The Great American Read discussion

What are you reading (or what did you just finish)? Discuss ANY BOOKS here. They don't have to be on the GAR list.

List the title(s), and tell us more about it if you like. Would you recommend it to others? You can comment on other member's books, share your thoughts, offer encouragement, etc.

This is a new thread for 2019, but you can continue to add to the discussion on the old thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Read 4 out of 6 of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series.......they're dense, psychological, with a little tease of a paranormal element (never key to the solution), and pretty light on the grisly details. In the last few days, I've started Ken Bruen's Jack Ryan series. Have 1.5 down; not sure if I'll read the whole series, but they go quickly.

I started Pillars of the Earth for our Big Books read and I'm loving it. It's a reread, but my first read was so long ago, it all feels new. It's our First Quarter book, but I know I won't be able to stretch it out that long. It's too good. I hope everyone here can join us soon.

Last week I read Need to Know (a CIA thriller), and Where the Red Ferns Grow (a GAR book) for my local book clubs. They were both short and good, but not really what I was in the mood to read.

Last night I finished Ladder to the Sky by John Boynes (for another group). It's excellent. I highly recommend it. I want to read more by Boynes, especially The Hearts Invisible Furies. I listened to the preview and I wanted to keep going right then. I picked up Pillars again instead, and was quickly rewarded by an exciting part.

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Read 4 out of 6 of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series.......they're dense, psychological, with a little tease of a paranormal element (never key to the solution), and pretty light on the gris..."

Is Bruen's Jack Ryan a continuation of the Tom Clancy books? Or is it a different Jack Ryan?

oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack Taylor! :D

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack Taylor! :D"

:D
My husband was complaining that someone else is writing the Tom Clancy books now, but I couldn't remember who it was.

NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack Taylor! :D"

:D
My husband was complaining that someone else is writi..."
Never the same......it was probably in this group that someone mentioned not reading/patronizing the last in the "Dragon Tattoo" series, because the author had passed away, and there was contention about continuing the series.
Does anyone know of a series where someone else continued it after the original author that has worked?

Well, Brandon Sanderson continued the Wheel of Time series based on Robert Jordan's notes after he died. As I haven't read it, I'm not sure if it worked or not, but I know a lot of people who like the series and haven't heard anything explicitly bad.

J, I was just about to mention that! According to friends who have kept up with the series, it works beautifully. Sanderson was handpicked by Jordan and his wife.

Good to know, I think it's a rare thing...nice that he handpicked someone; I don't think Larsson saw Death coming that quickly.

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Good to know, I think it's a rare thing...nice that he handpicked someone; I don't think Larsson saw Death coming that quickly."

I'm sure he didn't, otherwise he might have saved his girlfriend and family a lot of legal hassles by writing a will. I really don't know how anyone else could come close to what he did in his books.

I just checked to find the names of the new books, and I noticed that there have been a lot of books written about Larsson and his series. That suggests to me that they're covered in literature or maybe even sociology classes. His books were so much more than just mysteries.

edit (I agree Linda)... His books were so much more than simple mysteries. I'd add tags such as literary fiction, social commentary, political, sexual abuse, thriller, strong women, etc.

NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Good to know, I think it's a rare thing...nice that he handpicked someone; I don't think Larsson saw Death coming that quickly."

I'm sure he didn't, otherwis..."'''

haha, there's a whole group of people who would take you to task for saying "just mysteries"! It's a big industry in Scandinavia, especially, and although it's still considered a part of pop culture, there is some serious critical work being done on the genre. I don't think as many people in academia pish posh the genre as much as they used to.

My CD of Pillars is damaged, so I'm waiting for the digital file to become available. In the meantime I started reading the President is Missing. It got really exciting for a while, but now it's dragging, and I'm only half way through. 500 pages is way too long for this story.

Currently reading Summerland by Michael Chabon, Revival by Stephen King, and Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution by Tucker Carlson. The fiction books I own and am trying to plow through my TBR of books I already have. Ship of Fools is from the library. So far, so good.

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack Taylor! :D"

:D
My husband was complaining that someon..."

Vince flynn's Mitch Rapp series. Someone was writing books for Michael Crichton.

Gretchen wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack Taylor! :D"

:D..."

Were they just as good? (those are two authors I've never read).

Hello everyone! All the books we're reading this month and upcoming I've read already EXCEPT Heart of Darkness; I am currently reading Call of the Wild (for GAR) and will do Heart of Darkness yet I read the Knightbridge books 1 and 2 last year and just ordered Column of Fire--they are SO GOOD.

My local library is starting an Epic Reads Book Club. The idea is to meet quarterly, and tackle some of the really long books that often get skipped by monthly book clubs. February is our first meeting, and we will discuss Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. (771 pages)

I'm looking forward to the different format, and I have been wanting to read The Goldfinch anyway. Plus, we are meeting at the local wine bar, so it's bound to be a good time!

Nyla wrote: "My local library is starting an Epic Reads Book Club. The idea is to meet quarterly, and tackle some of the really long books that often get skipped by monthly book clubs. February is our first mee..."

Haha, book clubs like that are why I always have to explain to people why I drive an hour and a half to my book club in Boston! We usually don't drink, although some people do with the lunch after.......when we first started we met in a bookstore and they would give us a bottle of wine and fruit/cheese platter....then they realized that was silly for a group of 5 or 6 people. Now we're at 20-30 every month, but the bookstore closed (RIP).

I just started Marcela Serrano's Nuestra Señora de La Soledad. I don't know if it's available in English. An older female detective in Chile sent to Mexico to investigate the disappearance of a woman who's married to a wealthy man.

Marla wrote: "Hello everyone! All the books we're reading this month and upcoming I've read already EXCEPT Heart of Darkness; I am currently reading Call of the Wild (for GAR) and will do Heart of Darkness yet I..."

If you'd like to make some comments on the Pillars topics, we'd love it! I read it when it first came out, but it feels like I'm reading it for the first time. I'm going to want to keep reading this series too. I loved call of the wild when I read it with my boys. Will you be reading Rebecca with us?

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Gretchen wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "oh, much, much different, especially since I screwed up his name, and his name is Jack ..."

I don't know as I don't usually read books after an author has passed. Just seems sad to me

Nyla wrote: "My local library is starting an Epic Reads Book Club. The idea is to meet quarterly, and tackle some of the really long books that often get skipped by monthly book clubs. February is our first mee..."

That's a lot like what we're doing here too with our big reads.

The Goldfinch was amazing. I read it for a regular one month book club meeting and I know a few people struggled to finish it. I struggled to pick it up. It might be the biggest book I've ever read (not the longest). I had a large print copy and it was huge. There is so much going on in that book, you think it's going one way, and all of a sudden it's a different kind of book.

How are you liking the book so far?

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "I just started Marcela Serrano's Nuestra Señora de La Soledad. I don't know if it's available in English. An older female detective in Chile sent to Mexico to investigate the disappear..."

The husband did it. (Just kidding. It seems like a lot of cops always think it's the spouse.)

NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "I just started Marcela Serrano's Nuestra Señora de La Soledad. I don't know if it's available in English. An older female detective in Chile sent..."

Lol, can't remember which book I read lately where they cited that stat (was gonna say a book from Latin America, but I've also been in an Irish spin lately.......)

I didn’t notice the 2019 thread so I’ve been posting in the old one that’s still open. Silly me. I’ll catch up here now.

One for kids and one for grown-ups.
Sewing the Rainbow: The Story of Gilbert Baker and the Rainbow Flag, by Gayle E. Pitman, shows kids how Gilbert did a Dorothy-Oz move from Kansas to San Francisco, where he was an activist for all the sparkly kids like himself.
My review, with illustrations, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Many readers have loved All That is Lost Between Us by Aussie author Sara Foster. I could have done without all the “teaching opportunities”.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A couple of great reads!
The Lost Man by Aussie author Jane Harper is a terrific standalone Outback story and mystery.
My review of The Lost Man

A new favourite author is the late Lucia Berlin. Her much acclaimed A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories is full of unforgettable stories and characters. Loved it!
My review of A Manual for Cleaning Women

This is such a fun series and an easy way to absorb history.
A Season of Knives by P.F. Chisholm is the second time we meet swashbuckling Sir Robert Carey on the Scottish border in Elizabethan England. Love it!
5★ My review

Aussie Author Kerry Greenwood takes us to Melbourne to introduce the naughty, clever, stunning Miss Phryne Fisher in Cocaine Blues, the first of a long and popular cosy mystery series. TV viewers know her from Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
4.5★ Link to my review

I'm currently reading Summerland by Michael Chabon, a favorite author. Also have "Outlander" in the player in my vehicle. I try to catch up a little on weekends with "The Analects" by Confucious.

If you liked "Where's Wally" and the tiny details in the Richard Scarry children's books, or those great little cartoon tourist maps with all the landmarks, I bet you'd enjoy Egypt Magnified: With a 3x Magnifying Glass. History made fun. Just delightful!
5★ Link to my review with pictures

(I apologise that sometimes pictures don't show in the app.)

Aussie author Peggy Frew has a new novel out soon, Islands, and the cover says it all. Individually or grouped, we're islands (as is one of the settings, Phillip Island).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am reading “The Crate” by Deborah Vadas Leviton. It is a true story of a family of Holocaust survivors living in Canada and the USA, and how the Holocaust affected their lives.

Does My Head Look Big in This? is a Young Adult book that I'd be happy to recommend even for some pre-teens. Aussie author Randa Abdel-Fattah writes about an Aussie Muslim teenager wanting to wear a hijab to school in spite of her parents' worries. YIKES!
3.5~4★ Link to my review with some pictures

I just finished Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring

I watched the TV Series from AMC, Turn, based on this book last year and it was so good. I'm glad I got to read the source text. It makes me want to rewatch the series all over again.

J. wrote: "I just finished Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring

I watched the TV Series fro..."

Oh, I loved this! I was really intrigued by the roles that women played in the series and the book. Some of the historical figures took surprising turns. The most evil man in the show is considered a hero in Canada.

The story about Benedict Arnold, Peggy Shippen, and John Andre was fascinating, and I loved the role that Abigail played in the series, though I'm not sure if it was the same in the book. There is at least one new book about Peggy Shippen. In the Traiter's Wife, the character of the maid was different than Abigail I've heard.

Roberta wrote: "I am reading “The Crate” by Deborah Vadas Leviton. It is a true story of a family of Holocaust survivors living in Canada and the USA, and how the Holocaust affected their lives."

That sounds interesting. I'm about to read Thread of Grace about a Jewish family that escapes to Italy during WWII.

Paula wrote: "I'm currently reading Summerland by Michael Chabon, a favorite author. Also have "Outlander" in the player in my vehicle. I try to catch up a little on weekends with "The Analects" by ..."

Wow, that's some diverse reading! I want to try Michael Chabon.

This was a busy month for me. I read 10 books, which is pretty unusual, and that doesn't count Pillars which I paused hoping others will catch up in February. I read some books about Iraq for a culture challenge I'm working on: The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq and A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal.

I just finished The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro (who also directed the Academy Award winning film). It was totally weird and wonderful, and exactly what I needed after the stark books about war and kidnapped women.

NancyJ wrote: "J. wrote: "I just finished Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring

I watched the TV..."

There was a lot of embellishing in the series, especially the love stories i.e. Anna and Abe, Andre and Peggy. The book spends most of the text on the Culper Ring. There is only one chapter on Andre and Benedict Arnold is mentioned in several chapters as kind of an aside to what was going on with the ring. No mention of Abigail or a slave serving at all in the book. They don't even mention Peggy other than to introduce her as the wife.

The book focuses more on information found in the documents from the time, but I think the series does a great job of making it a relatable story.

I almost stopped watching it the last two seasons, but hung on. As a person who likes her history done right, it bugs me when facts are laid aside for the sake of dramatics. As it was, the facts are quite dramatic in themselves. The Culper ring was operating right under British noses, and how they were never discovered still amazes me.

J. wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "J. wrote: "I just finished Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring
I..."

Parker wrote: "I almost stopped watching it the last two seasons, but hung on. As a person who likes her history done right, it bugs me when facts are laid aside for the sake of dramatics. As it was, the facts ar..."

Excellent points. I have to constantly remind myself when watching TV shows and reading historical fiction - that it's FICTION! With TV shows and movies, there is the danger that seeing is believing. I'm starting to hate reading historical fiction about real people because I might "learn" something that isn't remotely true. I'd rather read about fictitious characters in a setting that is historically accurate.

I just finished "Can you ever forgive me? Memoirs of a Literary Forger" by Lee Israel - a fascinating and lively quick read.

Cathy wrote: "I just finished "Can you ever forgive me? Memoirs of a Literary Forger" by Lee Israel - a fascinating and lively quick read."

I went to see the film. Glad she was nominated for the Oscar; she did a fabulous job. She probably wont' get it, but at least her work is recognized.

Yes, agreed...planning to see the film soon. She is such a great comedian and this role looks like it has dramatic depth as well.

Swing Time by English author Zadie Smith was longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize.
My review of Swing Time

I actually preferred the winner that year, Lincoln in the Bardo.
(If you're interested, My review of Lincoln in the Bardo )

Cathy wrote: "Yes, agreed...planning to see the film soon. She is such a great comedian and this role looks like it has dramatic depth as well."

Great depth, and Hollywood doesn't offer a lot to women who are 40 or overweight, and she's both. So when she gets a part that's meaty, which she's also more than capable of handling, I like to support it. Chrissy Metz coming out in "Breakthrough" might be another; I like the way they cast it.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Swing Time by English author Zadie Smith was longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize.
My review of Swing Time

I actually preferred th..."

My local bookclub will be reading "Lincoln in the Bardo" in a few months, so I'm glad to see your five star review...and was able to find the the book and the audiobook at the library - yay!

Cathy wrote: "My local bookclub will be reading "Lincoln in the Bardo" in a few months, so I'm glad to see your five star review...and was able to find the the book and the audiobook at the library - yay! ."

Cathy, I have seen many times that the audio book of Lincoln in the Bardo is fantastic! A big cast with some big names, not that it matters, but they seem to know what they're doing. I think it would be fun to listen while following the "script", which is the book. I may do that myself some day and enjoy it again.

Bond. James Bond. Need I say more? Good prequel to the famous Ian Fleming spy series.

At the request of the Fleming estate, Horowitz wrote Forever and a Day to introduce us to 007 and the woman who explains why she orders martinis "shaken, not stirred."
A solid 4★. Link to my review