| Author |
Message |
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, October 23, 2015 - 6:16 pm 
I'd never heard of Michael Robotham until Linwood Barclay praised him for winning this year's Gold Dagger Award (presented by the British Crime Writers Association).
That piqued my interest enough to go track down Robotham's debut novel, The Suspect, published in 2004. I finished it this morning and enjoyed it immensely. I will, as is my custom, track down all his other books. 
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Friday, October 23, 2015 - 7:00 pm
I finished The Martian. I think I would have liked it more if I had not seen the movie first. I don't believe I've ever done that before. The technical and math stuff in the book bogged it down too much for me. I still found the ending very exciting, though. I liked the characters and am glad they were the same in the movie.
Now I'm reading When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning. It's nonfiction with an interesting storyline for everyone who values reading.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Friday, October 23, 2015 - 8:07 pm
Yeah, that's kind of strange about The Martian. I haven't seen the movie yet, but reading the book, I could picture it in my mind. Especially the audience applause ending.
The book I'm reading now, "Frozen Fire", is different. I don't know how it's going to end yet.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, October 24, 2015 - 12:45 pm
I just read Slade House by David Mitchell. I have never read any of his books before. My daughter really likes him. I enjoyed it. It's a very quick read, not very big and had an interesting storyline about I guess you would call them soul vampires.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Saturday, October 24, 2015 - 10:51 pm
Finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and really enjoyed it.
Moving onto Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman. I have enjoyed every book of hers that I've read so far.
Agree with Reenie that In the Blood is a good thriller and I'm off to add Michael Robotham to my wishlist at the library - thank you Uncle Ricky.
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Monday, October 26, 2015 - 12:32 pm
I read Close Encounters of the Furred Kind by Tom Cox this weekend. He's written four books about being a "cat man".
His twitter account @MYSADCAT, about The Bear is my favorite (he's not really sad, he just looks like it). Here is a sweet article he wrote about The Bear recently losing his hearing...
http://www.tom-cox.com/2015/08/oh-whistle-and-i-wont-hear-you-mlad.html
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 5:15 pm
I finished listening to Insurgent yesterday, so now I'm on to Allegiance to finish up the trilogy. A Harry Bosch audio just came through to me from my library, so I'll be doing double duty.
I'm STILL trying to finish The Main Corpse, a cozy mystery with recipes. I thought I would really enjoy the mix, but I find it annoying. The murder mystery isn't that great, the writing REALLY isn't that hot, and while I enjoy recipes, the plot seems contrived to be able to include partial instructions within the narrative, even though the recipes are given in the book. I doubt I'll read another of this genre.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 12:27 pm
LOL, Teach ~ I tried a variety of cozy series a few years back with themes like coffee shops, sewing groups, etc., and came to the conclusion they're called "cozies" because the only time I could bear to finish one was when I was cozied up to a fire in January or February. During any other month, I'm completely bored by them.
Except for "The Cat Who . . ." series by Lillian Jackson Braun. That series got me through some tough years when I came home drained from work and life each night. It's about an ex-newspaper writer who inherits two cats that are possibly psychic and help him solve mysteries. But even then - I still only read them in January and February!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 2:32 pm
I highly recommend The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It's about two sisters during the Nazi occupation of France. Had me in tears.
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 3:52 pm
When Books Went to War is a great story. I had never heard about the huge book collections and publishing programs for our WWII soldiers and sailors. This is a heart-warming and poignant story for anyone who loves reading and enjoys having ready access to reading materials.
Today I started Still Alice by Lisa Genova. I'm almost in tears just reading the first chapter. I didn't see the movie yet.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, October 29, 2015 - 10:32 am
Lisa Genova's books are excellent.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, October 29, 2015 - 1:58 pm
I have read a memoir of a woman wanting a baby and having to deal with cervical cancer, then a very high risk pregnancy, premature daughter who lived for hours and finally when no one thought she could even get pregnant she did before they could prepare but they did a first ever (in Las Vegas) cerclage inside the abdomen instead of cervical which they had done the first time, and she had to be on bed rest for the entire pregnancy with some privileges.. she could cook sitting down for a specified time and I think go to the bathroom.
And they have a healthy baby girl.
It was written including all her diary entries written to each baby. From Dream to Dream Come True: My Journey to Motherhood by Brittany Ferrell.
Also read The Chomolungma Diaries: What a commercial Everest expedition is really like by Mark Horrell. Chomolungma is the name the Sherpas have for Everest, which the Brits names after some official who never set sight on the mountain. These are some of Mark's diaries when he finally did make it to the peak and down safely. Interesting. I have read so many mountaineering books. Love them.
Now starting Community Kid: Memories of a Bizarre Childhood and Reflections on Freedom by Kenny Lenox.
Kid raised in a small cult where kids were moved away from parents and all adults were considered their aunts and uncles, including their parents. Kids at public school made fun of the "community kids".
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Thursday, October 29, 2015 - 7:33 pm
Earlier today I finished Citizens of the Green Room : profiles in courage and self-delusion by Mark Leibovich. It's a collection of his various columns in the New York Times and Washington Post over the years -- excellent behind-the-scenes reporting about the DC political scene.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, October 30, 2015 - 5:16 pm
I finished listening to Nine Dragons - a Harry Bosch mystery. Still haven't finished that cozy mystery....
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Saturday, October 31, 2015 - 2:25 pm
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Saturday, October 31, 2015 - 7:56 pm
I'm reading Room by Emma Donoghue. It's based on real life, but is fiction. I'm about halfway through. Very good so far.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 8:31 am
I forgot to mention that I finished The Martian. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As others have mentioned, technology and science are a big part of the story, so people who aren't interested in that probably wouldn't enjoy it as much. Great characters though and a compelling story.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 8:33 am
Hey Jimmer, now you've got to see the film. Of course I haven't either yet. LOL. But it's on my wish list. Just hope it's still in theatres.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 11:00 am
Same here, want to see it, but don't get to movies much.
Glad you liked it, Jimmer.
I finished Community Kid.. wow.. he does a good job of flipping between past and present, where you can see a parallel between this small cult run by two "mothers", with sisters and brothers, where children are based by adults, used for labor, while at the same time broken down, forced to confess when they have done nothing wrong... parallels to FLDS without the polygamy, also to Scientology Sea Org on a smaller scale (and just the last couple of nights watched Lea Remini being interviewed about her life in and then leaving Scientology.
In her case she finally left and was relieved that her mother and husband left with her.
The author left behind his parents, who left a year later, but won't talk much about it.
In his current chapters he shows how the experience continues to have effects on his life.
Trying to choose what is next, but pretty sure it will be American Wife: Love, War, Faith and Renewal by Taya Kyle, widow of Chris Kyle, American Sniper.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 11:38 am
I'll be interested to hear what you think of that one, Sea.
-------
Yes I definitely want to see the movie now.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 12:54 pm
I saw the movie American Sniper and it was difficult to watch.
I see extreme focus and passion, but often wonder how that mixes with family.
Clearly people choose that duality, but how often is it just one of a family choosing it.
And kids don't get a choice, amazingly resilient, but I wonder if there are more kids who kind of wished they had had a parent present instead of a living legend, whether just absent or permanently gone, vs kids with parents present.
So I am interested in Taya's view of it. Not expecting her to want to change what they had, and you really cannot change someone that much, but we will see how real she gets.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 1:23 pm
Want to add that for this couple, they had made it through to much, come back together, and the kids had the mom and dad solidly in their lives..
What happened, even knowing he reached out (or more correctly responded to someone else reaching out) to someone who was damaged.. related to being a sniper, but not really.
Sad..
But just reading about the book and the first pages, she is carrying on the last mission, with equal passion.
Pretty amazing. Now to read the book.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, November 01, 2015 - 3:15 pm
quote:The young man’s name was Eddie Routh. He had been a Marine, and he had been deployed, though apparently he hadn’t seen combat. But his troubles started before that. Routh had held his girlfriend and a friend of hers at knifepoint and had a history of problems including drug abuse. Whether he was suffering from PTSD or not, his problems went far beyond that, in a different and far more lethal direction. He had threatened to kill his family and himself, been in and out of mental institutions, and generally acted antisocial— important facts that neither Chris nor I knew that morning.
Now I am angry that this guy's mom blindsided Chris; he should have known the details and had more choices about where, how and if he could help him.
Sorry.. just at the beginning of the book but she puts the worst day up front.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, November 03, 2015 - 7:46 pm
Finally finished the awful The Main Corpse!!! Almost done listening to Allegiant - the final Divergent book. It's definitely not as good as the first 2 (way more preachy), but still - much better than the cozy mystery! LOL
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, November 03, 2015 - 8:51 pm
LOL.. so all authors want to be compared to the cozy mystery in your case!
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