AUGUST READS

[rapa]

In August most of Europe seems to go on holiday. What are you doing?

I'm trying to stay cool in triple digits. Tolerable in a/c with low humidity and a stack of good reads.

Am reading a delightful, quirky debut novel. Here, take a look/see:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Speculation-A-Novel/dp/125005480X

What are you reading?

[Carolyn Tewell]

OKAY...so to bring down the high level of sophistication I'll post my actions!!! Lol

BETTER THAN BEFORE by Gretchen Rubin. Referred to my Team on SparkPeople. I checked out the AudioBook and was so enchanted by this Author and her intense study about habits!!! By the 3rd Disc knew I had to buy the book! She was the Author of New York Times best seller "The Happiness Project"...worked for Sandra Day O''Connor.

I have chucked several books...one is JA MCGRATH who writes mysteries in Alaska. Loved her first book but not the current one.

Now to really lower the bar...GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Now this dang book has been on best seller list for what? 8 months? So I got it in Audio. The Pundits said it was like "Gone Girl" which was repetitive and boring to me and I skipped to the end about 1/2 way through. But, what the heck, decided to give it a "GO!" WARNING WARNING! Adult themes...the type of book to appeal to 32 year old women of questionable morals! Lol.

It is advertised as a "Hitchcock" mystery. I must say, I am totally engrossed and can't wait to get back into the story later tonight!

I do have 6 books that finally came through from my "hold" list at the Library. So hopefully I'll have something fun to share over the next few weeks.~Carolyn

[Flowergram]

Whoopee Carolyn I want to read Girl on The Train from your description - I did not like Gone Girl but maybe the adult themes are more up my alley. LOL  I am reading or trying to - Go Set a Watchman - life just has too many distractions that interrupt my reading.  At my bedside I am reading Almost Dead - that's the way I get to sleep. Another Alaska author is Dana Stabenow - also mystery writer and you might like her - worth it for the descriptions of life there. 

[Carolyn Tewell]

FLOWER ...I have Dana Stabenow's BAD BLOOD on my side table. It starts kinda slow but I will get back to it.

TRAIN GIRL...I can see why the Book has been so popular. The Author (her first book) writes very realistically. I have known women like the characters...as co-workers, "n'er do well" family members, neighbors, women in the headlines, etc. in other words as I said to my oldest Daughter, I like some reality with my fantasy. She is now reading and told her...this might not be a book many women would share with their Moms! Lol...yet....compelling...now I am 75% through...so maybe it will fall apart at the end?

Sort of why I didn't share the whole experience before tonight. Furthermore I know 2 GUYZ who read GONE GIRL (and didn't like) but I am thinking this book would not be a choice for their reading pleasure.

[rapa]

Regardless of genre, David Baldacci is a master storyteller! Early this morning finished his ONE SUMMER, a story of a family devastated by loss and healed by love. One of my favorite Baldacci reads is WISH YOU WELL. Of course, I love his thrillers, too! He's never disappointed me! Any one else have him on your fav authors list?

[Carci]

Baldacci is absolutely a must read in my book ... pun intended...  lol

In the last week I have finished Any Other Name (Walt Longmire) by Craig Johnson.  This is the series that the cable show Longmire is based on.  I have always enjoyed the books, the TV series... not so much. Maybe because none of the characters looked as I had pictured them.

I went on to read Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf.  This is a short bitter-sweet romance of 2 people in their 70's who find each other near the twilight of their lives.  'Their brave adventures - their pleasures and their difficulties - are hugely involving and truly resonant, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer's enduring contribution to American literature.'

I'm now half way through The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron. This series features Mike Bowditch as a Maine game warden and the stories are compelling and well written. Recommended for fans of the Joe Pickett series by C. J. Box..

[rapa]

Carci, I, too, am half finished with Doiron's THE BONE ORCHARD. Am next on the list for C. J. Box's BADLANDS, a stand alone.

Next week Louise Penny's THE NATURE OF THE BEAST will be released. Am top of the list for that one!

Absolutely loved Haruf's OUR SOULS AT NIGHT! Have always valued friendship more than gold!

[Mandy Muffin]

Ordering a Baldacci from the library is an automatic.  "Memory Man" was my latest.  He has great characters (I love the group from the Camel Club series.) and spins an intriguing tale.  

[Carolyn Tewell]

My "Golden years" are feeling a bit tarnished today. LOL Could NOT get to sleep!

DAMAGE CONTROL by Robert Dugoni didn't help! Lol...very engrossing! I think one of you mentioned this writer a bit ago?

I loved THE BONE ORCHARD as well.

But just cancelled my hold on C.J. Box latest. Struggled through his last one and WSJ panned his latest as dull. Decided I would wait and get everyone's analysis on this Group before I try to check it out again.

[grammyk]

Bonanza at the library today - new books by Lisa Fairstein and Sara Paretsky found on the shelf when I went into my local library to return books!  

[rapa]

Surprised!! "Vince", the library robot just called. Louise Penny's THE NATURE OF THE BEAST is in for me along with THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP. Looks like I'll have a good reading week-end! Now if we just got some rain!!!!

[Mandy Muffin]

Library discourtesy?

I just picked up "A Man Called Ove" at my local library tonight.  http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Ove-Novel/dp/1476738025 I had it on reserve for two months with only three people in front of me and it has taken this long.  It seem there is just one copy for all six libraries in the system. I tracked the last take out on my library program that allows me follow the book and the person had it out for exactly the 21 days allowed. To my surprise, all kinds of bells and whistles went off when I tried to take out the book with the automated system.  I was informed that I was only allowed to take the book out for one week, due to the fact that a local book club has put the book on it's reading list. I told the librarian the book had been out for 21 days prior to me.  It seemed ridiculous that it would take that long to read a book of about 350 pages, at most. The librarian told me some people reserve a book for more than themselves and pass the book around to their friends, which takes the entire 3 week up.  Is this fair?  When I finish with a book that I borrowed from the library, I return it immediately, knowing others are waiting to read the book.  I don't think it is fair for people to be running a small little sub-set of the library borrowing system to circumvent the need for their friends and neighbors to reserve books on their own.  

 

[Ioruach]

Sometimes it is just too much of a good thing. Several of my "hold" books at the library came threw about the same time.  Then I left on a trip, was gone for six days, returned and received a call that two more were now available. Since I couldn't renew a book someone else is waiting for, I had to return The Stranger by Harlan Coben without reading it. Bummer! But I quickly put it back on hold.

Now I'm reading Memory Man by David Baldacci and on the non-fiction side, Planck-Driven by Vision, Broken by War. It is the story of the great German physicist, Max Planck, whose life was virtually destroyed by the Nazi bureaucracy.

On the bright side, too many books are much better than not enough.