Some more book group reading!

The book group read Pocketful of Rye by A.J. Cronin, and I found out that this was actually a sequel to A Song of Sixpence.  

So I decided to read it - and I'm glad I did - in fact, I think we should have read them in order!  This novel sets the stage for more clarity and understanding in Pocketful of Rye.

The story deals with Laurence Carroll's childhood and youth in Scotland - the death of his father, his reluctant years away from his mother, his coming of age, and his discovery of the truth about himself.

I had heard of A.J. Cronin - but knew little about him.  I'm glad to have found another good author to get to know better!

More reading choices - some better than others!

My Tuesday, Thursday morning walking buddy often has a little treasure for me to read - and this was one of them.  The story is by a rather prolific Australian writer and school principal!  He has several series - and it appears that they are mainly for an adolescent of YA audience.  And frankly, a good YA book can be a treat - since it's usually a fast read.

This story is somewhat convoluted, but there is a mystery there - don't want to spoil it for you - that makes for some good reading to solve.

 

Went scavenging in a neighboring Little Free Library - and frankly could have done better!  This is Christian chick-lit - not sure why I even finished it - wanted to at least solve the mystery.  I put it in my own Little Free Library - and it's still sitting there! 

A book group choice for this month.  I had certainly heard of A.J.Cronin, but knew little about him and had never read one of his books - or even seen the movies that have been made from a couple of his books.

This was complex reading - for one thing, A.J. Cronin was Scottish - and the dialog and dialect can be hard to follow at times.  The story was convoluted too.  I went looking for some material on him or the book, but I didn't find much. Cronin was a medical doctor and a novelist - so the storyline has that added dimension.

However, sticking with it to the end was worth it - figured out the storyline - and the aughter's intent I think. And it's a moving treatise on religion and the role it plays in shaping our lives.

Turns out this is a sequel to Sing a Song of Sixpence by the author - those who chose it said you could read them out of order.  I feel like I need to read the first one now.

Will keep you posted!

Have been reading a bit

Leslie recommended this book - said her book group had read it.  It was pretty good - and all the reviews were excellent.  It was entertaining and somewhat compelling.  But there was something missing - not sure what - a little too "pat" or something.  A book collector loses his wife, goes to England and finds a mystery.  Then he solves the mystery.

And apparently they all lived happily ever after!

 

They started a new book group at church for the "older" ladies - and I qualified!! They seem to be going for crime or mystery novels so far.

This is a prolific author I had never even heard of - but the "older ladies" all knew him very well! Apparently his books continue to appear because his son writes them under the same name. Kind of a geriatric Nancy Drew series I guess!

But this was a better read than the one above - very fast paced - I read it in an afternoon - did not have it figured out either.  I might get another one of his - there is a whole shelf of them at The Book Rack - for the next plane ride!!

They always involve horses apparently - the main character is an accountant - and an amateur steeple chase jockey - in London.

Forever and ever and ever!!

Saw something on FB once that said, What was the number one selling book when you were born?  Seemed intriguing, so I looked it up - and it was Forever Amber by KathleenWinsor.

So I gave it a look see - and it was actually hard to find - it has been out of print for many years. The libraries I checked did not have it - and the copies on Amazon were a little trop chere, if you get my drift.

But then Harry found it on Kindle and loaded it for me.  The book is 973 pages long! And believe it or not, the first draft was 13,000 pages - and that's not a typo!!

Turns out Kathleen Winsor's first husband - she had four - was a graduate student doing a dissertation on the Restoration and the reign of King Charles II. She was helping him with the details and started reading some of the material he had researched.  She became fascinated with it and decided to write a novel - and I will say this about the book - I did some checking - and it's historically accurate, down to even minute details of fashion and room decor!!

But it's long - too long in fact.  After about page 500, I was wondering when it would all end - the action and intrigue started to be repetitive rather than compelling!

As a historical romance, the first 500 or so pages are quite entertaining and illuminating.  But it just goes on and on - and the reader gets fatigued - at least this reader did!

But the book was a smash hit bestseller - and quite controversial - was banned in Boston!  It was considered racy by the standards of 1945 - but then, Restoration England and the court of Charles the 2nd was pretty racy!! It's not graphic and exotic - everything is left to the imagination.  

It does start out as a pretty entertaining piece of historical fiction - but Ms. Winsor just didn't seem to know how to put an end to the action.  As it is, the ending is not well-planned - and not very believable.

Maybe this is the time for a Cliff Notes version if you are really interested - or watch the movie - with the heartthrob Cornell Wilde!!

P.S. The story bore many resemblances to Gone With the Wind!  Hmm - wonder what that tells us??

A good watch!

Harry keeps a "watch list" of shows he thinks we might enjoy - and we mostly forget to watch them!! But Friday night we did - and were well-rewarded for our efforts!

Doctor Thorne is a novel by Anthony Trollope - of Pallisers fame - you will need to be pretty old to recognize that 1970's era Masterpiece Theater production!! 

And it was produced by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame - he introduces each of the 4 episodes.

It's a period romance - well-done, well-acted, and it even has a happy ending!

A little excessive reading!

My colonoscopy prepping day - and then a recovery day - allowed a lot of reading to get done.

This one came recommended from my sister Leslie's book group.  And excellent read - a story about a Jewish girl and a Dutch girl who find their fates intertwined in World War II - and the world of the circus.  

I continue to be amazed at the new things I learn about the war and the Holocaust.  This author came across two items in the archives at Vad Yashem - and felt she needed to somehow incorporate them into a story.

It's a great read - the story goes back and forth between the voices of the two girls - women actually. And the story structure is very dramatic and compelling.

 

My dear friend Arlene thought maybe I'd enjoy this, so she dropped it by - and I did indeed enjoy it.  It's a little more "fluff" than I usually choose, but the underlying story was compelling - it went back and forth between 1849 and 2009 - and the way the stories wove together at the end was very satisfying.

A good summer read or beach read or airplane read - or just sitting-in-your-chair-by-the-sunny-window read!!

Grisham to the rescue!

Apparently I thought I had reviewed this book for my blog - apparently I didn't since I found this in the "draft" section!!

Bought this book in the airport last June as Annika and I were heading back to SoCal.  Had to pay full price, but it was worth it to have a good book for a 5 hour flight!!

Not about lawyers - and after the hurricane disaster in Florida, I wonder how Camino Island fared?

It was compelling reading - typical Grisham fare, but I did not like the ending.  I like the bad guy to suffer - and this bad guy did not.

Now you have to read it to see who the bad guy is!

When life hands you lemons, sit down and read!

I am spending today prepping for a colonoscopy tomorrow - and spending the day on a liquid diet - one that includes lots of nasty stuff to drink - so it is a good day to spend reading!!

My good friend Arlene dropped this book by my house yesterday - her mom wants to start a little book group and Arlene thought I might like to participate - so I started reading.

It looked a little long, but once I got into it, it was a fast read.  I have never read David Baldacci - he's a lot like Grisham - maybe because this story is about the Supreme Court - and their are lawyers in it. 

It was a little convoluted and you had to keep track of details, but it was a pretty good mystery.  I did not solve it myself - I often read the last chapter first and I did on this one - but it was a good way to while away the day!

Would be excellent airplane fiction - probably explains why my familiarity with the name Baldacci comes from seeing it in airport book stores!!

I walk with  my friend Rene on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she handed this book to be today.  So after I finished Baldacci, I went right to this one.  It is a Newberry Honor Book - and I can see why - well-written and thought provoking.

The story focuses on two London children who are sent to the country as World War II poses a greater threat to the city.  I have read many stories about these city children who were sent to the country around London - not all were treated so well - but apparently many found a good home and much to enrich their lives.

The chapter about Dunkirk was especially compelling - since I recently saw that movie.

I have often said that kids could be taught American and world history with a map, a timeline,  and some great core novels.

This is one such novel!!

Who knew?

Randomly found this in the library - did not know Maud Hart Lovelace had written novels before the Betsy Tacy book series.

Early candlelight refers to the time before electric lighting - twilight was the early time of night when you started needing to light candles.  And so they would refer to it thusly, saying "Come at early candlight" or something.

The things you learn.

The story is based some what on historical data and events - it's about the interactions at the beginning of Fort Snelling - which you can see from the Minneapolis Airport - and the Canadian fur trappers and relations with the Chippewa and Sioux Indians.

It was a delightful story to read - very lyrical in its descriptions. And the main character, Delia DuGay, was charming, if a little two-dimensional.

If you are a Maud Hart Lovelace fan, you really should read this.  It's the kind of book you can read a chapter each day with your lunch and it's works!

What is it about babies?

The doctor's office has a box of books for 50 cents each - I often pick up a couple of dollars worth for my little library - and I found this last week.

I am not familiar with this author - although her name rang a bell but none of her books did - but the cover intrigued me, so I picked it up.

It was a great read - it was written in 1993, but I wish it had been written in 1970 and that I'd read it then - because she had a colicky baby and it would have been comforting!!

Now I think I will go find one of her novels at the library!!

Lessons from the Centenarians

Saw this on the bookshelf at Karl's house - the cover looked intriguing.  So I ordered it - and it came and I read it.  Often non-fiction books take me a while to read, but this read almost like a novel, and I raced right through it.

Neenah Ellis - who was and maybe still is a writer for NPR - got a grant for a series on All Things Considered.  

She sought out recommendations for centenarians she might interview and set out.

The ensuing journey is fascinating - and I use the word because it fits!  Like she says, we will all grow older - and could live to be 100.  In light of our experience with Harry's mom, this story was insightful in many areas.

The individual stories are full of details that bring the stories to life.  The book was published in 2002 and I found myself sad thinking that the people in the stories are definitely no longer alive!

Read it - you won't be sorry you did!!

"Wonder" ful!

A great read - can't wait for the movie!

A truly feel-good story - we always want to see the underdog get on top - this story fulfills that dream!!

A quick read

My Tuesday/Thursday walking buddy Rene loaned me this book.  It was a quick read - and a good one.  About the Armenian genocide - which I confess I know little about.

It's a novel, but it is based on the recollections of the author's great uncle - who survived the genocide and came to America in 1920.

Lots of food for thought here.

A great read!!

Harry and Dawn and kids gave this to Harry for Father's Day - and I read it first - since I'm the faster reader - and Harry takes his time getting books read!!

Reminded me of Beloved Benjamin is Waiting - with Harry Potter elements.  And a well-told story.

It's for kids - who I'm sure love it.

It's for grown-ups too!!

I loved it!

A read

When I flew home from Hannah's after Ralph was born, there was a posted two hour delay for my flight - and I had arrived early anyway.  I did have books with me, but I'm always looking for an excuse to buy a book, so I picked this one up - along with a some snacks!!

The wait actually was shorter than they had said it would be - and it was a very short flight - so I barely got the book started.  

I got home with lots to do after being gone for 2 weeks - and then we took off the next day for Portland. I did take the book with me, but read magazines instead!!

Finally got into the story, but it wasn't very compelling.  It became "what I read while eating lunch" instead of "I can't put this book down!"

Finally it felt compelling - at least I wanted to find out how it all ended.  Let me just say, the best thing about this book is the true story it is based on.  The afterward lets you know what's fact and what's fiction - and lots of it is fact.  Which gives it merit in my mind.

Read the summary - it might be all you need to know!

An enlightening read!

As Mother's bookshelves were emptied and the books were sorted, lots of interesting books tumbled out. Not all were excellent or well-written, but they all seemed to have a story to tell.

A Lion and A Lamb by Rand H. Packer was one such book.  A young married couple was called to serve a mission at the former Joseph Smith farm.  The Church was interested in acquiring places like the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah, but there was still a lot of anti-Mormon sentiment in the area.  (This was the around 1915.)

The couple was called to serve at a stake conference in Richfield, Utah - by President Joseph F. Smith. Right out of the audience!

They went, no questions asked - and served for 24 years!

It's not especially well-written - that is, the writer isn't a professional writer.  But the story and the events are compelling enough that it doesn't matter.

And the story carries a special spirit with it too.

It is also a very quick read.

Since I enjoyed A Man Called Ove so much, I decided to try another book by Mr. Backman.  I was not disappointed! The author's style is definite, but it's not overwhelming - seems to go with the story.

And this is a great story - in fact, it's a story about stories.

The twists and turns in the plot are engaging.  The individual portraits are very telling.  And like all great stories, you can really see it all!

I wish I had a book group to talk about it with - let me know if you've read it - and what you thought!

Some adolescent lit for your reading pleasure!!

We spent a few days at Eliza's last week - and I found these treasures in the Little Free Library on her street.  They were perfect for reading on the plane ride home - read them both in the 5 1/2 hours it took to fly back.

Stealing Freedom was about the Underground Railroad - and after our visit to the Museum of African American History and Culture, it was certainly pertinent.

Because it's based on a true story, the details seem even more compelling - this story deals with a free slave who has been promised by his wife's master that the family will never be split up and sold - and that the father can save to buy their freedoms.

Of course the master does not keep his word - and that's when the drama begins.  This books seems like an especially good way to introduce a young person to all the issues surrounding slavery and the Underground Railroad.  

 I found it informative too - and I thought I knew a lot about these historical issues.

Give it a read!!

 

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is also based on a true story.  In fact, the author, whose father was a well-known writer and journalist in Berlin in 1933,  has based the story on a two-year period in her own life when her father was prescient enough to recognize the threat that Hitler was to all Jews.

The story details their escape to Switzerland, then France, and finally England.

The story would be good for even younger readers, since there is nothing very graphic or scary.

Give it a look-see too!

Latest read - what I do when I ought to be doing other things!

Saw this on the shelf at Target and thought it sounded intriguing.  It sounded better than it was.  Not sure if it's the translation? Or the subject matter?  

The story line is a good one - you want to know how it all turns out - but that is mostly what kept me reading!

Not the best recommendation!

A Time to Read!

Phoebe was mentioning this book - and then I saw it at Target and went ahead and bought it.  It was 20% off at least (I have been known to advocate not buying more books - easier said than done!)

Turns out I'm way behind - everyone I have mentioned it to seems to have read it! I need to keep up a little better I guess.

This was a charming story to read. It is not great art - but it is well-told. And I frankly felt that the characters - though definitely one-dimensional - were true to life.  I could think of someone I know to match everyone of them!

If you are like me and are behind the times, give this one a look-see - and let me know what you think!

Latest read

Needed something to read for my recent plane trip - and got this on Kindle.  Then, somehow, the formatting didn't allow it to be read on my Kindle.  I could read it directly on my iPad, which I did - but it was a little more convoluted to bring it up. Frustrating to say the least!

But I read it when I got home - and it started slow - as other books of Ann Patchett's do - but it did become compelling.

The author weaves a great story - long, circuitous, complex, sometimes a little difficult to sort out - that is ultimately satisfying.

A review I read issued a caveat about the story - it involves a death from a bee sting - and suggests that if you or a loved one has bee allergies, you might not want to read it.  The death is actually not represented as factually as is apparently true about bee stings. But I thought it added a certain level of complexity to the story.  Didn't know about the medical inaccuracies when I read it!

What I've Been Reading Lately

Harry alerted me to this really excellent read!  The premise - this is a novel - is that Charles Lindbergh has run against and defeated FDR for a 3rd term in office.  The results are chilling - especially in light of today's political climate.  It is a good read!

 

Needed a book to read after my flight was delayed yesterday - fun to browse in the Sam Weller Bookstore at SLC Airport.  This was not a literary masterpiece - it was even a little hackneyed - but it was great airplane fiction.  I got home with over half of it read - and instead of unpacking, doing laundry, sorting mail, and even fixing lunch for myself - I read!

Sometimes you just need a book that keeps you in your chair with your feet up - it's out there in my Little Free Library now!

A must-see!!

What a great film!!  I ordered the book - no waiting around for the library to get it or have it - our library never seems to have anything!!

And I ordered a physical copy - I want to share it once I'm done.

I was proud to be a woman after seeing this!

One feature that truly impressed me was the scene where Katherine explains to her irate boss why she is gone for over 40 minutes every day - to walk - usually run actually - to the closest colored bathroom - which is 1/2 mile away! When I read about this scene in a review, it got me thinking about how dehumanizing it must be to be unable to take care of such a basic human need because society says you aren't good enough to use the available bathroom.  There was a similar passage in Road to Memphis, one in the series of novels following Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  

I'm not sure how people can be so unfeeling. And I loved how Kevin Costner said, after taking down the "Colored Restroom" sign, "At NASA, we all pee the same color!"

Latest read

After my Poldark reading binge, I was left with nothing to read!!  Saw this book in the Friends of the Library bookstore - and since I'd enjoyed reading Drowning Ruth by the same author, I plunked down my $2!

It was a good read - a well-told story with a surprise ending - something I always appreciate. It covers a lot of interests - California Indians, lighthouse lore, sailing stories, and sea life. 

It was also easy to read in parts - I could read it each day with my lunch for one thing - always a plus in my book.

Let me know what you think!