Book Recommendations Wanted!
09-13-2023, 05:35 AM
#41
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Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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Kingsolver is a great author, haven't read much of her in years. In researching Demon Copperhead I found out it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (and is on Oprah's book club list) which pretty much ensures that I will like it -- not that Susie's recommendation isn't enough. It is on hold, expected wait time close to 3 months... I also have Animal Vegetable Miracle on hold which will be a shorter time. That non-fiction is basically part of what we are trying to do with our move.
We are getting lots of recommendations for Kristin Hannah -- I want to start with Firefly Lane, which is not available in audio form from my current library but is through Amazon/Audible. I might check out the tv series on Netflix.
I have read Mexican Gothic which I enjoyed -- apparently a series is being made of that too!
After the first Longmire book, from this thread I listened to The Thirteenth Tale -- which I found very satisfying. It reminded me in some ways of Possession, by A.S. Byatt which is one of the last books I physically read. Highly recommend it.. not an "easy" read I don't know how well it would go in audio -- again, my library doesn't have it in that format but Audible does.
Current book (author from this list) is Virgil Wander by Leif Enger.
Next up will be The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill, who wrote When Women were Dragons. I am familiar with the folktale of the Crane Wife, this should be interesting. Have to say I didn't really enjoy her short story collection, Dreadful Young Ladies. But it shows an author examining some themes which is interesting on its own -- but if you've read When Women were Dragons the short stories seem more like ideas/edited out of the other book.
A lot of my reading order is more about when things come off hold, not necessarily from my interest level. Also just off hold is Cave 13, the latest Joe Ledger book by Jonathan Maberry which I put on hold as a prerelease a couple of months ago.
We are getting lots of recommendations for Kristin Hannah -- I want to start with Firefly Lane, which is not available in audio form from my current library but is through Amazon/Audible. I might check out the tv series on Netflix.
I have read Mexican Gothic which I enjoyed -- apparently a series is being made of that too!
After the first Longmire book, from this thread I listened to The Thirteenth Tale -- which I found very satisfying. It reminded me in some ways of Possession, by A.S. Byatt which is one of the last books I physically read. Highly recommend it.. not an "easy" read I don't know how well it would go in audio -- again, my library doesn't have it in that format but Audible does.
Current book (author from this list) is Virgil Wander by Leif Enger.
Next up will be The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill, who wrote When Women were Dragons. I am familiar with the folktale of the Crane Wife, this should be interesting. Have to say I didn't really enjoy her short story collection, Dreadful Young Ladies. But it shows an author examining some themes which is interesting on its own -- but if you've read When Women were Dragons the short stories seem more like ideas/edited out of the other book.
A lot of my reading order is more about when things come off hold, not necessarily from my interest level. Also just off hold is Cave 13, the latest Joe Ledger book by Jonathan Maberry which I put on hold as a prerelease a couple of months ago.
09-23-2023, 09:34 AM
#43
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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Book Reports:
I liked the Crane Husband much more than the short stories, and in some ways more than the When Woman were Dragons The author (Kelly Barnhill) is certainly exploring a theme roughly shortened to "mothers fly away". I'm not sure if I'm interested in following any more of her explorations and will think before automatically selecting her next (if any) book. But it lead me to a lot of thinking about things like who is an author writing for -- themselves or an audience? Why am I done with this set of explorations when other writers and indeed entire genres are just writing and rewriting the same story.
Speaking of which Jonathan Maberry and Joe Ledger. I did enjoy the latest offering. They are very graphic in terms of violence and situations and not for everyone.
Just finished (as of last night) Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, recommended in this thread. Enjoyed the lyrical fantasy of the story, much like Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. As a non-believer, the Christian imagery was certainly strong but not annoying -- it was part of the story and necessary.
This morning I started The Enemy at Home by Kevin O'Brien. A story set in Seattle just after Pearl Harbor. Haven't gotten very far but so far the physical setting and narrator are correct. Forgetting now what the book was, but one Seattle-set book kept referring to Alki (all KI) as (al-key) and it was really annoying... For a similar time period book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was a good story about some difficult times/subject.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_...tter_and_Sweet
Next up, fresh off hold, the first of another new-to-me author suggested in this thread, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, which is set in Alaska in 1974 with a 13 year old (female) protagonist. I was 14 in 1974 and lived in Anchorage where the joke was "Anchorage -- only minutes from Alaska. So again, I will have a certain amount of background in common although we were living in the city such as it was.
Oh, and Hubby and I have been watching the Longmire series via netflix. I have some quibbles with it but hubby enjoys some of Longmire's quips.
I liked the Crane Husband much more than the short stories, and in some ways more than the When Woman were Dragons The author (Kelly Barnhill) is certainly exploring a theme roughly shortened to "mothers fly away". I'm not sure if I'm interested in following any more of her explorations and will think before automatically selecting her next (if any) book. But it lead me to a lot of thinking about things like who is an author writing for -- themselves or an audience? Why am I done with this set of explorations when other writers and indeed entire genres are just writing and rewriting the same story.
Speaking of which Jonathan Maberry and Joe Ledger. I did enjoy the latest offering. They are very graphic in terms of violence and situations and not for everyone.
Just finished (as of last night) Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, recommended in this thread. Enjoyed the lyrical fantasy of the story, much like Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. As a non-believer, the Christian imagery was certainly strong but not annoying -- it was part of the story and necessary.
This morning I started The Enemy at Home by Kevin O'Brien. A story set in Seattle just after Pearl Harbor. Haven't gotten very far but so far the physical setting and narrator are correct. Forgetting now what the book was, but one Seattle-set book kept referring to Alki (all KI) as (al-key) and it was really annoying... For a similar time period book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was a good story about some difficult times/subject.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_...tter_and_Sweet
Next up, fresh off hold, the first of another new-to-me author suggested in this thread, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, which is set in Alaska in 1974 with a 13 year old (female) protagonist. I was 14 in 1974 and lived in Anchorage where the joke was "Anchorage -- only minutes from Alaska. So again, I will have a certain amount of background in common although we were living in the city such as it was.
Oh, and Hubby and I have been watching the Longmire series via netflix. I have some quibbles with it but hubby enjoys some of Longmire's quips.
09-23-2023, 09:55 AM
#44
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Missouri
Posts: 347
I just finished reading The Old Place by Bobby Finger. I really enjoyed it even the subject matter wasn't happy happy. It's a book about misunderstandings and things unsaid. It was a good read while I was on vacation.
09-24-2023, 09:43 AM
#45
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 8,056
Originally Posted by JENNR8R
Our last bookclub book pick was Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery.
Every person at the bookclub loved it. One even said it was her favorite book our bookclub has ever read in the 35 years we have been meeting. I highly recommend it.
My current favorite author is Fredrik Backman. I especially liked Britt Marie Was Here and Anxious People.
Every person at the bookclub loved it. One even said it was her favorite book our bookclub has ever read in the 35 years we have been meeting. I highly recommend it.
My current favorite author is Fredrik Backman. I especially liked Britt Marie Was Here and Anxious People.
09-24-2023, 10:38 PM
#46
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: New Hampshire & Maine
Posts: 3,300
Many public libraries have a wonderful service called Interlibrary Loan or ILL. If your library doesn't have a particular title, they can borrow it for you from another library in their network. Besides books, patrons can request audio books, DVDs, magazines, etc. Librarians can also get items statewide and even nationwide. This is usually a free service to patrons, but some rural libraries charge for postage.
Definitely a service to check out with your local library!
Definitely a service to check out with your local library!
09-25-2023, 02:14 PM
#47
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,396
Originally Posted by Iceblossom
Oh, and Hubby and I have been watching the Longmire series via netflix. I have some quibbles with it but hubby enjoys some of Longmire's quips.
09-25-2023, 02:35 PM
#48
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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Books are almost always better! I'm letting the TV series just sort of flow over me, and don't think it will impact my enjoyment of the books. Might have some "have I read this before??" sort of thoughts but will just let them go.
Preston & Child's Dead Mountain which features characters from the Pendergast universe (Nora Kelly and others) just came off hold. With books on hold it is usually feast or famine as they become available. Nice thing is the library has a way where you can delay receiving a book without going to the bottom of the hold list -- bad thing is it makes it almost impossible to plan on when you get a book.
Is sort of like the good/bad of chronic insomnia, it is sort of nice to have 5-6 hours available to me when others sleep but I'd really rather sleep well
Preston & Child's Dead Mountain which features characters from the Pendergast universe (Nora Kelly and others) just came off hold. With books on hold it is usually feast or famine as they become available. Nice thing is the library has a way where you can delay receiving a book without going to the bottom of the hold list -- bad thing is it makes it almost impossible to plan on when you get a book.
Is sort of like the good/bad of chronic insomnia, it is sort of nice to have 5-6 hours available to me when others sleep but I'd really rather sleep well
09-27-2023, 04:33 AM
#49
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Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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For one book that I find the TV better is Call the Midwife. Maybe because I'm so invested with the residents of Poplar after years of the show...
This morning I finished The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. It turned out to be a very personal book for me, I was somewhat unprepared for the theme/amount of domestic violence that permeates the book, however that is not a part of my own story. I would hesitate to recommend this to someone who might be triggered by the discussions. However, my own father was (like that of the protagonist) a Viet Nam war veteran who had his own issues from being part of the war. We even had a VW Bus, in 1970 we (2 adults, 2 children, and 2 cats) traveled from our posting in Kansas to outside of Anchorage along the AlCan highway in the VW bus. I am very familiar with the area the story is set in and with what we called back then "survivalists" as opposed to the more modern term of preppers. I am still digesting the impact of the book and feel the need to call my BFF from High School who after moving to the Kenai Peninsula has been back in Anchorage for the last decade or so... will have to wait for the time zone/a decent time to call.
ps: If I have time to edit, I had read every book mentioned and understood all the references like "elephant bells" for pants. With my vision issues I didn't move many books but I still have a Robert Service collection of poetry.
This morning I finished The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. It turned out to be a very personal book for me, I was somewhat unprepared for the theme/amount of domestic violence that permeates the book, however that is not a part of my own story. I would hesitate to recommend this to someone who might be triggered by the discussions. However, my own father was (like that of the protagonist) a Viet Nam war veteran who had his own issues from being part of the war. We even had a VW Bus, in 1970 we (2 adults, 2 children, and 2 cats) traveled from our posting in Kansas to outside of Anchorage along the AlCan highway in the VW bus. I am very familiar with the area the story is set in and with what we called back then "survivalists" as opposed to the more modern term of preppers. I am still digesting the impact of the book and feel the need to call my BFF from High School who after moving to the Kenai Peninsula has been back in Anchorage for the last decade or so... will have to wait for the time zone/a decent time to call.
ps: If I have time to edit, I had read every book mentioned and understood all the references like "elephant bells" for pants. With my vision issues I didn't move many books but I still have a Robert Service collection of poetry.
Last edited by Iceblossom; 09-27-2023 at 04:46 AM.
09-27-2023, 11:35 AM
#50
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dakotas
Posts: 2,978
Kristin Hannah (The Nightengale is her best.)
An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff (true incredible story)
C.J. Box (Joe Pickett series)
Authors: Ivan Doig. Paul Dorian. Wm Kent Krueger. Jennifer Chiaverini. Sarah Smarsh. Dan O’Brien Peter Geye
Hillbilly Elegy. (by J.D. Vance)
Varina
Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly. ( I learned so much)
Beneath a Scarlett Sky. (Mark Sullivan)
Quintland Sisters. (by Shelley Wood)
Swede Hollow. (Ola Larsmo)
Inga’s War. (Svenja O’Donnel)
Five Presidents. (Clint Hill)
The Day the World Came to Town. (Jim DeFede)
The Sun is a Compass. (Caroline Van Hemert)
The Stranger in the Woods. (Michael Finkel).
Nomandland. (Jessica Bruder). Temporary workers
An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff (true incredible story)
C.J. Box (Joe Pickett series)
Authors: Ivan Doig. Paul Dorian. Wm Kent Krueger. Jennifer Chiaverini. Sarah Smarsh. Dan O’Brien Peter Geye
Hillbilly Elegy. (by J.D. Vance)
Varina
Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly. ( I learned so much)
Beneath a Scarlett Sky. (Mark Sullivan)
Quintland Sisters. (by Shelley Wood)
Swede Hollow. (Ola Larsmo)
Inga’s War. (Svenja O’Donnel)
Five Presidents. (Clint Hill)
The Day the World Came to Town. (Jim DeFede)
The Sun is a Compass. (Caroline Van Hemert)
The Stranger in the Woods. (Michael Finkel).
Nomandland. (Jessica Bruder). Temporary workers
