| Author |
Message |
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 5:32 pm 
Finished Still Missing, which was quite well done, especially for a first novel. Her second book is on my wish list, but I'm not paying that price.
Starting We Have to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver, which I snagged for a quarter the other day.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 8:24 pm
Reenie, I read the Kitchen House and didn't care much for it. It may be that I read it too soon after the Help because it felt like it was trying to use different narrators as a gimmick rather than a true boost to the plot. (Shoot - Poisonwood Bible still sets the standard for me in that area.)
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 6:40 am
Really enjoying The Garner Files by James Garner. 
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Reenie
Member
06-24-2006
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 9:57 am
TEACH - thanks so much for your opinion!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 11:11 am
Sea, her second book is not as good as Still Missing. And didn't the ending just throw you?!
I read The Kitchen House a long time after The Help so there was no comparison for me in that way.
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Lakecat
Member
10-01-2006
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 12:14 pm
Just finished are YouThere Vodka by chelse handler
It was ok. About what I expected. Now on to Snaghai
Girls. Did someone here say this is going to be
Made into a movie.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 12:53 pm
Reenie, I think the other thing that bugged me (and this is totally personal preference, not a reflection on the writer) was that the vast majority of the story was told from the younger, white girl. The older slave voice would be heard for 2 pages, then the white girl would talk for 10 or 15. I'm sure it was because the plot followed the white girl's story growing up (geesh - I can't even remember the names now!), but especially at the beginning I wanted more balance between the narrative voices.
Sooo -- that is totally personal preference and I know a ton of people loved the book! Over 90% of the reviews on Amazon are 3 stars or better, so it would probably work well for a book club.
(And can you tell I feel guilty for not liking a book that so many others liked? It's as if I'm dissing books which goes against my English teacher brain! LOL)
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Roxip
Member
01-29-2004
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 1:59 pm
Oh well, I'm one of the few women I know in my social circle who didn't love the Twilight series. Bella absolutely drove me crazy! However, thanks to all who recommended The Hunger Games - I have swooped my way through all three books and am now waiting for the movie!
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Reenie
Member
06-24-2006
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 3:52 pm
TEACH - don't feel guilty!!! LOL!
There's a book called "Little Bee" which has gotten rave reviews. I loved the first half and hated the second half. Hated!!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 5:03 pm
Reenie, I felt the same way about Little Bee! Another book I hated that everyone raved about was Life of Pi.
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Reenie
Member
06-24-2006
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 5:58 pm
Mamie - how ridiculous was the ending of Little Bee?
I couldn't finish Life of Pi~!
We must have the same tastes...
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 6:48 pm
I think we do
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 7:41 pm
Mamie, thanks for the feedback on the second book.. I won't buy unless it goes on sale (the first was on sale).. the end.. well something like that was predictable, not the exact details, though.
I thought Life of Pi was okay but not raveworthy for sure.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Friday, March 16, 2012 - 11:10 am
I HATED Life of Pi. Couldn't make heads or tails of it, and thought it was utter shite. Not my thing in the least but made myself get through it cuz I was so sure that it was going to get better AND make sense (to me) at some point. Wrong. Worst book EVER. Plus it made me feel utterly stupid, cuz so many were raving about it. FEH!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Friday, March 16, 2012 - 3:00 pm
I also think that some people jump on the bandwagon of the praise for a book just so they look intellectual. Not saying that some people actually enjoy the book, I just think some people want to look smarter. IMO
Finished Tempest and enjoyed it. YA books are so different from when I was young.
Now reading The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks. I received an advance copy and I think it came out this week. I am so behind in reviewing advance copies! This one is about a reporter who decides to do a piece on a delivery person who was killed by a hit and run driver. He thinks it's just going to be something nice about a co-worker but starts to unravel something else.
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Cablejockey
Member
12-27-2001
| Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 2:00 pm
I am reading 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz. Its a very good read if you like this genre and I love horror/supernatural stories.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11166890-77-shadow-street
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 9:22 pm
Finally finished Open and now need advice: should I read Swimming in the Daylight, The Muse of Edouard Manet, Shutter Island or The Lords of Discipline? I want a fairly fast read that's fun since I'm in a tri with 30 research papers from the lowest end senior class we offer (lots of bad writing is gonna' occur in the next 10 weeks!LOL!). I also have a set of Harry Bosch novels, but I just finished listening to one, so I'm thinking a break is in order.}
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 9:26 pm
The only one I have read is Swimming in the Daylight (which is free now and which Amazon is not telling me I already own) and I found it quite interesting.
Not sure I'd call it fun.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 11:45 am
I read the first couple paragraphs of a few, and I'm now 10% into The Muse of Eduoard Manet. Time travel, mystery, historical fiction - caught my interest right away. I loved M. Clifford's book The Book and this one appears to be heading toward the same type of review. (It also appears to be seriously derailing my plans for lots of school planning today, because I'm having a heckuva time setting it aside!)
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 3:41 pm
DH gave me a couple of early b'day gifts: A 75.00 gift cert for some dead-tree books at Chapters/Indigo (like Borders). Yay! And a pretty book-style purple cover for my kobo vox.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 3:46 pm
Nice!! (Hopefully it won't be too much like Borders.. around here they are gone  )
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 4:21 pm
Unlikely since they pretty much have a monopoly on most of the bookstore chains in Canada. They drove most of the established bookstores out of business when they first came on the scene.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 4:29 pm
That's what Borders, B&N did here but not Borders is gone. I guess B&N is still around.
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Lakecat
Member
10-01-2006
| Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - 7:14 am
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html...
100 Kindle books under $3.99
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - 8:24 am
I just started Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler. The characters are interesting and I think it will be an enjoyable read.
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