Challenge: 50 Books discussion

Well, we did have our say on over-hyped books last week, so this week how about we reveal the books we thought should have had the site abuzz, but just seemed to make a blip? That is, which books were worthy of lots of praise and attention but didn't seem to get their fair share?

I have book that I absolutely love and I re-read it time and again: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. It is a story of friendship and love. Of the art of the writing and the desire to write. The need for connections and recognition and contact. Stegner is one of the greatest writers I have ever encountered.

Paula wrote: "I have book that I absolutely love and I re-read it time and again: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. It is a story of friendship and love. Of the art of the writing and the desire to wri..."

Wow! That sure sounds like a glowing recommendation. I'm going to nominate The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I wouldn't call it unheard of on Goodreads, but it's a wonderfully sweet and clever mystery that I think would have very broad appeal.

"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson. It's one of my all time favorite reads, but not so much for other people. Generation gap, cultural differences, love, loneliness, grief. Really it had it all and was beautifully written, too.

Burden of Desire I don't know whether it was the title or the fact it was written by the MacNeal of PBS's the MacNeal Lehrer Newshour, but this book definitely did not get a lot of attention - and it should have. I read it about 10 years ago and just loved it. It's based in Halifax Nova Scota during WWI. A munitions ship in the port explodes causing enormous damage. A young war widow donates some clothing to those left homeless, unwittingly also donating her diary which she had hidden in a pocket. Reading that now, it doesn't sound like much, but the story was captivating. It includes the life of a minister who finds the diary, a psychiatrist treating the shell-shocked soldiers returning from Europe and life in a very different time.
My other favorite hidden gem in The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell. It's an absolutely brilliant story about an American girl born in Shanghai during the 20s who spends her life trying to accept the fact that her father puts his love of China above everything else.

I loved
but it doesn't get much hype.

Chris wrote: "Burden of Desire I don't know whether it was the title or the fact it was written by the MacNeal of PBS's the MacNeal Lehrer Newshour, but this book definitely did not get a lot of at..."

I remember "Burden of Desire" and reading it. I loved the book and couldn't put it down. I haven't thought about it until you mentioned it.

Thought of another one: "Bad Things Happen" by Harry Dolan. I got a prepublication copy last year from Goodreads & thought it was the best mystery I'd read in a long while. Saw it on the racks at the bookstore, but didn't notice anyone in the challenge had picked it up.

Faye wrote: " I'm going to nominate The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I wouldn't call it unheard of on Goodreads, but it's a wonderfully sweet and clever mystery that I think would have very broad appeal..."

I have loved all three of the books in this series so far. Alan Bradley is a great author and Flavia is a fabulous main character. I can't wait for the next book in this series that comes out in November!

Paula wrote: "Chris wrote: "Burden of Desire I don't know whether it was the title or the fact it was written by the MacNeal of PBS's the MacNeal Lehrer Newshour, but this book definitely did not g..."

I'm so glad to have found someone else who read it!

I have 2 I really love that a lot of my fellow bookworm friends weren't familiar with. The first is one of my favorite character-driven quiet novels, When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler. The other is from the mystery genre, which I don't normally go for, The Shape of Snakes by Minnette Walters.

Chris wrote: "Paula wrote: "Chris wrote: "Burden of Desire I don't know whether it was the title or the fact it was written by the MacNeal of PBS's the MacNeal Lehrer Newshour, but this book defini..."

I am going to the library today to try to find it and re-read for the summer!

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. I RECOMMEND IT TO THE GROUP.
IT TRUELY IS A "HIDDEN GEM."

I'd say anything by Joe Hill. People talk about it, but not as much as I think. This one is my particular favorite:


This book is so good just thinking about it makes me want to go read it again and again.

PINK BOOTS AND A MACHETE BY MIREYA MAYOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUCH A GEM! SO inspirational! Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey From NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic ExplorerMireya Mayor

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The camerons by Robert Crichton is an amazing story but I've never talked to anyone who'd heard of it or read it, outside of my family. Its about a coal mining family and their struggles but it really is a fantastic read, I think they made a poor quality movie about it.