Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for October 2021 were.

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

Annie wrote: "Yeah, October reads, I read a ton! Buckle up, some good and not-so-good books ahead:
1. First Woman-NASA's promise for humanity: Dream to Reality 5 stars, fun fact I added this book..."

Wow - I'll list my books soon, but with a note that I didn't manage as much as I usually do, and here you go with this giant list!

Good for you with tackling Kafka and Dickens - those are two books that I've avoided as "too sad".

Wow, Annie! That's a superb listing.
I like your emotional responses to the books. One really gets the idea of which books took you to amazing places and which may have missed the mark a bit.
I have enjoyed a couple of books by Jules Verne. Haven't heard of From the Earth to the Moon. Thanks for bringing that one to my attention. Sounds like it might not be one of his best.
Terrific reading month.

Like John, October has been a slower reading month for me.

Annie wrote: "John wrote: "Annie wrote: "Yeah, October reads, I read a ton! Buckle up, some good and not-so-good books ahead:
1. First Woman-NASA's promise for humanity: Dream to Reality 5 stars,..."

Thanks! I read more nonfiction, which goes more slowly than novels would. These days I'm about clearing one's from my TBR that cry out to be tackled than more fun, engaging stories. As far as writing reviews goes, they're as much" notes" for me as much as advice for others.

Those who follow astrology at all might relate that with Cancer prominent in my chart, I can get engaged in sad stories about fictional characters to more of an extent than other readers I suppose?

What a varied month of reading, Annie. It's a pity about the Verne but it illustrates no writer is 100%! The artwork in Hicotea was as beautiful as you suggested. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm and your October list.

Here are mine...

The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Archaeology of Home: An Epic Set on a Thousand Square Feet of the Lower East Side by Katharine Greider ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Letters from the Dead by Sam Hurcom ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


An Irish Nature Year by Jane Powers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

John, you've had a very interesting month of reading!

The premise of The Archeology of Home reminded me of the graphic novel, Here. It focusses on one spot of land and takes us through the history at that spot. I'm going to look for this book. Thank you!

I will also put An Irish Nature Year, in audio format, on my list of books to listen to while out jogging. I understand your observations about the print version, too. It is a bit of a conundrum as to which way to go.

Good reviews, all of them.

I only finished 2 books this month. It's been a slow one for me.

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (4-star) - I enjoy these yearly additions to the Inspector Gamache series. This one was no exception.
I found this one interesting. Louise Penny wrote it at the beginning of the pandemic. The story takes place after the pandemic, when a vaccine had been found. That was an optimistic leap of faith, I thought.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gilead by Marilynnne Robinson (3-star) - a warm letter from an elderly father to his young son. The father knows that he won't see his son grow into manhood and writes a letter of history, family and advice.
This was an enjoyable story. I see there are sequels to it, so I may look into the next one, just to see where it goes.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Petra wrote: "I only finished 2 books this month. It's been a slow one for me.

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (4-star) - I enjoy these yearly additions to the Inspector Gamache series. Th..."

Thanks for your comments on my stuff above.

I read Robinson's Housekeeping years ago, finding it too slow moving (interior) for me, but I understand why she's so highly regarded.

Annie wrote: "10. Oliver Twist 3 stars, I finally read it, it was OK and sad and straight-up crazy sometimes, people are described when they get killed, I don't know how this is for kids... But ok for me.."

Congrats on a wonderful reading month, Annie !

As to Oliver Twist I've read the book and seen the movie. Bill Sykes is a scary dude. I recall seeing it when I was younger was frightened.

Side note-- On the TV show Jeopardy Bill Sykes was a question last week. :)

Annie wrote: 16. A Quiet Life 3 stars, it went so slow and in such a detailed of every day life it was annoying at times. The ending was meh. I don't get why the MC wanted to marry that stupid man who annoyed me soo much. She was sweet at her brain-damaged brother though. I thought it would be cool to see from a Japanese perspective but it was so influenced by Poland, Russia, USA....."

Even though it wasn't a favorite of yours, I'm adding this to my TBR. I am trying to read more Asian authors. Thank you for the title !

John wrote: "
An Irish Nature Year by Jane Powers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....."

Nice month, John. Also good job reading off your TBR. It's difficult when so many enticing titles cross ones path.

Also thanks for your comments on the audio of An Irish Nature Year. It seems like a book that would be perfect to get the audio and read along with the text. I do that sometimes if both are available from my library.

Petra wrote: I will also put An Irish Nature Year, in audio format, on my list of books to listen to while out jogging.."

Excellent idea !

Petra wrote:
Gilead by Marilynnne Robinson (3-star) - a warm letter from an elderly father to his young son. The father knows that he won't see his son grow into manhood and writes a letter of history, family and advice.
This was an enjoyable story. I see there are sequels to it, so I may look into the next one, just to see where it goes.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Back in 2012 I read Housekeeping by this author. I gave it 3 stars.
Though I do own Gilead.

You may have "only" read 2 books this past month, however, it seems you really enjoy the Penny book. That makes it a winning month in my book !

Here are my October reads. I wrote about them during the month so I will be brief.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa
Fiction
Rate: 5/5
I loved this poignant story about a housekeeper and her son who care for an elderly brilliant math professor. Unfortunately, after an accident his memory is only 80 minutes long. Highly recommend.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Non Fiction
Rate 4
Topical book on race in America. Well done and thought provoking.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Fiction
Rate 2/5
Nine people go to a health spa to deal not only with their health but also some life issues. The book starts off well but then goes completely off the rails into the absurd. Also at 465 pages this book needed an editor to trim it down. Some say the Hulu series is better.

Peril by Bob Woodward
Non fiction
Rate 3/5
Last in the trilogy on Trump. Well done but since this is such recent news it did grab me as much. Still interesting reading especially about General Milley.

-Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce3
Fiction
Rate: 3- / 5
Unhappy middle aged teacher decides to quit her job and go in search of a golden beetle, which may or may not exist. She hires a zany assistant to help her in this quest. The premise was good but the book veered into some very dark territory. Specifically one character who had horrible PTSD. This element just didn't fit into what seemed to be a light hearted funny read. Also at almost 400 pages this should have been edited down. That would have helped with the sometimes slow repetitious pace.

I'll be starting November reading
The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my October reads. I wrote about them during the month so I will be brief.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by [author..."

I bought Housekeeper as a present for my mother last week!

I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

Kind of impressive what you all were reading!

@Annie. I saw you were reading Rick Riordan. I also enjoyed his books, and the final battle was really cool! And for Oliver Twist, I also have it sometimes that I don´t like"classic" books that much. I think it´s partly because some books are quite old and the views were different to that time. But I also remember that as a kid you don´t think that much about death - when someone dies (that you don´t know) it´s just an abstract concept.

@alias: I´ve seen that book about the math professo for some times now. Maybe I will also put it on my list.

For me, the month wasn´t that productive in reading. I´ll give you the list later in the month.

John, good crop of books, it seems, for your October reading. I'm grateful to read a fuller review of the Irish Nature book, particularly. I hope i'll be able to read it soon. Also appreciated was your thoughts on listening vs print versions.

Petra, Gilead is dear to me. Frankly, i didn't expect much, as a nonbeliever, but felt the author offered a perfect description of his belief, love and life. I sigh just thinking about it.

I have, in fact, read two of the sequels, Home and Lila. Neither even approached the exquisite style of the first, imo. Btw, i read Housekeeping years ago & really liked the story and learning about the characters. Still, i understand what John meant about the slowness of her interiors.

Alias, i am pleased to again note you liked the Ogawa novel as much as i did. I agree with your comment to John, i hope she relishes it as much as we did.

You accomplished plenty of reading in October, so it's particularly nice to see a round up. Of course, this is my favorite part of our board.

Finishing my 2021 Determination List was a major part of my reading October. Below i list my books, as well as links to some of my comments about a several of them. I must say i didn't realize i had an avian theme going on but it's almost glaring when i see them all listed!

President McKinley: Architect of the American Century--Robert W. Merry--message 131 at this link relates my pleasure with this Presidential bio, which completed my 2021 DL.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Black Hole Survival Guide--Janna Levin--message 189 at this link shares my opinion of this book.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl--Jonathan C. Slaght--message 259
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

A Siege of Bitterns--Steve Burrows--message 262
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... NOTE: Burrows uses the collective nouns in each of the books in this series. Presently i'm reading his A Cast of Falcons.

The Heron's Cry--Ann Cleeves. Second in her series set in North Devon, England. I like the setting and the characters in this series.

Matrix--Lauren Groff. This is an historical novel about a woman called Marie de France, who was sent to run an abbey in the 12th century. Interesting depiction of the way the 17 year old grows into this life.

The Hole--Hye-Young Pyun. This one was slow for me for the first half. The story is from the viewpoint of an auto accident survivor who is paralyzed, able to communicate only by blinking.

madrano wrote: "Finishing my 2021 Determination List was a major part of my reading October. Below i list my books, as well as links to some of my comments about a several of them. I must say i didn't realize i ha..."

Congrats on finishing your determination list! The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century is one of my TBR items I just never seem to be able to get to?

Annie wrote: "Florian wrote: "Kind of impressive what you all were reading!

@Annie. I saw you were reading Rick Riordan. I also enjoyed his books, and the final battle was really cool! And for Oliver Twist, I a..."

Yea, that´s true.

So, that´s my list:

Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain
I´ve already written about this one in the normal month-thread. It´s book 3 and 4 of the mortal engines-series. Book 3 was rather so-so as the characters and the setting didn´t get me much involved. But the fourth book was fantastic and I really enjoyed it.

Das Impfbuch für alle ("the vaccine book for everyone")
A book that was released by Germany´s government to explain vaccines, how they work etc. It was given away for free in pharmacys and I read it now. It was not bad, but also nothing special. Just basic facts and trying to convert vax scepticists for the corona shot.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (the unrevised version)
I liked the basic idea, and it started well, but after some time it became a bit boring to me. It has some interesting thoughts and I also liked the idea of writing philosophical ideas in a book that is masked as a novel. But because of that it became a bit boring when you aren´t into discussion about aesthetics and what you can collect on minerals etc. But maybe that´s also because I didn´t read in my native language.

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
This book treats flatland, a land that only has two dimensions. In the first part life in flatland is explained and how you can discern the geometrical figures when you only see them as a line. In the second part a square met a one-dimensional word and a three-dimensional world. I read it because of a gr recommendation. And tbh, I liked the idea of imagining how a life with a dimension less could be and how you can explain the existence of another dimension (spoiler: you can´t). Partly the book was a bit weird to read, but I think that was what the author wanted to.

madrano wrote: "Finishing my 2021 Determination List was a major part of my reading October. Below i list my books, as well as links to some of my comments about a several of them. I must say i didn't realize i ha..."

Very nice reading month, deb ! I look forward to reading The Hole

Florian wrote:
Das Impfbuch für alle ("the vaccine book for everyone")
A book that was released by Germany´s government to explain vaccines, how they work etc. It was given away for free in pharmacys and I read it now. It was not bad, but also nothing special. Just basic facts and trying to convert vax scepticists for the corona shot...."

What a good idea. Many here in the U.S. could use this book as basic scientific facts seem to elude them. :(

Thanks, John. I'm pleased i could finish my DL well before November.

John, i have that book on a follow-up to McKinley. However, i refuse myself the pleasure until i finish my preliminary round of Presidential bios. Such event-focused books are pleasures to read because we learn so much more about the era. And this topic seems to cast some light on today's life, as well, by examining terrorizing.

Florian, your comments on the Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray and Edwin A. Abbott's Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions could have been written by me. I agree with all you said there.

I was awed by Abbott's work and the way it had me exploring dimension. Very clever. I also was fascinated that it told the story well, even though it was written in the late 1800s. I'm not strong in math and science, so i found his wording and suppositions exciting to think about. Thanks for the reminder of this book.

Florian, those are interesting titles.

I haven't read Dorian Gray since high school. It was required reading. I don't remember a whole lot about it.

I also enjoyed Flatland. It was interesting to read about a world without all the dimensions we experience.

All the Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers - A boy spends his summer working in a soup kitchen and learns many things from his various neighbors. Discusses philosophy and the social contract in a way younger readers can understand.

Shamed by Linda Castillo - This is number 11 in her Kate Burkholder series about a former Amish police Chief who solves mysteries involving the Amish in Ohio. Chief Burkholder struggles to stop the person who has killed an Amish grandmother and kidnapped her granddaughter.

Cold Choices by Larry Bond - number 2 in his Jerry Mitchell series. Seawolf, an American submarine, is discovered by a Russia submarine and as the Russian submarine tries to drive them away from Russia, the two submarines collide. This is an awesome techno thriller that predicts what may happen in the event of such a collision.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - number 1 in this series about a boy who discovers his dad his Poseidon. The Percy Jackson series re-imagines various myths from Greece and other cultures. In The Lightning Thief, Zeus's Lightning Bolt has been stolen and the theft has been pinned on Percy. This is a great action comedy series for middle school age readers. I had seen the movie and found that the movie was much less of a story than the book since the movie cuts out many characters and quite a few scenes.

True Devotion by Dee Henderson - This is a romance/religious/action novel that I've read several times. It's just an old paperback on my shelf that I get out when I need something light to read that I can easily take with me. The main characters are an active duty Seal Team member who is hunting down a nuclear weapon smuggler and the widow of a former teammate who he is falling in love with. I'm not normally into romance or religious books, but this one presents those issues in an easy to read manner.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan - This is the second book of the Percy Jackson series. Expect more fast paced action comedy about Greek myths as Percy and his friends, including his cyclops half-brother Tyson, search for the Golden Fleece. This also is quite different from the movie, especially the ending.

Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym for multiple writers) - This is the first in a new series unrelated to Lore's previous works. The main character discovers he is half alien, half human and that humans have amazing strength and durability once they are away from Earth. He goes on a journey to various planets in an attempt to find his alien father who had gone missing on an expedition to find a cure to the Wasting, a disease that prevents humans from returning to Earth after they leave. This story features many unique worlds and alien characters.

True Valor by Dee Henderson - second book in the series - also a paperback I have that I've read several times. This romance/religious/action novel has a relationship between an Air Force pararescueman and a Navy female fighter pilot who share letters while they are separated during deployments. This sequel further develops many of the minor characters in the first book.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde (author of Pay it Forward) - This story switches between the viewpoints of a young mother whose car is stolen with her young daughter inside and that of a homeless teenager who discovers the missing toddler and takes care of her. This is an awesome story showing how people can work together to help each other overcome difficult situations.

The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future by Vernonica Roth - This is a collection of 6 science fiction short stories regarding characters dealing with loss. Two of the stories are set in Roth's Carve the Mark universe, one of those has deleted scenes from her Carve the Mark duology.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan - the third book in the Percy Jackson series - Percy's friend Annabeth has been kidnapped and the goddess Artemis has been imprisoned in chains. Percy and his friends, in addition to Artemis's hunters, must travel across America to find the lair of the mysterious General who is working with Percy's archenemy Luke. This one has plenty of action, comedy, plot twists, and shocking character deaths.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my October reads. I wrote about them during the month so I will be brief.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by [author..."

Alias, I also enjoyed The Housekeeper & The Professor a lot when I read it. It's always nice seeing this book mentioned.
Nice month of reading!

Terrific list of reading, Deb!

I've read the first of the Ann Cleeves series and look forward to the second one. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

Congratulations on finishing your Determination List! Woo Hoo!

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Black Hole Survival Guide. I listened to it in audio format and really enjoyed it.

Dru, that's an impressive month of reading.

I see a lot of titles that are new to me. I'll check them out.

Dru83 wrote: "All the Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers - A boy spends his summer working in a soup kitchen and learns many things from his various neighbors. Discusses philosophy and the social c..."

Wow ! Excellent reading month, Dru.

Dru, your post reminds me of the comfort i find sometimes by rereading a series i've really liked in the past. Sometimes i cannot explain the connection but i'm glad it's there.

The novel from Catherine Ryan Hyde sounds good. I've added it to my TBR as a result. Thanks.

And thanks for sharing your titles with us.

Petra, i was surprised at my failure to connect with the Black Hole book, as it's a topic which fascinates me. Possibly i was too distracted as i tried to work through it and my frustration with the artwork came out too strongly. I'm grateful to you & your comments on the book because i like to keep up on thoughts on those scientific unknowns.

October Reads
The Evening and the Morning: The Prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, A Kingsbridge Novel by Ken Follett
Rating 4/5
This was the prequel to The Pillars of the Earth. The characters were well drawn and their stories interesting
Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Dime Museum Murders byDaniel Stashower
Rating 2/5
This was the first book of a series. I will not continue as I found the character of Harry Houdini very annoying
Killing Raven by Margaret Coel
Rating 4/5
This was part of the Wind River Mysteries.

Two good books out of three isn't a bad month. Thanks for sharing the titles and you opinions on them.

I was one of the few who didn't care for Pillars of the Earth. However, I did enjoy Night Over Water by Ken Follett

Ken Follett is one of those authors I like because they've written good stories set in a wide array of historical settings. His WWII era fiction (Jackdaws, Eye of the Needle)is just as good as Pillars of the Earth and other stories set in older historical times like A Place Called Freedom. He's been writing quite a while now, his earlier books like Eye of the Needle came out in the late 1970s.

It's a pity the Houdini mystery wasn't better, as it sounds as though he would lend himself to good mysteries. A poor characterization can spoil an enticing book and it sounds as though Stashower may have done so. Pity.

I have had that Wind River mystery series on my radar for almost a decade now. Having visited the area several years ago, i came home with plans to begin...but didn't. Good reminder for me, Meredith.

For my October books I read a few - lol. :)

The House On Cottage Lane by Ronald Malfi - 5 stars. This was a great spooky Halloween story that had a twist at the end which was chilling.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Carrie by Stephen King - 5 stars. Revisiting King books - I read a lot of his stuff when I was younger - read this a very long time ago. Enjoyed it the second time around.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

All Hallows Eve by Michael Penning - 5 stars. A creepy and spooky historical story that gave me shivers. New author to me and I loved the writing style so much that I went and bought his other book - a sequel to this one.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This House Is Haunted by John Boyne - 3 stars. I had high hopes for this book as I thought it would be scary, but there it was light on spooks and I was able to sleep like a baby with no bad dreams! LOL
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Draculas by Blake Crouch - 3 stars. Another high hope read - it was soaked in lots of blood which I do usually read but I felt there was too much repetition within the story plus it all drew on for far too long with near a 300 page romp.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Accursed Ground by Brian G. Berry - 5 stars. An extreme horror romp with lots of blood and gore - gore suit needed (lol). I love this author as all the books I have read so far by him have been gore worthy! :)
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Skull Moon by Tim Curran - 5 stars. A cool horror western. First time reading this author though he has been on my radar for a long time and finally happy that I stepped into his work.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hell: The Necromancer by Tom Lewis - 5 stars. I have read this author before so I had a feeling that this book would be really good and I was not disappointed. Demonic themes pulse throughout the book. My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mother Death by Lee Mountford - 5 stars. This book is the fifth book in a Haunted horror series that this author is writing - there is suppose to be a few books in the series. This was a creepy book that kept my insomnia fueled. lol
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So that is my wrap up of books for the month of October. :)

You had a pretty darned good reading October, Marie. The first three sound like classics for Hallowe'en. We should all be making a list for the 2022 season!

Your ratings are such fun. Even a so-so book sounds better with your "No Need to Leave the Light On" stars, as in This House is Haunted.

Mixing a western-set with a horror novel sounds like a good idea. Your description has me ready to give this one a try. Thanks for the tip.

madrano wrote: "You had a pretty darned good reading October, Marie. The first three sound like classics for Hallowe'en. We should all be making a list for the 2022 season!

Your ratings are such fun. Even a so-so..."

Thank you, Madrano! Happy to help you with finding more books for your tbr! lol :)

Marie wrote: "For my October books I read a few - lol. :)

The House On Cottage Lane by Ronald Malfi - 5 stars. This was a great sp..."


A wonderful 🎃 spooky themed reading month. Well done !

Many on YouTube do themes for each month. November is usually non fiction November.

Alias Reader wrote: "A wonderful 🎃 spooky themed reading month. Well done ! ..."

Thank you, Alias!

Thank you for the tip about youtube - I will have to check it out. :)