| Author |
Message |
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Tuesday, October 04, 2016 - 5:06 pm 
I tried reading Lily and the Octopus but abandoned it after about 50 pages. The dialogue scenes between the the dog owner and the dog were just not doing it for me, so I bailed nice and early.
Last night I finished Bruce Springsteen's much-anticipated autobiography Born to Run. From '75 to '88, I was a rabid Bruce fan and I was lucky enough (VERY lucky) to get him to personally autograph his first 7 albums for me. But then his voice changed fairly dramatically at the beginning of the '90s and I just didn't like the way it sounded. I also stopped going to his concerts (though I've seen him perform live more than any other act I've ever followed: 35 times).
Anyway, the autobiography is extremely revealing about his struggles with his mental health. There were sections where I said, "I can't believe he's sharing this - it's so personal." If you're a Bruce fan, you'll really, really like the book (all 510 pages). I did notice a couple of things that were wildly distracting: his persistent use of the word "contextualize" (at least 7 or 8 uses) - who talks like that? Irritating is what it was. And, worse, there were numerous times when he would write the word "myself" instead of using the more conventional/less weird "me" - those gripes didn't prevent me from rating the book a 10/10, but it crossed my mind to give it a 9.5/10 because of those irritants!
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, October 04, 2016 - 6:04 pm
Uncle_Ricky, I wish I had bailed on Lily and the Octopus but I plowed on to the end. It was a ridiculous book. I think I only finished it because I had health issues and couldn't get to the library.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, October 04, 2016 - 9:36 pm
Mamie316, did you finish Be Frank With Me?
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Tuesday, October 04, 2016 - 10:36 pm
Sugar, I hope you're all better and can go to the library as often as you like - I'm sorry you got stuck with that book. I think Mamie didn't like it either if I recall correctly. 
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 10:02 am
I liked the beginning of it but then it just went to a strange place. What was that whole thing with the boat?!
Sugar, I haven't gotten to it yet but maybe that will be my next one.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 10:03 am
I just finished Fractured by Catherine McKenzie and thoroughly enjoyed it. Neighborhood gossip, a murder game, paranoia, stalking. It had it all.
I also read Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight which I highly recommend.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 10:45 am
Mamie316, the boat just really took that book beyond silly. I kept waiting to find out Lily was fine and the man had the tumor and was hallucinating.
Let me know what you think of Be Frank With Me.
Uncle_ricky thank you, I am recovering. Hubby took me to the library last week and I have been cleared to drive so will be going again this week.
I do so very much love reading.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 10:45 am
I was curious about Lily and the Octopus. It's such an odd and interesting title and concept. However, I only read a few pages but I bailed on it for a different reason. I thought it would be too sad and I generally don't read a lot of stories where the main plot is sad.
I just finished reading Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay. Thanks again to Ric and all for recommending him!
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 4:39 pm
That's great news, Sugar. Tell your husband for me that he's a great guy for helping you to engage in the world's greatest pastime. 
Jimmer, that's one of my favorites by Barclay. I'm so glad you're continuing to enjoy his stuff. Yay! And since you are allergic to sad plots, make sure you don't read anything by Anita Brookner (one of my all-time favorites). Every single one of her 24 novels are among the saddest books I've ever read (yes, I loved all 24 of 'em).
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 4:57 pm
Oh, no!!! When I went to double-check just now on the number of novels Anita Brookner has written, I discovered that she had died this past March at age 87! 
She had a remarkable career (she wrote her first novel at age 53!) as beautifully described in her lengthy New York Times obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/arts/international/anita-brookner-hotel-du-lac-obituary.html?_r=0
I cannot believe I was asleep at the wheel about her passing. Now I'm going to be sad for the rest of the day. But thank you, Jimmer, for mentioning what you did about sad plots - it might have been months from now that I learned about her death. She was, indeed, the "Mistress of Gloom" - may she rest in peace.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, October 05, 2016 - 8:24 pm
Popping in to say hi - I've been reading all your posts, but since school started, I've not even finished a magazine! I'm listening to The Scottish Prisoner and the third Harry Potter book, but I just got Sue Perkins autobiography Spectacles in the mail, so I'm hoping to read it over the next couple weeks.
Can someone help me find a lost treasure so I can quit my job and just play piano for musicals and read??
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 9:57 am
I just finished The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. It is a page turner, but I don't know if it is one I would recommend. It may be my peri-menopausal irritability, but the stupid actions of one character (in particular) induced "reading-rage" in me. Haha
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 11:07 am
Rieann, I felt the same way and the title was very misleading to me. It really had not much to do with the story.
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 3:37 pm
Thanks, Mamie. I'm glad it wasn't just me. LOL
I started Fractured by Catherine McKenzie that you recommended yesterday. Very enjoyable so far. It's not rage inducing. Haha! I needed a mystery/thriller to heal me after this morning's debacle and this one is doing the trick. 
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 3:47 pm
I started Jodi Picoult's new book Small Great Things. Of course, it will be the normal Picoult book with some medical event and a trial but I am loving it so far. A bit hard to read at times because it is about an Aryan couple who do not want the black nurse to take care of their baby. Something happens to the baby and she is blamed. The beginning is written so beautifully that some lines have brought me to tears. I am pretty emotional lately so it might just be me.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 6:06 pm
I didn't know that Jodi Picoult had a new book. I think every other book of hers is good. Can't recall what the last book was, perhaps the one with the elephants? Or the baker and the Nazi's?
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, October 06, 2016 - 6:08 pm
I think it comes out next week.
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Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Saturday, October 15, 2016 - 12:59 pm
Finished The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. I don't remember where I got the title from - it might have been from one of Oprah's lists - but I didn't care for it. The story is about 4 siblings waiting on their inheritance because each of them is in debt for different reasons. Having just gone through the process of dividing up our parent's estate, this might not have been the best time to read it.
I'm now back to Linwood Barclay's Promise Falls reading Too Close To Home.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Saturday, October 15, 2016 - 1:16 pm
Small Great Things was very good. I also finished Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt which I also really liked.
I am now reading Bryan Cranston's A Life in Parts. Just wish he was here actually reading it to me.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, October 15, 2016 - 7:07 pm
I spent what felt like an ETERNITY getting through Don Winslow's highly-touted The Power of the Dog (written in 2005). A good friend of mine assured me I would love it, which of course I did not. I won't be taking that friend's advice in the future. The book had its moments, but at 540 pages, it was 340 pages too long. I'm "one and done" with Mr. Winslow, that's for sure.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 11:04 am
Now, here's a mini-shocker. This was my review on Twitter and Mr. Winslow himself "liked" my post. I never expected THAT to happen. 
Ric Munoz
@munoz_ric
I somehow forced myself 2 finish all 540 pages of #ThePoweroftheDog by @donwinslow; 40 of them were good, the rest bored me to death. 2/10
LIKE
1
Don Winslow
7:00 PM - 15 Oct 2016
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 11:50 am
LOL .... either that was one of the best reviews he has received or he isn't a very good reader!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 12:30 pm
Wow. That is a first. How could an author like you not liking his book? I have never had that happen, yet.
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 5:24 pm
on twitter there is only the heart icon - it is not just a "like", it just an acknowledgement that you have read the post.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 4:16 am
I thought it was described as "favoriting" a tweet which implies something positive. I've struggled a bit with that myself when someone has posted something sad that I want to acknowledge.
I think people use it for different purposes (even like a bookmark or simply to indicate interest) so the intent is often unclear.
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