| Author |
Message |
Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, July 06, 2019 - 6:54 pm 
I love Lisa Jewell! Not quite as much as Liane Moriarty, but she's pretty close. Just now I finished A Friend of the Family, her 4th published novel - only 12 more to go before I'm all caught up.
AFOTF, released in 2004, was another family drama that featured three brothers and their assorted mates. Interestingly, all three brothers in the story are single and are struggling their way through the London romance landscape in the early '00s. Jewell really makes you care about the characters - not all writers are successful doing that, but she manages to do it quite easily!
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Thursday, July 11, 2019 - 10:06 am
Yesterday I finished the latest from John Waters, Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder. It's a collection of his recent essays about a wide variety of topics, the most interesting of which pertained to the intricate experiences of filming his more popular films (e.g., "Hairspray," "Serial Mom," "Cecil B. Demented," etc.) His humor is, has been, and always will be, very much off-the-wall. Not everyone "gets it" but I definitely do! 
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Saturday, July 13, 2019 - 11:45 am
This morning I finished Sally Hepworth's latest offering, The Mother-in-Law. For some reason I was expecting it to be a thriller, but it's more of a mystery that's more understated than prominent in the story. The book moves along really quickly, so I appreciated that because I was really in the mood for something fast-paced. The ending could've been a little stronger but that didn't prevent me from enjoying it overall.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 9:02 am
Last night I finished The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers (who is also the brother of Austin Powers himself, Mike Myers). It's an authorized biography of the trail-blazing comedy troupe that broke big in the late 80s and into the 90s and who have kept current up to the present decade. Yet another great group of comedians from Canada, each "Kid" gets plenty of coverage - they really were and are immensely talented. An excellent biography through and through!
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Tresbien
Member
08-26-2002
| Thursday, July 18, 2019 - 11:52 am
Finished Alex Michaelides' The Silent Patient, which was a gripping psychological thriller. Just what I needed when I wanted to be engrossed in a book and not think about anything else. Thanks to all who recommended it.
Just downloaded Liane Moriarity's A Hypnotist's Love Story and continue to read Sisters In Law about RBG and Sandra Day O'Connor in spurts.
Got a short but lovely reply from Amor Towles when I asked him how long I have to wait for his next book. He's working on it!
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, July 19, 2019 - 12:20 pm
Tres, I'm so glad you liked The Silent Patient and I trust/hope you'll like The Hypnotist's Love Story - I thought it was wonderful.
I whizzed through Sally Rooney's Normal People and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I can totally see how some readers may not like it due to the behavior of the main characters. The book has received tremendous praise and while I think it's deserved, I fear the negative appeal of the characters might prove problematic for the casual reader.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 5:27 pm
Just finished "Poinciana Road" by Margaret Way. It's quite good. It was categorized as a romance on the back, but it was not a typical romance. Maybe slightly a mystery, with some family dynamics thrown in.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 5:30 pm
Ricky we must think alike! The library gal who runs our book club and I were talking because she needs books. I told her that I adored Normal People (as well as A Little Life) but there was no way in hades some of our book club people would like them. Small, super-conservative town....just nope!
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, July 22, 2019 - 10:00 am
Oh, Teach, I can just imagine the reactions of a book club to Normal People, even here in California! Rooney is uber-talented and very, very young (28) -- unless her career collapses, we should get quite a few books from her in the future. Normal People is being adapted by the BBC into a 12-part mini-series. It'll debut sometime next year and will be shown on Hulu at the same time it premieres on the BBC. I will definitely have to subscribe to Hulu as a result!
Last night I finished Heather Gudenkauf's third published novel (from 2012), One Breath Away. It was good, but it could have used some trimming without any loss of quality. I'm slowly working my way through her books. I like that they're set in Iowa (where Gudenkauf lives), which is not your run-of-the-mill setting for thrillers.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, July 26, 2019 - 8:33 am
I just finished the book The Elizas. Not a bad story, but I'm done for a few books w/two storylines alternating chapters. Ian Rankin's In a House of Lies is up next - straight up Rebus mystery, and I'm also reading Bonfire by Krysten Ritter (actress who plays Jessica Jones). The book on sleep is in progress and I'm absolutely loving The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Friday, July 26, 2019 - 8:35 am
Finished "Sometimes I lie".... OMG what a great book. Sorry, don't have the book in front of me to tell you the author, but I would recommend it.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, July 26, 2019 - 11:33 am
Kooklie, that book is by Alice Feeney, her debut. I took a peek at the ratings it got on Goodreads. Nearly 60,000 ratings thus far and 92% of those readers have liked it. I think I have to add it to my list - thanks for the tip!
Last night I finished the second in the Dr. Frieda Klein series by Nicci French, Tuesday's Gone. Dr. Klein is fiercely independent but she is haunted by mistakes she's made while helping the London police department. I love how she does her own thing especially when she's challenged by the bureaucrats who are threatened by her expertise.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, July 29, 2019 - 8:17 pm
I just now finished Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty and loved it to pieces. It's nice and long - the edition I read was 517 pages -- but it felt much shorter than that, probably because it's so well written. I know how boring I must sound raving and raving about her (but I can't help it!). I'll read one of Patricia Highsmith's books next and THEN it'll be time to (finally!) read Big Little Lies. I'm excited to find out whether I'll like it more than The Husband's Secret and Truly Madly Guilty. Will she ever write a bad book? I'll be shocked if she does (but I'll forgive her)! That's another thing I'm excited to find out: CAN she write a bad book???
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Chewpito
Member
01-03-2004
| Tuesday, July 30, 2019 - 8:46 pm
Read all of them Uncle ricky, and all were wonderful... Yet to be disappointed...
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, August 01, 2019 - 1:08 pm
Big Little Lies was the first one I read, and I actually felt the ending was a bit 'preachy.' Looking forward to your take on it.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Friday, August 02, 2019 - 12:14 pm
Chewpito! I'm so glad you're a big fan!
Teach, that's very intriguing! I look forward to comparing my experience with the ending to yours. I started it this morning and I'm reading it extra slowly so that I can savor every page.
Last night I finished Patricia Highsmith's A Game for the Living. It was absolutely HORRENDOUS. Its awfulness was so stunning that I doubt I'll read any of her other books - too risky! I'm glad I'm following THAT ordeal with another foray into the paradise that is Ms. Moriarty and her fabulous storytelling skills!
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Tresbien
Member
08-26-2002
| Sunday, August 04, 2019 - 12:20 pm
Thanks for the recommendation of Sometimes I Lie Kookliebird. Finished it today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very creepy though!
Next up is Laura Lippman's The Lady In The Lake.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Monday, August 05, 2019 - 5:20 pm
I loved Big Little Lies! I can see how it might come across as preachy (as Teach mentioned above), but it didn't bother me or otherwise affect how much I enjoyed it. I'm glad I didn't follow my crackpot rule of "never reading a book that I've already seen as a TV or movie adaptation" -- the book was just as good as the HBO series!
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Jimmer
Board Administrator
08-29-2000
| Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 5:47 am
I loved that book. Such a fantastic, entertaining blend of humor and emotion.
I suppose I could check back but when you all find an author you like do you read their books in the same order that they were published?
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 8:09 am
Jimmer - I only read them in order if it's necessary to the story. For example, I stumbled upon Wallander because of Kenneth Brannaugh's excellent TV adaption. I read the first 6 in order but after that, I went random. The order helped a bit because of the side story of his father/family stuff, but it wasn't absolutely necessary since each book contains a stand-alone mystery.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 1:25 pm
I don't necessarily read them in order. I am way out of order with the Tana French series. If I am lucky to find an author with their debut novel, I do get every book afterward but it is hit or miss with most books.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Wednesday, August 07, 2019 - 11:34 pm
I definitely do my best to read books in the order the writer wrote them, but it's not a must-do type of thing. I just like to see how a writer progresses. Plus, a writer doesn't always get better with each book. I've had to drop certain writers because of one too many stinkers (it always pains me to do that because I really wish I could love every book I read!).
Speaking of loving books, that's how I reacted to Susan Orlean's magnificent The Library Book, which I finished earlier today. It's part history of libraries in America, but mostly she reserves the centerpiece of the book to the massively catastrophic fire that swept through our main Central Library here in Los Angeles back in 1986.
It raged for seven hours and destroyed over 700,000 books. She takes us through the whole horrific experience by interviewing many of the library staff who were there on the day of the fire and intersperses chapters about the fire with chapters about the history of the library (opened in 1926) and how it's evolved since then. You don't have to love libraries to love this book, but you WILL love all the interesting facts and figures that are packed between its covers!
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Thursday, August 08, 2019 - 7:39 pm
What a terrible loss of books!
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Tresbien
Member
08-26-2002
| Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 4:24 pm
I had to put aside what I was reading when Normal People became available from the library. Got that finished today and like Ric and Teach, I enjoyed it greatly. I was a little startled when I turned the last page and came to Acknowledgments but, on reflection, realized that it was time for the story to end.
One of the things I appreciate about books is that we can explore any topic within its pages. So it makes me sad to think of a community that would reject an excellent book like this one based on its content.
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Heckagirl631
Member
09-08-2010
| Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 6:09 pm
Finished Fern Michaels' "Sins of Omission". It was a nice long book. Not a typical romance. I would kind of like to read the next book, Sins of the Flesh, to see what happens next. Will have to find it somewhere, though.
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