JANUARY READS

[rapa]

Happy 2014 to all !!!  Shall we start thinking about listing our best and worst reads of 2013?

I'm almost finished Grisham's SYCAMORE ROW and totally enjoying it. Not yet finished Turow's IDENTICAL.  Have GUESTS ON EARTH: a novel by Lee Smith waiting at library.

What's on your plate?

[rapa]

Perhaps you recall how much I enjoyed Amy Tan's THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT.  Here is a terrific interview with Amy Tan that was in The Sunday Dallas Morning News. 

http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/books/20140124-author-amy-t...

Unfortunately I don't "do" Dallas in the evenings but those of you who live in Dallas may want to attend the event.

[Mandy Muffin]

Finished up "Life after Life" by Kate Atkinson, a novel that deals with reincarnation and the potential that an English woman had the opportunity to kill Adolph Hitler in the early 1930s, but passed on the choice.  Of course, his henchmen would have killed her instantly. 

Starting on "My Notorious Live" by Kate Manning.  It is described as Dickensian in narrative. http://www.amazon.com/My-Notorious-Life-A-Novel/dp/1451698062 You don't have to say anything else to hook me.  But we'll see. 

[Ioruach]

I just finished Baldacci's King and Maxwell. Like his many others, I enjoyed it very much.  One of his better efforts, I thought.

[Carci]

 Finished Pompeii by Robert Harris today.  DH read it a couple of weeks ago and encouraged me to read it even though it sounded dry to me.  He was right.  It was a very enlightening and entertaining story, some history, some romance, some mystery. Kept me guessing right up until the end.

We had journeyed to Pompeii during a trip to Italy about 10 years ago so I knew the general storyline. The book is set shortly before and after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.  I was amazed at the description and construction of the aqueducts and never realized what marvel of engineering they were for that time in history. But more than that, the novel brought the people of that time period alive in a way that visiting the site never did.   

If you enjoy historical novels, I would highly recommend this book and will probably check out others by this author.

I'm starting The Orchardist on rapa's recommendation and the first chapter sounds promising...

[Joanne]

My f2f  book club read Pompeii several years ago.  It is still a book that our members think of immediately when the subject comes up of what we have read in the past.  A tremendously enjoyable, informative well written book.

Another f2f book we read a long while ago, that seems to be a club favorite, "The Madonnas of Leningrad".

Wow, I loved that book, and have read it twice,and have it on my Kindle.  I think it is a $1.99 bargain on Kindle today. 

[Mandy Muffin]

Thanks, I picked up "The Madonnas of Leningrad."  I generally am interested in all things Russian (cultural and historic) as I visited the place twice.  I still remember my tour guide at the Hermitage, Natasha. I understand the main character does the same job. 

[Carci]

Joanne. I read Madonnas of Leningrad several years ago when I was on my WII marathon...  lol

Yes, it was very well written, informative and enjoyable.