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Post by Emily.Postal on Aug 2, 2016 21:51:33 GMT -5
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman I give it a total pick. I read it as a novel with a socio/political message. Many thumbs up from a thread on the daily thread regarding novel. A few people felt it was a little crabby and glum, at least initially.
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Post by mona on Aug 3, 2016 13:28:04 GMT -5
Has anyone read any Sharon Kay Penman? I just read "Here Be Dragons" by her due to the overwhelming positive reviews on Goodreads. I would typically never pick up a book with "dragons" in the title, it's not my thing, but this is a historical novel set in medieval England and Wales (12th to 13th century). It follows the lives and events of the Plantagenet kings John, then Henry and Llewelyn, the Prince of Wales. The actual events are based in fact and were thoroughly researched by the author, but of course she took liberties in telling the story with regards to conversations, characters' emotions, etc. Anyway, it's quite fascinating, and I'm going to continue on with the other books in the trilogy.
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Aug 4, 2016 18:20:28 GMT -5
I just finished The Lies of Locke Lamora. I loved it. It is like fantasy-mysteryish. I like fantasy books, but mine are usually geared more towards women, this book is not. I have no clue where I got the recommendation from, but I am glad I read it. Starting the second one now!
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Post by nobananas on Aug 8, 2016 12:09:55 GMT -5
I loved The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. If you've read it and enjoyed it you'll like Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House by the same author.
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Post by djayne on Aug 8, 2016 22:00:40 GMT -5
I absolutely loved The Snow Child by Eowleyn Ivey. Short read but so magical. It won't disappoint.
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Post by smokeyglass on Aug 9, 2016 10:33:49 GMT -5
Does anyone else read the Kay Scarpetta books by Patricia Cornwell? I think I might be done with these now. I used to love them, but I think she's gone way over the top with bizarre conspiracy theory stuff, IMHO. I'm not finding her characters very believable or relatable anymore. Scarpetta just seems smug and rather snobbish now, and Lucy is a caricature. Benton and Marino aren't much better.
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Post by celtickat on Aug 9, 2016 11:38:53 GMT -5
I just started the new Liane Moriarity book, Truly, Madly, Guilty. (Not sure I said that right!) Anyway, so far, so much like her other books that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Strong women friendships, betrayal, mother issues, lots of stuff going on in what seems a rather idyllic setting.
I am already completely drawn in to find out how such an innocent afternoon BBQ can cause such havoc. I'm "saving" it for when I go on vacation in a few days. Looking forward to it!!
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Post by texasless91 on Aug 9, 2016 15:24:45 GMT -5
The Haunting of William Gray by Renee Canter Johnson. It's a ghost story with a romantic bent. I usually don't go for these kinds of books but I didn't want to put it down and when it ended, I wanted more. Very well written.
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Aug 9, 2016 20:40:09 GMT -5
The Girl on the Train (2015) is a psychological thriller novel by British author Paula Hawkins. ME: Thrillers aren't my thing but I loved this. Total page turner. I just saw the preview for the movie. Looked better than the book (and I liked the book)!
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Post by cinderella333 on Aug 13, 2016 8:05:53 GMT -5
I finished The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close- If you like politics and are a fan of Obama then I recommend it. Its about relationships mostly but it takes place in Washington DC and everyone is a political operative. It was a fun read.
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Post by twizzler827 on Aug 15, 2016 10:53:01 GMT -5
Hi crew, I just wanted to put in a plug for a new book--The Lost Girls by Heather Young. Heather and I are sorority sisters from way back, so I am slightly biased. This is her first novel. I am about halfway through and I am enjoying it. It has a good plot line--suspense, family drama. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
A stunning debut novel that examines the price of loyalty, the burden of regret, the meaning of salvation, and the sacrifices we make for those we love
In the summer of 1935, six-year-old Emily Evans vanishes from her family’s vacation home on a remote Minnesota lake. Her disappearance destroys her mother, who spends the rest of her life at the lake house, hoping in vain that her favorite daughter will walk out of the woods. Emily’s two older sisters stay, too, each keeping her own private, decades-long vigil for the lost child.
Sixty years later, Lucy, the quiet and watchful middle sister, lives in the lake house alone. Before she dies, she writes the story of that devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves, along with the house, to the only person to whom it might matter: her grandniece, Justine.
For Justine, the lake house offers a chance to escape her manipulative boyfriend and give her daughters the stable home she never had. But it’s not the sanctuary she hoped for. The long Minnesota winter has begun. The house is cold and dilapidated, the frozen lake is silent and forbidding, and her only neighbor is a strange old man who seems to know more than he’s telling about the summer of 1935. Soon Justine’s troubled oldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily’s disappearance, Justine’s mother arrives with designs on her inheritance, and the man she left behind launches a dangerous plan to get her back. In a house haunted by the sorrows of the women who came before her, Justine must overcome their tragic legacy if she hopes to save herself and her children
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Post by twizzler827 on Aug 30, 2016 9:11:44 GMT -5
Anyone reading anything new? I just finished The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. I would recommend it; good plot, good characters, liked the writing style. I have moved on to The Art Forger, which is teaching me more about the art world than I ever knew. I am also trying to read My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. It has gotten great reviews but I am having a hard time getting into it.
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Post by noshowmo on Sept 7, 2016 20:20:07 GMT -5
Hey Twiz, did I give you the new Maria Semple and if so do you still have it? It's totally fine if you don't, just checking. I have more for you when you're ready. twizzler827September is here so I can post my picks for the month (no plans this month). I have a strong YA focus right now because reasons but there are definitely some adult titles coming out that I loved as well. Just might take me a while.
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Post by noshowmo on Sept 7, 2016 20:23:08 GMT -5
No one should feel bad for struggling with Ferrante. First of all, it's dark. It doesn't feel dark, but it is. Second, it takes a long time to read. None of us can figure out why, it just does. I read super fast and those took me forever.
Third, and most important, it's not four novels. It's one novel. One 1,600 page novel. The publishers were like um, let's split this up so people aren't terrified, shall we? So when you start the first one, you're settling in for the long haul.
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Post by bernelli on Sept 12, 2016 17:53:15 GMT -5
Does anyone else enjoy Kate Morton books? I think she's a fabulous writer.
The Lake House -- I LOVED this story.
The Forgotten Garden -- Read this one a really long time ago, and was so sad when it was over.
The Secret Keeper -- just finished this one recently and again, it was good.
There are more, but these are my 3 faves of hers. I didn't want to leave any spoilers. Her writing is so good...she pulls me into the story completely.
Anyone else like her stories?
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Oct 4, 2016 12:08:45 GMT -5
I just finished "The Coroner's Lunch" by Colin Cotteril. It is about a coroner in Laos in the 70's. The more I think about it, the more I liked it. I have it on audible if anyone wants me to send it to them.
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Post by mnsusu on Oct 9, 2016 18:57:43 GMT -5
I just finished "Just Mercy" by Byran Stevenson. Non-fiction. social justice - attorney working on the behalf of inmates on death row, kids in adult prisons and our broken justice system. I recommend very highly. well written and very powerful
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Oct 12, 2016 16:13:59 GMT -5
Any Janet Evanovich fans? I know that her books are generally pretty bad, but I like that they are a quick read and I usually find them entertaining. I had to quit "Curious Minds." I thought it was horrible.
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Post by leftylou on Oct 28, 2016 8:37:03 GMT -5
I've been looking for lighter reads this fall -- seems like life and the election just have me down and I just can't do intense right now.
The Bay at Midnight by Diane Chamberlain was very good. She's one of my go-to authors.
Troublemaker by Leah Remini was okay. I am fascinated with religious cults and was interested to read about Scientology, but I ended up bored and bogged down with the crazy layers and multiple acronyms and skimmed the last 1/3 of the book.
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Post by bumblebuzz21 on Nov 14, 2016 18:18:30 GMT -5
Anyone read YA Fantasy? Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom (the sequel) by Leigh Bardugo are really good. There is a little romance, but not like Twilight!
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Post by gemellus on Nov 15, 2016 22:18:06 GMT -5
I just read A Mother's Reckoning, written by the mother of one of the Columbine killers. A chilling read for any parent who has ever wondered (or should have) how much they really know what is going on in the heart and soul of their child. I just finished this book. Thank you for the suggestion. I enjoyed it (weird choice of words). It also has me second guessing my teenagers! Thanks again.
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Post by bernelli on Nov 16, 2016 15:42:10 GMT -5
I just finished reading:
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
Great chick lit. I enjoyed the story and the idea of hypnotherapy. There is a stalking theme in this story, but it's not a suspenseful/scary story at all. The point of view switches from the point of view of the stalker and back to the hypnotherapist. I really enjoyed it.
Now I'm starting the bookclub read: And the Sea Will Tell
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Post by clcountry on Nov 29, 2016 9:52:15 GMT -5
Pick: The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Here is the description of the first book in the series, The Crossing Places, from Amazon:
"Forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is in her late thirties. She lives happily alone with her two cats in a bleak, remote area near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants—not quite earth, not quite sea. But her routine days of digging up bones and other ancient objects are harshly upended when a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach. Detective Chief Inspector Nelson calls Galloway for help, believing they are the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing a decade ago and whose abductor continues to taunt him with bizarre letters containing references to ritual sacrifice, Shakespeare, and the Bible. Then a second girl goes missing and Nelson receives a new letter—exactly like the ones about Lucy.
Is it the same killer? Or a copycat murderer, linked in some way to the site near Ruth’s remote home?"
I read every book in this series in January of this year. They're great, smart mysteries, and I couldn't put them down. Highly recommend.
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Post by clcountry on Nov 29, 2016 9:55:56 GMT -5
Pick: The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. Description from Amazon:
"HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE.
As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ani has a secret.
There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.
With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.
The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?"
I read this for a friend who had read it and wanted someone to talk to about it. I figured out the twist shortly before it happened (I usually do, though), but it was still fascinating and suspenseful. I couldn't put it down and plowed through the book in about 5 hours.
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Post by bernelli on Dec 9, 2016 9:16:51 GMT -5
After You by Jojo Moyes I give this 4 out of 5 stars, and really enjoyed it! This is the follow up after Me Before You I'm sitting in Panera waiting for my pups to get their salon treatments, and reading this book. I finished it up.
It is so very good. Such a good book about Louisa getting through her grief of Will. I did NOT like the first book (Me Before You)... I didn't like Louisa's family at all..they were just so mean to each other. Things really come around and there is so much healing in this book.
But, I don't recommend reading it in public if you're a mushy face like me.
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