| Author |
Message |
Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Sunday, March 24, 2019 - 9:20 am 
Read a very good page-turner yesterday. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. A psychotherapist is obsessed with the case of a woman who shot her husband five times and hasn't spoken since.
This is the author's first book. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, March 24, 2019 - 11:54 pm
Tonight I finished Liane Moriarty's second published novel, The Last Anniversary, and I'm pleased to report it's an engaging family drama with a healthy dose of comedic scenes. There's a large cast of characters and, at first, it's a little bit of a challenge to keep all the relationships straight, but once you settle into the story it all eventually makes sense. I wish I'd started reading her stuff years ago, but it's, as you know, never too late to catch up on a writer's older books.
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 8:29 am
Rieann, wasn't that a good one? Twists you just did not see coming.
|
Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 8:41 am
The Silent Patient sounds good. I've added it to my reading list!
I'm glad you're liking Liane Moriarty's novels, Uncle Ricky. Awhile ago you mentioned that you'd probably skip Big Little Lies because you saw the TV series. I just finished watching the TV series and while it was very good (amazing cast), if you have the time, I think you'd enjoy the book even more. Although the story is basically unchanged, the book has so much more depth.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 11:25 am
I've added it, too, Jimmer (thanks Rieann and Mamie for endorsing it)! Now that I've read three of Moriarty's books, one thing that stands out very prominently is the howlingly funny dialogue she gives her characters. And since there was only so much of the dialogue from Big Little Lies that could be included in the HBO mini-series, I really must read it so that I don't miss out on all the comedic morsels offered in that book (and the added depth will be a nice bonus, too). 
|
Rieann
Member
08-26-2006
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 12:47 pm
Yes, Mamie! I was completely surprised. I wanted to say so much more when I did my post, but I was worried about saying too much.
Uncle Ricky, have you watched the HBO doc on Elizabeth Holmes? I tried to start it but, I couldn't get past her ridiculous fake voice. š
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 12:51 pm
I watched it.. The voice is bizarre, but so is the whole crazy story!
Nightline and 20/20 also covered it.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 1:04 pm
Definitely watched and loved it, yes! Her voice is totally destined for the creepiest voices hall if fame. But that grandson if Secretary of State Schulz sure was adorable - Iām glad they featured him in the documentary as much as they did. ššš
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 3:13 pm
..hall OF fame....
..grandson OF Secretary of State Schulz
I hate typing on the iPhone! 
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 3:40 pm
He was, huh? I agree.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 6:26 pm
SPRING BREAK!! Finished Lianne Moriarty's The Hypnotist's Love Story not too long ago (did I already mention that upthread?).
I'm almost finished listening to Written in My Own Heart's Blood (for the fourth or fifth time). On one Kindle I'm reading A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea while still working on Seven Troop on the other. Weird - evidently non-fiction is the genre for my Kindles. In deadtree book form, I'm reading Olivia Butler's Bloodchild - a collection of short stories and Fortress (same author as Seven Troop but the second in the SAS: Red Notice trilogy).
I LOVE SPRING BREAK!!
|
Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 7:22 pm
Just finished Stephen King's "The Outsider". It was good. I was NOT disappointed in the ending this time.
|
Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Monday, March 25, 2019 - 7:57 pm
Moriarty does give her characters some great dialogue. Love it!
Oh the joys of Spring Break. Must be wonderful!
I'm glad to hear of a Stephen King book that held up until the end. He writes such great stories but I usually feel let down by the endings.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 1:00 pm
While it was an excellent debut, Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal didn't make me crave for this writer's follow-up. But I ran across a copy of the follow-up, No One Can Pronounce My Name at the library - what a fortunate occurrence. I loved it. The quality of the writing was much more developed, it was funnier and the overall story was dramatically richer. Writers often struggle with their second books -- Mr. Satyal does not fall into this category; it's a winner!
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 2:40 pm
Finished A River in Darkness, Written in My Own Heart's Blood and Bloodchild this week. LOVED the last one - such a different style of sci-fi than I've read before. I'm now in state standardized testing scheduling hell....so for relief, I'm listening to Michelle Obama's memoir (started it before on CD, but I absolutely cannot listen to things at normal/slow speed anymore, so finally got it on Audible!) and am reading The Handmaid's Tale (Yes - I'm way behind the curve on this one! LOL).
|
Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Sunday, March 31, 2019 - 6:48 pm
I'm 2/3rds of the way through listening to Daisy Jones and the Six and I think I'm going to just drop it. It has great reviews on Amazon but I'm not impressed. The author took every bit of gossip you've ever heard about rock groups in the 1970's and created a fictional story about a band that includes all those bits of gossip.
Black woman ends up being marketed to Disco - check! Poor little-rich-girl, drunk and high 24/7, manages to write the most AMAZING songs while totally drugged up - she's so cool - check! The guy who's so egotistical, he thinks the song is about him - check! Singer named Nick is in love with drug-addled song writer mentioned above and writes a song with 'horses' in it - Check!
Seriously, instead of reading this mock interview of a fictional band, go back and watch documentaries about the actual real bands. Not only will it be less boring but it will give credit where credit is due.
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, April 01, 2019 - 7:50 am
I absolutely loved Daisy Jones. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. That is the thing with books. There is something for everyone.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, April 03, 2019 - 1:06 pm
My copy of Daisy Jones is waiting for me at the library, so I expect to start it this weekend!
I just finished Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson and I'm glad it's over. It's supposed to be a "thriller" but it did not thrill in any way, shape or form. It wasn't horrendous; it just wasn't good. I will not be reading any of the subsequent books this writer has written.
I'm about to start the newest Harlan Coben - I've read nearly all 30 of his previous books - I'll be SHOCKED if this new one turns out to be a stinker.
|
Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Thursday, April 04, 2019 - 3:14 pm
Just finished Still Life by Louise Penny. I wasn't too sure about the story at first but by the last 60 pages I was definitely into it. It's not just the characters she builds but the little tidbits of life's lessons and philosophies, etc., that really took it up a notch for me.
|
Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Friday, April 05, 2019 - 5:08 pm
Finished Nora Roberts "Come Sundown". It was really good.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, April 06, 2019 - 5:50 pm
As expected, Harlan Coben's Run Away was flawless and delicious. It never ceases to amaze me how tremendously inventive his imagination continues to be even after 31 published novels.
|
Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Monday, April 08, 2019 - 9:44 am
Good to hear Ricky. The library shows that I have approximately 8 weeks until my turn comes around to check out Run Away and I was added to the waiting list before the library had even purchased it!
Now reading The Nowhere Child by Christian White. Imagine growing up in Australia only to find out at the age of 30 that you were kidnapped in the states at the age of two. I'm really liking this author's style of writing. After forcing myself through a few books lately, it's nice to not want to put this one down.
|
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Tuesday, April 09, 2019 - 6:21 pm
Kappy, I'm sorry you have to wait so long! My original wait was supposed to be that long, too. Then I remembered the L.A. Public Library has a "Hot Off The Press" option. You have to find a branch that has a HOTP copy, then you can only check it out for 7 days maximum and you have to return it to the branch you borrowed it from. I got my copy and read it it in five days.
This afternoon I finished Daisy Jones & The Six and enjoyed it very much. I didn't enjoy as much as Taylor Jenkins Reid's earlier books, but that stemmed from the oral history/interview transcript style she employed from start to finish. I found myself not being able to feel as connected to the characters as I usually do with her books.
But the 1970s L.A. rock scene where the bulk of the story takes place was right in my back yard, so it brought back a lot of nice memories for me, i.e., I roamed my way through all the nightclubs featured in the book when I was a teenager myself. The segment of the book that excited me the most -- and it's lame, I'll be the first to admit it -- was her inclusion of Jan's Restaurant (which went out of business a couple of years ago). When I was single, that was my favorite restaurant to go to, especially late at night, to have dinner and just read my book until it closed at 2 a.m. I would sit there for hours and hours, just reading, eating, drinking coffee and they never hassled me about loitering. I actually got a lump in my throat when I got to the page where Jan's is mentioned. 
|
Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Tuesday, April 09, 2019 - 6:33 pm
Two 'yays' for Daisy and one 'nay'!
Ricky - Yes, our library has a program similar to HOTP but I prefer my e-books where I can make the font as huge as I want, lol. I just think it's great that Coben's following is growing. I'm hoping to have it in time for a flight I have in early June.
|
Kappy
Member
06-28-2002
| Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 9:18 am
Finished The Nowhere Child and highly recommend it. It takes the story of an abducted 2 year old and 28 years later looks nto how it happened. Some of the main characters belong to a Fundamentalist church where snake handling is the norm. The story is well told with lots of little twists that keep you engaged. I look forward to seeing the next book by Christian White as this was his first.
Next up is Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers.
|
