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Post by FannyMare on Aug 14, 2018 18:17:28 GMT
Sharp Objects
It's full of tension, family secrets, maternal instinct gone wrong( very wrong) all this lurking under a genteel Southern veneer... Right from the get-go I was simultaneously compelled to read and afraid that something terrible would happen in the next chapter. Fantastically twisted!
I kept saying that I needed to stop reading this book, it's too dark, but I couldn't.
I know it's now a series on HBO, I'm just not sure I could watch it, (not yet.)
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Post by cablejockey on Aug 19, 2018 16:44:18 GMT
Almost finished reading a riveting action packed book called Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons. us.macmillan.com/books/9780312567071 Its a long book but once you are immersed into the story the pages fly by!
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Post by acookertv on Aug 24, 2018 2:15:33 GMT
Tonight I finished The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle. I chose this as a book of the month club selection, and honestly didn’t expect much more but fluff from it. But I loved it! It was a light read with a healthy does of depth. It’s the story of a woman who arrives at her birthday dinner to discover she’s dining with the five people on her “living or dead who would you want as your guests for dinner”. Her guests are her recently ex boyfriend who she thought was the love of her life, her best friend, a favorite college professor, her estranged dad and Audrey Hepburn. Every other chapter leaves the dinner and goes back in time to her relationship with the ex, as she’s trying to figure out what happened. The story examines the difference between love and romance, lost live and a lot more. I highly recommend!
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Post by Critical on Aug 24, 2018 10:20:12 GMT
I finished Carrie Fisher's final book and, although I enjoyed the insights into her time filming Star Wars, it was also just very sad. She talked several times about her death. Not as an impending event, but just like "Princess Leia's going to be on my tombstone" or "long after I'm gone..." Very poignant. Now I'm reading Sarah Millican's How to be Champion. She's one of my favorite stand-ups and this is kind of a memoir/book of essays with a little self-help thrown in. Like most of the celebrity non-fiction I've been reading, this one is fun and light and undemanding.
I'm also reading Flora Miller Biddle's The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made about the Whitney Museum and the four generations of women who helped build it. It's for my book club, which meets in two weeks. I may have to start doing what I call "book club math," which is when I divide the number of pages by how many days I have until the meeting! I hate that rush on the afternoon of the meeting where I have to skim the last 100 pages.
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Post by ibot2much on Aug 26, 2018 15:26:27 GMT
A nmuber of people said that they plowed their way through Grisham's newest book...something to do with a Rooster. It was hard going.
I was given a box of books and in it was his Camino Island which at first reading seemed like an entertaining tale. .....but what surprised me after I finished was the number of characters who were dead ends ( I always thatought that was a NO-NO).
If anybody has more insight than I do, please correct me, but I could not figure why he put her family coming to take over the cottage for two weeks, the young man she was eyeing on the beach who did not come by her a second time and why he had Elaine and somebody spend almost 3/4 of a million at the antique shop.
Thanks
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Post by cablejockey on Sept 3, 2018 3:13:23 GMT
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Post by acookertv on Sept 3, 2018 19:52:21 GMT
Yesterday I finished Diane Guerrero's memoir In The Country We Love. It was an eye opening look at one family's experience in the immigration debate. Well worth the read.
Now I"m starting The Outsider by Stephen King. Anytime he writes a book under 700 pages I have to jump at reading it because I LOVE the way he uses words.
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Post by photobabe on Sept 8, 2018 16:35:43 GMT
I just finished Finding Me by Michelle Knight. Michelle was one of the 3 women held captive in a house in Cleveland for many years. Her life, before her kidnapping, was pretty awful. Once captured it became a hellish nightmare. The book is very intense. Several times I had to walk away from it. But, Michelle is a remarkable woman and I'm glad I got to hear her story.
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Post by AZChristian on Sept 9, 2018 16:11:33 GMT
Haven't read it yet (because it hasn't been released), but Mike Rowe's ("Dirty Jobs" and announcer for "Deadliest Catch") mother has written a book about HER mother, called - "About My Mother." It won't be released until November, but it's already #1 on Barnes & Noble, and going strong.
Anyone who follows Mike on Facebook is familiar with Peggy Rowe and her gift of storytelling . . . I plan to be laughing out loud while reading her book.
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Post by photobabe on Sept 12, 2018 23:48:01 GMT
I just finished Captive by Catherine Oxenberg.
I have long been fascinated by cults and have read quite a few on the subject, going all the way back to when the Moonies were big. This one was a really good read. Unlike most cult books it wasn't written by a former member or by a journalist, but rather by a mother desperate to get her daughter out of Nexivm. The book starts out rather slowly, in fact, I almost stopped reading it after the first couple of chapters but I kept at it and I'm glad I did. The beginning of the book tells how Catherine and her daughter signed up for some courses together. As is typical in cults the beginning courses seemed mostly harmless and somewhat helpful. Eventually, Catherine found some things that she felt were a bit "off" and began distancing herself. India became more and more enthralled by it. Then Catherine began hearing some really bad things about it. She did research, talked to people, learned more and began a crusade to take it down and to get her daughter back. A good read! I can't wait for the trial to start!
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Post by Navybelle on Sept 13, 2018 3:48:08 GMT
I'm reading The Glass Ocean, which is another book that three authors collaborated on: Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams, and Karen White. (They've done this before, and really like writing together.)
I enjoyed many other books by White, and Williams -- especially when she ties together the past and present. This one involves the Lusitania for the storyline in the past, and the 2013 storyline is about some of the survivors' descendants exploring and discovering the connections. I'm about half way through, and I'm enjoying it. Hopefully the ending is just as good.
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Post by acookertv on Sept 13, 2018 9:24:59 GMT
This week I finished The Outsider by Stephen King and it was fantastic! Returned him to his roots in many ways. Next up for me is Beartown.
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Post by waywyrd on Sept 13, 2018 22:35:49 GMT
I loved The Outsider!Not so much one of my Prime freebies, Happy Doomsday by David Sosnowski. I almost bailed on it - which I very rarely do - but decided to keep on reading in hopes it would get better. It really hasn't.
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Post by Kao on Sept 25, 2018 19:29:53 GMT
I'm reading a rather fun book that's actually short stories of fantasy creatures in New York City. So far I've read one about a Pooka that's pretending to be a dog who arrives by boat during the turn of the century to NY with an Irishman (and the adventures they get up to in their first few days), and I've started another story about these spirit creatures in this man's dreams that suddenly become visable to him once he's awake. Since they can only understand human bodies by the materials we use the most, they are made entirely of metal. A lot of famous writers have contributed stories to the book, including GRRM and Holly Black.
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Post by Gutmutter on Sept 30, 2018 23:17:01 GMT
My son in California and I have started back on our long distance book discussion with The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling).
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Post by Arielflies on Oct 1, 2018 5:38:12 GMT
Well, Dan Brown's Origin came down in price to my level (2.99). I bought it and have started it. I've discovered my eyes tire much faster than they used to, so I can only read so long before I have to close them and then I fall asleep. I'm up to chapter 4.
I keep loading the free books - mostly fantasy and mostly reflecting the price - but I figure if it gets to the point where I have to rely on my Kindle Fire for entertainment, I'll have a stockpile.
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Post by springmaiden27 on Oct 1, 2018 20:37:17 GMT
I'm reading a rather fun book that's actually short stories of fantasy creatures in New York City. So far I've read one about a Pooka that's pretending to be a dog who arrives by boat during the turn of the century to NY with an Irishman (and the adventures they get up to in their first few days), and I've started another story about these spirit creatures in this man's dreams that suddenly become visable to him once he's awake. Since they can only understand human bodies by the materials we use the most, they are made entirely of metal. A lot of famous writers have contributed stories to the book, including GRRM and Holly Black. Intriguing! What’s the book title?
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Post by Kao on Oct 2, 2018 14:13:43 GMT
I'm reading a rather fun book that's actually short stories of fantasy creatures in New York City. So far I've read one about a Pooka that's pretending to be a dog who arrives by boat during the turn of the century to NY with an Irishman (and the adventures they get up to in their first few days), and I've started another story about these spirit creatures in this man's dreams that suddenly become visable to him once he's awake. Since they can only understand human bodies by the materials we use the most, they are made entirely of metal. A lot of famous writers have contributed stories to the book, including GRRM and Holly Black. Intriguing! What’s the book title? It's called "New York Fantastic" and it's edited by Paula Guran. If you like fantasy and New York City it's a great collection of stories.
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Post by acookertv on Oct 8, 2018 16:10:17 GMT
Yesterday I finished All The Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood. I have so many complex thoughts about this book I can't get it out of my system. It's the story of Wavy - the daughter of a meth dealer and a meth addict who is growing up pretty much on her own until she meets Kellen. Kellen works for Wavy's dad, and when he sees the condtions that Wavy and her brother live in, he steps up to give them some level of normalcy in their lives.
On the plus side, it's fantastically written. The characters are written in a very vivid way and it makes them hard to shake. The author uses the technique of flipping narrators repeatedly (about 16 total) very effectively. It's needed because it deals with a touchy subject and flipping narrators helps to effectively explain things, but maintain a level of innocence where it's needed. But on the negative side, it's a love story between a minor and an adult man. When I first heard about the description, I had a very different impression of how the love story would play out than what actally happened. I won't say too much so I don't spoil it for anyone else. But if anyone else has read this and wants to discuss ... I'd love to via PM!
What kept me going with this book was that I love novels that build empathy for people who live lives that are quite different than my own, and this one really does help the reader to understand what life is like for a child neglected by drug abuse. In that respect, it's fantastic. But when I finished it I read some authors notes that suggest that wasn't the authors reason for writing it, and I can't shake that.
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Post by Critical on Oct 13, 2018 5:24:02 GMT
On Friday night, I got back from the booksellers' trade show I go to every year. I actually didn't get as many free books as I usually do - maybe 65 vs. upwards of 80-100 titles. Still a lot. We went to three different author events, as well as spending lots of time on the trade show floor talking to publishing reps and authors and book lovers. In other words, HEAVEN. Of course I'm coming into the busy season for my other business, so I don't have as much time to read. It's torture, because all I want to do is lay on the couch all day with a book and a cup of tea! Right now I've got two books going. On paper, I'm reading Tayari Jones' An American Marriage.
We heard the author speak last year and she blew the roof off the place. After she spoke, the head of our organization stood at the mic and said, "HOLY SH*T!" The book is just as powerful. Incredibly beautiful writing and achingly poignant.
On my Kindle, I'm reading The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. We heard her speak last week. It's a truly unique story. I've never read anything like it....and I read A LOT, so you know that's a pretty bold statement! I'd hoped to have it finished before we heard the author speak, but at least she didn't give away too much of the plot. I'm about half way through and hope to finish this weekend.
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Post by acookertv on Oct 13, 2018 11:52:16 GMT
I LOVED An American Marriage! Such a great novel. Hope you love it as much!
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Post by beerbelly on Oct 13, 2018 14:18:43 GMT
I love this thread!!!
I took a break from reading for school (since I have a cold) and continued reading 'The City of Bohane' by Kevin Barry.
From Amazon:
Forty or so years in the future. The once-great city of Bohane on the west coast of Ireland is on its knees, infested by vice and split along tribal lines. There are the posh parts of town, but it is in the slums and backstreets of Smoketown, the tower blocks of the North Rises, and the eerie bogs of the Big Nothin' that the city really lives. For years it has all been under the control of Logan Hartnett, the dapper godfather of the Hartnett Fancy gang. But there's trouble in the air. They say Hartnett's old nemesis is back in town; his trusted henchmen are getting ambitious; and his missus wants him to give it all up and go straight. Kevin Barry's City of Bohane combines Celtic myth and a Caribbean beat, fado and film, graphic-novel cool and all the ripe inheritance of Irish literature to create something hilarious, beautiful, and startlingly new.
It has a lot of slang in it - made up and not. It reminds me of when I first read 'A Clockwork Orange' because of this. Although it doesn't have a glossary like Orange did. It's so descriptive that it's like watching a movie. Sometimes the slang is distracting to the story - hence I wished it had a glossary but it is dense and rhythmic that I'd love to hear the characters speak so I can hear it.
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Post by Critical on Oct 15, 2018 5:13:45 GMT
I LOVED An American Marriage! Such a great novel. Hope you love it as much! I finished it yesterday. Just sublime writing. Such a simple story, but SO beautifully told. I'm in love with her writing.
I brought home so many books last year and just did not get through as many as I should have (or as many as I wanted to), so I took the last few days to read some of the shorter ones. We picked up a few children's and YA titles, so those were quick. Right now, I'm reading another short one, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Camille Laurens, about the subject of the Degas sculpture. I've read a novel about her, but this is non-fiction.
One of the YA titles (I think this one is technically considered a middle school title) I read was Jacqueline Woodson's Harbor Me and it was terrific.
It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat–by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for “A Room to Talk”), they discover it’s safe to talk about what’s bothering them–everything from Esteban’s father’s deportation and Haley’s father’s incarceration to Amari’s fears of racial profiling and Ashton’s adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives.
I'm also reading a book of poetry that serves also as a memoir - Write This Second by Kira Lynn Allen. She had quite a difficult and violent early life, so it's tough going. I'm reading a few pages at a time and taking breaks. She's very good, but it's deep stuff. I'm hopeful that her life becomes more uplifting. I met her and she seemed happy and healthy, so I hope that indicates that her life got MUCH better!
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Post by Bearcata on Oct 20, 2018 22:18:07 GMT
True Fiction by Lee Goldberg is a hoot.
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris of Sookie Stackhouse and True Blood fame. I liked it. It's a set up for a new series I was surprised at some of the negative reviews at Amazon, in regards "it's no Midnight, Texas". Wow, folks it's a new series in a new world. People criticize authors for writing the same stuff and then criticize them for the next book being the same as the last. The criticism almost ruined the book for me, so I guess I have to be careful when I read reviews.
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burntbrat
FORT Regular
Avoiding responsibility
Posts: 483
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Post by burntbrat on Oct 22, 2018 1:45:16 GMT
I'm currently reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for my book club, in honor of Halloween. I'm surprised by it. I did not expect Jane Austen type writing with this classic horror story. It's not really working for me but I guess we'll see how I feel at the end. Victor Frankenstein is a ridiculous, melodramatic fool at the moment. He probably frequently employed a fainting couch.
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Post by acookertv on Oct 22, 2018 18:19:18 GMT
Last night I finished The Woman in the Window. I'd been disappointed in several mystery thrillers recently that claimed to be as good as Girl on the Train or Gone Girl. This one was not identical to either of those, but I thought the way the plot laid out was done very very well from start to finish. I enjoyed it!
Next up for me is Them by Ben Sasse.
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Post by waywyrd on Oct 23, 2018 11:59:33 GMT
I'm about halfway through The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, I wanted to read it before watching the series. I'm enjoying the writing, even if the story makes me angry. Scary how a lot of things in the book don't seem that far-fetched....
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Post by photobabe on Nov 8, 2018 22:19:20 GMT
I just finished Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. Subtitled The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. This is neither an easy or a fun read but is a nonfiction account of a very sad part of American history. Much of the book takes place in Oklahoma in the early 1920's and tells how the, suddenly wealthy, Osage tribe was systematically murdered and the murders, (shootings, bombing, poison), covered up. And, how the federal government finally stepped in and sent in federal investigators, who managed to convict the ringleaders. Most of whom were "pillars of the community".The investigators were not called the FBI at that time and did not have powers of arrest and were not allowed to carry guns. The story is heartbreaking. The author did a fantastic job researching the book. It's a book that will not be forgotten by those who read it.
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Post by Navybelle on Nov 10, 2018 6:09:10 GMT
I'm in the middle of Beartown, by the author of A Man Called Ove (Fredrick Backman). At first, it was slow-going, hard to get into the hockey part of it, but wow, once it gets going, it's good.
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Post by acookertv on Nov 10, 2018 15:26:11 GMT
I'm in the middle of Beartown, by the author of A Man Called Ove (Fredrick Backman). At first, it was slow-going, hard to get into the hockey part of it, but wow, once it gets going, it's good. LOVED that book! So many profound observations about life! Keep enjoying it!
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