| Author |
Message |
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 12:43 pm 
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 4:15 pm
Finished Forks Over Knives - it was better than the Diary book, but half of it was simply recipes. Didn't really need those...
Last night I started another intriguing book titled Ellla Minnow Pea (say it aloud!). It is about an island who honors Nollop the "famous" guy who wrote "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." They have this on a huge sign with the saying on it, and when the letter "z" falls off after 100 years of so, the High Elders decide it's a sign from the beyond that they should take all z's out of their vocabulary. They set up punishments for anyone who uses the letter verbally or in writing. Of course, as more letters fall off, the problem worsens.
Not only is the premise interesting, but the story structure is also promising in that the tale is told through letters only.
The themes would match brilliantly with 1984 or The Book (M. Clifford), as it looks at issues of conformity vs. rebelling, societal oppression by gov't, control of language equating to control of people, etc. I'm thinking I may try to add it to my Dual Enrollment class next year.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 5:35 pm
I just finished "The Will of the Empress" by Tamora Pierce. It's kind of a continuance of her books, the quartets of Circle of Magic and the Circle Opens books. They are all quite good. I enjoyed them a lot.
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 5:52 pm
A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 7:40 pm
Teach - the book you "reviewed" sounds very intriguing - I really love the title!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, June 23, 2013 - 9:06 pm
I am enjoying every single word of it, Tntitanfan! It's under $6 on Kindle, too. 
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 4:04 am
Tnt, did you ever finish Elegance of the Hedgehog? If so, did you like it? I had a hard time getting into it but did like it by the time I finished.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 5:03 am
No, Mak, I was not able to plough through it! I did put it in our library's spring book sale, so it did not go to waste!
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 5:04 am
On another note, has anyone but me read Jane Langton's Homer Kelly mystery series? I find them very well written, and she sets them in a nice variety of locales -
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Whrlwnd
Member
10-13-2006
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 7:02 am
Just wanted to post a little thank-you to all of you. Unbeknownst to you I frequently come here when I'm looking for something new to read.
I especially appreciate those of you who write a bit about the books, too. Usually I'm totally unfamiliar w/ the titles you mention, and it helps me figure out if it's a book I might like.
I say this because I was stuck for a new book, and now I'm not.
Teach you just sold me on Ella Minnow Pea. It sounds very interesting, and I doubt I'd have ever discovered it on my own.
And Tnt I love mysteries, so I'll be looking into those Homer Kelly mysteries too.
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Rvon
Member
12-11-2003
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 9:44 am
I read Ella Minnow Pea a few years ago and absolutely loved it.!!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 5:07 pm
Finished Ella Minnow Pea today, and it was absolutely fantastic!
I'm having a hard time getting into The Kite Runner, but I'm going to give it another go tonight.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 5:48 pm
The movie of "The Kite Runner" was much easier to approach than the book!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, June 24, 2013 - 9:12 pm
Just found out that the author of Ella Minnow Pea has another book titled Ibid which "is a biography by inference" when the manuscript is lost in a bathtub mishap and only the separate footnotes remain to tell of the life of Jonathon Blashette, a three-legged man. I'm reading it before The Kite Runner as he quoted my favorite author (Diana Gabaldon) on the page before the story started.
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Anntie
Member
09-03-2010
| Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 2:25 pm
Started "Always Watching" by Chevy Stevens.
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Mak1
Member
08-11-2002
| Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 6:44 pm
I finished A Wedding in December and liked it. One thing I especially liked. One character was writing a short story which was shared with us. It was interesting to see how she weaved life experiences into the story. Her story was so intriguing in one part that I actually forgot it wasn't the main story.
Tnt, I can understand not wanting to plough through it and knew you would pass it on.
Tonight I'm too tired to read. Tomorrow I will pick something from my TBR pile.
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 6:56 pm
I'm interested to hear if Always Watching is as good as Chevy Stevens' other two books. Let us know Anntie (and I think Mamie read it too).
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 8:11 pm
It's good, not as good as her other two, but still a good read.
My review:
http://maryward.booktrib.com/reviews/always-watching/
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Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:25 am
Thanks for the review, Mamie! Now I have a picture of you to go with your posts too.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 10:33 am
I've lost some weight since then, have new glasses and shorter hair but that's me!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, June 27, 2013 - 9:08 pm
I finished Sisterland and was rather disappointed. It started off really well but went downhill.
I am still reading Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky. And I started I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan. It's told in letters between two women who become pen pals during World War II while their husbands are off to war.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, June 28, 2013 - 5:04 am
I real almost NO non-fiction, but a friend has recommended Andrew Carroll's "Here is Where," which apparently offers a new look at American history. Has anyone read it?
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Jasper
Moderator
09-14-2000
| Friday, June 28, 2013 - 8:24 am
Mak1 - I'm currently listening to A Wedding in December. I'm enjoying the sub story of Innis more than the wedding story.
I picked up about 30 books at our library sale and started one by Kristan Higgins called Too Good to be True. A light fluffy book but it is written with some humour. Enjoyable.
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Jasper
Moderator
09-14-2000
| Friday, June 28, 2013 - 9:06 am
I'm also starting Talking with My Mouth Full by Gail Simmons
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, June 28, 2013 - 12:00 pm
Jasper, I enjoyed that one.. the Gail Simmons one.
TNT, that is one NF book you might also enjoy!!
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