pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:17:56 GMT
I listened (20 hours) to Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper. It was my first book by this author and I really loved it. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life in many ways and that was a favorite from last year. I've seen some pretty lukewarm reviews of the Lake House so Kate Morton readers which of her other titles do you recommend? I've read all her books and have enjoyed them. She's one of those authors that when I see she has a new book out, it immediately goes on my list. I personally loved The Lake House, as well as The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton. I didn't like The Secret Keeper or The Distant Hours as much (but still liked them). I think the order/frequency in which I read them also might have influenced my feelings. All of her books have the same structure with the split time narrative; which to me isn't always effective (or I just get bored with it). If you loved The Secret Keeper, definitely give some of her other books a go. Forgotten Garden might be my favorite (but it was also my first of hers, which might have made a difference).
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:19:06 GMT
I really liked The Snow Child. This week I finished two - Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley on audio. I liked the story but I had a hard time believing the narrator was a 28 YO. She sounded too old for the part and it through me off. The second was Still Life by Louise Penny. It was recommended by a friend and frankly I'm not sure why. I started Wildflower by Drew Barrymore last night. Recommended by another friend. My audio book for this weeks commute will be The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I was so so on Still Life, but I continued the series as many people I know enjoy the books. For me I liked the series the more I read (and some of the books more than others).
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lisaknits
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,370
May 28, 2015 16:14:56 GMT
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Post by lisaknits on Jan 18, 2016 15:22:21 GMT
I just finished Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz. I enjoy her writing and many of her books are set in the Seattle area. This book takes place on one of the San Juan Islands near Seattle. It's less of her usual romance/murder mystery and more of a murder mystery with a little romance thrown in. All in all a fun escape.
Thanks to this group, I'm about half-way through Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal. Thanks for the recommendations, I'm really enjoying it.
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Post by kckckc on Jan 18, 2016 15:23:12 GMT
I finished 3 books this week.
Sweetland by Michael Crummey. I believe someone here recommended this one (I am going to have to start keeping track of where I hear about a book!). Moses lives on a remote island in Newfoundland. The government wants to abandon the island and is willing to buy everyone out, but only if everyone on the island agrees. Moses does not want to go. I enjoyed this one. I didn't really like the ending, but I am not sure how I would have wanted it to end.
The Revenant by Michael Punke. I listened to this one on audio. I listen to audiobooks through my public library and either the Hoopla or Overdrive app. I like Hoopla even though the selection isn't as good because there is never a wait list. I liked this one - I thought the narrator did a good job with all the different voices. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I would like to (although I would expect it to be more violent than I usually like).
Blackout by David Rosenfelt. I am a big fan of Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series, but I didn't care so much for this stand alone mystery.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:26:03 GMT
Just finished Circling the Sun by Paula McClain which was highly reccommended by a couple of you last week. Thanks so much for posting about it. I loved it. Just my kind of novel: a historical person given enough fictionalized events to bring them to life. The writing is exquisite. I would often stop and re-read a sentence just to enjoy the words and idea protrayed. If you have read something similar, please let us know about it. I watched Out of Africa last night to see if Bery is portrayed in the movie, and she was not. You could always read Beryl Markham's memoir West by the Night. There is dispute about who actually wrote it; regardless most agree the writing is lovely and the events are accurate. When you ask about similar books, do you mean historical figures or the setting of Africa? Around the same time I read Circling the Sun I also read A Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman and I really enjoyed it. It's nominally about a famous impressionist painter, but the first half of the book is more about his mother, which was really interesting. Last year I also read The Accidental Empress and thought it was great (about “Sisi” the Austro-Hungarian Empress and wife of Emperor Franz Joseph). It's been a while since I read this book, but if you like the Africa aspect, I enjoyed this one: Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller (her memoir of growing up in Africa). She had a new book out last year, but I haven't read it yet ( Leaving Before the Rains Come).
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:28:23 GMT
Then I listened to the new release from Chris Bohjalian - The Guest Room. I've read a few of his books and have liked them, he always tackles difficult subjects and this one is no exception. It's about Richard who hosts his bother's bachelor party at his house, another friend organises two strippers, who turn out to be Russian sex slaves and by the end of the night their two body guards are killed in the house. The book looks at the fallout of event, Richard's marriage struggles, he gets laid off work, he has to deal with the police investigation etc. It also looks at the story of the sex slaves, young poor girls in Russia and Armenia who get kidnapped and exploited. The story is quite graphic in places, but it never feels gratuitous. definitely a book that makes you think, 4 out of 5 stars. I have this one on hold at the library. Glad you liked it, even though it touches on difficult subject manner. I haven't read all of his books, but have liked what I have read, especially The Sandcastle Girls.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:29:09 GMT
I'm way late to the party but after the other thread, I am finally reading 11-22-63. Just in time for the mini-series on Hulu! I loved this book and can't wait to see the series.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jan 18, 2016 15:36:31 GMT
I finally finished Alexander Hamilton by Ron Cherow. 5.5 stars. Interesting and so well written. Now I am all set for seeing Hamilton in two days!!
I also read:
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. 4/5 stars. Enjoyed it and if you like her and/or her book, you might also like her interview on Fresh Air. Her book was on my radar, but it moved to my "definitely read" list after hearing the interview. She's an interesting lady and I liked her book.
The Promise by Robert Crais (Elivs Cole/Joe Pike series). 3/5 stars. Pretty run of the mill for the series, but a quick read that I enjoyed while reading it.
Now I'm reading Fallen Land by Taylor Brown. It was on my to read list and I won a copy from Goodreads, so it went to the top of my pile. It's about a teen boy and girl on the run during the end of the Civil War. It's pretty bleak in ways, but overall I'm enjoying it.
On deck I have: Nature of the Beast, Vanessa and her Sister, and a reread of Red Rising and Golden Son in anticipation of Morning Star coming out.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,944
Location: PNW
Jul 20, 2014 21:57:23 GMT
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Post by breetheflea on Jan 18, 2016 15:59:07 GMT
Yesterday I finished the Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier about two women who were friends, one dies and leaves the other one her journals. Sometimes books with journals are kind of clunky switching back and forth but in this book the two stories were woven together pretty well. 4 of 5 stars.
Now I am reading (and stayed up too late) reading Replay by Ken Grimwood. It's Back to the Future meets Groundhog Day with a little The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser throw in. Basically a guy dies and has to live his life over from age 18 (remembering his first life)then he dies again... So far it's been hard to put down.
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Post by auntkelly on Jan 18, 2016 16:18:03 GMT
I'm reading The Worst Hard Time-the Untold Story of Those Who Survive the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. I'm not very far into it, but the book gets great reviews and since both sets of my grandparents were living in Oklahoma at the time of the dust bowl, I'm interested in the subject matter.
The book has already given me a little insight into one thing that always puzzled me. My grandmother hated the book Grapes of Wrath with a passion, and she hated John Steinbeck for writing it. She always told me that the book gave a bad impression of people from Oklahoma, by making them look backwards and uneducated. However, when I was reading The Worst Hard Time last night, the author specifically talked about the Grapes of Wrath and said many people who remained in the Dust Bowl area looked at the people who fled to places like California as quitters. I wonder now if my grandmother thought John Steinbeck was writing about the quitters when he should have been focusing on the people who stayed and toughed out the Dust Bowl.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 9:46:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 16:24:14 GMT
I just finished Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy. It was such a disturbing book but I couldn't put it down. I knew the premise of the story but really wasn't prepared for the reality of it.
I am now reading a short story Where there is Smoke by Jodi Picoult and then I will start on The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
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Post by pjaye on Jan 18, 2016 16:37:23 GMT
I have this one on hold at the library. Glad you liked it, even though it touches on difficult subject manner. I haven't read all of his books, but have liked what I have read, especially The Sandcastle Girls.I just found out today that Chris wrote a short story about one of the characters Alexandra that is set one week before the party in the book - you can access it hereI haven't read it yet, but I assume as it is set before the events in the book that there won't be any spoilers. I enjoyed (well hard to use the word 'enjoy' for such a grim subject, but you know what I mean) The Sandcastle girls as well - I had no idea about the Armenian massacre before I read it.
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Post by kckckc on Jan 18, 2016 16:42:10 GMT
On deck I have: Nature of the Beast, Vanessa and her Sister, and a reread of Red Rising and Golden Son in anticipation of Morning Star coming out. I am glad you mentioned Morning Star. I preordered it from Amazon and had forgotten about it. I also want to reread Red Rising and Golden Son before Morning Star comes out.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,022
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Jan 18, 2016 17:56:07 GMT
It took me all week to read Vera by Stacy Schiff, about Vera Nabokov. It was quite plodding and I am concerned that this may be an indication of Schiff's writing style, as another of her books is on deck for my Book Club this year.
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Post by fotos4u2 on Jan 18, 2016 18:24:44 GMT
I finished Shanghai Girls by Lisa See about two sisters from Shanghai in the 1930s who's father sells them off in marry two men in America. Sadly I had a lot of hope for this book on the premise, but found the majority of the characters very unlikeable. The only redeeming quality was learning about what life was like for the Chinese during the 1930s and 1940s. After that I read The Seventh Mother by Sherri Wood Emmons. I picked this one up at a discount store on the spur and it was more than worth the $4.99 price! It was a quick, somewhat predictable read. The narration rotates between an eleven-year-old girl and her new stepmother. Now I've moved on to Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova about a family whose patriarch is diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. I'm not very far into this one so we'll see how it goes, but I loved both of her other books Still Alice and Left Neglected. I don't know what I'm going to read after I'm done with this book. I made it to the bottom of the pile! Maybe I need to hit the library (thanks to the weekly topic and some other place I have over 120 books on my to-read list! ).
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 9:46:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2016 18:45:01 GMT
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Jan 18, 2016 19:51:38 GMT
I read A Magnificent Obsession by Helen Rappaport, about Queen Victoria and the prolonged mourning she went into after her husband Albert died in 1861. She really abdicated her responsibilities as queen to obsessively mourn and remember Albert. It was interesting, worth a read if you like reading about royals, which I do.
Now I'm in a slump, I have The Lake House here but can't get into it, and also Bellweather Rhapsody. I can't quite get involved in either one.
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Post by birukitty on Jan 20, 2016 1:51:58 GMT
Yesterday I finished the Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier about two women who were friends, one dies and leaves the other one her journals. Sometimes books with journals are kind of clunky switching back and forth but in this book the two stories were woven together pretty well. 4 of 5 stars. Now I am reading (and stayed up too late) reading Replay by Ken Grimwood. It's Back to the Future meets Groundhog Day with a little The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser throw in. Basically a guy dies and has to live his life over from age 18 (remembering his first life)then he dies again... So far it's been hard to put down. I read Replay by Ken Grimwood awhile ago since I love time travel books and found it a very good book. Actually, I've read it twice. DH read it too. I'll be waiting until next week to hear what you thought of it. Have fun reading Debbie in MD.
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Post by katiescarlett on Jan 20, 2016 16:14:39 GMT
Yesterday I finished the Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier about two women who were friends, one dies and leaves the other one her journals. Sometimes books with journals are kind of clunky switching back and forth but in this book the two stories were woven together pretty well. 4 of 5 stars. Now I am reading (and stayed up too late) reading Replay by Ken Grimwood. It's Back to the Future meets Groundhog Day with a little The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser throw in. Basically a guy dies and has to live his life over from age 18 (remembering his first life)then he dies again... So far it's been hard to put down. I read Replay by Ken Grimwood awhile ago since I love time travel books and found it a very good book. Actually, I've read it twice. DH read it too. I'll be waiting until next week to hear what you thought of it. Have fun reading Debbie in MD. I loved Replay too! I also loved The Mirror, one of my all time favorite books. I finished The Fifth Wave. I liked it. 3.5 stars. I think the movie will be good. Lots of action. I just started "Friction" by Sandra Brown.
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Post by debmast on Jan 20, 2016 16:17:21 GMT
This week I finished The Sisters by Nancy Jensen. I liked it, but didn't love it. I kept waiting for something more.
Currently Reading Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Only about 50 pages or so in, but I really like it so far. I have heard good things about it. And apparently there is a movie about to be out (already out) based on this book
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Post by jackie on Jan 20, 2016 16:45:57 GMT
I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It's for a book club at the library that I'm thinking of joining. I've always toyed with the idea of going to it and never have. I'm a little shy and I won't know anyone there, but I think I'll take the plunge. I'm in a book club with co-workers and former co-workers and I love them and the club, but we generally only meet every two months and it's not uncommon for the vast majority of them to not even have read the book. We end up talking about other stuff, which is fine--I like that part too--but I started a book club because I really want to discuss BOOKS. Even if we just devote a small chunk to that. Anyway, I was familiar with the story. I saw the movie when I was very young but remembered almost nothing--just the basic premise. It was a super quick read, kept me guessing the whole time and I did enjoy it. Book club meeting is two weeks from tomorrow. We'll have discussion first and then watch the movie at the library after. Send positive thoughts that I won't chicken out from going!
I'm still reading The Memory Box by Eve Lesko Natiello. I'm not sure I'm a fan of her writing style--it seems a little forced or something, I'm not quite sure. It might just be that this is her first novel. It's not bad or anything and the story is intriguing--a woman googles herself and finds out there are major things going on her life, things that already happened, that she has no memory of. I'm intrigued to find out what's going on.
I'm also listening to After You by Jojo Moyes. I'm nearing the end and interested to see how everything resolves.
I think next I'll be reading You by Caroline Kepnes (Anyone read that one?) and listening to The Lake House by Kate Morton. I've loved her other books so I hope this won't be the exception.
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Post by jackie on Jan 20, 2016 16:48:09 GMT
The movie for this is definitely out right now. In fact, it's up for an Oscar for best picture. I plan to see it this weekend.
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betazed
Junior Member
Posts: 84
Jun 28, 2014 3:17:59 GMT
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Post by betazed on Jan 20, 2016 17:52:30 GMT
Our book club is reading The 100-yr old man who climbed out the window and disappeared. Had never heard of it before, it's amusing, entertaining and a little quirky. Has been compared to Forest Gump.
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Post by birukitty on Jan 21, 2016 0:02:12 GMT
I read Replay by Ken Grimwood awhile ago since I love time travel books and found it a very good book. Actually, I've read it twice. DH read it too. I'll be waiting until next week to hear what you thought of it. Have fun reading Debbie in MD. I loved Replay too! I also loved The Mirror, one of my all time favorite books. I finished The Fifth Wave. I liked it. 3.5 stars. I think the movie will be good. Lots of action. I just started "Friction" by Sandra Brown. I loved both Replay and The Mirror. Now I have to ask you, have you read any books by Connie Willis? She is an amazing science fiction writer and the first book to start with from her is Doomsday Book, which won the Nebula and Hugo award. It is an incredible book, my favourite by far that blows Replay and The Mirror out of the water as good as they are. While they aren't quite sequels her other books include the same characters. Doomsday Book is defiantly the first as it introduces all of the characters. I laughed out loud and truly enjoyed To Say Nothing of the Dog, and after that comes her more serious Blackout and All Clear. Those two are a series, were actually one book but it got too long, so her editor made her break it into two novels. These are all about time travel. Debbie in MD.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 9:46:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2016 0:11:16 GMT
I haven't participated in a while, so I'll do a recap. For some reason, I have read or listened to celebrity type books this month. I read Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim. Wow! She lived quite the life and overcame SO much childhood trauma with a straight head on her shoulder. I listened to The Ice Cream of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman. It's a poor girl turned rich and famous, turned into the spotlight for her bad behavior. This is one I would recommend listening to over reading. Excellent narration. I give it 4 stars. I think it was recommended on 2peas. I'm currently listening to David Spade's Almost Interesting. You either love him or hate him. It's narrated by him, in his unique sense of humor. I've been listening to it in the car while running errands WITHOUT the children. I'm currently reading the 6th book in the Anne of Green Gables series (Anne of Ingleside). I'm skipping over the boring parts and making my way through the 8th book. Perumbla (sp?) promised me the 8th was the best.
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Post by pjaye on Jan 21, 2016 0:27:06 GMT
I think next I'll be reading You by Caroline Kepnes (Anyone read that one?) and listening to The Lake House by Kate Morton. I've loved her other books so I hope this won't be the exception. Brace yourself for "You" it's a wild book, sexually very explicit, lots of hard core swearing and a totally screwed up stalker main character. I liked it because I think the author managed to give a believable account of what goes on inside the mind of a man who does such horrible things. It's a fascinating look at stalking, but it's also creepy and unsettling.
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Post by candygurl on Jan 21, 2016 0:58:13 GMT
I listened (20 hours) to Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper. It was my first book by this author and I really loved it. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life in many ways and that was a favorite from last year. I've seen some pretty lukewarm reviews of the Lake House so Kate Morton readers which of her other titles do you recommend? Secret Keeper is one of my favorite books! Ever! I've read a few others of her and they are good as well. Really like House at Riverton. Haven't read her latest but hope too soon. Currently reading The Other Boelyn Girl and it's really good! Published in 2001 and am really enjoying the author writing style.
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Post by irisheyes on Jan 21, 2016 1:06:30 GMT
I read an old one published in 1966 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I've read the short story before (taught it to my 8th grade students). The book offered a lot more insight but is for adults not for middle school students. I enjoyed how much it made me think. Building Lifelong Readers
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,022
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Jan 21, 2016 3:08:30 GMT
I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It's for a book club at the library that I'm thinking of joining. I've always toyed with the idea of going to it and never have. I'm a little shy and I won't know anyone there, but I think I'll take the plunge. I'm in a book club with co-workers and former co-workers and I love them and the club, but we generally only meet every two months and it's not uncommon for the vast majority of them to not even have read the book. We end up talking about other stuff, which is fine--I like that part too--but I started a book club because I really want to discuss BOOKS. Even if we just devote a small chunk to that. Anyway, I was familiar with the story. I saw the movie when I was very young but remembered almost nothing--just the basic premise. It was a super quick read, kept me guessing the whole time and I did enjoy it. Book club meeting is two weeks from tomorrow. We'll have discussion first and then watch the movie at the library after. Send positive thoughts that I won't chicken out from going!
I'm so excited for you! You have to update after you go
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Post by birukitty on Jan 21, 2016 4:45:15 GMT
I listened (20 hours) to Kate Morton's The Secret Keeper. It was my first book by this author and I really loved it. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life in many ways and that was a favorite from last year. I've seen some pretty lukewarm reviews of the Lake House so Kate Morton readers which of her other titles do you recommend? Secret Keeper is one of my favorite books! Ever! I've read a few others of her and they are good as well. Really like House at Riverton. Haven't read her latest but hope too soon. Currently reading The Other Boelyn Girl and it's really good! Published in 2001 and am really enjoying the author writing style. I just started reading books by Philippa Gregory last week and I am devouring them! I started with The White Queen which I reviewed in this thread and am on my 3rd one now. I just adore her writing style and I'm learning so much about British history yes, with some fiction thrown it, but let's face it-it's a much less dry way to learn it There is the Cousin's War series which is the one I'm reading now, and then the Henry the 8th series which is where the book you are reading now fits in. If you'd like to know more books in that series and the order to read them in, let me know. I've already looked it up. Debbie in MD.
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