| Author |
Message |
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, March 13, 2015 - 4:44 pm 
I finished Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and was THISCLOSE to panning it until I reached the end and thus the plot twist revealed itself - had it not been for that twist I would've warned you all to avoid it.
I next read The Joyous Season by Patrick Dennis, thanks to the hearty recommendations put forth by Mak1 and Cablejockey! It was such a hoot. I never would have known it existed had it not been for the two of you two bringing it up here, so thanks for doing so. 
Tonight I'll start The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace - A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs. It was on a Top Ten of 2014 list I read somewhere and sounded interesting. We'll see.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, March 14, 2015 - 8:30 am
Have you ever read Finding Fish ?
It is a wonderful book.. there is also a movie but years ago we read the book here as a group and I think everyone loved it.
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Saturday, March 14, 2015 - 9:17 am
So glad you enjoyed The Joyous Season, Uncle Ricky. I like reading something totally off the wall different like that once in a while.
I recently read Escape by Barbara Delinsky. It was okay. It's about a woman escaping her seemingly great life to rediscover herself and to get back in touch with her former dreams.
Now I'm reading The House on Mermaid Point by Wendy Wax. An aging former rock star just out of another stint in rehab must put himself through a "reality" home make-over show, or else he will be forced to sell his beloved island getaway for income. The characters involved with the make-over show are interesting and funny. I hate to put it down, just picturing what's coming next.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, March 14, 2015 - 12:34 pm
It was a really funny off-the-Waller, yes!
I'm ashamed to say, Sea, that I've not read Finding Fish nor did I see the film version which was released by the studio I work for. I will definitely read it before I see it!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 2:57 am
Finished the Lancaster book, now reading Amy Purdy's memoir.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 11:30 am
Teachmichigan mentioned The Storied Life of AJ Fickery back a page ~ Just finished it. It's a charming book about a bookseller and it had me smiling the entire time.
Waiting on Orphan Train and All the Light We Cannot See from the library. In the meantime, I'll entertain myself with The Target, the 3rd Will Robie book from Baldacci.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 1:01 pm
Finished "The Sound of a Scream" by John Manning. It was pretty good.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 4:09 pm
Kappy - have you read Carloz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind? It's foundation is this magical book cemetary where there is one special book for each person. A bit more gothic/suspense than AJ Fickry, but a wonderful tale as well.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 5:48 pm
I started late last night and have been reading all afternoon and sadly, finished Amy Purdy's memoir, On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life.. she's had even more of a life than I realized. I knew of the Paralympics but thought maybe she was a snowboarder before losing her lower legs, but no. I knew of the loss of kidney function and having to have a transplant, but didn't know she was a licensed massage therapist before all that and became licensed as an esthetician after all that and the foundation she and her boyfriend set up and ran to support adaptive sports and athletes and how they were in the fight to even get her snowboarding sport into Paralympics, that she has had a few acting gigs, lots of speaking gigs, even toured with Oprah after DWTS.. what will she do next.
Interesting stuff about DWTS.. apparently they lured Derek to come back that season by offering him a challenge in Amy and he had to go to Sochi to start training and days after DWTS he went off on his tour so he was practicing for that, too.
Not sure what is next.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 5:51 pm
OK, next up is a novel! The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow: A novel by Rita Leganski.
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Rvon
Member
12-11-2003
| Monday, March 16, 2015 - 9:12 am
I'm reading Girl on the Train. It grabbed me right from page one.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Monday, March 16, 2015 - 9:20 am
I'm reading that right now as well! It's very good though a bit confusing the way they keep jumping back and forth in time and changing the first person perspective. I'm really enjoying it though.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Monday, March 16, 2015 - 4:10 pm
Teach ~ I will add that one to my list ~ Thank you!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 5:34 pm
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 6:55 pm
Loved, loved The Shadow of the Wind. It's beautifully poetic.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, March 20, 2015 - 10:42 pm
Finished the novel, which I really liked.. it was different, for sure..
Started a travel memoir of a guy who travelled round the world for a year and honestly, read a few of the entries.. he had journalled and used that.. and it was so shockingly bad, I walked away, which I almost never do with a book.
So I started another non fiction, true crime about the abduction and murder and some bad police work on the Adam Walsh case, all those long years ago.. Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction that Changed America, by Les Standiford and Joe Matthews and it is definitely well written and engaging.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, March 22, 2015 - 3:35 pm
I don't read nearly enough non-fiction, I'm afraid. Just today I finished an outstanding example from this field: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs. I am consumed with a profound sadness that'll take a day or two to shake. I can't remember the last time I was as emotionally wrecked by a story as I was by this one. It truly deserves every ounce of praise it has received thus far. You know going in the story is not going to end well, but even with that foreknowledge, I could not help but shed a few tears when I got to the last page. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, March 22, 2015 - 6:11 pm
It is so difficult when people have worked so hard to have a better life, but there is so much that works to drag them down. Over and over I hear of parents who move out of a dangerous area, only to have their kids go back and be in danger or be victims of violence.
I put that on a wish list.. maybe the price will drop down.
I finished the book about Adam Walsh and feel SO much anger at that whole police department, that seemed to be actively fighting against finding the murderer even when he confessed over 2 dozen times.
and admiration for the Walshes and the now ex cop who tried so hard to solve the case and finally was able to.
Starting a novel set in Sweden with a most, uh.. frustrating (I'm just starting) main character, Ove.
A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman.
Very wry humor.. international best seller.
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Dovez
Member
08-27-2005
| Monday, March 23, 2015 - 10:48 am
hello all...
just finished "the signature of all things" which i highly recommend for its literary excellence and it's extremely well researched subject.
as i'm a bit down for the count for a while, i've decided to read the entire terry pratchett sci-fi collection.
i began reading sci-fi while studying premed when my favorite young embryology prof called me into her office for a conference. her book shelves were full of asimov and clark, et al, and i was fascinated...and thereafter hooked on the greats of sci-fi literature.
pratchett has just passed away and i thought this a perfect time to honor his dedication to the craft.
(p.s. uncle-ricky, i'm sending you a private message)
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 3:20 am
Oh, I loved A Man Called Ove SO MUCH!
Special, quiet, yet so funny at times, so tender, really. So happy, I read it, and I miss the characters already.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 3:24 am
Now back to non fiction with BENEATH THE SURFACE KILLER WHALES, SEAWORLD, AND THE TRUTH BEYOND BLACKFISH by JOHN HARGROVE WITH HOWARD CHUA-EOAN.
More on Sea World.. and I have watched Blackfish many times, and wept.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 10:26 am
There are plenty of copies of the Ove book at the library, Sea, so I'll have no trouble getting my hands on a copy soon. Thanks for the tip!
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 1:07 pm
You got me with the Ove book too. Thanks, Sea.
I also added The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry that was discussed upthread.
I have an addiction... I have an addiction... I have an addiction...
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 1:27 pm
It is a very unusual book, I think. I don't want to say too much to spoil it. It has been printed in 25 languages, I think.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 5:21 pm
Nuts - our digital library doesn't have A Man Called Ove, and I've already got one dead tree book sitting on my nightstand that I'm not reading because I'm not getting to bed early enough.
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