Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is a folder for you to list the books you read last month.

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

I didn't read much in April.

Death of a Salesman~~Arthur Miller
Fiction
Play
Rate 5/5
I read this with our group here at BNC. We had a terrific discussion. Thanks !

This Burns My Heart~~Samuel Park
fiction
Rate 2/5
If you like the romance genre you will probably love this book. It's just not my type of book. I read it for my f2f book club.

Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945
I am reading a chapter a week for a Buddy Read here at BNC. The book is simply one of the best I've read in years. A well deserved Pulitzer.

I hope I will have more to share next month.

I read a combination of classic or serious books, and light books. I tend to rate books comparing them to other books of the same genre. I'll list the classic books first, then the fluff and young adult books.

A Farewell to Arms.3 stars. It was a book based largely on Hemingway's experiences on the Italian front in World War I. I knocked it down a star because I didn't like his stilted dialogue.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.4 stars. Advice on healthy eating with some interesting science behind it.

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. 4 stars. Excellent book about the 1930s in a small Southern town. Themes of lonliness, poverty, labor problems, racism, coming of age. Library bookgroup.

The Diary of a Young Girl. 4 stars. Tragic story of Anne Frank and her family in hiding from the Nazis.

The Stranger. 3 stars. Philosophical book about a man that does not feel much empathy, grief, or love.

Death of a Salesman. 5 stars. Wonderful play by Arthur Miller that was read by this group.

A Student's Guide to Arthur Miller. 3 stars. This book about his life and most famous plays is written on the high school level.

Out Stealing Horses. 4 stars. Beautiful, lyrical, spare writing about a man in Norway looking back to the summer when he was fifteen. Coming-of-age, father/son themes.

The Art of Racing in the Rain. 4 stars. The book is told from the point of view of a delightful, wise, old dog looking back at his life and his times with his master, a race car driver. Library bookgroup.

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves. 4 stars. A Caucasian woman marries a Japanese American man right before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Historical fiction.

Night Road. 3 stars. This is a little more serious than most of Kristin Hannah's books, with themes of the mother/child relationship, loss of a loved one, and forgiveness.

The Best of Me. 3 stars. A romance for light reading.

Rainshadow Road. 4 stars. A cute, hot romance set in Washington state involving a glass artist and an owner of a vineyard.

I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World. 3 stars. A series of fictional monologues giving voice to girls around the world. It includes stories that involve bullying, peer pressure, sexual pressure, poverty, sexual trafficing, and more. (The author wrote "The Vagina Monologues" for adult women.)

Ella Enchanted. 4 stars. Creative retelling of the Cinderella story, aimed for the middle school/young adult group.

Connie, I read the first 6 books on your list. I enjoyed them all. I probably liked Farewell to Arms a bit more than you did.

I also re-read The Stranger recently. I had to read all of Camus oeuvre in college. The book is often selected on the list of great opening lines in a novel. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know."

You sure had a terrific reading month. I enjoyed reading your reviews. Thanks for sharing !

My list for April:

Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic That Remains One of Medicine's Greatest Mysteries by Molly Caldwell Crosby: 3.5 stars. Reads like a novel--well written. I especially enjoyed the discussion about the evolution of public health and safety in NYC during the early years of the 20th century.

The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter: 3 stars. Enjoyable and a quick read. Not all that memorable, though. I barely remember the plot.

Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat by Jeff Benedict: 3.5 stars. I enjoy Jeff Benedict's works--he does a good job of weaving personal narratives throughout the facts and figures in a way that makes the book read like a novel. This wasn't my favorite of his books, though. I thought it wasn't up to his usual standards. I would recommend "Little Pink House" and "Without Reservation." But all in all, this was a good read.

The Jamestown Experiment by Tony Williams: 3 stars. Some interesting information about the founding of the Jamestown Colony in 1607. Dragged a bit in some places, though.

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline: 1 star. While this might not be THE worst book I've ever read, it definitely qualifies as a finalist. The premise (how can a mother make a choice between saving her own child and saving someone else's child) was intriguing; however, the execution was horribly flawed. The plot was implausible, the dialogue ridiculous ... this book literally gave me a headache from the many, many times I found myself rolling my eyeballs.

The Birth House by Ami McKay: 3.5 stars. Good insight into the tension between rural midwives and the medical establishment during WWII. And the Scots Bay setting in Nova Scotia was interesting as well.

City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth to Modern Chicago by Gary Krist: 3 stars. Everything from a flaming blimp crashing into a bank to race riots and a child abduction: anything that could have gone wrong in Chicago in 1919 apparently did. My husband is from Chicago, so I enjoyed the local history lesson on events about which I didn't previously know very much.

A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias: 5 stars. One of the most moving books I've read in a long time. This book made me laugh and it made me cry--often at the same time. I had tears in my eyes from the beginning, and I was outright sobbing by the last page. The author has written a stunningly beautiful elegy to his marriage, to his wife, and to the meaning of life and love itself.

Looks like you had quite the interesting reading month, Amy. All the titles are new to me, so I really appreciate you sharing.

It's interesting that Asleep and City of Scoundrels happened when WWI was happening. Talk about interesting times!

I was lucky and read some really fine novels that I enjoyed greatly.

The Age of Innocence 4 stars
I have to hand it to Mrs Wharton, she did have the ability to "nail" it on her assessment of society and its strictures and rules. In this novel, we learn of the dilemma and the corner one often gets backed into when you marry one person, yet love another.

Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War 4.5 stars
I believe there are novels that affect you long after you have closed the book and I do believe that this is one of them. It was fated for me to read this book (at least I believe it to be so) since as I walked into the library, this book was propped up on the shelf seeming to send a message saying take me home. I listened and am ever so grateful I did take this powerful book home and to heart.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World 4 stars
I always love a book that teaches the reader new things and in this book there was a world of revelations about a man I was taught to believe was a barbarian. The opposite was quite true, although there was a sufficient amount of bloodshed and murder, Genghis Khan was a man who seemed to be destined to lead. He had very specific ideas about being a conqueror and many of them one would consider benign and definitely forward thinking.

Elizabeth and Her German Garden 4 stars
This was a beautifully written book that was ever so appropriate for me to read since Spring is here. Elizabeth through her garden gives us a look inside not only its environs, but also a look into her life as the wife of a German Count. The book's words bring the reader a sense of peace and tranquility so well as Elizabeth finds and makes us remember the beauty of nature to be found right outside our doors.

Ghostwritten 4 stars
This is my third David Mitchell novel and I just loved it. Yes, it does require a lot of forgiveness for not giving definitive answers, but it takes you along an uneven highway and brings you to the point that I think Mitchell tries to make. One's actions count and effect the world in all kinds of ways. The individual does matter and the way we act is the way the world reacts.

The Book of Jonas 4 stars
Oh, this was such a good book! I think the easy text was a wonderful contrast to the very emotional, thought provoking intent of the novel. It defined so much in what one experiences due to the ravages of war and how it leaves the human psyche often bereft of feelings.

The Enchanted April 4 stars
Loved, loved, loved it.

This was a perfect peaceful book. There were no major issues nor were we trying to solve the problems of the planet. This was just a book where the important message was to be selfish, to allow yourself to get back to the things that are always the most important, that of your love for each other. Yes, it does sound oh so maudlin, but this sweet, kind book is just what I needed. It made me say ah at the end (and really mean it!)

Domestic Violets: A Novel 4 stars
I really teetered on giving this book a three, but at about the midway point I decided that I was reading something quite good. It was funny, endearing, and one of those books that is hard to put down because the characters are so engaging.

A House to Let 2 stars
This was a collaborative work by Dickens, Gaskell, Collins, and Proctor. The book, divided into six sections concerns an elderly woman, Sophonisba and the two elderly men who admire her and of course the house across from her that has been vacant for many a year. Te house becomes prominent in Sophonisba's mind when she spies what she believes is an eye living in the house and the action of the story with each of the above authors contributing a chapter or two is the basis of the story.

The Marriage Plot 2 stars
OH! this book could have been so much better. It had all the "right stuff", but it just did not come together in a manner that was meaningful and made you want to read, read, read. too bad is all I can say since I do like Eugenides writing.

I am also reading Ulysses and have finished about 40%. (lots of spark notes and book friends helping me through this one!)

Marialyce, did you watch Birdsong on PBS? I recorded it but have not yet watched it.

MarialyceThe Enchanted April sounds wonderful and it, too, is a movie. I will read the book first, thought

JoAnn, I have them on my viewing list, but no, I have not seen either one. and do try and read The Enchanted April....it is a good one...

Marialyce wrote: "JoAnn, I have them on my viewing list, but no, I have not seen either one. and do try and read The Enchanted April....it is a good one..."

I cannot imagine anything better than renting a castle in Italy with my girlfriends!!! So I definitely WILL be reading this!

I little bit of heaven JoAnn.

Marialyce wrote:
The Age of Innocence 4 stars
I have to hand it to Mrs Wharton, she did have the ability to "nail" it on her assessment of society and its strictures and rules. In this novel, we learn of the dilemma and the corner one often gets backed into when you marry one person, yet love another.
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I've been wanting to read another Wharton since I absolutely loved Ethan Frome. The novel was one of those rare ones where you forget your own time and place and just fall into the book. I also loved the writing. I own Age of Innocence so I am glad you rated it highly.
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Marialyce wrote: Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War 4.5 stars
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After reading your review, I regret not watching the PBS production. Though someone told me they had trouble hearing it due the actors speaking very softly and the accents.
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Marialyce wrote:The Enchanted April
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This is one of my all time favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101811/

Connie, A Farewell to Arms and The Stranger have been on my TBR list for some time. I have The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories on CD and it's pretty good.
I read The Diary of a Young Girl in Yr 8 then again a few years ago. I also went to the house when in Amsterdam years ago and at the time they were somehow extending 'the attraction', so I wonder what it's like now. I'm sure it's an even more interesting to visit. I remember the small green(?) door and narrow stairs.

We did a small Buddy Read of The Stranger here at BNC.

Here is the thread.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

Lesley, it must have sent chills through you to be at Anne Frank's house. Her diary shows how she is acting like a typical teenager one day, and then being so frightened about the Nazis discovering their hiding place in the next diary entry. It really brings home to the reader that these are real people, and not just statistics.

Yes, it's hard to explain the feelings one has after visiting a place such as that. I was in Hiroshima recently, and visited the Peace Museum and similarly the feelings for me are a mix of horror, sympathy, disbelief etc etc. I think I will dig out my Europe photo album to find the photos of the Frank house tonight.

Just had a quick browse of The Stranger buddy read thread. Looks interesting.

Lesley, The Stranger will have you thinking about its meaning after you finish it.

Lesley wrote: "Yes, it's hard to explain the feelings one has after visiting a place such as that. I was in Hiroshima recently, and visited the Peace Museum and similarly the feelings for me are a mix of horror,. sympathy, disbelief, etc.."

I felt this same way when I visited the site of the Oklahoma City bombing, which is now a museum. People stand in a room, the lights dim and they play the recording of a meeting that was going on at the time the bomb went off. Then the room starts to shake. It is chilling.

I met a woman, once, randomly, who told me that her son works for the company that sets up such exhibits. She told me that they treat all of the artifacts with great respect, wear white gloves, etc.

Connie wrote: "A Farewell to Arms.3 stars. It was a book based largely on Hemingway's experiences on the Italian front in World War I. I knocked it down a star because I didn't like his stilted dialogue. ..."

Worst dialogue in novels award goes to Hemingway. I would also add worse written female characters but too many women disagree with me. Maybe it's just their dialogue and i can't get passed it. I cannot make myself read any more novels by him.

You read some good books, Connie. Thank you for sharing. One thing i like about these monthly roundups is that sometimes it's like a stroll down memory lane. The reason this is the best aspect is because it means i haven't added to my "to read" list! Thanks again, to everyone who shares here.

deb

Marialyce wrote: "The Enchanted April 4 stars
Loved, loved, loved it...."

Same here, Marialyce. The recent film ('90s) is good; i also liked an earlier version, made in the 1930s. It stars Ann Harding and Frank Morgan (yes, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!). I just happened to run across it on TCM a year or so ago. *sigh* http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0901896/

I intend to read more novels by Elizabeth von Arnim. When i last searched local libraries, the one you read, German Garden, couldn't be found. Instead i read Mr Skeffington, which i liked very much. Then, of course, i had to follow up with the Bette Davis filmed version!

deb

My April-read books follow:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Wonderfully well-written play, including the set description and stage directions. The shared discussion with this group enhanced my reading enormously. A final thank you to those who joined in!

Clutter's Last Stand, 2nd Edition: It's Time to de-Junk Your Life! by Don Aslett. I read part of the book five years ago, in anticipation of retirement and a move. Then, abandoned it. After a discussion on this board, i picked it up again to finish. It is full of encouragement to rid oneself of "stuff". However, he allows for sentiment, after one truly questions reasons, which is good. He also had good tips. When he delved into de-junking your diet, friends list and pets, i wasn't as sure. Still, it was food for thought. And took up no space in my life. ;-)

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham was a fine bio, particularly instructive about what was going on in the USA during the earlier part of the 19th century. While i'd hoped for more early-life, this gave me all i wanted for the later years.

The Jesus Scroll by Donovan Joyce was another book i finished. I began this one, though, in the 1980s. Since i owned it and had 4 pages of notes, i thought i should finish the last few chapters. It's full of history, which is what my notes held. However, the drama he portrays was cloying--much cloak & dagger to explain why no one else had seen this "lost" scroll, apparently written by Jesus 30 or so years after his death. Oh my!

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. This was a poor mystery, which is odd, given James's reputation for same. However, she nailed the Austen era and even her style of writing. This was the only one i read on my iPad last month.

Madrano wrote: "My April-read books follow:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Wonderfully well-written play, including the set description and stage directions. The shared discussion with this group enhanced ..."

I had to chuckle at your list of books, which included several that you had started years (and decades!) ago and finally finished last month. I have a book in my nightstand (A Suitable Boy) that I bought in the final month of my pregnancy with my oldest son. Since I was going on maternity leave and would be home with a newborn, I naively thought I would have lots of time to read (at least when he slept.) He is now 18. I still have not cracked the book. (He never slept much as a baby, and now that he's a teenager I'm awake for whole different reasons...lol...) I'm thinking I will start it when he leaves for college in September. Maybe I'll finally finish it then. :)

Madrano wrote: "Marialyce wrote: "The Enchanted April 4 stars
Loved, loved, loved it...."

Same here, Marialyce. The recent film ('90s) is good; i also liked an earlier version, made in the 1930s. It stars Ann Har..."

Deb, I was able to get them for free on my iPad. Project Gutenberg is great!

Madrano wrote:Worst dialogue in novels award goes to Hemingway. I would also add worse written female characters but too many women disagree with me. Maybe it's just their dialogue and i can't get passed it. I cannot make myself read any more novels by him.
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I love his novels. However, I don't care for the short stories I've read.

Madrano wrote:
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham was a fine bio, particularly instructive about what was going on in the USA during the earlier part of the 19th century. While i'd hoped for more early-life, this gave me all i wanted for the later years.
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I own this one and look forward to reading it. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.

Very nice reading month, Deb.

Amy wrote: have a book in my nightstand (A Suitable Boy) that I bought in the final month of my pregnancy with my oldest son.

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I enoyed your story on the Vikram book, Amy. :)
That is a big honking book ! It's close to 1500 pages. I don't know if I could stay engaged with a book that long.

As I recall, one of the authors other book always gets positive reviews. Though I have not read it.

An Equal Music~~Vikram Seth

Well, my post just disappeared into the universe --- so if anyone has any interest in seeing what I read in April, you will have to make the great effort to CLICK on this link.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

I also have A Suitabe Boy on my bookshelf but, being the massive thing it is, I don't know when I will get around to it...

I read in April:









Candidate's Party - William Mwendwa (this is a book from my dad's friend) - It's about a 4 Nigerian teens who go out and celebrate the Prom kinda style and 2 of them have too much to drink all hell breaks loose. 1 of them finds out she was pregnant and is having a miscarriage. It's a very good story.

I have looked up my old photos of Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and no, the door is not green but is in fact the secret door behind a bookcase which slides out. I now remember this from the diary. The house was in its original condition when I visited in 1995/96.

Marialyce wrote: "The Marriage Plot 2 stars
OH! this book could have been so much better. It had all the "right stuff", but it just did not come together in a manner that was meaningful and made you want to read, read, read. too bad is all I can say since I do like Eugenides writing"

I agree with you completely about this book. I love his writing style but I wanted so much more out of this story.

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Well, my post just disappeared into the universe --- so if anyone has any interest in seeing what I read in April, you will have to make the great effort to CLICK on this link. ..."

How frustrating! This happens less often here than it did on AOL (at least for me) but that doesn't make it any better! We appreciate the attempt, JoAnn.

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Candidate's Party - William Mwendwa (this is a book from my dad's friend)..."

It sounds good, Fiona. Is it set in Nigeria or the UK?

Marialyce, back before my iPad days, i used Project Gutenberg for short stories & essays. Sitting at the computer that long was more than i could handle. However, with my li'l machine, i'm eating up PG & other free sites.

Just yesterday i was going through some files (yikes! i found more, after thinking i was finished in February) & found a slew of book recs. Many, many are oldies, so i'll be seeing what's available at PG, etc., today. Sounds like fun!

deb

Lesley wrote: "I also have A Suitabe Boy on my bookshelf but, being the massive thing it is, I don't know when I will get around to it..."

I am determined to at least START the darn thing when my son goes to college--it's the principle of the thing now, since I've carted it around with me through 18 years and five moves in three different states! Although the sheer weight of it does give me pause. This is the kind of book I would have downloaded on my Nook, had e-readers existed 18 years ago! But since I already have it (in hardcover!! Even heavier! lol) I don't want to waste money getting it again. Lesley--if you want a push to start it, you're welcome to join me in a mini-group read! In September. After I drop my son off at UCONN. :)

Madrano wrote: How frustrating! This happens less often here than it did on AOL (at least for me) but that doesn't make it any better! We appreciate the attempt, JoAnn. "
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When I have a long post or involved post I copy it first so my computer saves it. I don't paste it anywhere just copy it. Then I hit Post. If GR fails me, I still have my post. It takes a second and has saved me a lot of grief.

Amy wrote: "Lesley wrote: Lesley--if you want a push to start it, you're welcome to join me in a mini-group read! In September.
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If you decided to do it, two weeks or so before, just let me know and I'll set up a buddy Read thread for you. :)

My post disappeared in the middle of writing it, not when I tried to post it.

And if I write it first using MS Word, one has to go constantly back and forth for those book links!

Deb, it's set in Nigeria x

I've never had a post disappear as I was typing it on GR. Let's hope it's a "one off" as the British say.

Amy, yep, I should be up to reading A Suitable Boy in/from September.

I might join you ladies as well if that is ok.

April 2012
11/22/63 -Stephen King (849 pages)
I enjoyed the way this book played out. It was an interesting idea and an enjoyable read, especially since I am not normally a Stephen King fan.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe -Charles Yu (234 pages)
Wonderful concept for a book, but not executed well. It started out as a wonderful idea about a universe governed by the laws of grammer as much as the laws of physics, but ended up being nothing more than Charles Yu talking about his daddy issues.

Cloud Atlas -David Mitchell (509 pages)
One of the best books I've read in a long time. It's a series of related vignettes that really make a wonderful novel about the meaning of power, civilization and the meaning of freedom. Every story is different yet quintessentially the same, and full of beautiful language. I recommend this whole-heartedly.

Dubliners -James Joyce (176 pages)

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 5: Ring of Truth -Brian K. Vaughn (192 pages)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-Hunter S. Thompson (204 pages)
I feel like I like I would like this a lot more if I had done acid earlier in my life. It was not my favorite.

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 6: Girl on Girl -Brian K. Vaughn (128 pages)

Thanks for posting your April reads, Stephanie!

I'll have to check out Cloud Atlas

Marialyce wrote: "I might join you ladies as well if that is ok."

Great, Marialyce.

Stephanie wrote: "April 2012
11/22/63 -Stephen King (849 pages)
I enjoyed the way this book played out. It was an interesting idea and an enjoyable read, especially since I am not normally a Stephen King fan.

How t..."


I loved Cloud Atlas.

Marialyce wrote: "I might join you ladies as well if that is ok."

Lesley wrote: "Amy, yep, I should be up to reading A Suitable Boy in/from September."

Great! Absolutely--the more the merrier. I just hope the book is good, after all!

I have added Cloud Atlas to my TBR list. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet has been on it for some time as well.

Alias Reader wrote: "I've never had a post disappear as I was typing it on GR. Let's hope it's a "one off" as the British say."

Alias, speaking of things disappearing, did you get my e-mail asking why you did not remove the duplicate posts at R and R? I may have sent it to GR but think I sent it to you. But I did not hear back....

Yes, I got it. I didn't realize you were looking for a reply. It's just what I did, no reason really.