Book Nook Cafe discussion

This is the thread for you to list your books read in October 2011.

It would be helpful to others if you would:

- Provide a GR link for the book title & author

- Write a few sentences expressing your thoughts about the book.

- Give a rating

Thanks.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - 4 stars
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America - 4 stars
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - 5 stars

It was funny...when I was reading The Time Machine, I kept thinking about how the writing and tone reminded me of Jekyll & Hyde

I read 8 books this October Reads:


Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader~~Anne Fadiman
nonfiction
This collection of essays is a quick read. The essays are about her love of books. Overall It's a nice collection. If you love reading. collecting and arranging your books, you will enjoy these essays. Though at times, I found the author a bit pretentious. A "common reader" she is not. And the people about whom she writes are far from your average Joe.
I rated the book 3 minus/5

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness~~Joshua Wolf Shenk
Non fiction
The book is an interesting study of Lincoln as seen through the lens of his lifelong battle with depression.

Though the writing at times was a bit dry, I did learn a lot. The most interesting aspect of the book was learning that depression was viewed in Lincoln's time as not something to be cured with meds and done away with as quickly as possible as it is viewed today. Instead it was seen as something that could provide insight and character.

Also unlike today, where any hint of mental issues disqualifies a presidential candidate, the people in Lincoln's time seem to take it in stride.

I rated the book 4/5. And it's another presidential book I can put on my challenge list for books about or by U.S. Presidents. :)


Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took On New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City~~Anthony Flint
Non fiction
It's an interesting bio of Jane Jacobs and how she fought Robert Moses over some major construction projects in NYC. At the time, early 1950s & 1960s, Moses was The Man. The fact that she successfully took him on and won is amazing. She also wrote, The Death and Life of Great American Cities that changed the very thinking of what a city is and should be.

I also learned quite a lot about the city I've lived in all my life. If you are interested in city planning and some history of NYC, this book may be for you.
I gave it a 3+/5


Exit the Actress~Priya Parmar
Fiction
Read for our Group Read. Interesting story. However, historical fiction is not my favorite genre. So my rating is more a reflection on my own reading preference than the book.
Rate 1/5

Here Comes Trouble~~Michael Francis Moore
nonfiction
I really enjoyed this book. It's not your typical autobiography. The book is comprised of 24 vignettes about various events that have taken place in his life. Some will have you laughing out loud, others will bring tears to your eyes and a few will leave you shaking your head in disbelief. Well done!
I rated this 5/5

The Sociopath Next Door~~Martha Stout

nonfiction
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is a fascinating look at what is a sociopath. The author explores how sociopaths came to be the way they are, and 13 ways to spot and avoid such people in your life. A useful lesson as, according to the author, 1 in 25 people are sociopaths. The author also includes some very useful and interesting profiles of various types of sociopaths.
I gave the book 4/5 rating.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks~~Rebecca Skloot
Nonfiction
This was a re-read for me. I read it again for my f2f book club. In fact, I nominated it.
I enjoyed it the second time as much as the first.
rate 4/5

A Drinking Life: A MemoirPete Hamill
Non fiction
I enjoyed reading this well written memoir of the author and newspaper columnist Pete Hamill. The book really gives one the sense of things in Brooklyn, NY in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Love to see what people are reading. Some of these are interesting to me. I think I'll check up on the sociopaths in my life, for one. Thanks.

Only finished four books in October, a busy month in which we visited family in California.

Someone Knows My Name Best book of the month. Very interesting and well-written. A young African girl is taken by slave traders in the 1700s. She tells her story--the terrible ocean voyage; life in South Carolina, then New York City; writing in the Book of Negroes before being taken by the British to Nova Scotia after the Revolutionary War as free people, and so on. Many hardships, but she was intelligent, and lucky at times. A different take on the Revolutionary War than we are used to. 4.5*

Endangered Species #5 in the National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon series. This one is set on Cumberland Island off the Georgia coast. 3.5*

Bitsy's Bait & BBQ Pleasant, light story, good for reading during three airplane rides to CA. 3*

The Hanging Garden A Detective John Rebus novel, always intriguing. He reminds me of Michael Connelly's LA detective, Harry Bosch. In this book, there is gangland war in Edinburgh, Scotland; his daughter is a victim of a hit and run; and he is investigating an accused World War II war criminal who has been living in Edinburgh. 4*

I found this book to be okay. Our school librarian really sort of liked it and suggested it. I liked it, to a point. I think the author left far too many questions unanswered; I don't think he did so because he's planning a sequel. I can say, though, that some of my middle school students read this book and liked it. They thought it was spooky. The only thing that "spooked" me is that too many dots weren't connected for my taste.

I liked it. It includes some old favorites and some poems I've never read. Many of the poems elicited several emotions. I found myself smiling sometimes, laughing at other times, and shaking my head at others.

Ahhh, another month gone by...I need more things to look forward to. Anyway, my books for this month:

My Review - I imagine everyone already knows what I think of this, as discussed in the group read topic. :)

My Review - I love the TV show Castle with Nathan Fillion, and this is a nice summer read for when I can't have him on TV. Love how the author stayed in character while writing characters!

My Review - Bleh. YA romance nonsense, sometimes I loath other group reads. Not recommended.

My Review - Great book! I liked it a lot, especially the numbers.

My Review - Horrific story. I think writing this was probably a sort of therapy for her.

My Review - The conclusion to Westerfeld's trilogy, and a satisfying enough one.

My Review - A modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, and very well done.

My Review - I've heard of this book so often and am glad that I finally read it, but seriously, it's horrible what happened to him as a boy.

My Review - Ehh, it was okay. Interesting, but no real conclusion or draw.

My Review - Cassandra Clare's series. I'm not sure I like the author for what she's done (see my review for details) but her series is satisfying and well-written (if she wrote it).

My Review - 2nd book in the series

My Review - 3rd book

My Review - It's currently very popular, but I didn't like it. I had very little sympathy for the characters and while I thought the idea of the photos was original and interesting, I didn't feel like they fit at all.

My Review - I loved this retelling. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite (I was Belle for Halloween!) so I'm glad it was done justice (except for the very end)

My Review - I like the message behind it, the adventure was okay and so were the characters.

My Review - A great teen book. Yes, it's about romance, but it's also about friendship and communication. I'd definitely have my kids read it.

My Review - Loved it! A great story with lots of character and action. The sequel is even better, but that's for next month!

Great month, Maree!

Glad you liked The Solitude of Prime Numbers I did, too.

Once again i find pleasure in reading the titles & thoughts on books others have read recently. Thank you each for sharing. Now i'll share the few i read.

The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. The last written but first in the Leatherstocking Tales, i found this to be an adequate introduction to Natty Bumppo and his stalwart companion, Chingachgook. For my money The Last of the Mohicans is better, but this may be why most of us have heard of it but not the one i read. I'd like to complete the series of 5 by the end of next year. This one was about the days before the French and Indian War, where the two men try to help a family who has settled near a lake which will become a battle site.

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens The promise of this "thriller" was better than the reality. The MC, a female information seeker based in Turkey (for the most part) learns languages easily, speaking 22 when the novel begins. Perhaps i expected more but the writing just didn't do much for me, although, now that i think about it, the story was varied. Coulda been better, though. It's first in the series (no others are out yet, i believe) but i won't read any others.

The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood. I liked the organization of this book, wherein the historian discusses the ideals of Monarchy both in England and the American colonies. It helped me not only understand our Revolution but also aspects of many British novels i've read over the years. Then, he discusses the ideals of Republicanism and the reality of Democracy. While i mostly liked this book and am glad i read it, good insights for me to learn.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. This was a good page turner. Shute wrote a good, if varied, story. I know i'll read more by him.

The Highland Scots of North Carolina, 1732-1776 by Duane Meyer. This was a sort of follow up to the other American Revolution book. This one explores why Highland Scots immigrated to NC yet remained Loyalists when the war arose. In the first section he discussed a brief history of the Highlanders and their wars with England, as well as the repercussions from their loss. Next was about the migration itself--the sea journey and the settling. Finally, he addressed the issues of why they were faithful to a government which led to their upheaval.

Good reading for October.
deb

I enjoyed reading your book comments, Deb. Good reading month.

I've put The Radicalism of the American Rev. on my TBR list. I think it will help me put things in context when I begin my presidential reads.

I never heard of this book, so I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

The list below is taken from my list in "1 Million Pages per lifetime" group. You can find the info here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

October 2011
Cryptonomicon -Neal Stephenson (918 pages)
Although the plot was interesting, I was not a fan of Stephenson's overly descriptive style. I don't remember much of what happened, but I do remember a very descriptive passage about the joys of eating Captain Crunch with the perfect milk to cereal ratio.

Things Fall Apart -Chinua Achebe (209 pages)
Had to read this book for book club. It is applicable in todays world and shows the colonialism of ages past. The characters are believable, but I did not feel like I had enough basis for understanding.

The Judegement of Paris: California vs France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine -George M Taber (352 pages)
Awesome book. Found out about this while taking a tour/tasting of Grgich Hills and the book gave a great history of wine in California and the initial prejudice in the industry.

Super Sad True Love Story -Gary Shteyngart (332 pages)
One of my favorite books in a long time. In an absurdist dystopian future of America, life doesn't seem so different than it is now. The plot is amusing yet believable, and the characters have some key qualities that are true despite the absurdist facade.

Sputnik Sweetheart -Haruki Murakami (227 pages)
A Murakami book that started with so much potential and was so interesting at the outset, yet just faded away as the story progressed. (i.e. like a lot of lesser Murakami books)

How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like -Paul Bloom (280 pages)
Explains correlation, not the causation behind pleasure. I was expecting something more from a book with such an explicit cover.

The Aleph and Other Stories -Jorges Luis Borges (224 pages)
One of the best books I've read with stories like "The Immortal", "The Aleph" and "The Zahir". A little long winded at times, but I love Borges' style because of that

October 2011 total pages: 2542
Total 2011 pages: 19661
Total all time pages: 28802

Stephanie, Chinua Achebe's work, Things Fall Apart is one i liked, too. The descriptions, events and characters kept me interested. It's always a joy to see others enjoying books we've liked.

DH is presently reading the George M Taber book. He has read two or three books on wine this year, wine lover that he is. You probably know that this one is the basis for the film Bottle Shock, which we liked. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914797/ (As an aside we also liked the documentary movie Mondovino, if you haven't seen it http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411674/ )

Other wine books he enjoyed this year includes The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace and Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Don Kladstrup & Petie Kladstrup. The latter is the only wine book i've read & that because we were on a cruise and i found myself bookless. LOL! It was good, though, and i'm sorry i left it behind.

deb

Stephanie wrote:
Things Fall Apart -Chinua Achebe (209 pages)
Had to read this book for book club. It is applicable in todays world and shows the colonialism of ages past. The characters are believable, but I did not feel like I had enough basis for understanding.
-----------------

I found it difficult to follow. It wasn't one of my favorites.

I have Super Sad on my TBR list. I'm glad you gave it a positive review.

Alias Reader wrote: I have Super Sad on my TBR list. I'm glad you gave it a positive review.

You need to read Super Sad True Love story. It's awesome. understand why some people didn't like it, but it's completely necessary.

Stephanie, I am sorry to tell you that I abandoned Super Sad True Love Story. Just not my cuppa.

Under This Unbroken Sky Ukrainian immigrants' struggle on the Canadian praries in 1930s. Loved it, 5 stars.

March Something lacking for me; expected to really like it. 3 stars

The Lacuna I was disappointed but realise I need a better grasp of the history.

Lovesong A quick enjoyable read. 4 stars

Windmill Hill A multigenerational storyline involving a war veteran set in the unique beauty of northern and western Tasmania. Had me crying. 4 stars.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven Good,
but I expected more. 3 stars

Lilian's Story I love Grenville's The Secret River, but this was slow to start for me. 3 stars

The Bastard of Istanbul An interesting read. Will try to read author's other works. 3 stars

Tivington Nott Some lovely descriptions of the moors, but more about horses and hunting than I expected. 2 stars

The Deep End of the Ocean Hard to put down with a satisfying conclusion (although just found out about a sequel), with many 'what would I do' moments. 4 stars

Batavia Listen to this via audio, but I really need to read it to fully appreciate this one.

When Will There Be Good News? A very good read in the mystery genre which I don't normally read. Would make a good BBC crime series. 4 stars

Shannon wrote: " I found this book to be okay. Our school librarian really sort of liked it and suggested it. I liked it, to a point. I think the author left far too many q..."

Shannon wrote: " I found this book to be okay. Our school librarian really sort of liked it and suggested it. I liked it, to a point. I think the author left far too many q..."
Shannon, I am thinking about buying She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems
for my elderly Mum for Christmas. Sounds nice, and a beautiful cover as well.

Things Fall Apart is on my TBR in 2012 list.

Lesley wrote: "Under This Unbroken Sky Ukrainian immigrants' struggle on the Canadian praries in 1930s. Loved it, 5 stars.

March Something lacking for me; expected to really like it..."
-----------------

Wow ! That is a great reading month, Lesley. Thanks for sharing with us.

I read Deep end of the Ocean when it was an Oprah book selection. It was so long ago, I don't recall the plot anymore.

I usually love Kingsolver's books. Yet I read about 25 pages of Lscuna and gave up. Maybe I'll try it again one day.

So what did the rest of you read in October ?
Please share with the rest of us.

It doesn't matter if you read one book or twenty.

You may have read a book that others want to hear about.

October was not a very good reading month for me. I have been away sice the first watching my grandson.

I did manage to finish the following:

Exit the Actress. 2 stars
Very disappointing for me...I did not like the story, the characters, the writing sorry to say. I found it a bit tawdry.

Daniel Deronda. 3 stars
This book showed so much promise in the beginning, but left so many things unanswered
that I was disappointed in the end. You have to work hard on reading an Eliot book, but
in the end I do not think it was worth it. Although I did like her taking on the Jewish
question in a Victorian England that was rife with prejudices.

The Woman in White 5 stars
I loved everything about this book. Collins really knew how to write a truly gothically
suspenseful book. A bit long, but well worth the effort.

O Aleph. 3 stars
Paulo Coelho's search on the Trans Siberian Railroad for meaning in life.
Heavily into his former lives, Coelho writes of his attempts to make amends for a former transgression that an earlier self had made. Strange, yet mesmerizing...

The Sisters Brothers. 4 stars
This is one of the books nominated for the Mann Booker award. It was quickly, yet
delightful in parts. It is about a set of brothers who are a hired gun duo in the old West.
A surprise for me and a hope that it will win.

Marialyce wrote: "October was not a very good reading month for me. I have been away sice the first watching my grandson.
----------------

Your "not very good reading month" looked very good to me. Five books is more than the majority of the public reads in an entire year !

I enjoyed reading your reviews. Thanks, Marialyce. :)

Alias Reader wrote: "Yet I read about 25 pages of Lacuna and gave up. Maybe I'll try it again one day. ."

WAY TO GO, Alias!

Marialyce wrote: "October was not a very good reading month for me. I have been away sice the first watching my grandson."

How old is he .......and are you exhausted???

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Marialyce wrote: "October was not a very good reading month for me. I have been away sice the first watching my grandson."

How old is he .......and are you exhausted???"

He is three months. Not exhausted yet, but I do not get up with him.

Lesley wrote: "Under This Unbroken Sky Ukrainian immigrants' struggle on the Canadian praries in 1930s. Loved it, 5 stars.

When Will There Be Good News? A very good read...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesley, this book is part of a series which has been on Public TV. (Jackson Brody series) It has been mentioned somewhere on Book Nook Cafe a few weeks ago, I think. I only managed to catch one episode, but I liked it. I forget the title. Perhaps someone else will remember and mention it.

Marialyce wrote: "The Woman in White 5 stars
I loved everything about this book. Collins really knew how to write a truly gothically
suspenseful book. A bit long, but well worth the effort...."

I keep meaning to get to this book but haven't yet.

You can watch Case Histories online if you want to see the other episodes, Carolyn

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "You can watch Case Histories online if you want to see the other episodes, Carolyn"

Where do you go? PBS.com? Or is it Masterpiece Theater?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never mind--I found it, and just watched the first episode. Thanks, JoAnn.

When looking back I really didn't manage to read very many books but they were well worth the read.

Dracula – genre: Classic Horror - 4*s.
Although written in the 1800’s it still was a very interesting read. In its time it would have been considered a real page turner.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope – genre: Non-fiction – 4*s
What this book lacks in lyrical prose it makes up for in inspiration and hope. Faced with famine in his native land and having to leave school as his tuition fees can no longer be afforded, our 14 year old author scours the library science books and teaches himself how to build a windmill. The local “junkyard” provides most of the materials required and with the assistance of a cousin and friend he creates the country’ first windmill to provide his family with electricity. What really struck me was his total lack of self pity or the tendency of North Americans to expect government to do for him. He saw a need, had a dream and did it. I believe students in the west could benefit greatly from reading this book.

Half of a Yellow Sun – genre: Literary Fiction – 5*s
This book takes place in Nigeria and the short lived country of Biafra. It follows the lives of three main characters and portrays the hopes of a new country, the realities of their war and the suffering of their countrymen.

The Big Sleep– genre: Classic Crime/Mystery – 4*s
Very good plot line. Interesting read.

The Quiet American – genre: Literary Fiction – 4*s
Takes place in Vietnam during the war and shows how much harm can be done by idealistic people with good intentions.

The Island of Dr. Moreau– genre: Classic Science Fiction – 4*s
It is amazing that Wells was so advanced in his ideas of gene manipulation.

Everything Is Illuminated – genre: Literary Fiction – 2*s
I really wanted to love this book but just didn’t. Parts of it were just short of brilliant but other parts were just plain annoying.

The Woman in White – genre: Classic Literary Fiction – 5*
What more needs to be said – this was a wonderful book.

The Girls of Slender Means – genre: Literary Fiction – 2*
Although the writing was very good, this book was almost entirely character driven with little attention to plot. I prefer a more balanced read.

The Moonstone – Genre: Classic Mystery/Fiction – 4*s
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Alternately wanted to throttle certain characters, hug others, and just sit down and converse with others.

A Town Like Alice - Genre: Literary Fiction – 4*s

The Beekeeper's Apprentice I enjoyed it. I would say 4 stars out of 5. I am very enamoured with Sherlock Holmes and so any novels involving that character are appealing to me. I will definitely be reading more from this series

I think October was my worst reading month of the year. I only finished one book and had several starts and could not finish. It looks like everyone has read some good stuff. I need to stop working into the wee hours of the night and read something fun... :)

Mikela, Half of a Yellow Sun is one of the best books I have ever read. Outstanding.

My daughter went to a talk by the author last year and said she is absolutely lovely. She got her master's in the same program at Hopkins as my daughter.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Mikela, Half of a Yellow Sun is one of the best books I have ever read. Outstanding.

My daughter went to a talk by the author last year and said she is absolutely lovely. She got her master's in t..."

Yes, this book was pretty amazing wasn't it.

Mikela wrote: "When looking back I really didn't manage to read very many books but they were well worth the read."
---------------

That wasn't very many books ! It looks like you had a terrific month to me.

I know I read Everything is illuminated, but can't find how I rated it in my jnl. I think I enjoyed it.

I also read and enjoyed
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I also loved the book by his wife
The History of Love~Nicole Krauss

Alias Reader wrote: "Mikela wrote: "When looking back I really didn't manage to read very many books but they were well worth the read."
---------------

That wasn't very many books ! It looks like you had a terrific..."

There are some authors that you fall in love with their work and other authors that you just can't warm up to. I realize that he is considered really good by many but he's just not for me.

Mikela wrote: There are some authors that you fall in love with their work and other authors that you just can't warm up to. I realize that he is considered really good by many but he's just not for me."
===========

That's cool. If we all thought alike, what would we talk about? And, no doubt, it would be quite boring.
:)

For sure! Have you ever noticed on Listopia that most of the books on the "The Best" are also on "The Worst" lists. That's why when I'm looking for for a new book to read I go to a GRs friend that I know has similar taste. I love my GR friends.

Lesley wrote: "Things Fall Apart is on my TBR in 2012 list."

I really enjoyed this book and actually learned a lot about the mind set of people in third world countries. It helped me understand the people in Central America a lot more than I did before.

Mikela wrote: " I really enjoyed this book and actually learned a lot about the mind set of people in third world countries. It helped me understand the people in Central America a lot more than I did before. ..."


I thought Things Fall Apart took place in Africa.....

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Mikela wrote: " I really enjoyed this book and actually learned a lot about the mind set of people in third world countries. It helped me understand the people in Central America a lot more than I..."

It did, but the principles are very much the same as are people all over the world. Actually, when I lived in C.A. I found the same party loyalty to the point of violence as in this book and basically for the same reasons.

Mikela wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Things Fall Apart is on my TBR in 2012 list."

I really enjoyed this book and actually learned a lot about the mind set of people in third world countries. It helped me understand the people in Central America a lot more than I did before. ..."

I agree, Mikela. For myself, i put it in light of Native Americans and how they adjusted (or not) to missionaries, changes and intrusions. It's a book i rate highly, although i can understand why others do not.

Your list of books read last month is full of books i recognize and liked. It looks as though you had a great month. I'm fond of classics, which probably helped me appreciate your list.

deborah

Marialyce wrote: "October was not a very good reading month for me. I have been away sice the first watching my grandson. ..."

Fun excuse, Marialyce! You still managed to read interesting books, which impresses me. When i am away the books i read tend toward "soft" lit.

deb

Thanks Deb....have kindle will travel is my motto as well as spend no money if you can get a classic for free!!! Or any good book for that matter!

Mikela wrote: "I found the same party loyalty to the point of violence as in this book and basically for the same reasons.
.."

yes, we have seen many examples of this in the Middle East in recent years. Blind followers....almost cult like

I managed to read only three in October:
Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir
I learned about Mary but the book wasn't what I was expecting. Too much repetition, too much explaining why other researchers/writers were wrong and Weir was right, not enough straightforward telling of Mary's story.
A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres
Fascinating and tragic story. I'm old enough to remember when it happened, but learned so much more by reading this book. The writing wasn't superb, IMHO, but still well worth reading.
Ed King by David Guterson
A modern-day retelling of Oedipus Rex, this novel is full of dark humor, irony, and the power of karma to slap down anyone. I enjoyed it, but to use JoAnn's word, it is not going to be everyone's "cuppa."

November's list is going to be pathetically short, too, but maybe by December, I'll be getting back to normal.

Great choice of books Susan. The book about Jonestown looks particularly intriguing.

Mikela wrote: "Great choice of books Susan. The book about Jonestown looks particularly intriguing."
-------------

I was going to say the same thing. :)