Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is a folder for you to list the books you read last month.

Please provide:
~ A GoodRead link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Slow month for me.

My Sept reads are:

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail~Cheryl Strayed
Nonfiction
Rate: 2/5
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I thought it would be an exciting and inspiring tale of a women who hiked the PCT trail alone. It turned out to be less about hiking the trail and more about the authors bad choices with drugs and sex. I didn't feel the author grew or learned anything.

Next to Love: A Novel~Ellen Feldman
Fiction
Rate 2/5

War...next to love, has most captured the worlds imagination ~ Eric Partridge 1914

I read this for a book club.
Three friends, Babe, Grace and Millie are best friends and newlyweds. Their husbands are shipped off to fight in WWII. I didn't think the book covered any new territory. I also didn't care for the narrative skipping back and forth in time and between characters. I found it confusing at times. A melancholy read.

September was a busy reading month for me.
I'll start with the fiction books:

The Light Between Oceans 4 1/2 to 5 stars. My favorite book this month had engaging characters, interesting ethical decisions, and beautiful writing.

The Night Strangers 4 stars. Good horror story, might be fun to read around Halloween.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream 3 stars. A wild, humorous ride in a drug-filled haze by Hunter S. Thompson. Clever writing in some parts of the book.

The 19th Wife 4 stars. Two interweaving stories about polygomy, back in Brigham Young's time and in the present. Interesting history. A little confusing at first with so many characters, and switching between the two stories.

Attachments 4 stars. A cute, funny romance with very likable characters. Lots of the story written in e-mails.

When She Woke 4 stars. A dystopian story about a young woman who has an affair with a dynamic preacher, a retelling of "The Scarlet Letter."

Music of a Life: A Novel 4 stars. A beautifully written little book about a musician who has to go into hiding during Stalin's purges, and takes on the identity of a dead Russian soldier.

The Expats 4 stars. A mystery/thriller about an ex-CIA wife who wonders if her husband is involved in illegal dealings. Set in Luxembourg.

The House I Loved 2 1/2 to 3 stars. When Napoleon and Baron Haussmann modernize Paris, many neighborhoods were destroyed in the process. Some of the history was interesting, but I didn't feel connected to the characters.

The Enchanted April 4 stars. This was a delightful classic about four women who spend a month at an Italian villa.

The Alchemist 3 stars. This fable about following your dreams had a good message, and would probably be enjoyed by high school students. But it was a bit simplistic. Also, only the male characters seemed to be going on an adventure while the women stayed home.

Return to Willow Lake 3 stars. Pleasant chick lit.

Now for the non-fiction books:

My Own Country: A Doctor's Story 4 stars. Abraham Verghese was an infectious disease doctor in the 1980s during the early days of AIDS. He got to know these patients as people, and was involved in community education, especially for the gay community.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 3 stars. The book held my interest, but the author's helicopter parenting was extreme. She used Chinese parenting methods for raising her daughters, but went way overboard.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking 4 stars. Very informative, well-researched, and enjoyable to read. Both introverts and extroverts could benefit from reading it.

Seriously...I'm Kidding 3 stars. Light read by Ellen DeGeneres.

I also read three YA books about events in the Cold War. I'm taking a lifelong learning class about that era, and it was a quick way to remember the major historical figures.

Holy macaroni, Connie ! You were on fire this month.

I'm glad to see you rated The Light Between Oceans so well. It's on my TBR list.

Alias Reader wrote: "Holy macaroni, Connie ! You were on fire this month.

I'm glad to see you rated The Light Between Oceans so well. It's on my TBR list."

That's one of the joys of retirement--lots of time to read! Actually, lots of those books were fairly short, so they could be read in a day or two.

My September flew by so quickly, i'm surprised it's gone! I read very little & cannot account for the month otherwise, either. Hmmm.

Last month my list got thrown into the ether, so i'll share the last book of August here, since i spent time discussing it on another board.

Utopia by Thomas More. A classic, sure, but not a particularly good one. Or maybe, because i've read many, i felt More didn't really consider the individual, just the society. Regardless, i'm glad to have finally read it, flaws & all.

Florence of Arabia written by Christopher Buckley was clever. Oddly, reading about the stoning of one woman disturbed me more than watching the movie The Stoning of Soraya M.. I cannot explain this fact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ston....

A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger is about his family's connection to the man believed to be the Boston Strangler. I can understand how the man's presence in their lives left them with an impact but the book really wasn't good.

And then there is my continuing reading of Churchill's book.

First of all, thanks for sharing your long list,Connie. The sole book on it that i've read is Elizabeth von Arnim's Enchanted April, moved to it by the movie version. Like you, i felt it was a delight.

Connie wrote: " I'm taking a lifelong learning class about that era, and it was a quick way to remember the major historical figures. ..."

I'm intrigued. If we want to move this discussion to another thread, i'm fine with it. However, i'm curious as to what this class is--part of a university? Online class? How long will it continue, literally lifelong? (As in from the point you sign up, i mean.) And more questions. I like the idea of covering an era but have never attempted a disciplined pursuit.

deborah

Deb, the University of Connecticut has lifelong learning, non-credit classes for adults aged 55+ at some of the smaller branches. I'm 61. They are taught by volunteers, some former teachers. The Cold War class is eight sessions, taught by a former high school history teacher. They also have speakers come in on interesting subjects. I took some literature and art history classes last year. I'll be reading some classics and short stories for some other classes this fall that only meet a few times. The "lifelong learning" means that we should never stop wanting to learn, no matter what our age. I'm lucky enough to live right in the middle between two university branches that offer the lifelong learning. If you google "lifelong learning" and your state, you might find that there are programs in your state. A wonderful philantropist named Osher has been setting up programs in many universities all over the country.

Madrano wrote: "First of all, thanks for sharing your long list,Connie. The sole book on it that i've read is Elizabeth von Arnim's Enchanted April, moved to it by the movie version. Like you, i felt it was a del..."
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I concur. The movie Enchanted April is one of my favorites. I read the book after I saw the movie.

What I Read in September 2012



4953. The Rise of American Democracy Jefferson to Lincoln, by Sean Wilentz (read 7 Sep 2012) (Bancroft Prize in 2006) This massive volume (796 pages of text, 156 pages of notes, 94 pages of index) was published in 2005 and won a Bancroft Prize in 2006--it is the 35th Bancroft winner I've read. It is basically a political history of the U.S. from 1800 to 1861, proceeding in good chronological order and telling of the advance of democratic ideas during that time. It does an exemplary job of telling of each presidential election and of the political events in each administration, showing how democratic ideas became more acceptable. Slavery was a major obstacle to the advance of democratic concepts, and the book ends with the firing on Fort Sumter. It is hard to see how the story could be told more carefully or more completely--in fact, confessedly, the detailed discussions of events seemed at times excessive. But one feels that what was going on politically in those years has seldom been better told. It is an excellent study, brimming with really excellent research. I'm glad I read it.

4954. A Short History of Nineteenth-Century England, by John W. Derry (read 9 Sep 2012) This was published in 1963. I found it an exceptionally good exposition of English history during the years from 1793 to 1868--years filled with interesting events. The war with revolutionary France and Napoleon, and with the U.S., Peterloo, Catholic Emancipation, the Reform Bill of 1832, Chartism, Peel, Palmerston, and the Reform Bill of 1868 are all discussed ably and succinctly. The author tends to be pretty conservative and some things I did not agree with, but all the things are discussed with a sure touch and I found the book an excellent refresher of the so interesting things that occurred in those exciting times.

4955. Atlantic Fury, by Hammond Innes (read 12 Sep 2012) I read the author's The Wreck of the Mary Deere on 31 May 1998 and liked it so much that on 12 Jan 2010 I read his North Star, which I liked less. Atlantic Fury is a 1962 book and is mainly concerned with a fictional island, Laerg, in the Outer Hebrides. Laerg is very similar to an actual island there, St Kilda, which was inhabited till 1930, when the people living there asked to be evacuated. The story is told by Donald Ross, whose grandfather was the only resident to vote against leaving the island in 1930 and died in 1936 but told Donald and his brother Iain much about the island. There is a military facility which is to evacuated but the fearsome weather poses great problems. Iain Ross has assumed the name of Braddock. a guy who died when Iain was being transported to Britain as a prisoner. Much of the book details the fierce storms causing huge problems in the evacuation of the island. There is a carefully plotted story, which becomes more exciting in the latter part of the book. The earlier part of the book had so much technical weather talk that I did not appreciate but the book becomes pretty gripping as Donald makes his way alone to Laerg. where his brother is. And I liked the ending, which allowed one to hope his brother did not commit suicide. A very good book which would have been better for me if I had read the excellent Wikipedia article on St Kilda before I read the book.

4956. War Trash, by Ha Jin (read 15 Sep 2012) (PEN/Faulkner winner for 2005) Back on Apr 16, 2010, I saw a list of "The Ten Best Books of the Decade" and this was one of them. I read the author's book Waiting on 30 Jan 2000 because it won the 1999 National Book Award for fiction and liked it so I decided to read this, which reads like a war memoir but isn't. It tells of a Chinese man who is sent to fight in Korea in 1951. He is captured and remains in POW camps till 1953. The account is full of dramatic incidents, told in the first person (Ha Jin was born in China on 21 Feb 1956 , studied in the U.S. and after the incident in 1989 in the Peking square decided not to return to China). I have read lots of POW accounts, but never one of a Chinese. The account of brutality is riveting and I suspect is based on truth. The narrator of the story wants to return to China because his mother and fiancee are there. though he never hears from them. One sympathizes with the POWs at times but also is infuriated by all the trouble they caused the Americans who ran the huge POW camps in Korea. The book tells of the capture of an American general by the POWs, and such did happen though in the book a different name is given the general. The narrator has a huge difficulty trying to decide what to do, disliking as he does the Communists but wanting to go back to his mother and fiancee. What happens is a matter of suspense all through the latter part of the novel. I found the book full of thought-provoking situations and an engrossing read.

4957. The Royal Stuart's A History of the Family That Shaped Britain, by Allan Massie (read 17 Sep 2012) This is a 2010 book by a Scottish writer which tells, in non-academic way, of the Stuarts, including the five King Jameses who were kings of Scotland , and then of Mary,Queen of Scots, her son, James I of Britain, Charles I (who had his head chopped off), Charles II, James II, and the descendants of James I. It is very easy reading (the author is primarily a novelist, but he has done some research--though not in primary sources). He takes a reasonably favorable view of Mary though clearly she made mistakes. I have read a lot more detailed stuff on the English Civil War, such as C. V. Wedgwood's three great books thereon and individual biographies of Stuart kings, but not of the Scottish kings. I found this enjoyable reading, though sad of course. The author says 90% of English people are descended from King Edward III, which seems hard to believe, and that there were over 700 people with a better claim to the English throne than Queen Victoria, looking to blood line alone.

4958. the art of racing in the rain A Novel, by Garth Stein (read 19 Sep 2012) This is a 2008 novel in which Enzo, a dog, is the perceptive narrator. His master, Denny, drives race cars and lives in Seattle and has a wife, Eve, and a daughter, Zoe. For the first part of the book I was non-enamored of the book but when the plot thickened and Denny was threatened with losing custody of his daughter to the child's rich maternal grandparents after his wife died the book became totally engrossing and absolutely heart-wrenching. I have not been so overcome by a story in a long time. I sometimes think of what rating I will give a book while I am reading. At one time I thought I'd give this book 2 and a half, then decided 4, then 4 and a half, and finally I knew I had to give it 5 (the top rating, which I don't often give). It was for me a sweepingly overpowering book. And I think to dog enthusiasts would be even more so.

4959. The War Walk A Journey Along the Western Front, by Nigel Jones (read 21 Sep 2012) This is an account of a walking tour of the Western Front published first in 1983, when the English author was 22. He tells a lot about World War I and of what he sees as he visited the sites of WW I battles. The author's father was in the War, and though the author was not born till 1961, but his father took him to France as a boy and showed him where he had served and where his father's brother was killed. The took of course reminded me of Back to the Front by Stephen O'Shea which I read 23 Feb 1998 and of that other superlative book Before Endeavours Fade, which I read May 4, 1991 This book by Jones is a very good book though if one knows a lot about WW I he tells more about the War than necessary. But his description of what he saw is consistently full of interest. Most of his visits were to fields where Britons fought though he does do an excellent chapter on his visit to Verdun. He quotes a lot from accounts of people who were in the War. This is an excellent book to recall the awful trauma which World War I was for the world.

4960. Joining the United States Navy A Handbook, by Snow Wildsmith (read 22 Sep 2012) I was in the Navy sixty years ago and I thought it might be fun to read this 2012 book designed for kids thinking of joining the Navy. The first thing that startled me was that a seaman recruit gets $1357.60 a month. I forget what I got as a seaman recruit, but I know my brother when he was drafted in 1941 got $21 a month and my pay was a lot closer to that than what a recruit gets now. I also leaned that men and women are trained together in boot camp, which surprised me. Are they in the same barracks? The book doesn't say. The book is full of good advice for anyone thinking about joining the Navy--and tells things I never gave a second thought to when some of my friends induced me to sign up in the Navy Reserve when I was in college in 1949. It was a simpler world, I guess.

4961. Exorcising Hitler The Occupation and Denazification of Germany, by Frederick Taylor (read 25 Sep 2012) This is a 2011 book by a British historian which tells of the occupation of Germany in 1945 and then of the trials and tribulations in the years 1945 to 1947 of the occupying powers as they struggled to run things in Germany and denazify the country. The account of the time before May 8, 1945, telling of the occupation to the country is well-told even though trodding well-known events. Then there are many chapters about the efforts of the occupying powers to get the collaborators of the Nazis out of running the country. Those chapters did not seem well-organized to me, often reciting mere anecdotal evidence and jumping around chronologically and also, sadly, showing the occupiers did not do a very good job handling the huge job they had--millions of German soldiers to be fed and processed, and trying to have the country operate while getting the Nazis out of running the country. But the final chapter, showing the course of events in Germany from 1947 on, is fun to read, as Germany became prosperous and democratic and then, in 1990, reunited. That is a heart-warming story and makes up for the rather turgid and meandering account of the first years of the occupation. The book makes me want to read a fuller account of Germany in the years since 1945.

4962. The Long Walk The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, by Slavomir Rawicz (read 27 Sep 2012) Ever since, on 26 Aug 199, I read We Die Alone, by David Howarth, I have wanted to read this book. It is by a Polish soldier who was arrested by the Russians in 1939, after the Poles were defeated by the Nazis and Russians, and sent to a labor camp in Siberia. According to this book, he and six others escaped from the labor camp and made their way to Mongolia and China, crossed the Gobi desert on foot, their only food for many days being snakes they caught, traveled through Tibet, and arrived in India. The story of this tremendous feat is hard to believe, and there is evidence that it is not true--records supposedly show the author was released by the Russians. The book was ghost-written by an Englishman and published in 1956. The edition I read was published in 2010. The author died in 2004, at age 88. It is a fantastic story and there are things about it that make it unlikely to be true. But it is an amazing account and one is very relieved that they surmounted such fierce obstacles--only four reached India, and apparently the other three have never been heard from. I am glad I finally was able to read the book, though it probably is not as good a book as We Die Alone.

Great books. I think I'll check out The House I Loved. I went to Paris for the first time recently - what a perfect city it is. I read Quiet also, and enjoyed it. This month I read

740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building I give this one 3 stars. It was a bit lengthy, with some stultifying detail, but also much interesting information about the wealthy in NYC, local mores, what money can and can't buy, etc.

Angelfall This is a YA book that was supposed to be the next Hunger Games. I don't think its of that caliber, but it was diverting. The young heroine, Penryn, fights to survive in the SF bay area after the Earth has been invaded by angels who wreak havoc and mayhem. Penryn rescues an angel from a mob which has cut off his wings. She thinks she will be able to use him to get her sister back from wherever the angels have taken her. They travel together and begin to have feelings......three stars.

500 Days: Decisions and Deceptions in the Shadow of 9/11 4 stars. This one provoked complex feelings about how we Americans failed to prevent 9/11 and then overreacted wildly and in the wrong directions. Very sad.

I also reread a couple of books for book club. When I have to lead the discussion, I feel the need to do this so I remember the details. Will learn one of these days not to volunteer!! Some books are just not worth rereading.

Schmerguls wrote: "What I Read in September 2012

=================

Welcome, Schmerguls ! Thanks for sharing your monthly reads with us.

I have been toying with reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. However, since I don't like car racing I've put it off. After reading your review, I'll put it back on my reading list.

I love reading your reviews. :)

I know you like to read books on WWII. I am currently reading Winston Churchill's book The Gathering Storm. I am finding it a bit too detailed for me. However, I will finish it. Have you read it?

Michele wrote: "Great books. I think I'll check out The House I Loved. I went to Paris for the first time recently - what a perfect city it is. I read Quiet also, and enjoyed it. This month I read

740 Park: The..."
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Interesting mix of books, Michele.

Connie--I was glad to see you enjoyed "My Own Country: A Doctor's Story." I also rated it highly when I finished it. In fact, I'm currently reading The Tennis Partner, which continues Verghese's story after he moves with his family to El Paso, TX.

Also happy to see a fellow Nutmegger on this board! :) At which branch of UCONN did you take your classes? I'm not far from the Avery Point campus. Although I'm not 55 yet, so I don't qualify for the non-credit, lifelong learning classes.

September 2012
Yossel: April 19 1943 -Joe Kubert (128 pages)
Graphic novel telling a "what if" story if the author's family had never left Poland. Beautiful pencil sketch artwork

Anna Karenina -Leo Tolstoy (838 pages)
Been on my to-do list forever. Really enjoyed it

Absurdistan -Gary Shteyngart (333 pages)
Horrible. It was full of unreal, hateful characters and no plot. I realize it's supposed to be ironic and sarcastic but it did not come across well.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead -Tom Stoppard (126 pages)
Irony is great, but the lack of stage directions and quick dialogue made it a bit difficult to follow.

Arcadia -Tom Stoppard (112 pages)
Easier to follow than R and G.

Get Jiro -Anthony Bourdain (160 pages)
Fun comic book my Anthony Bourdain about a sushi chef who kills people who break sushi etiquette. Makes fun of high class dining and the locovore ethic.

The Unwritten, Vol. 4: Leviathan -Mike Carey (144 pages)

September 2012 total pages 1841

Stephanie, we read Arcadia here at BNC in August.
I found the play difficult to follow and understand.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

My reads for September:

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: I don't even know how to describe this book. It's a mystery. And a love story. And a thriller. And historical fiction --all rolled into one. Set in Barcelona in 1945, it's about a young boy named Daniel who falls in love with a particular book. But when he sets out to track down the author’s other works, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the author has written. When Daniel sets out to find out why, his quest opens the door into one of Barcelona’s deepest and darkest secrets. 4 stars

The Breakdown Lane by Jacquelyn Mitchard: Picked this up for a dollar at a library book sale because I remembered reading The Deep End of the Ocean and liking it. This one...not so much. The writing was surprisingly uneven. Maybe 2 stars. If that.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova: Heartbreaking book about a Harvard psychology professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. What makes the book so emotionally wrenching is that the book is told from her point of view--and that she knows exactly what's coming to her before it happens. I had tears in my eyes by the end of it. 4 stars.

The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman: A story about a midwife working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression. A quick read. Not the best book I've read this year, though. 3 stars.

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper: A story about a dysfunctional family who gathers together to sit shiva after their father dies. As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions are reawakened. This book is not for anyone who is offended by crude language or situations. For me, it was laugh-out-loud funny. 4 stars.

The Sign Of The Book by John Dunning: The fourth book in a series about a retired cop-turned-bookseller who solves mysteries. A fun read. 3 stars.

The State Boys Rebellion by Michael D'Antonio: About the use of eugenics practiced in the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century to "solve the problem" of children with below-average IQs. The incarceration of these children in state institutions was meant to "save" the American public — and its gene pool — from the "moron" (defined then as anyone with an IQ between 50 and 100). The book focuses specifically on the Walter E. Fernald School for the Feebleminded in Waltham, Massachusetts, and how a group of boys (primarily orphans) instigated an uprising after nearly two decades of confinement. 3 stars.

Amy wrote: "Connie--I was glad to see you enjoyed "My Own Country: A Doctor's Story." I also rated it highly when I finished it. In fact, I'm currently reading The Tennis Partner, which continues Verghese's st..."

Amy, I've got The Tennis Partner on my TBR list. Have you read Cutting for Stone yet? That was one of my favorite books that I read last year.

I take classes through the Waterbury and West Hartford branches. I don't know if Avery Point has lifelong learning classes. I love your end of the state--Stonington and Mystic were favorite vacation spots when our kids were young.

I thought the book, Still Alice, was wonderful too. We had family members with Alzheimer's Disease so I appreciated how well the author portrayed Alice.

Stephanie wrote: "September 2012
Yossel: April 19 1943 -Joe Kubert (128 pages)
Graphic novel telling a "what if" story if the author's family had never left Poland. Beautiful pencil sketch artwork

Anna Karenina -Le..."

Stephanie, I've been wanting to read Anna Karenina forever, but the large size--and small print--has stopped me from picking it up. Now that a new movie version is coming out in November, it might give me more incentive. I saw the trailers for the movie, and the sets and wardrobe look gorgeous. I haven't read any reviews about the acting yet.

Amy wrote:
The State Boys Rebellion by Michael D'Antonio: About the use of eugenics practiced in the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century to "solve the problem" of children with below-average IQs. The incarceration of these children in state institutions was meant to "save" the American public — and its gene pool — from the "moron" (defined then as anyone with an IQ between 50 and 100). The book focuses specifically on the Walter E. Fernald School for the Feebleminded in Waltham, Massachusetts, and how a group of boys (primarily orphans) instigated an uprising after nearly two decades of confinement. 3 stars.
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You had a very nice month, Amy.
I've put State Boys on my TBR list.

Schmerguls wrote: "What I Read in September 2012



4953. The Rise of American Democracy Jefferson to Lincoln, by Sean Wilentz (read 7 Sep 2012) (Bancroft Prize in 2006) This massive volume (796 pages of text, 156 ..."

Wow, you are an amazing reader, and must love history. Were you in the Navy during the Korean War?

He (Schmerguls) is indeed amazing, Connie. I so look forward to reading his reviews each month.

Connie wrote: "Schmerguls wrote: "What I Read in September 2012



4953. The Rise of American Democracy Jefferson to Lincoln, by Sean Wilentz (read 7 Sep 2012) (Bancroft Prize in 2006) This massive volume (796 ..."

Were you in the Navy during the Korean War?

Yes, I was but I went to the Mediterranean --nowhere near Korea. I was discharged the day after the Korean War ended, the country apparently knowing that then I was no longer needed.

Connie wrote: "Deb, the University of Connecticut has lifelong learning, non-credit classes for adults aged 55+ at some of the smaller branches. I'm 61. They are taught by volunteers, some former teachers. The ..."

Connie, thank you for the information. I googled, as you suggested, but, as i feared, i'm in an isolated part of Texas for education. Heck, not even the Dallas-Ft. Worth area have such resources! My closest, it appears, is Austen, a 4 hour trip from here. (This is yet another reason i want out of Texas altogether!)

ANYway, i like the idea & hope to partake someday. It sounds as though you are well situated for such learning. And i'm guessing high school teachers must relish the opportunity to linger on one era for weeks at a time. In my high school we never got beyond the very beginning of WWI, let alone II. And to have people attending who want to be there. Wonderful!

Enjoy your time. Your classics/short story group sounds good. In many ways, this BNC board has served a similar purpose for those like me.

Again, thank you for taking the time to reply to my query.

deborah

Schmerguls wrote: "What I Read in September 2012..."

Great to read your list here, Schmerguls. As always i've added a title or two to my own list, thanks to your comments. Exorcising Hitler: The Occupation and Denazification of Germany byFrederick Taylor particularly appeals, given our group reading of Churchill's work. How a nation recovers from war can be a good story but this particular nation must have had much to overcome.

deborah

As always, the eclectic lists of readers here is a delight to read. Thank you to all who share. I'm reminded of books i want to read, as well as those i've already enjoyed...or at least have already read. ;-)

Madrano wrote: "I googled, as you suggested, but, as i feared, i'm in an isolated part of Texas for education. Heck, not even the Dallas-Ft. Worth area have such resources! My closest, it appears, is Austen, a 4 hour trip from here...."

Deb, if you Google "open courses" or "open learning initiative," you might find some interesting options that would work for you. I know that Harvard, for instance, posts courses and lecture videos that you can view online for free through its extension program. It doesn't offer the same intellectual energy and exchange of ideas as attending a "physical" course does, but it might offer you something of interest.

Here's a link to the Harvard extension site: http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open...

And here's a link to the edX website, which offers free courses from MIT and Berkeley as well:
https://www.edx.org/

I am back!!!! Hello everyone. I actually read two books last month (a huge deal for me right now!!!)
Sarah Vowell 4/5 stars. I truly love her historic writing and tone. I enjoyed the Subject Matter especially since I work alot with the New England Tribes, and never really understood their territories, etc. Also especially exciting, I found this book for a dollar at a used book store while on vacation.

Frances Hodgson Burnett 4/5 stars. I read this book for the first time with my mother as a young child. So reading it gave me alot of warm fuzzy memories. As for the tone of the book, I enjoyed the "Mind of Matter" message. Obviously, I did not pick that up as a child.

Glad to be back with you all!!!

Madrano wrote:I googled, as you suggested, but, as i feared, i'm in an isolated part of Texas for education. Heck, not even the Dallas-Ft. Worth area have such resources! My closest, it appears, is Austen, a 4 hour trip from here. (This is yet another reason i want out of Texas altogether!) "
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It might be best to call the school and ask. I know of one community college that has that program and it's called, My Turn. They also don't advertise the program.

Elaine wrote: "I am back!!!! Hello everyone. I actually read two books last month (a huge deal for me right now!!!)

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You were greatly missed, Elaine ! Glad you're back. :)

It's it terrific to find a winner at the used bookstore? It makes it doubly fun.

Thank you for the tips on community colleges, as well as extension-type courses. I wouldn't have thought of either. When i tried a couple of group readings of classic books (i cannot recall now if it was Borders or Barnes & Noble), i was exhilarated, as well as overwhelmed. Too many ideas! It's the closest i've come to online classes. As Amy noted, it's not quite the same as the quick exchanges of classrooms, though.

I haven't posted anything here in months, mostly because I've hardly read anything in months. I've started dozens of books and only finished a few of them. Can't say for sure if it's because of the books or because of me. So I'll post some of my recent and not-so-recent reads, but the list is too long (and I'm too lazy) to add links. I'm doing most of this from memory, as I haven't been keeping up with my book journal, so please excuse misspellings and the fact that I don't remember the names of any of the characters. Here goes.....

Destiny of the Republic - Candace Millard. Fascinating nonfiction. The story of the President James Garfield, focusing on his assassination, the terrible state of the medical care he received when he was shot and the insanity of the man who shot him. Although the story is sad, the storytelling is so well done that the book reads like a novel. A

Flowers for Algernon- Daniel Keyes. I'd seen the movie "Charly" that this book is based on, but never had read the book. And guess what - the book is better! The story of a mentally challenged man who undergoes a risky experiment to increase his intelligence, with interesting results. B+

Nemesis - Philip Roth. Set in Newark NJ during the record-setting hot weather of the summer of 1944, I read this book during the record-setting hot weather of the summer of 2012. Sadly, in Newark there was a polio epidemic going on, and this book is about how the tragedy of that disease affected a group of young boys and men who participated in a summer camp program in the city. Another disturbing story, but a very good read. A

The Light Between Oceans - M. L. Stedman. I had some issues with this story, set on an island off the coast of Australia in the 1920's. A young husband, a lighthouse keeper, and his wife come across a shipwrecked boat that contains the dead body of a man, and a living baby girl. The decisions they make from that moment on affect their lives forever. A lot of people liked this book a lot more than I did and I was almost ready to quit reading it several times - but I stuck with it. And a very touching ending that brought me to tears, redeemed the story for me. B

Monday Mornings - Sanjay Gupta. Fictional story of a group of doctors at a Detroit hospital. Some are good, some are bad, and all of them make mistakes - which are the subjects of the meetings they have on "Monday Mornings." I don't remember too much about the story, but at least I know I finished it, so it must have held my interest. B

The Road Through Wonderland: Surviving John Holmes - Dawn Schiller. Schiller was the real-life, underage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes and their life together was sad and depressing - drugs, abuse and general chaos. Her story is gritty but well-told and as you read about her childhood and early life, you understand how she could have fallen under the spell of an attentive older man. B+

Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep - David Randall. Lots of interesting facts and studies about sleep. A good read but a little bit boring at times when it got too scientific. B

The World Without You - Joshua Henkin. A family gathers at their summer home in upstate New York to observe the one year anniversary of their son/brother who died working as a reporter in Iraq. The family is very complicated to begin with and the stress of close quarters and personality conflicts make for even more complications. Although this book is very well-written, it was just too "talky" for me. All talk, little action. And a bit too much of a travelogue of that part of the world to hold my interest. I did like this book, but I would liked it better with different editing. B-

That's it. Eight books in 3 months. Sigh....

Connie, I've had "Nemesis" sittin in my to-read pile for months now. I'm glad to hear that you gave it such high marks. Thinking now that I might have to move it up a few slots in the pile. ;) Thanks!

It was a slow month for me, did some business travelling (In State) thought it would give me more time, but by the time I got to the hotel I was extremely tired and just wanted to sleep.

Glamour

Cursed!

The Midget's House

Bad Wolf

AnnabelleRC wrote: "I read A Life Lived Ridiculously ~ When a girl with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder falls in love with a sociopath, she must fight for her sanity and her life...

If you haven't already been seduced ..."

And presumably you are the author?

Thanks Connie, I have added Nemesis to my list. I think I may have had it an old list ages ago.

Connie, like you, I loved Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. I plan on reading her book on Teddy Roosevelt, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey.

Flowers for Algernon. I've never read this classic, but I put it on my TBR list when you read it. Thanks for reminding me !

Jorge wrote: "It was a slow month for me, did some business travelling (In State) thought it would give me more time, but by the time I got to the hotel I was extremely tired and just wanted to sleep.

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Four books isn't something to apologize for. Gosh, I think that is more than many read in an entire year!

I hope you enjoyed them.

Connie wrote: "I haven't posted anything here in months, mostly because I've hardly read anything in months. I've started dozens of books and only finished a few of them. Can't say for sure if it's because of t..."

Connie, i find myself going through periods such as you are experiencing. As an avid reader for several decades, the sudden change catches me offguard. Lately (last 5 or so years) i find myself being more selective, not even giving books the chance which you do. It's tough to be harsh about books but if i'm finding myself drawn to books less often, i want to make the most of those reading times.

I hope things improve. I wonder if Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep by David K. Randall could be used to lure one to sleep? ;-)

deb

Connie wrote: Monday Mornings - Sanjay Gupta. Fictional story of a group of doctors at a Detroit hospital. Some are good, some are bad, and all of them make mistakes - which are the subjects of the meetings they have on "Monday Mornings." I don't remember too much about the story, but at least I know I finished it, so it must have held my interest. B
----------------

I recall when this book came out. I like Sanjay Gupta on CNN. If I recall correctly, he said the Monday Meetings are something that did take place in hospitals he worked in.

When I heard him discuss the book on TV, I wondered about the implications of these meeting if the issue they were discussing had resulted in a lawsuit. Might it look like they were covering up and getting their stories straight?

On the other hand it was good to know that they were on top of problems and trying to nip them in the bud.

I'm sorry to see it's a B and not an A. But I guess that's not bad for a first effort.

I wonder why he didn't use his title of Dr. on the cover.

Monday Mornings: A Novel~Sanjay Gupta

Anyone else care to share the books they read in September?

A big thank you to all who have already done so. We all enjoy this thread each month. Your participation makes it a success. :)

Carolyn (in SC) C234D wrote: "AnnabelleRC wrote: "I read A Life Lived Ridiculously ~ When a girl with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder falls in love with a sociopath, she must fight for her sanity and her life...

I'm a regular lurker and this is my first time to post. I'm ashamed to say that I had downloaded the above author's book to my Kindle (when it was free) months ago. I have not read it. After reading her remarks and the level of hostility (which made my jaw drop) to users in this community, I will be deleting it, without reading it.

Kudos to the moderator for handling this so well!

Welcome to BNC, Sandi ! Thank you for the support.

I hope this is all behind us now and we can move on and get back to discussing books.

Please continue to post and maybe share your Sept. reads with us.

I see you have The Light Between Oceans on your TBR list. I have it on mine, too.

I look forward to your thoughts on it.

Welcome to the group, Sandi. We'll enjoy reading your thoughts on other books you've read.

Thanks for the warm welcome :) I love reading the posts from this group every morning when I get them in digest form. So many interesting topics and books covered that I have started an Outlook folder for "GoodReads" to save them.

Steve Jobs I waited awhile to read this book. I loved it. I appreciate what Steve did for Apple Inc. He was a jerk, but somehow it worked for him. It was most interesting to read of his neurotic eating habits. Rate: 5/5

The Help This was a great read. I enjoyed the stories. I have not seen the movie, not sure if I will. I prefer books my imagination does just fine for me. Rate 5/5

Welcome to Book Nook Cafe, Sara ! Thanks for joining our group and sharing your Sept. reads with us. I look forward to reading your posts.

I haven't read the Steve Jobs book, but I heard he went on some extremely restrictive diets. Did the book explain why he did this?

Alias Reader wrote: "Connie, like you, I loved Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. I plan on reading her book on Teddy Roosevelt, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt'..."

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey was very good. so good, that I passed it to my father-in-law who was a very picky reader. He enjoyed it so much we actually discussed it at length. If yu are able, move it up on your TBR.

Thanks for the feedback on The River of Doubt, Denise.

My TBR list is literally notebooks long. But I'll try to fit it in the next few months.

September reads:
1. The Monk. This was great. First published in 1796, the main plot revolves around (you'll never guess..) a monk with an extremely high opinion of himself and his monastic vows. Gothic story that has a little bit of every temptation and freat polt. Amazingly the author was 17. Not readily available in my library system so you may need to use interlibrary loan.

2. Summerland. Fantasy. The worlds (yes, plural, worlds) are threatened with extinction. It is up to Ethan, an 11 year old baseball hater, and his friends to save them. Unfortunately, this involves giants, werefoxes, a sasquash, wererats and baseball. Audioversion was very well done.

3. Vilette by Charlotte Bronte. Lucy Snowe's story. Lucy, however, tells you more about others than herself. As the story continues she becomes more participant than observer but still she watches. Very good.

4. Just enough, Jeeves. Once again, as always, Bertie has problems. Most of his problems are creations of his friends or relatives who inevitably decide that Bertie is the answer to thier troubles. Equally inevitable is the need for Jeeves to come to rescue. Classic, silly Wodehouse. Fun read.

5. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Fantasy. England's magicians and magic are a lost art. It falls to Mr Norrell and Jonathan Strange to bring magic back to England. Very good.

6. Garlic and Sapphires: Secret Life of a critic in disguise. Food critic, Ruth Reichl, goes undercover in order to review New york restaurants. Okay read, not one of her best.

7. Moneychangers. Arthur Hailey. Crime/suspense novel set in the banking business. A pince of corruption, arrogance and at least 2 honest characters. Good.