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Post by ibot2much on Aug 24, 2021 22:06:57 GMT
I just finished HAMNET...the story of Shakespeare and his family. One of the most memorable books I have read in a very long time.
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Post by Kao on Oct 9, 2021 5:45:55 GMT
"The Travelling Cat Chronicles" tells the story about a cat moving great distances with his owner in a tale of love told from the viewpoint of the cat most of the time. It's really cute.
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Post by Critical on Jan 4, 2022 22:01:38 GMT
I just finished HAMNET...the story of Shakespeare and his family. One of the most memorable books I have read in a very long time. I LOVED Hamnet! I'm such a Shakespeare nerd, but I didn't know much about his family life beyond the basics.
For whatever reason, I've been reading a lot of non-fiction and memoirs, probably because they're less demanding, especially the memoirs.
I just finished Anderson Cooper's Vanderbilt and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. That family history is so rich and interesting - and i heard him on Armchair Expert last month talking about it - but he spent too much time on things that I thought were a) less interesting or b) not about the actual family. For instance, there was almost an entire chapter about one of the Vanderbilts racing in the America's Cup race. Fine, he was in the AC, but I didn't need a blow-by-blow of every single race. It was tedious. Then, there was another chapter that focused largely on Truman Capote and the impact of his released chapters of Unanswered Prayers on NY society, including Gloria Vanderbilt. I LOOOVE Truman Capote's writing. I've read several books about him. I didn't really need to read about him in a book about the Vanderbilts. It was MANY pages just about him. I enjoyed a lot of the book, but it felt like AC and his co-writer were padding the book. It was only about 300 pages too, not including bibliographies, afterword, photos, etc. There are obviously many books about the Vanderbilt family, so maybe I should read one of those!
I'm about to dive back into Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow, which I started a few months ago, but didn't finish. When I'm super busy with my business, I think I find it hard to focus on fiction.
I didn't make my Goodreads reading goal for 2021, so I'm determined to make this years goal!
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Post by beerbelly on Jan 4, 2022 22:53:56 GMT
This reminds me of one of my favorite books that I read this past year, Genius In Disguise, about Harold Ross, the editor of the New Yorker (highly recommend!). I didn't realize that Truman Capote was an intern at the New Yorker. He was fired because he and was at a conference where Robert Frost read and Capote really was very vocal about his critique of Frost's work. Love it. (I have never been a fan of Robert Frost so it just made me so happy).
I heard Cooper's interview on the book and it turned me off of his book. It seemed like a great opportunity to navel-gaze and I also didn't like how he was so adamant about saying that he wasn't as rich as everyone thought he was. I mean, fine, but you sure didn't grow up in public housing.
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Post by Critical on Jan 5, 2022 2:19:31 GMT
This reminds me of one of my favorite books that I read this past year, Genius In Disguise, about Harold Ross, the editor of the New Yorker (highly recommend!). I didn't realize that Truman Capote was an intern at the New Yorker. He was fired because he and was at a conference where Robert Frost read and Capote really was very vocal about his critique of Frost's work. Love it. (I have never been a fan of Robert Frost so it just made me so happy). I heard Cooper's interview on the book and it turned me off of his book. It seemed like a great opportunity to navel-gaze and I also didn't like how he was so adamant about saying that he wasn't as rich as everyone thought he was. I mean, fine, but you sure didn't grow up in public housing. That's funny, because listening to him on Armchair Expert made me want to read the book!  He talked about how his mother just never thought about money. Never had any concept of what things cost OR how much she had. She just figured money would show up when she needed it...and it mostly did. He talked about how, from a young age, he felt like he had to be her caretaker because she sort of didn't dwell in the real world. I'm sure that only increased after his father died and his brother committed suicide. It seemed pretty clear to him that his mother would just keep spending the money until it was gone. He definitely knows he was raised in privilege, but I don't think he felt much of a connection to his Vanderbilt family, likely because of what his mother dealt with growing up. I think he felt more of a connection to his Cooper roots. I've always admired him because he struck out on his own to build his career in journalism - to the point of heading off to foreign countries to cover conflicts as a freelance journalist without an actual employer or network to air his stories.
There were stories he told on the podcast that weren't in the book. I was disappointed, because there's clearly a lot of family history that could have been told, but wasn't.
He also talks in the book about the assumption that he inherited a ton of money when his mother passed and he probably did get more than the vast majority of us would inherit. He also does point out how Gloria was betrayed both by her first husband, as well as (I think) an attorney and several others. They all stole from her. I think the real number is a good bit south of $200M (the number reported in the media), but more than "destitute."
I read The Rainbow Comes and Goes last year. It's a collection of letters Anderson and his mother wrote to each other in her later years. They discussed things they'd never spoken about before. It's really lovely.
ETA: Putting Genius in Disguise on my list!
I read a bunch of Capote's short stories when I was young and then In Cold Blood in high school. Capote's writing has always spoken to me. He's one of the people whose writing I read and marvel at how he had the same 26 letters that we all do. The same words in the same language and yet he created works that were so far above what most people could write. I'm making myself want to re-read some Capote now!  |
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Post by beerbelly on Jan 5, 2022 13:20:40 GMT
You are making me want to re-read Capote too! Oh yes, Genius in Disguise was wonderful, I inherited a lot of books from my mother about The New Yorker and about different writers who worked there. So much so that I could do a New Yorker walking tour, although not sure there would be any interest.  But Ross lived in my neighborhood and Charles Adams died in a hospital (long gone) in my neighborhood. |
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Post by ibot2much on Jan 5, 2022 16:05:57 GMT
Loved the characterization of the young Capote in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
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Post by Navybelle on May 14, 2022 4:46:00 GMT
I'm really enjoying a book that was recommended to me, which I didn't think I'd really like. But it's made me laugh right out loud in parts! I thought it was going to be more on the frivolous dumb side, but I gave it a chance anyway because of the recommendation, and I'm really happy I did. It's very well written. I don't want it to end!
It's "Part of Your World" by Abby Jimenez. I've never read anything by her before, but now I might look into it!
From Amazon:
The New York Times best-selling author of Life's Too Short delivers a refreshingly modern fairy tale perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry.
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s 10 years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.
Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?
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Post by Gutmutter on May 22, 2022 12:21:49 GMT
I just finished the last of 16 books in the Robin Hobb Farseer series. I was obsessed and read them back to back all day every day. Now I have a lot to do that went by the wayside while I was reading… laundry, dishes, bills, yard work, etc.
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Post by Eastcoastmom on May 31, 2022 20:41:28 GMT
I just finished "The Last Anniversary" by Lianne Moriarty, the author of "Big Little Lies", which was made into a HBO miniseries. This was published back in 2005 and the 2nd of her novels. I know she's written quite a few more and since I enjoyed this one, set in Australia, on a tiny island near Sydney, I'll check out her other books.
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Post by Critical on Jun 7, 2022 3:12:15 GMT
I'm deep into Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. Got the first five or six via Kindle Unlimited (read all in just over a week) and then began the waiting game borrowing them from the library. There was a long wait for 7 and then again for 9, but now I'm on book 10 and headed for 11 and 12 (and beyond). It's been nice to fall into a series and enjoy finishing a book in a day or two. I spent a lot of months on some long reads, so this is a change of pace. I'm also reading Jennifer Grey's memoir, Out of the Corner, which is okay. Interesting - there's A LOT I didn't know - but oddly, not as engaging as I'd expected.
I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to read anything too demanding. I've got a bit of a break coming up, so maybe I'll dive into a few longer reads.
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Post by Arielflies on Jun 7, 2022 3:26:23 GMT
During her press rounds, I was expecting Jennifer Grey to mention her ex-husband, Clark Gregg, but she didn't. Did she talk about their relationship in her book?
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Post by Critical on Jun 7, 2022 3:54:23 GMT
During her press rounds, I was expecting Jennifer Grey to mention her ex-husband, Clark Gregg, but she didn't. Did she talk about their relationship in her book? I'm not there yet. I'm still in the 80s. I'll let you know  |
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Post by Navybelle on Jun 7, 2022 4:47:08 GMT
This book took me by surprise! I loved it:
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to read a book about the virus and quarantine, but it was different than I thought, and it sucked me right in. I'll be interested to see the movie Netflix makes of it, should be good! It's not as predictable as you'd think, and it's very well written, so I'd highly recommend it!
(Goodreads has many many positive reviews, so I was shocked to see so many negative ones on Amazon. /shrug/ Guess that says a lot more about those readers than it does the book.)
From Amazon:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Small Great Things and The Book of Two Ways comes “a powerfully evocative story of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six)
Rights sold to Netflix for adaptation as a feature film • Named one of the best books of the year by She Reads
Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.
But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.
Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, the whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.
In the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.
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Post by Critical on Jun 10, 2022 3:43:24 GMT
Okay, Arielflies , I finished the Jennifer Grey memoir. She does talk about Clark, but it doesn't happen until about 80% into the book. Honestly, it's very heavy on the earlier part of her life up to and just after Dirty Dancing (I had doubts about whether she would get to present day at all since the first 80% of the book was from birth until the early 90s). The last 20% had a lot about DWTS, which is great if you're a fan of the show. She does talk about the marriage and the divorce, although not in super great detail as far as the divorce. I don't want to say too much in case you want to read it yourself |
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Post by Critical on Jun 20, 2022 7:15:32 GMT
I finished Joel Grey's memoir, Master of Ceremonies and it was fabulous. I enjoyed it a lot more than Jennifer's memoir. I can't put my finger on why I didn't like hers more than I did.
I also finished Toni Tennille's (she of Captain and Tennille) self-titled memoir over the weekend. I knew nothing about her beyond the music and that she and Daryl Dragon were married. Well, I can't imagine a more miserable person to be married to than Daryl Dragon. Toni always struck me as a sweet and happy person and he treated her terribly. I think now, we'd test him to see if he was on the autism spectrum, based on some of his behavior, but that wouldn't explain all of it. It sounds like she got next to no physical affection (they even had separate bedrooms), she had to eat whatever bland vegetarian mush he wanted to eat (remember, this was the 70s when vegetarian cuisine wasn't anything like it is now) and he seemed to have zero interest in her as a person. I think she did love him for a long time and hoped she'd finally crack his shell, so-to-speak, and get to HIM. Never happened. IIRC, they were married for nearly 40 years. I can't imagine putting up with that for so long. I hope she's maybe met some nice man who treats her well and lavishes her with praise an affection!
I got a galley of a mystery by Judi Daykin recently and then discovered it's the 4th in a series. Can't start in the middle! I found the first book in the series, Under Violent Skies, on Kindle Unlimited and am blowing through it. It's a female-led series featuring a young detective who moves from London to Norfolk. It's sort of a fish out of water story. Well written and I like the lead character. I think I'll be reading the next 3 books. I can definitely see this book series made into a TV series on Acorn. I'd watch it!
I'm waiting on book 15 in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. I'm #1 in line on 4 copies, so I should get it any day now.
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Post by waywyrd on Jun 20, 2022 14:30:37 GMT
I also finished Toni Tennille's (she of Captain and Tennille) self-titled memoir over the weekend. I knew nothing about her beyond the music and that she and Daryl Dragon were married. Well, I can't imagine a more miserable person to be married to than Daryl Dragon. Toni always struck me as a sweet and happy person and he treated her terribly. I think now, we'd test him to see if he was on the autism spectrum, based on some of his behavior, but that wouldn't explain all of it. It sounds like she got next to no physical affection (they even had separate bedrooms), she had to eat whatever bland vegetarian mush he wanted to eat (remember, this was the 70s when vegetarian cuisine wasn't anything like it is now) and he seemed to have zero interest in her as a person. I think she did love him for a long time and hoped she'd finally crack his shell, so-to-speak, and get to HIM. Never happened. IIRC, they were married for nearly 40 years. I can't imagine putting up with that for so long. I hope she's maybe met some nice man who treats her well and lavishes her with praise an affection!
Well that's depressing! I remember watching their show as a kid and thinking they were just so cute. Who knew he was such a douchebag.  |
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Post by Critical on Jun 24, 2022 2:30:16 GMT
waywyrd, it really was shocking. I think he had a very abusive childhood and never got over it, BUT I also do believe there is some sort of disorder/imbalance affecting his behavior. I just felt so sad for her. She was this beautiful, vibrant woman who probably MANY men would have treated like a queen, and here she is married to this guy who treats her like crap. Separate bedrooms, hardly any actual conversation (unless it involved music) and boring meals in their hotels rooms on the road......and certainly no physical affection. Imagine being in New Orleans and, instead of going out to have wonderful food, you're stuck in your hotel room eating Bulgar and bland vegetables with a man who barely speaks to you and definitely won't be sharing your bed. He was actually surprised when she served him with divorce papers. Like he had NO idea why she would want to end the marriage. I spent much of the book with my mouth hanging open. It really is true that you never know what's happening in someone else's relationship.
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mina
FORT Regular
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Post by mina on Jul 9, 2022 1:16:08 GMT
I finally read "Where the Crawdads Sing" last week on vacation. It was a mesmerizing read. I appreciated Delia Owens attention to the natural world and marshlife. It was beautiful and I cried at several parts. The ending is .....something. It felt rushed and a little twist slapped on. The whole book was so beautifully thought out, the ending just felt slapped on, kinda like "oh by the way, this happened! the end!". I was like, "what??? You can't just leave it at that!!! TELL ME EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AND HOW!!!!" I am excited for the movie although I'll probably wait until it comes out on a streaming service. It looks well cast and true to the book.
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Post by Critical on Jul 22, 2022 23:41:54 GMT
I liked Where the Crawdads Sing, but I don't think I loved it like other people did. I still can't get over that it's written by the same Delia Owens who wrote the books I loved about life in Africa with her husband. I loved Cry of the Kalahari especially. I read it as a teenager and it made such an impression.
I went through a period where I was just blowing through book after book and now I just can't settle on anything. I read a chapter and then drop a book. I think I'm just dealing with a lot of stress and my brain can't focus. I'm trying to give myself a break about it.
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Post by Mikesgirl on Sept 6, 2022 19:46:45 GMT
Just started a Mystery Cozy by Juliet Blackwell, called the Last Curtain Call (Haunted Home Renovation Book 8). I remember when Critical introduced me to the author, writing under the pseudo name of Hailey Lind, for her Art Lover's Mystery Series. Critical, I think you met her in SF and interviewed her over lunch one time????? Anyway, I love all of her series. I think the Hailey Lind series was written with her sister. Before she started writing more cozy mysteries series under her own name.
Thanks Critical for that first introduction to this author!
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Post by Kao on Sept 7, 2022 5:08:42 GMT
If It Bleeds: Stephen King
It's another short story collection, and it's pretty good! My favorite of the collection is "If it Bleeds" which is about a detective agency tracking a creature that feeds off the misfortunes of others and disguises itself as a reporter, news anchor, etc.
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Post by waywyrd on Sept 7, 2022 22:59:49 GMT
If It Bleeds: Stephen KingIt's another short story collection, and it's pretty good! My favorite of the collection is "If it Bleeds" which is about a detective agency tracking a creature that feeds off the misfortunes of others and disguises itself as a reporter, news anchor, etc. I liked this one too...Netflix has a film adaptation of "Mr. Harrigan’s Phone" coming in about a month. |
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Post by Critical on Sept 10, 2022 0:46:29 GMT
I've had such a hard time finishing anything lately. It's like I feel unfocused and uninspired. Might be the oppressive heat, but also probably stress and, frankly, menopause. Yay. I'm slogging through Viola Davis' memoir, but the slog isn't about the writing: it's just me.
This weekend is the booksellers trade show that hasn't been held in person since 2019. I'm so excited! I'm sure I won't come with as many books as I usually do, the economy being what it is and considering the hit the book business has taken over the pandemic, but I'm excited at the prospect of getting some new reading material and talking to lots of book people! Reviews to follow!
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Post by Mikesgirl on Sept 10, 2022 0:58:13 GMT
I've had such a hard time finishing anything lately. It's like I feel unfocused and uninspired. Might be the oppressive heat, but also probably stress and, frankly, menopause. Yay. I'm slogging through Viola Davis' memoir, but the slog isn't about the writing: it's just me. This weekend is the booksellers trade show that hasn't been held in person since 2019. I'm so excited! I'm sure I won't come with as many books as I usually do, the economy being what it is and considering the hit the book business has taken over the pandemic, but I'm excited at the prospect of getting some new reading material and talking to lots of book people! Reviews to follow! Oh! If you see Juliet Blackwell, please tell her how much I love her books. Every single series. I think that was where you first met her.? Anyway, you introduced me to her series, word of mouth here at FORT, & I love her writing.
Anyway, so exciting! I wish I could be there!!
(sorry about the menopause, but, once you are through it... it's wonderful!!!!)
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Post by Critical on Sept 10, 2022 1:21:59 GMT
Oh! If you see Juliet Blackwell, please tell her how much I love her books. Every single series. I think that was where you first met her.? Anyway, you introduced me to her series, word of mouth here at FORT, & I love her writing.
Anyway, so exciting! I wish I could be there!!
(sorry about the menopause, but, once you are through it... it's wonderful!!!!)
I met Julie when she came to the museum I worked at. I moderated the book club and we read one of her Haley Lind books, so she came to the meeting - she lives (lived) in the Bay Area. She was such fun. I immediately wanted to be her BFF. I also saw her a few years later at a book festival in Sonoma and she was just as sweet. I haven't read any of the Juliet Blackwell series, but it's funny that's she's written under TWO pseudonyms. I can't remember her last name, but her first name is Julie.
This menopause stuff is ridiculous. I am O-V-E-R it.
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Post by Critical on Sept 12, 2022 20:00:23 GMT
I'm home and recovering from the trade show. After so much time being sedentary over the last few years, I'm really feeling it today. I can't believe I used to do two days of that show! It's still happening today, but I saw what I wanted to see (and got all or most of the books I wanted) yesterday. I could go back, but I'm wiped out! I'd have to look at the schedule for previous years to be sure, but it felt like this one was just jam-packed, with no down time. It was one event after another all day long with barely enough time to run to the restroom! My shoulders are aching from carrying tote bags full of books and I walked my feet off, but it was so much fun to be back among "my people."
Highlights: hearing Abraham Verghese talk about his new book (his first since Cutting for Stone)'; a "speed dating" lunch with new authors; keynote speaker Katie Porter (CA Congresswoman) talking about what it's like to work in Washington, what she likes to read, and so much more; talking to all the publishing reps I've known for well over a decade, but haven't seen for 3 years and; getting LOADS of free books! I've got new books from Celeste Ng, Cormac McCarthy, Justin Cronin, Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle) and so many more. I don't even know which book to read first!
The weekend definitely reinvigorated me and I read around a third of Viola Davis' memoir, Finding Me. WOW! This book is definitely a lesson in how you never know what someone has gone though. Extreme poverty, violence, sexual abuse, addiction (her father).....many things that have broken other people. I'm just now headed into her years at Julliard. I'm always impressed by people who really lay their life bare in their memoir. Or maybe I just find memoirs more interesting when the person hasn't lived an "easy" life - and I acknowledge that most people haven't really had it easy in one way or another.
Anyway, after this, it's on to The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang, which is a library check-out and due back in a few days. Then I have to start in on these piles of new books!
ETA: Well, clearly, I started writing this yesterday and then fell asleep! The show was Saturday and Sunday. It finished last night. Even if it WAS going on today, I would still not go back! |
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Post by waywyrd on Sept 12, 2022 22:32:06 GMT
Critical what book did you get by Justin Cronin? I loved The Passage trilogy and am impatiently waiting to get my paws on his new one The Ferryman, but it doesn't come out til next May.
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Post by Critical on Sept 12, 2022 22:43:02 GMT
Critical what book did you get by Justin Cronin? I loved The Passage trilogy and am impatiently waiting to get my paws on his new one The Ferryman, but it doesn't come out til next May. Okay, now I feel a bit guilty. I got a galley of The Ferryman  Normally, they don't have galleys of titles that are that far from the release date, but I got multiple galleys of books that don't come out until next spring and even early summer. |
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Post by waywyrd on Sept 12, 2022 22:47:05 GMT
I. AM. JEALOUS. Let us know what you think whenever you get to read it! |
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He talked about how his mother just never thought about money. Never had any concept of what things cost OR how much she had. She just figured money would show up when she needed it...and it mostly did. He talked about how, from a young age, he felt like he had to be her caretaker because she sort of didn't dwell in the real world. I'm sure that only increased after his father died and his brother committed suicide. It seemed pretty clear to him that his mother would just keep spending the money until it was gone. He definitely knows he was raised in privilege, but I don't think he felt much of a connection to his Vanderbilt family, likely because of what his mother dealt with growing up. I think he felt more of a connection to his Cooper roots. I've always admired him because he struck out on his own to build his career in journalism - to the point of heading off to foreign countries to cover conflicts as a freelance journalist without an actual employer or network to air his stories. 
But Ross lived in my neighborhood and Charles Adams died in a hospital (long gone) in my neighborhood. 
Normally, they don't have galleys of titles that are that far from the release date, but I got multiple galleys of books that don't come out until next spring and even early summer.