Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for October 2021 were.

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

Not the greatest overall, perhaps, but cleared some off my TBR pile:

Kiss Myself Goodbye: The Many Lives of Aunt Munca ⭐⭐⭐⭐


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone ⭐⭐⭐⭐



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



In Search of King Solomon's Mines ⭐⭐⭐



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy ⭐⭐⭐



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal's Journey from Down Under to All Over ⭐⭐⭐



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

An interesting assortment of books, John. I enjoyed each of your reviews.

Petra wrote: "An interesting assortment of books, John. I enjoyed each of your reviews."

Thank you! I write them as much for myself to recall the books, otherwise soon I'd know nothing - including that I'd ever read it in some cases. I do admit to putting together my monthly TBR with folks here in mind.

John wrote: "Thank you! I write them as much for myself to recall the books, otherwise soon I'd know nothing - including that I'd ever read it in some cases. I do admit to putting together my monthly TBR with folks here in mind..."

I consider you smart and well read. So if someone like you has this issue, I feel maybe it's not too bad that I sometimes look at my books read journal, which I've had since 1999, and have zero recall of some of the titles.

Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "Thank you! I write them as much for myself to recall the books, otherwise soon I'd know nothing - including that I'd ever read it in some cases. I do admit to putting together my month..."

Thanks for the kind words! Not often, but I have purchased or gotten books out of the library not realizing I had read them already. Also, I've gotten notifications that a person has liked my review of a book, where the title has meant absolutely nothing to me whatsoever.

John wrote: "Not the greatest overall, perhaps, but cleared some off my TBR pile:

Congratulations on whittling your TBR stack down, John.

It was a nice eclectic selection. I appreciated your honest reviews.

John regarding Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy two quick questions.

Since this took place in 1914, is WWI mentioned ?

Is the Giro still raced in Italy ?

You may like to read Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks

and

An Italian Education by Tim Parks

I enjoyed these two by this author, a few others I read by him not so much.

Alias Reader wrote: "John regarding Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy two quick questions.

Since this took place in 1914, is WWI mentioned ?

Is the Giro still raced in Italy ?

Yo..."

I'm well aware of Tim Parks - good stuff!

Yes, World War I is brought up in terms of the fates of the race competitors. I don't believe the Giro is run these days.

Thanks for the quick reply, John. It sounded like it was a grueling race. The synopsis noted that "Of the 81 who rolled out of Milan, only eight made it back."

On a lighter note, have you seen the 1979 movie Breaking Away? I haven't' seen it in years but it's funny.

Here is the movie trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1jzs...

No, I haven't seen it. I only saw Ordinary People and Valley of the Dolls this year! (ha ha)

My November reads- I continued to explore some Asian authors this month.


The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
Fiction
Rate: 3/5
This was a good captivating psychological thriller. I can see the slight comparison to King's Misery.
The novel is very dark and towards the end it became a page turner for me. It also made me a bit anxious reading about the main characters loss of control.

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa
Fiction
Rate 5/5
The book is under 200 pages. It takes place in Japan. I don't want to say too much and spoil it for you. It's about loneliness, prejudice, friendship and more. I gave it my top rating.


Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
Fiction
Rate: 2/5
It about two teens who are mercilessly bullied. The two teens take solace in each other. The parts where the bulling takes place were hard to read. So if that is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this short novel.
I decided on a 2/5 rating. Mainly because the ending left me a bit confused as I wasn't totally sure what the author ultimate message was.

The Sacrifice of Tamar by Naomi Ragen
Fiction
Rate 4 minus / 5

I've read and enjoyed this authors books. Ragen was on my 2021 Determination List.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

It's the story of three Hasidic women and how their lives are shaped by their religion. I found it a compelling read.

The book explores many themes including intolerance, love and racism. It would be a good discussion novel for a book club. I think the story is thought provoking even though it is a bit too predictable. It also would have benefited from being edited down a bit. It's close to 450 pages.

I didn't realize this was based on a true story until I listened to an author interview.

Territory of Light- Yūko Tsushima
Fiction
Rate 2 minus /5
This sparse story is about an unnamed Japanese women who has a three year old child and is in the process of divorcing her husband.

The book has 12 chapters that cover the course of the year. It was originally published in instalments for a magazine. Perhaps this story would have been better suited to that format as the book seemed a bit disjointed.

The protagonist, the mother, I thought was an unfit and abusive mother. So even though she was in a difficult position, I found it hard to feel any sympathy towards her.

Additionally, there one too many dream sequences. Honestly, I didn't get their point.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Rate 2/5
It's about a dysfunctional family and also a mystery as the mom goes missing. Though the missing mom isn't really the main focus of the novel.

The author's point was that parents have a big impact on their kids development and personality. Therefore the title. Unfortunately, the author belabored this point ad nauseum with every single character.

I really liked Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies. Unfortunately I was very disappointed in Nine Perfect Strangers.
After these two back to back fails, I am going to have to bench this author.

The book is just under 500 pages. Honestly, it should have been maybe 325 tops. Also the ending is silly and contrived. The reader deserves better after slogging through this tome.

Great reviews, Alias, even if the books themselves were occasionally disappointing.

Thank you, John. :)

Wow - a lot of books! I realize they are mostly graphic and YA, but still... I hear you regarding insomnia, which is how I have gone through a lot of audio books, including many re-reads.

Annie, that's an impressive list of reading!
I highly, highly, highly recommend The Lord of the Rings. It's superb. I enjoyed it a lot more than The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, which was good in it's own right.

Annie wrote:
-- but I did experiment with kinds of books I don't really read often.
--- I was sick with insomnia too,
--- Crime and Punishment: Classic World Literature, 4 stars. This book was all weird but I enjoyed it anyway. The MC was unlike anyone else I read.


Well done reading outside of your comfort zone !

Sorry to hear about the insomnia. :(

I read Crime and Punishment a long time ago. I read it with Cliffs notes to help guide me. I have to say, without the notes, I would have missed a lot. It really added to my reading experience.

When reading a classic I often read with online notes or get a Norton Critical edition if one is available.
https://wwnorton.com/catalog/college/...

Congrats on a nice reading month, Annie !

Your reading was really great!
I can´t say anything to Lord of the rings-books, but I have read the hobbit, and that was a nice read.

For me, this reading month wasn´t that good as I had to study. I could add 3 specialised books, but probably they don´t count for leisure reading.
So, my books were

When We Cease to Understand the World.
It´s a book about some scientists and how they did their famous discoveries (e.g. Fritz Haber, Grotendieck, Bragg). It described the scientists as how they were and where they had problems, esp. as some had psychological issues.
4/5

Archangel's Sun
An urban fantasy book. It was a nice read, but nothing really special, rather a normal fantasy plot.
3/5

Florian wrote: "Your reading was really great!
I can´t say anything to Lord of the rings-books, but I have read the hobbit, and that was a nice read.

For me, this reading month wasn´t that good as I had to study...."

That you can fit in leisure reading at all while studying is amazing.

Annie wrote: "thanks! yeah I saw many got confused from that book, mainly the Russian names who were similar and remembering who was who.."

If I recall correctly, there were also a lot of references to various philosophical schools of thought that would have sailed right over my head if I didn't have the Cliffs notes.

John, your book reviews were a pleasure to read. I particularly appreciate your warning about varying mileage. In many ways this could be true of all books but i know exactly what you mean. Sometimes a reader can see why a book is popular even when it doesn't call to us. That sort of note is welcome.

It's disappointing to read about Tahir Shah book because it sounded quite promising. However, i have a low threshold of pain when it comes to descriptions of drunk driving. The only intriguing note when author's share such bits is to wonder why s/he thought readers would enjoy it, rather than fuller descriptions of the topic itself. Go figure.

The Aunt Munca book sounds as though i'd like it but your warning, as well as other GR reader comments have turned me away. Most likely it's the use of a Beatrix Potter character's name that really calls me to the book. :-)

As you note, the satisfaction of chopping away at your TBR pile is pleasure enough for words endured, so to speak.

The movie exchange between you & Alias was neat to read. There was a joy in Breaking Away which was fun to watch but Ordinary People, painful as it was, stands out in my mind to this day.

Alias, it looks as though November was an accomplished reading month, even if less rewarding than usual. I found your comments on the Yūko Tsushima book interesting. Covering the story over a year's time sounds like a good idea, particularly to shed light on the process of divorce and child rearing. Actually reading it over the space of a year may well have been the way to go in this case.

I'm pleased to see that we both felt about the same on the two books we read "together", that is within weeks of one another. You liked the Hole better than i did but i found the process thoughtful. Sweet Bean Paste still evokes a smile when i think of the characters, which is always a good thing.

I'm glad you shared here. I hope December brings you rewarding reading!

Annie, what a terrific month of reading you had in November. I'm glad you shared with us. I'd be interested in buying the book about Maria Mitchell to donate to libraries. She is just the sort of determined person children would enjoy reading about--and what a story.

It's a pleasure to read about the variety of genres you experienced in November. It keeps a person sharp, i think. Thanks for sharing the titles and comments with us.

Florian, like you, i read the Benjamín Labatut novel about scientists and their understanding of theories. It was important for me to keep reminding myself that it was fiction, as i often found myself asking, "How does he know that?" LOL! But i liked learning about these men and their lives, not to mention the way one idea flowed into another.

I see the Nalini Singh novel was the 13th in a series. Have you read all of them or was this a one-off for you? It sounds interesting but i always wonder about dropping into a well established series such as this.

Thanks for sharing your opinions on these with us. Enjoy December reading!

I read six books in November, all fiction. This is unusual for me but i was satisfied, so there's that!

Steve Burrows has written a mystery series about a Canadian police officer now living in northern England. As he is a birdwatcher, this suits him just fine. It's fun to see how he ties bird watching into the stories. And i like the use of the collective nouns in the titles, in this case, A Cast of Falcons.

Sweet Bean Paste--Durian Sukegawa is one Alias mentioned on our boards, which really called to me. I liked reading about the three characters as their stories unfolded. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a sequel. What does surprise me is that i would read it, as i really want to know where they go from the ending.

The Geometry of Holding Hands--Alexander McCall Smith confirmed for me that Smith just isn't my cuppa. I keep trying him because i like the topics/ideas but his writing seems to set my teeth on edge. In this case the book, whose title called to me, was well into a series about a youngish married couple in Scotland, which didn't help.

The Man Who Died Twice--Richard Osman. This is the second book in a series about older people living in a retirement community in the UK. While it sometimes seems editing would be beneficial, i continue to like reading about the characters. As one was once a spy, her resources help the group solve local mysteries.

When We Cease to Understand the World--Benjamín Labatut. As i mentioned in my above post replying to Florian about this book, it was informative but fiction, which it pays to keep in mind. However, reading about the development, frustration and near insanity of developing scientific theories was fascinating.

Sisters in Arms--Kaia Alderson is an historical novel about some of the first African American women to enter the US's Women Army Corps during WWII. I'd previously read about this battalion and was glad to have their stories fleshed out a bit. The story included the discrimination they faced within the Army, as well as in the outside world. I liked this one very much.

@madrano: Yes, but I only read in the end of the book that it was part fiction. That was a bit pity as while reading I really believed it was true.
And it was my second book of the series. Last year I've read #12 and now #13. But I think it's a series where you can also start well without knowing the previous books, at least I had no problems with understanding the story.

But your list is also nice.

madrano wrote: "I read six books in November, all fiction. This is unusual for me but i was satisfied, so there's that!

Steve Burrows has written a mystery series about a Canadian police officer ..."

I read the first book in that Alexander McCall Smith series, disliking it a lot; I remain a fan of the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The Steve Burrows title sounds interesting. Thanks for the update on your month!

As always, it's my pleasure to share about books i've read each month. The reward is reading about what others have enjoyed...or not, as the case may be.

Florian, thanks for answering my question about the series.

John, it's been a challenge to find many of the Burrows titles free online. However, i recently learned it's being made into a series (Canadian tv, i think), so maybe they'll re-release them.

madrano wrote: "I read six books in November, all fiction. This is unusual for me but i was satisfied, so there's that!..."

Excellent month, Deb. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading your capsule reviews.

I had 13 four and five star reviews for November. I had longer books to read too which cut down on the amount of books read. Two books were over 500 pages and then I read an omnibus (a set of three books) with pages totaling 973.

We Are Many: The Fading Light Book 3 by Alan Aspinall - 5 stars. This is the third book in a ghost series. The author debuted with his first book late last year. Not sure yet how many books will be in the series but I am liking all of them so far.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Forest of the Damned by Lee Mountford - 5 stars. This is one of my main horror authors as I have read almost all of his books. I have one more to go and then I will be caught up. This is a spooky and haunting tale that takes place on a camping trip. After reading this book, you might not want to go camping. lol
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finders Keepers by Stephen King - 5 stars.
This is the sequel to King's book Mr. Mercedes - this was an excellent book and involves some different characters with bringing back some from the first book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Midnight in the Pentagram by Kenneth W. Cain - 5 stars. This is an horror anthology that had 30 short stories within the book. Some authors I had read before and some were new to me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Swamp Monster Massacre by Hunter Shea - 5 stars. I love this horror author as he always writes great with writing about creatures.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Infinite by Duncan Ralston - 5 stars. This book is the last one in a ghost trilogy that the author wrote. To understand the book people would need to read the first one as it is a big world with lots of moving parts within the series.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Voyage to Hell by Matt Shaw - 4 stars. This book is an extreme horror book about a cruise ship full of passengers that end up getting sick and dying, except for one survivor.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hell's Reveal by Matt Shaw - 4 stars. The sequel to the Voyage to Hell book - within this story you learn a little more about the survivor from the previous book and why that person didn't get sick. But then you also learn what was really behind the people becoming sick in the first book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

J.A. Konrath Horror Trilogy - Three Thriller Novels by Jack Kilborn - 5 stars. Now the author is one and the same as the book has it listed as J.A. Konrath in the title and Jack Kilborn as the author - they are the same person. Jack Kilborn writes under his real name for horror and normally writes under his pen name of J.A. Konrath for crime fiction. This book was the one that had 973 pages - three books in an omnibus - but none of the books are connected to each other meaning three different stories within one omnibus. Lots of action, blood, and gore within this book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shadow Born by Alex Gates - 4 stars. This was a good book - something different. Normally this author writes horror, but he stepped out into urban fantasy which was really a switch up. The action was good, but I wasn't crazy about the main character - he was a whiner.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Desert Places by Blake Crouch - 5 stars. This was a great book and it is the beginning of a trilogy. I am planning on reading the second book this month so I don't lose momentum in the storyline. The story revolves around an author that discovers he has a dead body on his property that was planted there by someone that is ticked off at him and if he goes to the police then the "someone" will make it look like he committed the murder. The book is kind of a mystery but horror too - there is quite a bit of horror elements within the story.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shaken by J.A. Konrath - 4 stars. This is the author that writes the crime thrillers that also wrote that omnibus book I added on here under J.A. Konrath. These crime thrillers are really good and he has quite a few in the series. This one was #7 and I think there are 15 in the series total so far. All the books revolve around a homicide lieutenant and her partner, and her friends that help her out with solving crimes.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So that wraps up my November.

December will be probably be a low amount of books as I am reading right now two omnibus book sets. One is a urban fantasy/dark fantasy set with three books and the other one is a mystery/ghost set with three books. I am only on the second book in each omnibus and for some reason it is a slow read for me. lol :)

My November reads
The Woods by Harlan Coben
Rating 4/5
This was a palate cleanser for me It was an interesting mystery, Because Coban lives in my neck of the woods and he sets his stories in towns I know his books are always fun for me
State of Terror by[[author:Hillary Rodham Clinton|2778471]] and Louise Penny
Rating 4/5
A fun read with Clinton's knowledge of state department and Penny's development of characters
The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis
Rating 3/5
This was a book using residents of the Chelsea to tell the story of the communist scare in the 1950s
Remembering Perry Mason with Raymond Burr byBrian McFadden
Rating 3/5
This was short book by an entertainment reporter who grew up watching Perry Mason show as a child. He got to discuss the show with Raymond Burr

Marie wrote: "I had 13 four and five star reviews for November. I had longer books to read too which cut down on the amount of books read. Two books were over 500 pages and then I read an omnibus (a set of three..."

Wow ! I don't know how you read so many books. I also don't know how you sleep at night with all the horror books.

I haven't read Stephen King in sometime. However, when I do read him, it can't be before bed or even when it's dark outside. I scare myself ! I know. I'm such a baby. LOL

Alias Reader wrote: "I haven't read Stephen King in sometime. However, when I do read him, it can't be before bed or even when it's dark outside. I scare myself ! I know. I'm such a baby. LOL..."

Well I will tell you this Alias - the crime book thrillers he writes really have no "horror" in them. They are mostly just regular thrillers without all the spooky stuff that King is known for. I think you would be able to sleep like a baby after reading them. Maybe.....lol. :)

Marie, you've expanded your star system gloriously--"Serial Killer Shake 'n' Bake" stands out best! You must have fun creating them.

Your month was full of Konrath, so it's clear you are a fan of his writing, not just one kind or another. That's always neat. Your commitment to reading trilogies is to be commended, as i usually peter out. Again, it's the call of a good author. I like that you reviewed each as alone, too.

I'm glad you shared here, Marie.

Meredith, i find a special pleasure in reading books set in places i know, too. There's something about that recognition that adds to the reading.

I'm glad to hear the Clinton-Penny book is rewarding. I wondered about that one.

But it's the final book on the list that calls to me. While recuperating from surgery late last month i indulged in episodes of Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason" programs. The McFadden book sounds like a good way to end this period. Or i may follow your earlier example and actually read some of the books, of all things! Thanks.

Meredith wrote: "State of Terror by[[author:Hillary Rodham Clinton|2778471]] and Louise Penny
Rating 4/5
A fun read with Clinton's knowledge of state department and Penny's development of characters.."

I have this on hold at the library. However, every time my turn comes up I delay it due to the 500 page size. So I am happy to see you think it worthwhile. Thanks !

I smile in recognition of your "delay" tactics, Alias. :-)

madrano wrote: "Marie, you've expanded your star system gloriously--"Serial Killer Shake 'n' Bake" stands out best! You must have fun creating them.

Your month was full of Konrath, so it's clear you are a fan of ..."

Thank you so much, Madrano! I try to create a star rating that has something to either do with the story or the title of the book. Sometimes it is hard to come up with stuff as I have to sit here and think. lol

Yes - I am loving the crime thrillers by Konrath and it seems I will be reading him for a long time now as he just started another crime thriller series that I need to step into after this one I am reading.

You will be interested to know though as you were speaking of trilogies - I am actually reading two more omnibus sets this month at the same time. lol So next month will be interesting when I put my reviews up over here for you all. :)

You are welcome for the share - I love coming over here to this group and putting up the books I read. I have been trying to make it a habit at the end of each month to pop over here. :)

Always a pleasure, Marie. How you can read two omnibus series and not become confused is remarkable. I'm not sure i was ever able to do that. Well done!

madrano wrote: "Always a pleasure, Marie. How you can read two omnibus series and not become confused is remarkable. I'm not sure i was ever able to do that. Well done!"

Thank you, Madrano! :)

By the way - I somehow missed leaving off two links for my reviews on both Matt Shaw books - I just now fixed that. I must have been rudely interrupted here at home (LOL) to screw that up! :)

I meant to ask about that but forgot. Thanks, Marie.

Wow, Marie, "Ghastly Government" is a perfect description. Chilling.