You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

19th Rainbow: 50 points

Yellow: Yellow cover: Setting: island Haiti and NYC

The Dew Breaker Edwidge Danticat

30 points for 19th book completed in task
2 points for 256 pages
2 points for # I in title and author's name

34 points for task
7473 points to date

Hi Connie. I was just looking through your books listed and noticed a lot of Ruth Rendell titles. Is she mostly mystery? On another note, with all of the books you read, do you remember them for very long?

Amy is always teasing me that I could just read the same books over and over, because I don't remember the stories behind the covers after a while. She pratically rolls on the floor laughing when she finds out I have purchased a new book and I find out I have already read it - just because they changed the cover. I remmember the stories, I just cannot connect the stories with the titles. :(

You are too funny, Cherie! They should not get so tricky on us and change the covers so drastically. lol

Ruth Rendell is the queen of murder mystery, but they aren't all gory...just who-done-it types. She is British, so all the books I have read have occurred in England. She also writes under the name Barbara Vine, but I haven't read any of those. I needed some red covers with an author with a surname beginning with R. I have liked all of her books I have read except the last one. The Crocodile Bird gets great reviews, but I was bored with it and had a dreadful time finishing it. When the mother got angry with a man in her life or felt cornered by him, she killed him. It was a really strange book.

My favorite mystery writer is P.D. James. I especially love her books with the character Adam Dagleish (sp). No contemporary authors can touch her work in my opinion.

And yes, I usually remember my books for along time unless they are frivolous books (like a beach read), which I sometimes read for a break between the meatier ones. Sometimes I forget a character's name and have to refresh my memory on a detail like that, but I remember the plot and character sketches. When I read, I live in the world with the characters, so I don't forget them very easily.

When I was teaching and my students gave book reports, they laughed and said they knew better than to try to give a report on a book they had not read because I could remember all the books once I had read them. They thought I had read every fiction book in the school library...I hadn't, but I was close. LOL

I do re-read books if it has been ten years or longer since I last read it. I find that around that long gives me enough time to forget enough of the plot to enjoy the book again.

You and Amy are so lucky to enjoy reading and talking about books together!
My mom is just too old to see well enough to read.

Judy, The Dew Breaker is a very good book, but the topic is heavy. The writing is excellent, and I felt that I learned something from reading the book. I definitely recommend it. I have not read the other books you mentioned. I may need to check them out. More for my tbr! Haha!

Violet: Violet cover: tbr

Wicked Lovely Melissa Marr

30 points for 21st book completed in task
3 points for 328 pages
10 points for purple flowers
5 points for war

48 points for task
7521 points to date

Blue: Blue cover: Physical book

The BFG Roald Dahl

30 points for 21st book completed in task
2 points for 208 pages

32 points for task
7553 points to date

Green: Green cover: nonfiction

Truth & Beauty: A Friendship Ann Patchett

30 points for 20th book completed in task
5 points for memoir
2 points for 257 pages

37 points for task
7590 points to date

Red: Red Cover: Author's Surname begins with R

Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal Ann Rule

30 points for 20th book completed in task
4 points for 426 pages
1 point for R in author's name

35 points for task
7625 points to date

Cherie wrote: "Hi Connie. I was just looking through your books listed and noticed a lot of Ruth Rendell titles. Is she mostly mystery? On another note, with all of the books you read, do you remember them f..."

I really only laugh when she not only buys a book that she has already read with a different cover....but when she still has the book in her house too!

LOL! Well, that just means she has an extra one to share with you! You may need to get her a book diary to list all her books in, so she can take it with her when she goes to the bookstore to avoid duplicates. lol

Just too many books! Too many covers!! ; )

Yes, but my tbr grows faster than I can read! I am like a kid in a candy store. lol
Thank goodness for libraries! : )

Green: Green Cover: Nonfiction

The Monster of Florence Douglas Preston

30 points for 21st book completed in task
5 points for memoir
3 points 315 pages

38 points for task
7663 points to date

Judy, I found it fascinating that the Italian legal system is so corrupt. I kept thinking of the Amanda Knox case while I was reading this book because if men with funds for the best legal access had difficulty with the law in Italy, what kind of chance did she have? It really made me stop and think about how fortunate we are in America with our legal system, even with all its problems that we complain about all the time.

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting: Island Scotland/ UK

My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots John Guy

30 points for 20th book completed in task
5 points for 574 pages
1 point for #I s in title and author's name

36 points for task
7699 points to date

20th Rainbow Completed: 50 points

7749 points to date

Indigo: Indigo Cover: Published 1938
Hercule Poirot's Christmas Agatha Christie

30 points for 26th book in task
10 points published 1938
3 points for 300 pages

43 points for task
7792 points to date

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting: Begins with I-Chicago, Illinois
A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry

30 points for 21st book completed in task
2 points for 160 pages
3 points for every I in title and author's name

35 points for task
7827 points to date

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting Island: NYC/ Dominican Republic
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Julia Alvarez

30 points for 22ndbook completed in task
4 points for every I in title and author's name
3 points for 304 pages

37 points for task
7864 points to date

Indigo: Indigo Cover: Published 1947

The Pearl John Steinbeck

30 points for 27th book completed in task
2 points for 97 pages
10 points published 1947

42 points for task
7906 points to date

Thank you, sweet, Judy! I am getting careless and appreciate your help! ; )

Hmmm - if you can read 20 rainbows, I'm wondering how many alphabets you're going to read.

A toast to you for reading all those rainbows Connie!

Thank you, sweet Amy! I love my "toast"! lol

Janice, I only hope I can live up to your expectations. I am doing a challenge in another group, so I may not be able to read as many alphabets; however, I shall do my best. Maybe they will overlap some, which would be great. ; )

Anyway, it is time to give someone else a chance to charge ahead. lol

21st Rainbow: 50 points

Red: Red Cover: Author's Surname begins with R
The Tree of Hands Ruth Rendell

30 points for 21st book completed in task
3 points for 320 pages
3 points for each R in title and author's name

36 points for task
7992 points to date

Violet: Violet Cover: tbr list
Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë

30 points for 22nd book completed in task
4 points for 464 pages

34 points for task
8026 points to date

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting Italy
Angels & Demons Dan Brown

30 points for 22nd book completed in task
5 points for 713 pages

35 points for task
8061 points to date

OMG, Connie. You are a reading fiend!

LOL! Just trying to finish my last rainbow. ; )

Red: Red Cover: Author's Surname begins with R

The Swimming Pool Mary Roberts Rinehart

30 points for 22nd book completed in task
3 points for 332 pages
4 points for each R in title and author's name

37 points for task
8098 points to date

Blue: Blue Cover: Physical Book

Shadow Tag Louise Erdrich

30 points for 22nd book completed in task
5 points for betrayal
2 points for 272 pages

37 points for task
8105 points to date

Yes, Judy, I do love her writing. She has written two of my favorite books A Plague of Doves and The Master Butchers Singing Club. Her book doesn't always have a happy ending but an appropriate one because she writes about the lives of families and generations, so there are many sad moments as well as many gloriously happy events. I like the way she makes me feel like I have known Herr characters from elementary school, or that I know them from the local church, grocery store, or dry cleaners. It is usually so easy for me to connect to her characters and lose myself in her world; however, this last book was a disappointment for me. It could have been me, but I think that sometimes publishers push successful authors to produce books at faster rates than they are really ready to bring new books out. If an author brings a book out every year or two years, does she really have time to ferment the ideas and let them develop like they should? Everyone is always in such a rush for the next big thing, and no one wants to wait.
But I do recommend her earlier work.
I have not seen her memoir. What is the title? I think that will be interesting. I am sure you know she is Native American and writes about the Native American experience. She was married to an author (Michael Dorris, I think) who committed suicide, if I have my facts straight. I read one of his books ages ago.

Have you read Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose? That is one of my very favorite books.
Chang Rae- Lee is an awesome author, too. The Surrendered is one of my favorite books. I might have to re-read that one. : )

Wow! Go girls! Discuss away. :)

Jump in anytime, Janice! lol

a) Wallace Stegner:

Crossing to Safety is a book that I really enjoyed.
All the Little Live Things is another wonderful Stegner book.

@ Janice, I think Stegner sets one or two of his books in Canada. I must investigate. (for the Across Canada challenge! hmmm)


b) A Yellow Raft in Blue Water is the book I read years ago. It is the only book by Dorris that I have read. (It would have been a good rainbow book. hehe) I do not remember really caring for the book, but I read it so long ago that I might not have been ready for the book at that point in my life.

c) I am so glad you are going to try

The Surrendered . The author is from South Korea and based the book on his father's memories of escaping North Korea during the revolution. Chang Rae-Lee said that his father never mentioned what happened during his escape during all the years Chang Rae-Lee was growing up. When he wanted to write the book, he talked to his dad and found out that his dad's younger brother was killed when he fell off the train and was crushed by the train on the way to South Korea.

c) I, too, am always looking for new authors. It is difficult to find someone who writes with depth, brilliance, and tenderness. You always know it when you find it.

Connie wrote: "@ Janice, I think Stegner sets one or two of his books in Canada. I must investigate. (for the Across Canada challenge! hmmm)
.."

The Big Rock Candy Mountain is set in Saskatchewan in part. I didn't find as many Saskatchewan reads as other provinces.

You can look at my possible cross canada shelf for ideas. I have the provinces and territories in private note, so if you are unsure where they are set, let me know.

Can anyone keep up with you, Connie? You are such a bionic reader, and reading your profile its sounds like you don't spend all day lying in bed reading, either!

Great Scott! You've read 723 books since you joined in April. How did you do that? Amazing!

Judy, I read Cloud Chamber: A Novel by Dorris, but it was so long ago I really don't remember the book. I took it down from the bookshelf last night for a reread after Christmas.

@Debra: You are no slouch either!

@Janice: You are so right about The Big Rock Candy Mountain. I will look at your cross Canada shelf for ideas and let you know if I get stuck. Thank you for the help. : )

22nd Rainbow: 50 points

Green:Green Cover: Nonfiction

Gorillas in the Mist Dian Fossey

30 points for 22nd book completed in task
10 points environment
5 points memoir
3 points for 326 pages

48 points for task
8203 points to date

Green: Green Cover: Nonfiction
Living Downstream: An Environmentalist's Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment Sandra Steingraber

30 points for 23rd book completed in task
10 points environment
5 points for memoir
4 points for 414 pages

49 points for task
8252 points to date

Red: Red Cover: Author's Surname begins with R

The Flood Ian Rankin

30 points for 23rd book completed in task
2 points for 256 pages
1 point for R in author's last name

33 points for task
8285 points to date

Blue: Blue Cover: Physical book

She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems Caroline Kennedy

30 points for 23rd book in task
3 for 352 pages

33 points for task
8318 points to date

It just staggers me to see how many books some Goodreaders can get through in a year. I bow down to all of you heavy hitters.

Judy wrote: "Judy, I read Cloud Chamber: A Novel by Dorris, but it was so long ago I really don't remember the book. I took it down from the bookshelf last night for a reread after Christmas.

I didn't see a ra..."

I read it ages ago before I joined Goodreads. I really did not care for it and had to force myself to finish it. For some reason, he just was not an author who worked for me. I thought I might try to read it again and see if I have grown into him. I have read two of his books, but I did not like either one; however, it was in the 1990s if I remember correctly.
When I found out that Louise Erdrich was married to him, I was astounded because I love her work. It amazed me that I could love her work and dislike his. I would probably have rated his books 2 stars because they were well-written. I just could not get into them.

The poetry is the main thing I enjoyed in She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems. I love having a book of poetry by my bed to pick up and read before going to sleep, and I am currently rereading some of the poems in this book each night. I do like the selection of poems and the way the poems are divided into sections in the book. I agree with you that Caroline Kennedy's narration is the weakest part of the book.

Roz wrote: "It just staggers me to see how many books some Goodreaders can get through in a year. I bow down to all of you heavy hitters."

But you have a full-time job, don't you, Roz? That does make a difference. ; )
All things are not equal on Goodreads! lol

Working definitely cuts into my reading time. Then when I try to make up for it in the evening, I fall asleeep. Can't win. :(

@Roz: I do understand. I remember exactly how I felt when I was working and wanted to stay awake to read and could not keep my eyes open one more minute!

@Judy: I did not know about the Geraldine Brooks/Tony Horwitz connection! I agree about that mystery! Isn't that strange?

Violet: Violet Cover: tbr list

Violets Biru - Violets Are Blue James Patterson

30 points for 23rd book completed in task
4 points for 424 pages
5 points for cover/title requirement

39 points for task
8357 points to date

23rd Rainbow: 50 points

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting Italy

The Enchantress Of Florence Salman Rushdie

30 points for 23rd book completed in task
3 points for 359 pages
1 point for each I in author's name

34 points for task
8441 points to date

Yellow: Yellow Cover: Setting England

The Bolter Frances Osborne

30 points for 24th book completed in task
3 points for 320 pages

33 points for task
8474 points to date

23 rainbows. Wow! You rock, Connie!

Green: Green Cover: Nonfiction
West with the Night Beryl Markham

30 points for 24th book completed in task
2 points for 293 pages
5 points memoir

37 points for task
8511 points to date