end there is some reward for making it through. I found the book interesting and thought-provoking, but would have enjoyed it more had it been about 150 pages shorter. More notes are in the Group Reads thread for the book.

The Grapes of Wrath is a 5/5 star re-read for me. Loved this book when I was about 12 (I think) and love it still today. Beautiful and heartbreaking, it is at once a sad reminder of the darker side of human nature and a lesson in hopefulness. More comments in my Determination List thread.

The War of the Worlds - read most of it in September (so I'm counting it here) - will rate and comment as soon as I finish the last couple chapters. I had to break to take care of a few things for work!

EDITED: I gave The War of the Worlds 3.5 stars - it was a good read and an entertaining story. There are some personal dilemmas and broader issues addressed in the book. More comments in my Determination List thread.

Susan wrote: The Grapes of Wrath is a 5/5 star re-read for me. Loved this book when I was about 12 (I think) and love it still today. Beautiful and heartbreaking, it is at once a sad reminder of the darker side of human nature and a lesson in hopefulness...."

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I love Grapes. I've read it twice. I would put it in my top reads of all time list. The first time I read it I actually cried at the end.

I only read one book in September. It was Nobody's Fool byRichard Russo My rating was 5/5. Like all Russo books I have read, the description of character and location were vivd and rang true. I must admit though envisioning the characters based on the actors who portrayed them in the move, made this read very enjoyable

Meredith, have you seen the film of Nobody's Fool? It starred Paul Newman. It's a terrific movie.

Thanks for sharing your September reads with the group.

It's not too late for everyone else to share, too.

Amy wrote: "The book is indeed interesting, but a bit too breathlessly written for me. Too many exclamation points for my taste...."

Whatever do you mean, Amy!?! I like the way you put that, although i am a felon in that department! Thanks, Cosmo magazine!

Yet again i have waited too long to reply & am overwhelmed by all the terrific books listed, ones i've read & haven't. Thank for sharing with others. You all deserve a Gold Star.

Meredith mentioned something that i do regularly, which is why i try to read the book before seeing the movie. I insert characters from the movie into the book. Actually, i don't even have to see the movie, only know which actor plays which character. It truly flavors my interpretation and, worse, has me thinking, "Paul Newman would never do that!" instead of thinking about the Russo character portrayed by Newman. Bummer! (Exclamation for Amy.)

I don't know why i reserved an entire post for my list of books read in September because i only read 2, on a children's book.

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King. The story is based on two books written by survivors of the same shipwreck, one the captain, the other not. They were lost in 1815 off the coast of Africa. Near starvation by the time they were put into slavery, the story is fascinating. King also includes the science of some factors, such as dehydration and camels. One thing i Really Appreciated was that while King traveled to Africa to sort of retrace their steps, he didn't put much of that into his book proper. Even what he shared in the endnotes was not obtrusive. I appreciate that, as so few authors can refrain including themselves in their nonfiction.

The Sod House by Elizabeth Coatsworth is a nice story about immigrants from Germany in the years before the Civil War. While i was aware how pivotal Kansas's admission to the Union was for the issue of slavery, this is the first time i remember learning that organizations bought land for others with their beliefs to move there, so the votes on issues could end up with their side. While both sides did it, the family in the book was given land by the New England Emigrant Aid Society. All this PLUS the story of how a sod house was made.

Thanks for sharing, Deb. Skeletons sounds very interesting. You do read a lot of books off the beaten path. I like that !!! extra ! for Amy. :)

With moving and downsizing and all I am amazed you had time to read at all.

Interesting read . . . my library has Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival, I will have to check it out. Thanks Deb!

Alias Reader wrote: "!!! extra ! for Amy. :)..."

Are you people TRYING to give me an aneurysm?? (deep inhale...exhale...)

I just picked up from the library Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival! I'm so glad that my library had it, because I have an apt. with my Rheumatologist. She is great doctor, lots of blood draws and other tests, basically discusses everything which requires a great deal of time. The average wait there is around 2-3 hours, depending on how many patients. But she is worth it.

Amy wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "!!! extra ! for Amy. :)..."

Are you people TRYING to give me an aneurysm?? (deep inhale...exhale...)"

:)

I'm enjoying the book, it starts in Connecticut!
My husband just dumped 1/3 of his clothes on our bed & my daughter has at least one black trash bag filled with clothes in her room. But she said she'll look for more tomorrow. I already went to Goodwill today with 6 bags. I think this can become addicting!

Carol wrote: "I'm enjoying the book, it starts in Connecticut!
My husband just dumped 1/3 of his clothes on our bed & my daughter has at least one black trash bag filled with clothes in her room. But she said s..."

Carol, I feel like a slug compared to you. I just can't seem to get motivated. I feel like just going to bed and pulling the covers over my head. Not the most productive attitude to have, I know.

Alias Reader wrote: "Carol, I feel like a slug compared to you. I just can't seem to get motivated. I feel like just going to bed and pulling the covers over my head. Not the most productive attitude to have, I know."

I'm on a roll! Honestly, I wouldn't be able to do this if my older son didn't insist on my youngest son to go with him to Texas.

My oldest son is very responsible, and he even bought both me and my husband our iPhones and he insisted on paying our monthly bills. (4 years so far.) He knows what a challenge my youngest is (ADD/ ADHD). He is really the one that drains me. He needs constant attention. Everything is "a life or death" situation. He called on the phone tonight with a dramatic situation (shipped his computer-- damaged box). I told him that we insured it. For a good 15 minutes he's loud, all upset, angry, talking too fast and imagining the worse. I ask "What does the damage look like?' He responds, "I didn't open the box yet." He opens it, hooks it all up, and I can hear him working on the computer. I ask "So what's going on?" He replies, "It works, I gotta go. Thanks mom."

Carol, i think the trials of kids (i avoided writing "sons", lest i sound sexist) leaving home & calling with complaints about something the parents did must be standard. Our son showed us how to package boxes when we sent them to him! As though we NEVER mailed one before over our long married life, which included family members living overseas. Then, when things are well, we never hear from them. I try to take to heart "no news is good news" & it usually is.

You are patient with your doctor. While i really appreciate doctors explaining every step & note, i resent it when i'm in the waiting room. The only time (other than last minute illness) i've had to wait that long for a doctor was 40 years ago for a visit with the only OBGYN for over 100 miles in Pennsylvania. Heck, even Army doctors didn't make us wait that long.

I hope you like Skeletons as much as i did, Carol. I suspect it would be great reading in the cold of winter. I found i was thirstier than usual as i read, too. The Power of Suggestion.

I'm Lucky Amy doesn't also mind Capital Letter the way she does exclamation points, eh?!?

Madrano wrote: "I'm Lucky Amy doesn't also mind Capital Letter the way she does exclamation points, eh?!? ..."

As long as you don't post your entire comment in caps. Then I'd feel like you were yelling at me! LOL

I can't read posts that are all in caps. It makes it difficult to read for some reason. Then there is the yelling thing. Though I think most people have come to understand not to type all in caps.

I'm with you, Alias, i can't read something all in caps. If people think they are making their point stronger, they are sorely mistaken, as i just won't read the message.

Amy, would i yell at you? Moi? No! Not when i can throw Exclamation Points at you instead!!!!!!

Meredith wrote: "I only read one book in September. It was Nobody's Fool byRichard Russo My rating was 5/5. Like all Russo books I have read, the description of character and location were vivd and rang true. I ..."

Yes I have seen the movie. I would like to see it again now that I have read the book.

Meredith, even though Newman is old in the movie, he still is easy on the eyes. :)

It's those eyes that made him easy on the eyes all those years, imo. *sigh*

:)

Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World

Loved this book! 5 stars!!! It opened my eyes to raising young men and all that they have to go through on a day to day basis. I talked with my son as I was reading the book and the you tube video of teen boys who said "I hope my mom reads this book" was so right. My son loved that I read it. It did change how I parent him in some ways and all for the better, I think. I am reading another one of the author's books now on your child's teachers and coaches.

How to Be an American Housewife

Enjoyed this book a lot. 5 stars.

Dinner with the Smileys: One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime

LOVED this book! 5 stars! I read it in a couple days and throughly enjoyed it. The family was amazing how they took the dad's deployment and turned it into something so positive for the children.

Excellent month of reading!

Gjscollins wrote: "Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World

Loved this book! 5 stars!!! It opened my eyes to raising young ..."

Sounds like must reading for parents of boys. I appreciate you sharing that title with us. :)

Gjscollins wrote: "Masterminds and Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World

Loved this book! 5 stars!!! It opened my eyes to raising young ..."

GJS, the title sounds good. Sometimes we enter parenthood thinking it should be second nature but it's not. I think books with such insights can enhance our relationships with kids, too. I read several as my son grew, from about age 9 onward. Each one helped me better understand what he was experiencing. I'm happy to learn this one did the same for you & your son.