Book Nook Cafe discussion

Share with us what you read in November 2016!


Please provide:

~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

I don't think I will finish another book today. So here are my November reads. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great reading month.

Paris for One and Other Stories--Jojo Moyes
Fiction
Rate- 1/5
This was a huge disappointment. I enjoyed the authors other book Me Before You. It's hard to believe this is the same author. This was total chick lit. It has one story that is about 100 pages titled Paris for One. It's so predictable it had me rolling my eyes. That is followed by a series of very short stories. I forced myself to finish this book. I only managed it because it's a slender book.

Luigi's Jazz Warm Up: An Introduction to Jazz Style & Technique--Luigi Kriegel
Non fiction
Rate 4/5
As the title states, it is a book of exercises from the famous Luigi. Luigi is a famous dancer and has trained many a Broadway star.

Today Will Be Different---Maria Semple
Fiction
Rate 2/5
I was so looking forward to the follow-up book from this author. I loved her other book Where'd You Go, Bernadette It was witty and laugh out loud funny. This one was a bit disjointed and while it did have a few witty lines it was no Bernadette.

Oh well, i hope I can finish the year up on a high reading note.

I'm sorry that Today Will Be Different was a disappointment, Alias. I had the audio from the library but had to return it before hearing it. I was looking forward to trying again once the queue has settled down a bit.

I've had a slow reading month. I'm about 3/4 through 2 books but won't finish even one of these this month. They'll be mentioned in December's thread.

I read 3 books in November:
The Wars (4-star) I'm a big Timothy Findley fan and this book was no exception. Parts of this story were truly heart-breaking. The book made for a wonderful Remembrance Day read. It really showed the effects of war on soldiers and their families.

Before the Fall (2-star) I don't get the hype.

The Story of a New Name (4-star) I'm really enjoying this series. This portion took Elena and Lila from 16-23. A turbulent time in anyone's life.

Here are the books I read in November.

During WWII, the Nazis made a practice of stripping occupied countries of their treasures. They also practiced junk science like eugenics. And they used a lot of horses on the battlefield and behind the lines in prosecuting the war. All these concerns came together in a Nazi program to steal the great horses of Europe in order to breed them and make the perfect - a perfectly standardized- war horse. So the incredibly valuable Lippizaners of Austria and Czechoslovakia and the Arabians of Poland became the raw material for a bogus experimentation program under the control of a single Nazi officer. The author describes the horses in great detail, the caretakers who saved them, the men who loved them and those who rescued them, which is an intrigue worthy of a great book. 4 stars

Clementine was a neglected child who grew up to be a neglectful mother. She chose as her life's work the care and feeding of Winston Churchill, one of my favorite flawed men, and abandoned all else. When the became too difficult, she withdrew to her bed with headaches or to watering holes to recover herself. And meanwhile, her kids grew up badly. One did not survive past toddlerhood thanks to parental neglect; the three others killed themselves, at first slowly with drink, then two by suicide. It is not a pretty story. But this book takes the position that Clementine was an extraordinary person who deserves great credit for her wartime contributions. I don't know. It doesn't seem that way to me. 3 stars

I said last month that I do not comprehend the appeal of Kick Kennedy, and I have learned nothing that would enlighten me from this book. It is pretty standard fare for the most part, rehashing things you knew about the individuals, perhaps showing that the families were more entwined than it seemed, and that Randolph Churchill in particular was bouyed by his association with the Kennedy family. Winston died sixty years to the day and almost the hour that his father did; Randolph died on the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated, and thus became a footnote once again. It's a big book, I'm happy to have read it, 3.5 stars.

A retelling of the Dreyfus case, Robert Harris style. I enjoy Robert Harris and his tales of history written in the style of a good novel. I know he must take some liberties, but overall I suspect it's a fairly close rendering of what was going on. 4 stars

An unusual novel that sounded more like true crime. It recounted the murder of three people in a small Scottish seaside village. The story was engaging, the setting well-researched and described, the courtroom orations by prosecution, defense and judge were worthy of note, but somehow the ending was flat. Nothing unexpected happened, the mystery was not explained. Ultimately, I learned nothing. A Booker finalist that was only half a novel, I'd say. What was present was excellent, but what was missing severely compromised the value of this book. 3 stars

I was also disappointed by Today Will Be Different, but I'd still rather read Maria Semple than many other more popular and successful authors. I often think the first book is the best anyway, don't you?

I am still preoccupied with current events. Is there anybody who'd like to engage in a friendly discussion of what has happened and what comes next? Let me know and we'll find an appropriate forum.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and will enjoy your December holiday, whatever it is.

Michele

Michele, I am also following the current events of your country. I don't know enough to contribute to a discussion, I think (not being that involved in the politics of the country). I would follow such a discussion, though.

Petra wrote: "I'm sorry that Today Will Be Different was a disappointment, Alias. I had the audio from the library but had to return it before hearing it. I was looking forward to trying again on..."

Maybe you will enjoy it, Petra. I would just suggest getting it from the library and not buying it. Maybe it's better on audio.

Michele wrote: Clementine was a neglected child who grew up to be a neglectful mother. She chose as her life's work the care and feeding of Winston Churchill, one of my favorite flawed men, and abandoned all else. When the became too difficult, she withdrew to her bed with headaches or to watering holes to recover herself. And meanwhile, her kids grew up badly. One did not survive past toddlerhood thanks to parental neglect; the three others killed themselves, at first slowly with drink, then two by suicide. It is not a pretty story. But this book takes the position that Clementine was an extraordinary person who deserves great credit for her wartime contributions. I don't know. It doesn't seem that way to me. 3 stars.."

I really enjoyed reading your reviews. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

The Clementine books sounds like one I would enjoy. I only really know her from the excellent 2002 film The Gathering Storm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314097/?...

I see when I went to look up the link there is a follow up movie. I'll have to see if my library has it.
Into the Storm (2009)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0992993/

In the movie there is no hint that Clementine is anything like the book you read describes. After reading your review I put it on my library Hold for later shelf.

I also had never heard of the horses and WWII. Fascinating.

Congrats on a very good reading month. How do you have the time to fit so many books in ?

I was surprised to learn i didn't finish a single book this month. As i've noted elsewhere, after the election i have been unable to concentrate much. To make clear, reading has been accomplished, just nothing finished. I'd be quite surprised if i finish anything other than group read Animal Farm in December, either. Another problem is that our computer has been acting up, so to speak. Projects are taking twice as long as usual and since much of that is about photos on the trip, i'm in a weird limbo--partly back in Texas, part still on the road.

The books you listed sound like keepers, Michele. Thanks for sharing your impressions with us. Petra, you had a pretty decent reading month, too. I hope we all end with a strong reading month!

Michele wrote: "Here are the books I read in November.

During WWII, the Nazis made a practice o..."

I do love a good bio so Clementine has made it to my reading list.

I also had a different view of Clementine.....from books I've read. I'd like to read this book about her as well.

Destiny Doll by Clifford Simak. A light distraction while slogging through the 900-page Theroux book. This one was a bit of a disappointment: unlikeable characters, disjointed tale. A group of explorers land on a planet, and find they cannot leave. One by one they disappear in an entirely non-threatening way. Odd little book with many of the usual Simak elements: portals left by a long-dead race, an abandoned planet with traces of many civilizations, an oddball alien who proves really helpful. Three stars.

Laura Warholic or, the Sexual Intellectual by Alexander Theroux. I want to make it absolutely clear that I in no way recommend this book to any reader, living or dead. This is an unedited, I cannot stress that strongly enough, UNEDITED collection of essays and rants glued together with a framing story, more or less, of the relationship between two unlikeable (again!) characters. One star.

Well, at least that one is finally out of the way.

Unlike others here who have been unable to read much since the election, I've had the opposite reaction. I've been doing nothing BUT reading in order to escape from reality.

My reads for November:

NONFICTION:

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell -- using examples from examples from the world of business, sports, culture and psychology, Gladwell makes the case for how being weak can actually be a strength and how our goals (often culturally determined) can make a huge difference in our ultimate sense of success. I enjoy his books tremendously. 4 stars

Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her by Robin Gerber -- A biography of Ruth Handler, the woman who (with her husband Elliott) created the toy company Mattel and designed the "Barbie" doll that became a cultural icon. Ruth is not portrayed as the nicest, most ethical person -- but she was definitely a force of nature in the business world at a time when women were expected to sit in the corner and take notes. 3.5 stars

FICTION:

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: This book just won the National Book Award for fiction. It's about a 15-year-old slave named Cora who has escaped from a Georgia plantation and must make her way north to freedom. Cora escapes via the the Underground Railroad -- which in the author's vision is an actual locomotive train that carries slaves through tunnels like a subway. Along the way, the train stops in different states, each of which represent a different response to slavery. In an interview, the author likened it to "sort of like Gulliver's Travels," where the book "reboots" every time the slaves go through a different state. 4 stars

The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks -- A small (less than 300 pages) book that packs a big punch. The story begins with a horrible school bus accident, and unspools from the viewpoint of 4 narrators: the bus driver, the father of several of the victims, the lawyer from out of town, and a student who was on the bus. All points of view ask the question: when something goes wrong, who do you blame? 4 stars

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan -- This book was shortlisted for the Mann Booker Prize in 2014. It's a gripping, vivid story about death and violence and the terrible traits of humanity, and all the ways we destroy and degrade and torment each other. It was apparently inspired by the author’s father’s gruelling experiences as a POW working on the notorious “Death Railway” during WW2, in which starving and dying prisoners were forced by the Japanese to hack through the Burmese jungle and build a railway from Bangkok to Rangoon. It's not an easy read. 3.5 stars

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny -- Book 12 in the mystery series about Chief Inspector Gamache. I'm still enthralled by the character development, even when the mystery is so-so. 3 stars.

The Passage by Justin Cronin -- a post-apocalyptic (or as some might call it after the recent US election: "current events") tale of survival after a military-created virus goes catastrophically wrong. There are two more books after this one. Still debating if I will read them. 3 stars

The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend -- Picked this up at Heathrow Airport in London when we were traveliing because the title intrigued me. The title turned out to be the best thing about the book, which is about a woman who hits her breaking point one day after 17 years of taking care of husband, kids and parents and decides to go to bed and stay there. 2 stars.

Mkfs wrote: Laura Warholic or, the Sexual Intellectual by Alexander Theroux. I want to make it absolutely clear that I in no way recommend this book to any reader, living or dead. This is an unedited, I cannot stress that strongly enough, UNEDITED collection of essays and rants glued together with a framing story, more or less, of the relationship between two unlikeable (again!) characters. One star..."

MKfs, I usually try to finish books I start too. But a 900 page one star book ? No way ! I hope December brings you some good reads after this slog.

Amy wrote: "Unlike others here who have been unable to read much since the election, I've had the opposite reaction. I've been doing nothing BUT reading in order to escape from reality.

My reads for November:..."

A smart productive use of time after the election, Amy.

I have Malcolm Gladwell on my TBR list. I own the Tipping Point. I picked it up at a charity shop. I need to read that one first.

Everyone seems to be enjoying The Underground Railroad. I'm hesitating because the idea of making the RR a real one sort of turns me off. I guess that is why I usually prefer non fiction. However, your review has me intrigued. Would you say that the events on the train stops that show how each state dealt with slavery to be accurate? If so, I may give the book a shot.


The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks -- I own it but have not read it. I would recommend this for my library group but they only have one copy. :(

Alias Reader wrote: "Everyone seems to be enjoying The Underground Railroad... Would you say that the events on the train stops that show how each state dealt with slavery to be accurate? If so, I may give the book a shot. ..."

Yes... and no. The book is obviously a fantastical narrative because of the railroad that is running under the ground, but also because the author takes liberties with chronology in portraying actual extreme examples of slavery in America. For instance, one stop (state) details African Americans' experience in a clinical study under the guise of receiving free health care -- similar to the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, which was conducted between 1932 and 1972 . And another stop (state) has graphic instances of lynching and executions and slave auctions. Still another alludes to the "stop and frisk" policies of our current time. So the entire book details slavery in America over 200 years, but not in the exact chronological order of when each event/detail occurred. Does that explanation make any sense?

Alias Reader wrote: "Amy wrote: "Unlike others here who have been unable to read much since the election, I've had the opposite reaction. I've been doing nothing BUT reading in order to escape from reality.

My reads f..."
I have read Gladwell's books, always a interesting read.

Amy wrote: "So the entire book details slavery in America over 200 years, but not in the exact chronological order of when each event/detail occurred. Does that explanation make any sense?


Yes. You explained it well. Thank you. I guess I'll put the book on my TBR. Maybe it might be a interesting one for my library group.

Thanks !

Alias Reader wrote: ".Yes. You explained it well. Thank you. I guess I'll put the book on my TBR. Maybe it might be a interesting one for my library group. .."

OK, good! My brain is feeling sluggish today and I wasn't sure if I made any sense!

Glad to see some of you had a great reading month! I haven't finished a book since September with the move and some family events. Hopeful for a strong finish in December!

Alias, sorry to see you didn't enjoy the Semple book as much. I liked Bernadette also. I'm in the queue for the digital copy from the library, I'll probably still give it a shot (at the rate the queue is moving it'll be 2018, which is perfect).

Mkfs, congrats on finishing the Alexander Theroux. You've sounded a good warning. The other book, by Clifford D. Simak, sounds interesting to me & i've added it to my TBR.

Happy for you & your reading month, Amy. I really liked The Sweet Hereafter and read more by Banks as a result. You have some neat-sounding books there. Thanks for sharing.

Emma, i hope your reading year improves, particularly as a way to settle into your new home.

Alias Reader wrote: "Everyone seems to be enjoying The Underground Railroad. I'm hesitating because the idea of making the RR a real one sort of turns me off...."

I didn't even realize that's what the book did until now! Sounds weird to me too, but I am still planning on reading it though.....people seem to like it.

I had a slow, but not too slow month of reading.

The Girl From the Sea by Shalin Boland 3/5
The Girl from the Sea

Woman washes up on the shore, no memory, absolutely none. She has no idea how she ended up half drowned, in that place.

I found it a little formulaic, but it was deceptive........(maybe) all was not as it seemed. It did keep me reading, and the ending was satisfying.

Good Behavior by Blake Crouch 4/5
Good Behavior

Crouch is the author of the Wayward Pines series, so you know you're in for an interesting and twisty ride with him. Good Behavior consists of three novellas about a down and out, tweeker, one Letty Dobesh. She is also one of the best pickpockets/con woman/thief in the business, definitely with her ups and downs. Her journey is a fascinating study.

I read this on my iPad kindle app for the most part, and the novellas are interspersed with actual film clips from the new series of the same name that Crouch has had a heavy hand in creating for television. After each novella, Crouch has a note explaining how this fits in with the series, and insight on the making of same.

One reason I mention that I read about 2/3rds of it on my iPad is that when I switched to my actual Kindle Fire, there were no vid clips.


The Lewis Man and The Chess Man by Peter May 4/5
The Lewis Trilogy: The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man, The Chessmen

*this review is actually for the last two of the trilogy, but can apply to the first as well.*

Same protagonist as The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man, same location, but different aspects of the protag's life. May really loves to skip back and forth in time and manages is quite well. He manages the different voices of the characters, makes the reader truly understand the workings of their minds.

All murder mysteries, but so much more. We learn the loneliness of the northernmost Scottish Islands, the rich but at the same time spare beauty of the landscape and are made to understand the deep attachment of man to land.

The plots are far reaching and complex. I recommend them without reservation.

Cateline wrote: One reason I mention that I read about 2/3rds of it on my iPad is that when I switched to my actual Kindle Fire, there were no vid clips. ."

That's weird. I wonder why the video isn't supported by Kindle. They have other video.

Cateline, i am going to try the Peter May series, as we hope to visit that part of Scotland later this year. It'll help me see what i'm in for. Thanks for the recommendation.

Only "Fahrenheit 451", too bad I read one book in one month.. But I have been busy with life .. I'm not one of those people who can force an hour of reading a day .. I simply can't read when I'm in a bad mood..

But Fahrenheit 451 was a very good book
I like it.. It's true some governments try to choose for us what we read .. And try shape us as the way the want us to be.. Giving us fake freedom we live through it

madrano wrote: "Cateline, i am going to try the Peter May series, as we hope to visit that part of Scotland later this year. It'll help me see what i'm in for. Thanks for the recommendation."

Oh, how wonderful! I'll enjoy hearing your thoughts and adventures!

S... wrote: "Only "Fahrenheit 451", too bad I read one book in one month.. But I have been busy with life .. I'm not one of those people who can force an hour of reading a day .. I simply can't read when I'm in..."

I'm the opposite, when I'm in a foul mood, reading can take me out of it. It isn't that the problem goes away, far from it. But it gives me the distance and perspective I need.

I have yet to read F451, I must remedy that.
Shallowly, I have seen the delicious Oskar Werner in the film though. :)

S... wrote: "But Fahrenheit 451 was a very good book
I like it.. It's true some governments try to choose for us what we read .. And try shape us as the way the want us to be.. Giving us fake freedom we live th..."

I loved Fahrenheit 451 !

I think I underlined half the book. :)

Liked the book Fahrenheit and the movie. That Werner was a hunk of burnin' love!