APRIL READS

[rapa]

RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT and welcome to April. Looking forward to Easter, April showers, FINAL FOUR and no more snow!
I have Anita Shreve's STELLA BAIN and Jo Nesbo's COCKROACHES in my stack. Anything interesting awaiting you?

[Mandy Muffin]

I read Turow's "Identical" a couple of months ago and enjoyed the plot.  Turow is the master of the courtroom drama, as in his classic, "Presumed Innocent" and the recent sequel, "Innocent" that I also recently read.  He loves the surprise ending.  

[Carci]

I just finished The Plum Tree and altho I thought the love story was sappy and the writing was not as sophisticated as some of the other WWII books I have read, I did enjoy the book and am glad I read it. 

It covers areas of WWII that I have not read about in some of the other many WWII novels I have read over the past several years.  What it was like to be a normal family who didn't agree with the Nazi policies but felt helpless to stop what was happening in their country when any mention of dissent branded you as a traitor and what happened in Dachau after the Americans showed up to free the prisoners.  Since her mother and grandmother lived through those times in Germany and she grew up hearing their stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman has a special insight that is very interesting. As main character Christine's father tells her: "War makes victims of everyone."

I would recommend this book to others who have enjoyed Those Who Save Us, The Book Thief and Skeletons At The Feast.

I am now reading Tell Me Where It Hurts , a day of humor, healing and hope in my life as an animal surgeon, a non-fiction by Dr. Nick Trout.  As he states at the beginning "The tales you are about to read are the truth, practically the truth, and nothing less than a half-truth..."  I started liking it immediately. :)

[Flowergram]

Carci  I read   Tell Me Where It Hurts and you will love it.  It is funny and he tells a good story of his work.

[Carci]

I am enjoying it but it is not pulling me in like a good novel... It feels more like a long Reader's Digest article...   lol

I'm gonna take a break from it (1/2 way thru) and read Stone Cold by CJ Box, the next in the Joe Pickett series.  Then I'll go back for more doggie stuff.

[grammyk]

Sounds like a good read; I just ordered it from my library system.

[Mandy Muffin]

I love crime novels, especially those that take place on foreign soil.  I have read them from all over the world and just discovered one from Oslo, Norway.  Here is what Wiki writes about the book:

"The Redbreast (Norwegian: Rødstrupe, 2000) is a crime novel by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø, the third in the Harry Hole series (although the first in the series to be available in English).

The novel begins during former President Clinton's visit to Norway, where Harry reluctantly ends up playing an important role. Ramifications of the mission Harry is tasked with lead to him investigating neo-Nazi activity in Norway, and delving into a crime that has its roots in the battlefields of Eastern Front WWII.

A large part of the book is laid at the time of the Second World War – specifically, the Siege of Leningrad, wartime Vienna and the Bombing of Hamburg – making The Redbreast a war novel as well as a crime novel. The book touches deeply on the still highly sensitive issue of Norwegian Collaboration with the Nazis and specifically the voluntary recruitment of Norwegians to the Waffen SS."

The novel was voted Best Norwegian Crime Novel ever."

I seem to recall a very popular trilogy of crime novels from neighboring Sweden -  it was something about a girl and a tattoo. 

[Mandy Muffin]

--A consuming read, as an alcoholic detective gets involved in an assassination attempt that has roots in the Nazi sympathizers of WWII.  Some Norwegians felt a kinship with Germany and volunteered to fight against the Russian enemy. Unfortunately, they were treated as traitors after the war.  One such victim seeks revenge.  The story has a lot of information on a different aspect of WWII, including the siege of Leningrad. Also, some interesting viewpoints on life in Oslo, Norway -  the good and the bad.  There is some parallel to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which brought the reader into nearby Swedish life.  

[Flowergram]

Someone, I think it was Rapa, told of reading Harlan Coben.  I had never read him before and a friend gave me 3 of his books - read the first one and I am hooked - will have a lot of books to catch up on.  Thanks for the tip.  I just finished the first 3 of Evanovich's books.  I have read a lot of hers but did not get the ones in the beginning - just like life - I am going backwards. LOL  Keep the good books coming.

[rapa]

I have Harlan Coben's new MISSING YOU waiting for me at library. Currently it's #1 on NYT list. Am still finishing THE GOLDFINCH which is a very long but engrossing book.

[Carci]

I have both of those on request at the library as well. rapa... 

[Ioruach]

I just picked up The Goldfinch from my library a couple days ago. Anxious to start it, but the 700 plus pages do appear rather daunting.

[Mandy Muffin]

I had the same trepidation when I started the story but the action flows quickly enough to keep up interest.  It is such a good story I purchased the print of the title painting, which is now hanging in my living room.  The novel is described as Dickensian, and in that tradition, none of the Dickens novels are very short.  This is one advantage to reading on a Kindle, where the discomfort of holding a tome is avoided.  Most people read Dickens in serial form in the newspaper.