Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in January.

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

Here is what I read in January.

1776-David McCullough
nonfiction
rate: 2/5
Story about the first year of the Revolutionary war. A bit too much on battles and not enough on the people for my taste. We are currently discussing the book in our Group Read Thread. We will also discuss the movie of the same name.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking-Malcolm Gladwell
nonfiction
audio book - Reader: Malcom Gladwell
Rate: 3 minus/5
Interesting but nothing really new.

You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life--Eleanor Roosevelt
nonfiction
Rate: 3/5
I love Eleanor and the book has some very quotable passages. However, the book is dated.

The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life--Robin Zasio
nonfiction
audio book- Read by Casandra Campbell
Good book on hoarding and also people who have too much clutter. Who me ? ;)

Dinner With Friends-Donald Margulies
Fiction
Play
Rate 3/5
Pulitzer play about marriage and relationships.

The Silver Star-Jeannette Walls
Fiction
Rate: 2/5
I read this for my library f2f group. Every single person, including myself, was disappointed in the book. The consensus was it was a shallow book. We all felt it would be better for the young adult reader. We all agreed there was really nothing worth discussing and we quickly moved on to other topics.

I am currently reading:

Audio book- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Book- The Tenth Song

Book- August: Osage County

Carol's January 2014 reads --
Regarding poetry -- fiction, or nonfiction?

Washington Square by Henry James- 240 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 5/5
It's a tragicomedy, set in NYC during the mid-nineteenth century. James based it on his grandmother’s home in Washington Square, during a time when Victorian notions about a woman’s place in society were colliding with the sensibilities of the women’s suffrage movement. Dr. Sloper keeps his daughter, Catherine, away from marrying Morris Townsend, a spendthrift, who is after her money. Unfortunately the 2 men are not battling over Catherine, but, in reality, they are fighting over her inheritance. Catherine is stuck. As a woman she can’t earn money because she cannot be employed; her father also refuses to give her dowry so she can't marry. Catherine represents all Victorian women who were stuck either being a spinster or a wife/mother.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton-305 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 3.5/5
Review:Edith Wharton’s portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of "Old New York", a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.” Not one of my favorite classics. It received the "1921 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel," but was misunderstood by the Columbia trustees that Wharton’s novel was “wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood.” Wharton was surprised, knowing that this book was the opposite of what they said it was!

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell- 509 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 4/5
If you want to read something different, this is the book! Mitchell takes the reader through six different stories which the reader is only allowed to read in sequence given (from 1 2 3 4 5 6 and return to 5 4 3 2 1.) I enjoyed all of the stories except the dystopian one entitled, An Orison of Sonmi, which made me think that Mitchell was greatly influenced by the 1973 film Soylent Green, based on the book Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison.

The Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht--112pp.
NON FICTION
Rate: 5/5
Excellent! The photographs are amazing. The snowflake is truly a temporary work of art. In order to capture these images, the photographer had to quickly photograph each individual "snow crystal" as it fell in seconds. A fallen snow crystal starts to lose it's it's shape in seconds. (A snow crystal refers to a single crystal of ice.) They are a mystery due to their complex and symmetrical shapes. It forms when water vapor in the air condenses directly into solid ice. As more vapor condenses onto a nascent snow crystal, the crystal grows and develops, and this is when elaborate patterning emerges. This book covers Dr. Libbrecht work as well as the history of Wilson Bentley success in photographing his first snow crystal in 1885.

Snow Country (1935) by Yasunari Kawabata--175 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 5/5
Kawabata's Nobel Prize post-apocalyptic tale of wasted love set amid the desolate beauty of western Japan. It is quite dense -- best to read it slowly, especially more than one time.

The Kiss and Other Stories by Kate Chopin- 57 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 3/5
The Kiss, by Chopin was published in 1894, and later in Vogue in 1895. "Clearly Vogue, like Chopin, was interested in representing women as sexual beings," writes Bonnie James Shaker. "Chopin had . . . learned that [Vogue] was the showcase in which she could count on placing her 'experimental' feminist fiction. The story is about a young, beautiful woman named Natalie, who finds a man of high status in society with enormous wealth, which she "required the entourage which his wealth could give her." Her husband discovered her indiscretion, and forgives her again, and again. The story underscores a subtle ambivalence about female roles, as well as touches of wry humor.

Feminine Gospels: Poems by Carol Ann Duffy--80 pp.
POETRY
Rate: 4/5
Duffy explores the female, from history (Elizabeth I to Marilyn Monroe) to the beauty of birth and raising a growing child, to some more erotic and sometimes personal poetry. I found the poetry challenging and also entertaining regarding the "female condition."

Winter's Tales by Isak Dinesen- 313 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 5/5
She was an excellent story writer! Sorrow Acre was my favorite short story. This is the first paragraph-"The low, undulating Danish landscape was silent and serene, mysteriously wide-awake in the hour before sunrise. There was not a cloud in the pale sky, not a shadow alone the dim, pearly fields, hills and woods. The Mist was lilting from the valleys and hollows, the air was cool, the grass and the foliage dripping wet with morning-dew. Unwatched by the eyes of man, and undisturbed by his activity, the country breathed a timeless life, to which language was inadequate." Beautifully written, and so endearing, that they will stay with me for years later. In 1931, Karen Blixen began to write under the nom de plume Isak Dinesen. Her book, Seven Gothic Tales was her first book and was a literary success. I also enjoyed her film Babette's Feast.

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen- 40 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 5/5
Who doesn't love fairy tales? I grew up with my parents reading them to me and my brother. We were so blessed because my father's coworkers were generous to give us their "hand-me-downs" which included books. This story was written in 1845, it's a beautiful tale of friendship, love, bravery and the struggle between good and evil. Best friends Kai and Gerda would do anything for each other. When Kai starts to behave cruelly and disappears, Gerda sets out on an epic quest to save Kai from the evil Snow Queen. But can Gerda break the Snow Queen's enchantment and pass the final test? Read on.

Six American Poets: An Anthology by Joel Conarroe-320 pp.
POETRY
Rate: 5/5
A simple introduction to six different poets -- Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, and Langston Hughes.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah-448 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 4/5
Meredith and Nina Whitson are sisters; when they were little girls they acted out a play that their mother told them that was about a worthy, yet poor, young woman, her sister, and the prince who rescues them. But the play angered and upset their mother, Anya, who could not tell them why. This vow makes both daughters never to please their mother again. Meredith (the nurturer, has 2 jobs, helps at the house, in a troubled marriage, with 2 kids in college); while sister Nina (prize-winning, world-renowned photojournalist; long-term boyfriend; she takes difficult jobs in various countries photographing people/war zones). Both daughters idolize their father, Evan, a hearty, good-humored man who brings out the best in his wife and daughters. Evan, on his deathbed, asks both his daughters to please try to get Anya to tell them the rest of the story about the prince, the worthy young woman and her sister -- all of it. And this promise changes everything. It is a story of hope, fear, death, friendship, sacrifice, honor, and history. It is also about fate, second chances, and personal redemption. (The first half does require patience!)

1776 by David McCullough-400 pp.
NONFICTION
Rate: 2.5/5
Review: I had trouble getting through this book. I guess I'm not into war battles and strategies. I will have to read it another time, maybe July, when I can appreciate it better.

Forever by Pete Hamill-640 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 4.5/5
Review: This is an AMAZING book! Forever is a novel of not one immigrant experience, but the waves of change that broke on the shores of New York over the course of nearly three centuries. Cormac arrives in Manhattan looking like one of hundreds of Irish Catholics fleeing the famines, befriending other exiles — speakers of Irish and Yiddish and Yoruba, political rebels and ruffians and escaped slaves. From the time he receives his "gift", he cannot remain in any one job or with any one lover for long, lest someone should figure out his secret. Cormac must live freely and relatively invisibly long enough to fulfill the terms of Celtic revenge, which require that he kill every direct male descendant in the Warren family to the end of the line. Forever, in terms of genre, is historical fiction, urban fantasy, dystopia, thriller, and romance.

Emma by Jane Austen-512pp.
FICTION
Rate: 3/5
Review: I finally got through this book. I now have a better viewpoint of Emma, but I have to say that she is my least favorite Austen character.



I am currently reading (all books):

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

The Invisible Woman by Claire Tomalin

Charles Dickens by Claire Tomalin

Carol wrote: The Snowflake The Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht--112pp.
NON FICTION
Rate: 5/5
Excellent! The photographs are amazing. The snowflake is truly a temporary work of art. In order to capture these images, the photographer had to quickly photograph each individual "snow crystal" as it fell in seconds. A fallen snow crystal starts to lose it's it's shape in seconds. (A snow crystal refers to a single crystal of ice.) They are a mystery due to their complex and symmetrical shapes. It forms when water vapor in the air condenses directly into solid ice. As more vapor condenses onto a nascent snow crystal, the crystal grows and develops, and this is when elaborate patterning emerges. This book covers Dr. Libbrecht work as well as the history of Wilson Bentley success in photographing his first snow crystal in 1885. ..."

As usual, an awesome reading month. I also enjoy reading your synopsis.

I put a hold on Snowflake at my library. Thanks for the title. :)

Carol wrote: Winter's Tales Winter's Tales by Isak Dinesen- 313 pp.
FICTION
Rate: 5/5
She was an excellent story writer! Sorrow Acre was my favorite short story. This is the first paragraph-"The low, undulating Danish landscape was silent and serene, mysteriously wide-awake in the hour before sunrise. There was not a cloud in the pale sky, not a shadow alone the dim, pearly fields, hills and woods. The Mist was lilting from the valleys and hollows, the air was cool, the grass and the foliage dripping wet with morning-dew. Unwatched by the eyes of man, and undisturbed by his activity, the country breathed a timeless life, to which language was inadequate." Beautifully written, and so endearing, that they will stay with me for years later. In 1931, Karen Blixen began to write under the nom de plume Isak Dinesen. Her book, Seven Gothic Tales was her first book and was a literary success. I also enjoyed her film Babette's Feast...."

I am seeing new commercials of a movie with the title Winter's Tale. Is it based on this book ?

EDIT--- I just checked and see it is not. It is based on a book by Mark Halprin.


Winter's Tale---Mark Helprin

I only finished one book:
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
5 stars
I knew little about Korea before reading this book and learned a great deal. History mixed in with the stories of 6 people from North Korea who defected give a good picture of what North Korea is/was like in an easy-to-read and definately not boring format.

I have been preoccupied by bridge, which I am learning anew using the 21st Century method, but I have read a few books this month.
Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies I didn't think it was quite as fascinating as the weird goings on of Operation Mincemeat, but it is a good tale with lots of interesting characters acting as double agents. 3-3.5 stars
The Lowland Fair yarn in the first-this-happened- and-then-that-happened style. Brothers from Calcutta caught up in unrest, one comes to Rhode Island, the other stays behind. Not gripping, for sure. 3 stars Can't imagine why it got such good reviews.
Don't Point that Thing at Me Very amusing lead character, a finicky charlatan involved in murky (to me), complex dealings in art. Very odd ending. Hard to categorize, but amusing! 4 stars for originality.
Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House I thought this author took both sides at the same time. I came away feeling that poor W was not his own man. In the first administration, he was a slave to Cheney; in the second, to Condi. Very dependent on who was informing on whom. 3 stars

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question but can somebody explain what the rating system is here or what your individual rating is all about.

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question but can somebody explain what the rating system is here or what your individual rating is all about."

Rate your reads from 1 (terrible) to 5 (fantastic). You can also give half point rating (like 2.5/5) depending on what you thought about the book.

I read the following in the month of January:

The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son by Pat Conroy.
I read this book, which was Conroy's story of his abusive father who was a Marine, after reading The Great Santini and My Losing Season recently. The Great Santini was Conroy's first book where he discoursed on his father although it was the fictional account of a Marine nick named Santini. My Losing Season was a memoir of Conroy's basketball playing days first in high school and then at The Citadel but again much of this book was about his abusive father who hit his kids in the face for no apparent reason. By the time I read this title I was truly disgusted about Santini or the senior Conroy and only gave it a 3 rating cause some of the passages were beautifully written.
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Once We Were Brothersby Ronald Balson. This book was self published by a lawyer from Chicago and as I read this book it became apparent because of some of the information. This is the story of an 80 something man who recognized a well respected and philanthropic man as the young boy who lived with his family before the war. When he approaches the man holding a gun and is then sent to prison, a journalist and lawyer join forces to find out about both of these men's lives. I first read this book on my own but this time I reread it for my f2f book group and whereas the first time I read it, I thought it was OK, this timer I really loved it. This might be because we visited Eastern Europe and two concentration camps and this book again spoke of the Holocaust.
Rating: 5/5 stars

The Bronze Horsemanby Paullina Simons
This was also a reread I chose to erad for a challenge and because everybody who has read this since I read it really loved it. I didn't love it the first time or this time either. This book has been called The Russian Thorn Birds but I don't see the comparison. Se t during the siege of Leningrad, the author did a good job describing the hunger and horrible conditions when the Germans blockaded the city and no provisions could get in leaving the people to starve and suffer from horrible diseases. But it was the love story of the two main characters which I found insufferable. Still I gave it 3 stars cause I do think the author intended to read a book I should have loved.
Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Poisonwood Bibleby Barbara Kingsolver
It must be but this book set in the Belgian Congo during the 60's was so boring to me I can't believe I persevered and finished it. The story of a minister, his wife and 4 daughters who travel to the Congo to help the natives and find themselves in a political hot bed, never spoke to me. And I am sure it is my failing that I didn't like this book but I didn't.
Rating: 2/5 Stars

First Love by James Patterson
I'm not going to waste anybody's time nor mine reviewing this book. Suffice it to say it was the worst book I read this month, maybe this year. My days with James Patterson's books and his co authors are now on the back burner for me.
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons
The second book about the couple from The Bronze Horseman. This book wasn't much better than the first one except that the war is over and there is some affirmation of the love between the main characters.
Rating: 3/5 stars

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriageby Ann Patchett
I will sum up this compilation of Ann Patchett's earlier articles in a one word. WONDERFUL!! And now that you've read this I urge you to read this book since it is so full of Ann's take on life, her relationships and her wisdom. This book left me with not only wanting to have had dinner with Nora Ephron but also dinner with Anna Quindlen and Ann Patchett.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Stella Bainby Anita Shreve
I am a lover of Anita Shreve's books and while I didn't think this was one of her better books by the end I realized that I really did enjoy this. Stella Bain wakes in a hospital in France and has no idea how she got there or who she is. What ensues is her journey to London and then being taken in by a doctor and his gracious wife. The revelation and what happens next kept me going and I did feel the book was worthwhile by the last page.
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Seriously... I'm Kiddingby Ellen DeGeneres
I am on a celebrity kick of reading their memoirs or take on life. And this book may have suffered since some I read were great but this one wasn't that funny or interesting. Ellen is somewhat funny but most of this was just a poor excuse to write a book.
Rating: 2/5 Stars

Lost Lakeby Sarah Addison Allen
For those who love Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende and Alice Hoffman, there's a gal in writing town who does magic realism that's real good. This is Allen's 5th book and the one I love the most. her characters are so finely drawn and I imagine any reader will fall in love with them. Eby, at 79, has decided to sell her cabins at Lost Lake which will disrupt most of the people in the area, her summer renters, family members who have come to visit needing a refuge but most of all Eby and the woman she once saved from the Seine River, Lisette. Combining magic realism with home spun wisdom, Allen presents her reader with a treasure in 296 pages.
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Alias Reader wrote: "As usual, an awesome reading month. I also enjoy reading your synopsis.

I put a hold on Snowflake at my library. Thanks for the title. :) "

I hope you enjoy it!! I also picked up Joyce's Dubliners audiobook spoken by your dear friend, Frank McCourt and Malachy McCourt and 13 other Irish actors; Brendan Coyle and Charles Keating, reading "A Little Cloud" and "Grace;" Fionnula Flanagan is perfect reading "A Mother," her voice shifting easily between prim and proper tones and fiery indignation punctuated with little sighs; Stephen Rea's cold, somber voice is meditative for the most famous story, "The Dead,"

My reads for January:
League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada: This book details the work of neuroscientists who discovered that a chronic brain disease was causing severe brain damage in professional football players. It also details how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain damage. As a parent of two boys, I was horrified—and very, very glad that I never allowed them to play football. Well written and interesting, even if you are not a sports fan. 4/5 stars.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King: I started the “Dark Tower” series back in the late 80’s/early ‘90s, and absolutely loved the first three books that were published. Then Stephen King took a long break from writing the series—about 15 years. I’ve been wanting to finish the series, but realized I would have to go back and re-read the first three before continuing on. This is Book #1. I remember being completely and utterly enthralled by it when I read it in my 20s. Now I’m in my 40s, and it didn’t hold my interest quite as much. 3/5 stars (this time).

Two Rivers by T. Greenwood: Well written, with engaging characters. 3.5 stars because I did not foresee the twist at the end. And because it was a bargain book that I picked up for $3. Definitely worth the read at that price.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin: A fictional look at the lives and marriage of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Charles Lindbergh. I enjoyed it; it made me wonder what was real and what was invented, and prompted me to search out a few nonfiction books about Lindbergh. 4/5 stars

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson: I normally enjoy Joshilyn Jackson's work, so I really wanted to like this. But it was just ... all over the place. I couldn't buy into the novel's premise at all. And several characters--and plot lines--just felt unfinished. There was too much going on in this book, and none of it felt real. 2/5 stars

Valley of Ashes by Cornelia Read: This book is incorrectly labeled as a "mystery." It's not. Really, the only mystery is why it took Madeline so long to figure out what was going on with her marriage. The whole "who is the arsonist and why is he burning stuff down?" angle is basically superfluous to the story of a marriage in crisis. Which, actually, would have been fine as a book by itself--in fact, the whole arson storyline seemed to be a distraction from the real plot. I enjoy the author's writing style and I think Madeline is a great character, but I think this book should not even have bothered to pretend that it's a mystery/crime thriller. 3/5 stars

Just Like Other Daughters by Colleen Faulkner: About a divorced mother who is raising her adult daughter, who has Down syndrome. The mother struggles with the fact that her daughter falls in love with a mentally challenged young man—and they want to get married. I read this book because it was given to me by a friend, who loved it. I found it to be rather shallow, superficial and unrealistic. 1.5/5 stars, but only because I finished it. (Mostly so I could tell my friend that I read it to the end.)

Bliss by Zülfü Livaneli: Set in Turkey, this book begins with the rape of Meryem, a 15-year-old girl who lives in a rural village in Eastern Anatolia. After being assaulted by her uncle, who is a sheikh in a dervish order, she is condemned to death for “shaming” her family. Her cousin, who is a soldier in the Turkish army, is instructed to take her to Istanbul and perform the ritualistic honor killing. The book follows their story and that of a professor that they meet along the way. 4/5 stars

Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson: With one kid in college now and another currently awaiting his admissions decisions, I have been riding the college roller coaster for the past five years. Visits and tours, applications, recommendations, essays, FAFSA, CSS profiles ... I laughed when I read this book, because it's all too true. And I cringed when I read this book. Because it's all too true. 4/5 stars

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld: About identical twins who are born with psychic “senses.” One embraces them, the other tries to hide them. When the psychic twin goes public with her premonition that an earthquake will strike St. Louis, the other one is forced to face truths about herself that she had tried to deny. I was entertained by it. 3.5/5 stars

Can we comment about the books listed here or is there another area to discuss some of these titles?

Amy, I read The Aviator's Wife last year and I enjoyed the book but her husband was not a devoted man to his wife or children. Overall I did enjoy the book.

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Can we comment about the books listed here or is there another area to discuss some of these titles?"

Absolutely...please comment here on books that people have listed. It's interesting to see what other people thought about the books that you've read!

Nancy, I will put Stella Bain-Anita Shreve on TBR list. I have yet to read Sea Glass on my nightstand.

Michele wrote: "I have been preoccupied by bridge, which I am learning anew using the 21st Century method,..."

Thanks for sharing, Michele ! I don't know how to play bridge but it sounds like fun. As to other things taking time away from reading I hear ya. I really have to stop playing Bejeweled Blitz on the computer.

Nancy from NJ wrote: Once We Were Brothersby Ronald Balson. This book was self published by a lawyer from Chicago and as I read this book it became apparent because of some of the information. This is the story of an 80 something man who recognized a well respected and philanthropic man as the young boy who lived with his family before the war. When he approaches the man holding a gun and is then sent to prison, a journalist and lawyer join forces to find out about both of these men's lives. I first read this book on my own but this time I reread it for my f2f book group and whereas the first time I read it, I thought it was OK, this timer I really loved it. This might be because we visited Eastern Europe and two concentration camps and this book again spoke of the Holocaust.
Rating: 5/5 stars."

Very nice reading month, Nancy !

My friend read Once We Were Brothers and liked it a lot.

Nancy from NJ wrote: "Can we comment about the books listed here or is there another area to discuss some of these titles?"

Absolutely you can comment ! :)

Carol wrote:I also picked up Joyce's Dubliners audiobook spoken by your dear friend, Frank McCourt and Malachy McCourt and 13 other Irish actors; Brendan Coyle and Charles Keating, reading "A Little Cloud" and "Grace;" Fionnula Flanagan is perfect reading "A Mother," her voice shifting easily between prim and proper tones and fiery indignation punctuated with little sighs; Stephen Rea's cold, somber voice is meditative for the most famous story, "The Dead,"
..."

That sounds like a perfect book for audio. Enjoy ! :)

Amy wrote: "My reads for January:
League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by Mark Fainaru-Wada: This book details the work of neuroscientists who discover..."

I saw a partial story on the news about football head injuries. I think they said they were going to redesign the helmet. Though I wasn't paying a lot of attention so I may have gotten that wrong.

I started what felt like a lot of books this month but didn't get through them yet and have put them under my bed for better days! This month I found reading a bit of a slog, hope February is better! Here's what I did manage:

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore - Hot on the heels of Watchmen, I read this short graphic novel about the nature of Batman and Joker's dynamic. It was very interesting and the artwork was gorgeous, but I wish it had been longer! 4 STARS

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard - A very nicely written first volume of the saga of the Cazalet familiy. After a few false starts with other books, I was able to get very comfortably into this book and enjoyed the evocative setting and meandering plot. This was perfect January reading, cosy and accomplished but with depth. Looking forward to the next one! FOUR STARS.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson - This was not the book for me. Too much detail made it overwhelming and the writing was attractive but often felt contrived. Also, the serial killer sections that interested me more were not as thorough and I felt an opportunity was missed telling that story properly. TWO STARS

Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke - This is the second book in the Dave Robicheaux series and I found myself in the position of quite thoroughly disliking the lead character this time around. The plot was cloudy and seemed to move forward based only on the stupidity and pride of the protagonist. There was too much sex and violence, which I am not sensitive about except that it interfered with telling a decent story. Burke's poetic writing and skill at conjuring an image is what carried me to the end of this book, but I don't know if I'd read the third without making the hubs read it first and tell me whether it was worth my time! 2.5 STARS

I finished The Lowland mid month of January. I enjoyed the writing more than the story. Something about the way that Lahiri writes just sends me. I think that readers who want to get close to characters have a problem with her writing. I feel that she keeps everyone distanced from her people. And why that works for me is a mystery. I rated it 4 stars.

Last night I finished The House on Tradd Street. This book was almost the opposite of the Lowland. The story was what I liked and it kept me on the edge all the way to the end. But the writing is sloppy, or maybe it's the editing. Many obvious typos. I also didn't like the choppy writing style. It felt amateurish so I will need to try the author again to see if that style is inherent to her writing. This was a 3 star book.

Alias Reader wrote: "I saw a partial story on the news about football head injuries. I think they said they were going to redesign the helmet. ..."

Yeah, the book goes into that, too. Apparently the helmet redesign does not solve the concussion problem. Yet the NFL made a huge PR push about it that was aimed at convincing the parents whose kids are in youth football and high school programs that it's now safer for them to participate in the sport.

Lori wrote: "I finished The Lowland mid month of January. I enjoyed the writing more than the story. Something about the way that Lahiri writes just sends me. I think that readers who want to ge..."

Interesting take on Lahiri's writing, Lori. I never thought about it that way, but I agree with you. Her writing is gorgeous, but there is indeed a distance between the reader and the characters. Nice observation.

Soph wrote: It was very interesting and the artwork was gorgeous, but I wish it had been longer! 4 STARS
..."

It's the rare book that one wishes it was longer. Glad you enjoyed it. I've never read a graphic novel. Maybe I'll put that on my next years DL list.

Lori wrote: "I finished The Lowland mid month of January. I enjoyed the writing more than the story. Something about the way that Lahiri writes just sends me. I think that readers who want to ge..."

Sorry to hear the story wasn't as compelling as her writing. I've read her in the past and agree she does have a way with words.

My January reads were:

And Then You DyeBYMonica Ferris

rating 3

This is an installment of mystery series that I read. It was a solid piece of fluff

The Shoemaker's Wifeby Adriana Trigiani

Rating 4/5

Meredith wrote: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani -- we read that in my mom's senior book group last year. I really enjoyed her writing. My parents met her a year before at a local library -- she is quite the character!! We are reading Big Stone Gap this month, another book by her.

Meredith wrote: "My January reads were:

And Then You DyeBYMonica Ferris

rating 3

This is an installment of mystery series that I read. It was a solid piece of fluff

[book:The Sho..."

Two good reads. Nicely done, Meredith !

Julie wrote: "I only finished one book:
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
5 stars
I knew little about Korea before reading this book and learned a great deal. History mixed in with th..."

I've been fascinated by North Korea for years and this book is one of the best on the subject. There are images from Nothing to Envy that will stay with me forever.

You might also want to read Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden which is the true story of the only person, a young man, to be born in one of the North Korean prison camps and live to escape from it.

I only finished two books in January. The days fly by -- which I think is a good thing but I am not meeting my reading goals

So I read 1Q84 Haruki Murakami This book is a tome. I really enjoyed it and when I finished it I felt that he needed the whole thing. The characters are amazing. It is dystopian so be aware if that is not your style.

My other read was Twelve Years a Slave Solomon Northup What is there to say. While I haven't seen the movie I am thankful that the making of the movie has lead us readers to this book which evidentally was popular when it was first published. I highly recommend it. A fast read.

Connie wrote: I've been fascinated by North Korea for years and this book is one of the best on the subject. There are images from Nothing to Envy that will stay with me forever.

You might also want to read Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden which is the true story of the only person, a young man, to be born in one of the North Korean prison camps and live to escape from it.
.."

Last night I was starting the process of going through my books as I downsize. I saw that I have this Pearl Buck Novel on Korea.

Living Reed: A Novel of Korea----Pearl S. Buck
The Living Reed follows four generations of one family, the Kims, beginning with Il-han and his father, both advisors to the royal family in Korea. When Japan invades and the queen is killed, Il-han takes his family into hiding. In the ensuing years, he and his family take part in the secret war against the Japanese occupation.

Pearl S. Buck's epic tells the history of Korea through the lives of one family. She paints an amazing portrait of the country, and makes us empathize with their struggle for sovereignty through her beautifully drawn characters.

Bobbie57 wrote: "I only finished two books in January. The days fly by -- which I think is a good thing but I am not meeting my reading goals

So I read 1Q84 Haruki Murakami This book ..."

You say "only" but 1Q84 should count as at least 3 ! It's over 1000 pages.

I have Twelve Years a Slave on my TBR list. I'm happy to see you enjoyed it.

Thanks for sharing, Barbara.

I have had an amazing reading week, not at all a normal one for me. I've read The Rosie Project and Someone, and started We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Full disclosure! None of these books are bricks :-)

My reviews can be seen n my profile page. I still haven't figured out how to link my reviews to threads. If anyone has advice, please tell me!

January Reads....not many of them, but they were good!

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn. A troubled young reporter from Chicago returns to her tiny hometown in southeast Missouri to investigate the murders of two girls. Everyone in this novel is very dysfunctional, creepy, just plain weird, or all of the above, and some might even be murderers. This was a kind of icky book that was, somehow, a good read.

The Husband's Secret Free Preview - Liane Moriarity. This was my "blizzard book" - the one I was stuck in the house with during the terrible weather - and I'm so glad it was! It's a fast-paced and well-constructed story of three seemingly unconnected women whose lives are affected either by knowing, or not knowing "the husband's secret." You know the stories are going to come together somehow, and it's interesting to see how they do. The worst thing about this book is the title and the cover, which has a big pink flower on it. It's much more than the dreaded "chick lit" that it appears to be.

Life After Life - Kate Atkinson. This is one of those "love it or hate it" books.....and I loved it. In fact, it's fun for me to start off the year knowing that a book I read in January will be one of my best books of the year! You do have to buy into the premise that a woman is born and lives and dies over and over again, all the while not knowing what has happened to her but having a strange case of deja vu that we can understand, but she can't. Sometimes an alternate life ends early, sometimes accidentally, sometimes tragically. I can't imagine how Atkinson ever conceived of writing this book, or how she pulled it off, but she did, beautifully.

I am on the "loved it" list for Life After Life.

Me, too. Best book in a while.

Bobbie57 wrote: "I only finished two books in January. The days fly by -- which I think is a good thing but I am not meeting my reading goals

So I read 1Q84 Haruki Murakami This book ..."

I'm a big fan of Murakami and this was my first foray into Japanese fiction. I like it!

I didn't have a big reading month in January - my mother was visiting for the first week and I started a new job mid-month, so it's been a little challenging. Hopefully, I will get into a schedule soon!

1776 - 3.5/5 - it was a good read, though a little battle-heavy for me. I enjoyed reading about the challenges faced by the soldiers and leaders at the time. The revolution was truly a monumental undertaking! I have more comments in my Determination List thread and in the Group Reads discussion thread for this book.

Note: for this book (and probably most non-fiction books), some of the questions posed in the Group Read discussion thread are answerable if you have some knowledge of that period in history or of the revolutionary war. We are always trying to get more people into the discussion, so feel free to join in.

Stoner - 4/5 - an engaging book about a professor at a small college who is somewhat isolated by nature and by circumstances. In some ways, this is a sad book, but the character is able to deal with a lot of adversity and yet finds contentment in his life. There are more comments in my Determination List thread.

Pnin - 4/5 - is another book about a professor at a small college! Pnin is a Russian emigree who seems a bit strange but is really an engaging character (in every sense of the word). I would have loved several more chapters and a little more continuity between chapters (which began life as a serial in The New Yorker). There are more comments in my Determination List.

Ulysses - still reading! In January, I made it from page 276 to page 894; I have 184 pages to go. It's an adventure and requires a lot of patience, but I'm enjoying it so far. There are more comments in my Determination List.

Portia wrote: "I have had an amazing reading week, not at all a normal one for me. I've read The Rosie Project and Someone, and started [book:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89..."
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Thanks, Portia. I have some Shirley Jackson on my Kindle. I have to see if We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one of them. If not, I can get it from my library. Either way, I am putting it in my TBR notebook. Thanks !

Connie wrote:
The Husband's Secret Free Preview - Liane Moriarity. This was my "blizzard book" - the one I was stuck in the house with during the terrible weather - and I'm so glad it was! It's a fast-paced and well-constructed story of three seemingly unconnected women whose lives are affected either by knowing, or not knowing "the husband's secret." You know the stories are going to come together somehow, and it's interesting to see how they do. The worst thing about this book is the title and the cover, which has a big pink flower on it. It's much more than the dreaded "chick lit" that it appears to be...."

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Thanks for sharing your January reads with us, Connie.

The Husband's Secret Free Preview sounds interesting, despite the title!

I hate when the cover is a turn off. I always tell the people whom I recommend
Mine--Robert R. McCammon
to ignore the cover. It's a great page turner and the authors books are more than just horror.

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Connie wrote: Life After Life - Kate Atkinson. This is one of those "love it or hate it" books.....and I loved it. In fact, it's fun for me to start off the year knowing that a book I read in January will be one of my best books of the year!
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Wow ! That is some recommendation. I'll have to check it out.

Portia wrote: "I am on the "loved it" list for Life After Life."

I am reading this book right now. Almost finished. It is my f2f book club read for March. I do love it.

Susan from MD wrote: 1776 - 3.5/5 - it was a good read, though a little battle-heavy for me. I enjoyed reading about the challenges faced by the soldiers and leaders at the time. The revolution was truly a monumental undertaking! I have more comments in my Determination List thread and in the Group Reads discussion thread for this book..."

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I really appreciate you reading the group read, Susan. Discussing it with you made all the difference.

Portia wrote: My reviews can be seen n my profile page. I still haven't figured out how to link my reviews to threads. If anyone has advice, please tell me! .."
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We find most people don't like to click on links. So to get the most people to read your thoughts on a book we suggest you just follow the format that most here do.

Title link
A few sentences on your thoughts on the book
Rating.

It's much appreciated as this thread seems to be one of the most popular we have at BNC.

Add me to the list of people who loved Life After Life. It was one of my top reads for 2013.

a LOT of Texas history... Lone Star Nation by H.W. Brands was amazing, Texas Illiad by Stephen L. Hardin.. wonderful illustrations. and a few more I can't remember titles on... been a good month

Thanks for the advice on links. I'm actually relieved bec I 'm just one and a half steps above hopeless with technology. And I see with today's postings how other BNC members do their reviews, so I have plenty of good examples. Hope you enjoy the Jackson. I've finished it already and will post a review soon. Good chance to practice :)

Posting on Good Reads can be quite a challenge. Learning how to add the book/author link or other things can seem daunting. When I first came to GR I was totally lost.

However, you will see you will pick it up rather quickly and become an old hand at it in no time. :)

In the meantime, don't worry over it. We are pretty relaxed about things here at BNC.

Maria29 wrote: "a LOT of Texas history... Lone Star Nation by H.W. Brands was amazing, Texas Illiad by Stephen L. Hardin.. wonderful illustrations. and a few more I can't remember titles on... been a good month"
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I just added some H.W. Brands

books to my TBR notebook after I saw him on C-SPAN2 Book TV. It was very entertaining.