Truman Capote spent part of his childhood with extended family as his parents left him to pursue their own lives and these stories are based on this Truman Capote spent part of his childhood with extended family as his parents left him to pursue their own lives and these stories are based on this time in his life. His closest friend was a great aunt and these stories center on their wonderful relationship. They were poor and lived in rural Alabama and their holidays were very simple and old-fashioned. Capote was such a gifted writer, I was immediately transported back 80 years. This was a perfect read for this time of year....more
Hercule Poirot spends Christmas among the Lee family, trying to determine who killed the unpleasant patriarch. A locked room mystery, I did not figureHercule Poirot spends Christmas among the Lee family, trying to determine who killed the unpleasant patriarch. A locked room mystery, I did not figure out who the killer was until it was explained. This was an enjoyable holiday read as it did not require intense concentration during the hectic lead-up to Christmas....more
I reread this with The Book Cougars podcast. I liked it, although it is a sad story which takes place during the Great Depression in the interwar periI reread this with The Book Cougars podcast. I liked it, although it is a sad story which takes place during the Great Depression in the interwar period. Told through four main characters, they all interact mostly separately with a deaf-mute man who never speaks or signs with them. They view him as the their all-knowing advisor, although the relationships are seemingly one sided. This is a classic American novel and worthy of the classification, although it left me a little hopeless for the characters. I listened to the episode of The Book Cougars (Episode 34) and they discussed it completely and very well, touching on the themes of the story as well as their feelings about the book. I highly recommend all the episodes of the podcast (Chris and Emily are friends, full disclosure), as they discuss books and their reading life in a smart, fun fashion....more
I read a couple of books while reading this novel about close women's relationships. It was a solid okay. Not really my thing, but well written characI read a couple of books while reading this novel about close women's relationships. It was a solid okay. Not really my thing, but well written characters and timely themes. There were lots of secrets and how destructive secrets can be. This is an excellent choice for a book group as there are a lot of topics to prompt discussion....more
I have embarked on a slow reread of Agatha Christie and I picked this one because of the movie coming out, my book group picked it for February and a I have embarked on a slow reread of Agatha Christie and I picked this one because of the movie coming out, my book group picked it for February and a fellow Booktopian, Chris K was reading it this month. This was so much better than Hallow'een Party. It is a locked room mystery as a group of strangers are travelling in the first and second class coaches of a train across Europe and one of them of course, winds up dead. The characters are very well described and Hercule Poirot is at the height of his deductive and sleuthing powers. ...more
Growing up, I read ( I think) all the Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie, and I decided to re-read this one for October and Halloween this yeGrowing up, I read ( I think) all the Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie, and I decided to re-read this one for October and Halloween this year. As soon as I started, I remembered the crime, but not the perpetrator. A teenager was murdered at a party and Hercule Poirot is called in by his friend, Ariadne Oliver, a mystery novelist. The book is a lot of conversation between Poirot and the witnesses, so the pace may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. Hercule Poirot is a chubby Belgian detective who is inordinately proud of his mustache, but he wears tight patent leather shoes so there is not a lot of physical activity. He does not chase anyone, but rather solves his crimes cerebrally. He always solves his case and this mystery is no exception. Agatha Christie drops clue and hints along the way and it is up to a discerning reader to figure it out. I figured it out only a little bit prior to the big reveal....more
I received a free ARC from BookBrowse in exchange for a fair and honest review. I wrote a review similar to this one on their website. In her first noI received a free ARC from BookBrowse in exchange for a fair and honest review. I wrote a review similar to this one on their website. In her first novel, Jane Harper introduced Agent Aaron Falk who works for the federal government in Australia investigating financial white collar crime. He is called back to his childhood home for a funeral and begins to investigate the death of his childhood friend. It is hot dry and dusty and the setting is a huge part of the book. In this second of the series, Agent Falk and his partner are investigating a company and by extension, the disappearance of their main contact in that company. Five women, from executives to clerks head into the cols, wet woods for a weekend of team building. Only four return. Again, Harper uses the geography and climate to build suspense in her story, and it kept me up turning the pages. This is not available until February 6, 2018 and I am grateful to BookBrowse.com for the opportunity to read it sooner....more
Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors. His books are smart and interesting and I have attended several author events with him. He is generous Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors. His books are smart and interesting and I have attended several author events with him. He is generous with his readers and has called into my book club twice to discuss his work. This book was on my TBR pile for a long while and I picked it up for Banned Books week. This is such an interesting story of Dana Stevens who believes he was born in the wrong body and is well on the way to transitioning to a woman. He becomes involved with Allison Banks and they fall deeply, passionately in love before Dana tells her of his plans to completely transition to a woman. The book is set in liberal Vermont, but as Allison is a sixth grade teacher, some parents and administrators alike cannot deal with Allison and Dana living together after Dana's surgery. Allison's ex-husband and her daughter also become part of Dana's life as well and the story alternates through the four main characters' points of view. Chris Bohjalian writes about the issues and controversies in a thoughtful, detailed manner with respect for his characters. This book was published in 2000 and while I think attitudes are much more open to the LGBQT community, this book did not feel dated and seems relevant today....more
I picked up a used copy of this book while in Key West at the end of August. Written in the second person, in the form of a self-help book ( at least I picked up a used copy of this book while in Key West at the end of August. Written in the second person, in the form of a self-help book ( at least in the first paragraph or page of every section) that quickly segued into a novel, it follows our unnamed narrator through his life. Deftly written, it is light and humorous on the surface, but becomes a serious commentary on life in Asia, about a man trying to rise out of his humble origins. Parts of this story were familiar and parts were a surprise. Mohsin Hamid has a sharp eye and a sharper pen. For a slight book about a foreign country and society, it is worth spending an afternoon reading. ...more
This will be the worst book I read in 2017, because I will DNF anything else that comes close. It is a book club selection and I cannot wait to see whThis will be the worst book I read in 2017, because I will DNF anything else that comes close. It is a book club selection and I cannot wait to see what other people think. This is a psychological thriller, but it is poorly written and the main character is so immature that I was yelling at the book as I was reading. Leah lives like a hermit and lies about her past to her coworkers. Clearly, something awful happened in her youth and you are expected to keep turning the pages to find out. I did not care. The sections written from her perspective at ages 15-19, reveal an immature, sheltered girl who is unable to stand up to her peer group as well as the trope of having a charismatic, sociopathic boyfriend. The catalytic event is so awful and over the top, I was unable to believe that three teenagers could keep it a secret. Leah's solution was also over the top. In the current sections, 2 men come into her life, just as she is being stalked by someone intent on revealing her past. The most uncomfortable parts of the book were current day Leah revisiting relatives of her teenage friends; they were truly cringe worthy. Overall, the book was poorly written and the writer really seems intent on shocking the reader, without providing any literary value....more
I have been gifted a subscription to RJ Julia Bookseller's Signed First Edition club for the past 2 years. I have not gotten around to reading all theI have been gifted a subscription to RJ Julia Bookseller's Signed First Edition club for the past 2 years. I have not gotten around to reading all the books yet, and I picked up this novel from April 2016 after finishing the sad The Grapes of Wrath. Well-written and award winning, this was not the palate cleanser I was expecting. I do not usually read the end flaps, but the book was blurbed by 3 great writers on the back of the jacket, so I took it on vacation. I am not a big fan of grief literature and how to remake your life in the wake of a tragedy, but Ashley Hay kept me interested. Set on coastal Australia in the aftermath of Word War II, Annika, the railwayman's wife of the title learns to slowly cope and adjust to change after her personal world is shattered, while being part of a small town coping with the return of lost and bereft soldiers and a doctor from World War I. Another worthy addition to World War II literature from a country and continent not nearly familiar enough to me....more
I picked this up to read along with The Book Cougars and as well it fit into The Big Summer Book Challenge. I had never read this Steinbeck before andI picked this up to read along with The Book Cougars and as well it fit into The Big Summer Book Challenge. I had never read this Steinbeck before and I am kind of glad I read it in the summer. This award winning novel is relentlessly sad, following the Joad family west during the Great Depression in the interwar years. The family seems to be able to hold onto hope in the face of daunting circumstances, and the spare, at times repetitive writing made me keep going. This is such a worthwhile read, describing in minute detail how hard the life of tenant farmers became once they lost their land in the face of the upside down economy and encroaching technology. Published in 1939, the themes continue to resonate nearly 80 years later....more
This was a postal book club selection that was new to me. I would never have picked it up and it is historical fiction about a part of World War II thThis was a postal book club selection that was new to me. I would never have picked it up and it is historical fiction about a part of World War II that was unknown to me. Comfort women were supplied to Japanese troops to "comfort" them on leave. The women did not choose this role and the story is told mostly from the point of view of a daughter trying to understand her mother and her way of doing things. A sad story, but I learned something else about World War II....more
I had received an ARC of this from the publisher at Hachette's Inaugural brunch and never picked it up as I am not a fan of the grief memoir. It was sI had received an ARC of this from the publisher at Hachette's Inaugural brunch and never picked it up as I am not a fan of the grief memoir. It was sent this year as a postal book club selection, so I felt compelled to pick it up. This book personally resonated with me as the author and her husband are my exact ages and our sons are all close in age. She writes beautifully of her loss and how she and her sons manage to put their lives back together after the loss of their husband and father. He was larger than life, a huge part of their lives obviously, but also a large part of their outer friends' world as well. She also brought the mundane parts of life into her story; cooking, reading and working and how everything changed at once. A beautiful story, sad, but I was glad I finally read it....more
I picked this up as it was The Readers summer reading selection. I knew of the plot going into it, but that did not detract for my reading at all. PatI picked this up as it was The Readers summer reading selection. I knew of the plot going into it, but that did not detract for my reading at all. Patricia Highsmith wrote a good, creepy, suffocating novel about how sociopaths can insinuate themselves into another's seemingly normal life. This is not my usual reading fare, but I did enjoy it. I read it mostly over 2 days after carting it around for almost 3 weeks....more
A reread for me, I picked it up after Thomas recommended it on The Readers last summer. This is such a great summer read, with well drawn characters aA reread for me, I picked it up after Thomas recommended it on The Readers last summer. This is such a great summer read, with well drawn characters and a plot that keeps the pages turning. I highly recommend it on its own or as a break between heavier stories....more
I think I need to rethink my book selections. This is a well written debut novel where we follow the main character, a book seller after a patron commI think I need to rethink my book selections. This is a well written debut novel where we follow the main character, a book seller after a patron commits suicide in the store. After being left his worldly possessions, she searches for Joey's identity as well as the reason why he killed himself. At the end, I was just saddened by the whole story, but I think it is a great story for mystery fans and being set in a bookstore was a big plus. While it was not the book for me, it deserves to be widely read....more
I had read Mrs. Bridge 4 years ago, and I wanted to read this companion novel. While I gave Mrs. Bridge 3 stars, the ending has stayed with me and reaI had read Mrs. Bridge 4 years ago, and I wanted to read this companion novel. While I gave Mrs. Bridge 3 stars, the ending has stayed with me and reading this novel, my rating should have been 4 stars. Evan Connell has written a pair of novels set in the 1920s- 1940s, one told from the wife's point of view and this one from her husband's point of view. He is an attorney in Kansas City and part of the upper middle class, although he worries often about his money and seems to be extremely conservative- financially as well as politically and personally. He has a one man law office with one employee, Julia, a spinster who lives with her disabled sister. He thinks it unseemly to discuss his professional life with his wife and three children and as he has no real hobbies or interests (outside of reading several newspapers with a cocktail each evening), the struggle to connect with his family is real. Often late for dinner, he has a tendency to dismiss their problems and concerns. He believes his wife should deal with their children's lives; he is there to give them money and to allow them to borrow the car. The chapters are short and propel you through the story and while Mr. Bridge irritated me with his hyper-conservative views, the author seems to be true to the time and place. It was a perfect, fast summer read (it really did not take me 8 days; I had picked it up and started it and put it aside after 50 pages. I finished it in a day and a half)....more
Thanks so much to my friend Carol who reviewed this book on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and piqued my interest. This is a debut mystery novel and I am ready for the nexThanks so much to my friend Carol who reviewed this book on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and piqued my interest. This is a debut mystery novel and I am ready for the next one. Aaron Falk returns home to his small, dusty, dry town for the funeral of his best childhood friend, his wife and son. It appears to be a case of domestic violence forced by a prolonged drought, but Falk is not so sure. He is a federal law enforcement officer who works financial cases, but he teams up with the local officer to figure out what happened. Falk had left town a long time ago, after another friend died and some townspeople are very unhappy that he returned. Jane Harper has written such a good story; I woke up at 4:45 AM to finish it before work. ...more
Ginny Moon is a very special character and Benjamin Ludwig tells her story in her unique voice. She has moved into the Blue House with her Forever MomGinny Moon is a very special character and Benjamin Ludwig tells her story in her unique voice. She has moved into the Blue House with her Forever Mom and Forever Dad, but she is unable to completely let go of her memories of living with her Baby Doll who was left with her completely unreliable Birth Mother. This stress and Ginny's tendency to be inward propels the novel. I liked it, but did not love it. I felt Ginny was stuck in a spot and I did not buy into that completely. However, I recommend it highly as she is a strong and unusual adolescent....more
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