March Reads

[Ursula]

Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!!   The Ides of March are upon us!!  What are you reading this month??  Are you reading for adventure? escape? romance? knowledge?  As always our choices are many....too many books, not enough time!!

I am finally reading Elizabeth Strout's My Name is Lucy Barton; a tender tale about a daughter still trying for a relationship with her mother.  At times, it just breaks my heart, but I haven't given up on them yet.

I'm also reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.  This book, which deals with aging and our medical community, has been on my nightstand for over a year.  It's an excellent read and more about living life to its fullest, but also speaks to the realities of the shortcomings of our society toward our final years. There is no cure for getting old and we all hopefully get to experience it.  It is an interesting read, but I seem to only be able to read it in small bites.

Do any of you remember reading The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew?  This was a debut novel by a 70-year old woman.  Published in 2011, she shared her story with us on the old Bookoholics site and joked about getting a 2-book deal with her publisher.  It had taken her 18 years to write her book and she wondered if she would have the time to write another.  The answer is YES!! as she shared on Facebook this week,

1. I just wrote two of the loveliest words in the dictionary:
2. THE END

We don't have a title yet, and of course, it will be months before publication, but I will keep you posted.

Enough of me, what are you reading this month?

[Carolyn Tewell]

URSULA...Thanks for starting us out this month...and with a RABBIT, RABBIT as well!

For "grins and giggles" I re-subscribed to Writers Digest. Now, my writing is more like pretending. Still, from their publications I get at least one tip that I use on my Sparkpeople Team (health, weight management and fitness)

Anyway a featured Author was Archer Mayor. He is a Medical Examiner from Vermont. On his desk is a sign that says, "The Corpse Stops Here." I had never heard of him before but requested 2 audiobooks from Library he has written. Now, some books don't do well on audio so I will try again in book form. I love Police Procedural so not giving up on this guy.

Next up is John Lescroart's FATAL. I generally love this Author...kind of a Harlan Coban type.

Currently I am reading Ashtabula Hat Trick by Les Roberts. Now, you would have to be an Ohioan to even know where Ashtabula is located! The guy is a great mystery writer and I already have placed tape flags on descriptions that intend to pirate!

Such as:
"He was set to meet Milan and Tobe for breakfast at 9AM but he needed coffee to kick-start his working day---real coffee not the stuff regurgitated by the motel coffeemaker on the bathroom counter!"

How many times I have thought this!!!

SOOO I looked through the catalog from Audio Editions to flag some books to order from Library. So many of my bookies love the Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER series. Could I even try to get into this? That being said I have listened to all of The Clan of the Cave Bear series at least 3 times...like 130+ discs! Times 3 equals almost 400 discs over a period of 5 years.

I like to listen to Mystery Short stories when I walk...like KWIK CRIMES and Mystery Writers Association.

I'll be awaiting all your recommendations this month.

[Carci]

I just finished The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi.  It took awhile to get into the story as it jumps back and forth from Afganistan today back to 100 years ago and the names are hard to follow...  Khala-jan, Madar-jan, Gulnaz-jan.  I still haven't quite figured out the -jan even after finishing the book...  lol.  But I did enjoy the story and it brought to light the plight of the Afghan women even in this day and age.

If you enjoyed The Kite Runner and 1000 Splendid Suns, I would recommend this book as well.

Next up is Night Moves by Randy Wayne White.  This is the March book in my f2f book club that I joined last fall.  It is the middle book of a series so I don't expect to enjoy it but I'll give it a try...

Have any of you read this author?

[Ursula]

Carci, I haven't read either of your authors, but I have a question for you regarding the first book.  I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, but the memory of how I sobbed through the last 30 pages is still with me.  Is The Pearl That Broke Its Shell as emotional a read??  I definitely intend to read it, but want to be in the right frame of mind before starting it...and may not want to take it on a plane ride.  :-)

[Carci]

Ursula, there are definitely some sad parts in the book (cruelty and beatings) but I didn't shed any tears. The dynamic between the first, 2nd, 3rd & 4th wives was interesting.   Hard to believe that women are still treated as chattel in the 21st century in that part of the world. The book is intense and enlightening but it has a good ending. I have come to see the Muslim women around our suburb in a new light.

[Carolyn Tewell]

Randy Wayne White...a favorite writer of mine. Florida authors...my first choice.

[Carolyn Tewell]

CARCI...thanks for the reminder to put on hold MANGROVE LIGHTENING by Randy Wayne White ...along with VISCIOUS CIRCLE by CJ Box.

I dunno why I like books by male Authors so much more than female?

[Carci]

Carolyn, Haven't read RWW before so I will try him with an open mind.  Knowing you consider him a favorite gives me hope... lol.

Thanks for the tip on the next Joe Picket... have read that whole series and will put Vicious Circle on reserve at the library.  :)

[Ioruach]

I am reading, and very much enjoying, No Man's Land by David Baldacci. It has occurred to me that I seem to be stuck on the same few authors over the past few months. I need to find someone new. Perhaps that will be corrected, because I just picked up News of the World by Paulette Jiles from the library. I had read a brief blurb about it in my newspaper and it sounded interesting. So I put it on hold. For some reason, however, I was left with the impression (perhaps it was the title) that it was a work of non-fiction. But I see it is a tiny novel, barely 200 pages long. Interesting. I hope the book is, as well.

[Carci]

Loved News of the World, Lourach, and I went on to read a couple more by the same author.  While the story is based on an actual person, the story itself is fiction, I believe.  With the way news travels today at lightning speed, I thought it was fascinating to think people had to wait for someone to read the news to them 'back in the day'.  But then I realized that most people couldn't read themselves...

[Carolyn Tewell]

FATAL by John Lescroart! Loved the mystery! Covered some side actions like anorexia, infidelity and much more. Loved it. Not sure if it is a "sale" for my DH...leans heavily on female compromises.

I started An Old Man by Thomas Perry. Used to be a hotshot Army intelligent agent...now being hunted down and on the run. Not sure if this has enough reality for the fantasy or something like that? Popular book though.

DRAT...time to make dinner...where does the day go?

[Ioruach]

I have Fatal on hold at my library. I understand from the review it is a stand alone and not in the Dismas Hardy series. I have probably read nearly every novel Lescroart has written, and there have been lots of them.

[Carci]

I started The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult about 2 days ago.   It is a WWII novel which is hard to read and hard to put down...  very factual account of Auschwitz conditions in the second half of the book.  My sister tells me there is a twist at the end of the book which seems to be trademark Picoult these days.

Has anyone else read this?