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

My May Reads:


In This House of Brede~Rumer Godden
fiction
Rate 3+/5
Women quits her successful career and becomes a cloistered nun.
I greatly enjoyed reading this Book Nook Cafe group read. Reading it with others greatly enhanced my enjoyment.

Please Look After MomKyung-Sook Shin
fiction
Rate 1/5
Korean mother with beginning Alzheimer becomes lost in the subway system. The majority of the book is a how her daughter, son, and husband recall how they treated her.

I read this for my f2f book club. I didn't like this book at all. The vast majority of the book is written in 2nd person which makes it extremely difficult to figure out who the "you" the author is writing about. Even when I figured out the structure of the book, it was a slog because of this choice by the author. It felt like an omniscient god was scolding the characters.

I found the premise of the book fairly simply. Basically, treat friends/family well because they won't always be there. That's it. I thought the book was fairly superficial. The family in question is a bit selfish and the mom I found to be a martyr. The ending I found unsatisfying. For some reason the author seemed to think the reader must be a dullard so she hits the reader over the head with the theme one more time for good measure in a scene in the Vatican.

Corporations Are Not People: Why They Have More Rights Than You Do and What You Can Do About It~Jeffrey D. Clements
non fiction
Rate 4/5
I saw this author give a talk on C-SPAN Book TV and thought his talk was interesting so I picked up the book. The author examines some of the history of corporations starting with the game changing 1886 Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company case and on to the recent infamous Supreme Court ruling in the Citizen's United case. The author explains why we should care and what we can do about this unpopular decision.

The Best Exotic Marigold HotelDeborah Moggach
fiction
rating: 4/5
I thought the book would be a light hearted read. It turned out to be quite serious in parts. I thought it was a well written book with some very unexpected surprises. I look forward to seeing the movie staring two of my favorite actresses, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

I am also still reading the excellent Pulitzer Prize winning book
Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945~David M. Kennedy for a Buddy Read here at BNC.

I look forward to reading about all of your May reads.

Wow, Alias, I'm impressed that you enjoyed the novel The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel enough to give it a 4/5.

I enjoyed the movie very much, and hope you do too. In addition to Dench and Maggie Smith, it was good to see so many actors around my age getting substantial roles. And I adore young Dev Patel (lead actor in Slumdog Millionaire).

Sarah, I hope to see Marigold next week. I'll let you know my thoughts on it.

I have to put Slumdog on my library list. I keep forgetting. Thanks for the reminder.

Hello....
I read
1.Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
2.One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
3.The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
3.5/5
You really need to be a fan of humorous girly romance novels. Usually I'm not, but for some reason her style of writing seems to keep me interested. Also they're very quick reads, so if you're looking for something light-hearted to pass the time away, say on a long trip, this is definitely it.

Dean and Me: by Jerry Lewis
5/5
Being a huge fan of Dean MArtin and Jerry Lewis, this book took me no time to get through. It was fascinating (and heartbreaking) reading about the ups and downs in their career that ultimately led to their dissolvement after 10 years. My only problem is with books like these, how do you know what really rings true or not? Either way I loved it.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5/5
An absolutely fascinating work of fiction. I really do recommend this for anyone to read, especially if you're interested in the paranormal. It's just a wonderful trip in the life of the main character that by the end, you've become so attached you can almost feel everything he is. Definitely a multi-read.

The Stuff of Legend, Book 2: The Jungle
5/5
A graphic novel has to be really, really intriguing in order to keep my interest. With this particular novel, it happens to be the case. It takes a new spin on the boogeyman and the toys you have as a child, and includes war (as it's set during WWII), adventure, mystery, and just enough comedy to keep you wanting more.

The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
4/5
Another graphic novel, as I've mentioned above. A little hard to get into at first, but once I was in I didn't want to leave. It was like nothing I've ever read before, and I looked forward to continuing to read the entire series.

The Help
3 stars
I was wary to read this at first because it is a white author writing from the perspective of black characters. But my coworker had recommended it highly and also bought it for my Secret Santa gift so I thought I'd give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised and appreciated that the author herself acknowledges that she could never know what it really felt like to be a black woman in the afterword. I don't think it's the best book ever written but can sort of understand its appeal. I did think the written-out accents were distracting and the ending a bit too tidy.

Henry Chow and Other Stories
3 stars
An uneven collection of short stories for teenagers. None of them were bad but some of them felt unfinished; maybe because they were written for a younger audience? I did enjoy the different story settings and character perspectives though.

Pallavi wrote: "Hello....
I read
1.Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
2.One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
3.The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger"
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Nice mix of books, Pallavi. I hope you enjoyed them.

Niki wrote: "Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
3.5/5
You really need to be a fan of humorous girly romance novels. Usually I'm not, but for some reason her style of writing seems to keep me interested. ..."

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It looks like you had a lot of winners this month, Niki.

The Dean Martin book looks interesting. I've put the title on my TBR list. Thanks !

I also have Gaiman's book American Gods on my book shelf. Have you read it? A lot of people give it very positive reviews.

Sumofparts wrote: "The Help
3 stars
I was wary to read this at first because it is a white author writing from the perspective of black characters. But my coworker had recommended it highly and also bought it for my ..."
-----------------

Thanks for sharing, Sumofparts ! I think I gave The Help the same rating as you. I also saw the movie.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 5 stars. This was a thought-provoking, beautifully written book of short stories about a company of soldiers in Vietnam during the war, and their adjustment to civilian life afterward.

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. 4 stars. This book was set in a Benedictine Abbey in England. It was our group read for May.

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. 4 stars. A busy career woman is trying to balance work with family when she has a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. It leaves her with a condition called "left neglect" where her brain cannot process things on the left side of her body or in her left field of vision.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat & Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks. 4 stars. Interesting neurological cases from the 1980s. A science background or a good dictionary is helpful.

The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers by Harry Bernstein. 4 stars. This is a memoir about growing up in poverty in the early 20th Century in a mill town in England. Jews were on one side of the street and Christians on the other side. There was some mixing after the men from both sides were fighting in World War I. Then, Harry's Jewish sister wanted to marry the young man across the street.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. 4 stars. This delightful little book is a collection of letters between the author and a bookseller in a London antiquarian book store.

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas. 4 stars. I'm enjoying the Friday Harbor series of romances because they have such likable characters. This story involved two romances, one involving the memories of a ghost.

An Irish Country Doctorby Patrick Taylor. 3 stars. A humorous book about being a country doctor in Ireland in the 1960s. It was similiar in tone as James Herriott's books.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult. 3 stars. The author based her main character on a real life biologist who studies and has lived among wolves. After a tragedy, his children have opposite views on the right to die/right to live issue. Interesting, although I think that the courts and hospital ethics people
would handle things better in real life.

The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani. 3 stars. Historical fiction about an Italian family in Pennsylvania as people are transitioning from a life on the farm to an urban, industrial lifestyle. The romances are between Nella and her first love, and later with the man she marries.

Room by Emma Donoghue. 3 stars. A five year old boy has never known an existance other than a small room that he shares with his kidnapped mother. It is the story of their escape and adjustment to society. I didn't find the dialogue of a child who had access to a TV, and who talked to his mother realistic at the start of the book. Sadly, we do hear of true stories in the news that are similiar to theirs.

The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. 3 stars. The book is about an emotionally detached young librarian who is struck by lightening. An imaginative book, with lots of magical realism.

Wow, I didn't realize how many books I read this month involved people with neurological problems!

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West - Blaine Harden. The true story of Shin Dong-Hyuk who was born in a North Korean prison camp, lived his entire life there, and is the only person known to have escaped from one of the camps. His story is horrifying and riveting and to me, the idea that there are human beings on this very planet, living such tragic desperate lives, is almost beyond belief. A-

The Red Book - Deborah Copaken Kogan. Four women who graduated from Harvard in 1992 attend their 20th class reunion in 2012 with lots of cordiality, conflicts and complications. The real lives they've been living aren't exactly like the lives they've presented in Harvard's Red Book, a compilation of updates from alumni. For the most part I enjoyed reading this one but one thing that bugged me was that every character in the book who had a sense of humor, had the exact same sense of humor which, I assume, is the same as Deborah Copaken Kogan's sense of humor. She tells the story in the different characters voices, but those voices all seem a lot the same. B-

The Chaperone - Laura Moriarity. In 1922, when real-life silent screen star Louise Brooks was a 15-year old living in Wichita, KS, fictional friend of the family Cora Carlisle took the job of chaperoning her on a visit to New York to audition for a dance company. Cora had different reasons for going to New York, so when Louise was in class, the chaperone kept busy investigating some mysteries from her own past. I enjoyed both of their stories and if this book had been about 40 pages shorter, I would have given it a better review. But Cora's story continues after she returns to Kansas and I felt like it just dragged on a little too long. I read an advance copy of this book and I think it's being released in June. B

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn. Wow! Considering I've had such a hard time sticking with a book lately, I flew through this one and could hardly put it down....it's a real thriller. Amy and Nick have been married for 5 years when Amy disappears on the morning of their wedding anniversary. The story is told in alternating voices - Nick in current time and Amy, through a diary she'd been keeping for years. Nick is the suspect in her disappearance and there's a Nancy Grace type character who'd love to see him hang without a dead body or a trial. There are twists and surprises here and some excellent writing and a very well-constructed story. This was also an advance copy but it's coming out soon, so get your name on the library waiting list or you'll have a long wait to read it. A



Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

The Red Book

The Chaperone

Gone Girl

Honolulu by Alan Brennert: 3.5-4 stars. An easy read with an interesting story that kept me entertained. I enjoyed the historical facts about Hawaii interwoven throughout the fictional plot. The male author does a fairly decent job of writing from a female perspective.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan: 3.5 stars. Since I like history and historical fiction, I enjoyed the pre-WWI-in-Niagara Falls setting and time period, as well as the commentary on how human activity affects the environmental conditions of the river and the falls. The story flagged a bit in the middle, or I probably would have given it a 4.

The Truth-Teller's Lie by Sophie Hannah: 3 stars. Read this for my book club. It was a fast-paced psychological thriller. Okay, but I probably won't remember the plot in a few months.

The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshua Kendall: 3.5 stars. Interesting narrative of the decades-long journey undertaken by Webster in the determined pursuit of his goal: a truly American dictionary of the English language.

The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood: 2.5-3 stars. Purchased it on my Nook on a whim as a "Daily Find" for $1.99. For that price, it was a fine read. I found it rather uneven.

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky: 3 stars. Picked it up from the "share" shelf at work when I needed something to read at lunch. Basic chick lit, with characters experiencing emotional situations leading to a happy ending. That's what I expected, and that's what it was. Nothing more, nothing less.

Defending Jacob by William Landay: 4.5 stars. Well-written, in a style that reminded me of Scott Turow's "Presumed Innocent." A great read. Once I started, I couldn't put it down until the very last sentence.

Never See Them Again by M. William Phelps: 2 stars. I was annoyed by the typos and the snarky personal asides and comments--but even with those things, I might have given the book more credit if I wasn't so bored by the narrative, which was both overly detailed and meandering at the same time. By the end of the book, I almost didn't care why the murderers (who were identified very early on, so there was no surprise there) had committed the crime or what the sentence would be (because the verdict was a foregone conclusion--again, no surprises). There's a line toward the end of the book, during the trial, that sums up my feelings perfectly: "They could have gone on forever, back and forth, discussing this subjective topic until jurors fell asleep and became so confused that Harris's testimony meant nothing." Swap out "jurors" with "readers" and "Harris's testimony" with "this book" and you've got an accurate review. Two stars instead of one only because I feel that the author has the potential to do better.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: 2 stars. I wanted to like this book. I started out liking this book. For about 100 pages or so, that is. And then ... nothing really major or important seemed to happen for another 300 pages. I felt the book could have been chopped in third and the story wouldn't have suffered for the heavy editing. I was also annoyed by the main character's quick lapse from independent career woman into breathless damsel-in-distress who needed a man (vampire...whatever) to save her. And Matthew-the-vampire's entire personality ("I am the man, therefore I am in charge and you must listen to me or else") irritated me as well. Also, the book felt like a mishmash of others I had read before: start with the "Outlander" series, throw in some old Anne Rice vampire novels, add a dash of "Harry Potter," and toss it with a liberal dose of "Twilight" (which I have NOT read, only heard way too much about.) If that sort of book appeals to you, then by all means read this novel. For me, I will have to think long and hard about continuing on to books 2 and 3.

Connie wrote: "The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 5 stars. This was a thought-provoking, beautifully written book of short stories about a company of soldiers in Vietnam during the war, and their adjustment..."

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Wow ! Excellent reading month, Connie.

From your list I've read,
Brede, The Man who Mistook his wife, (It was a group read here) 84 Charing Cross, and Room. I agree with your assessment of them all. :)

Sorry to see you only gave the new Picoult a 3. I guess I won't have to rush to read it. But I'll get to it one day.

Thanks again for sharing your reads with the group.

Connie wrote: "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West - Blaine Harden. The true story of Shin Dong-Hyuk who was born in a North Korean prison camp, lived his e..."

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Connie, I've been toying with reading Escape from Camp 14. I didn't know if it would too graphic with torture and all. But I think after reading your review it's a book I should read.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your May reads with us.

Amy wrote:
Defending Jacob by William Landay: 4.5 stars. Well-written, in a style that reminded me of Scott Turow's "Presumed Innocent." A great read. Once I started, I couldn't put it down until the very last sentence.
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Excellent reading month, Amy.

At the last meeting of my f2f book club they were debating selecting Defending Jacob for our group read. After reading your review, I hope they do !

Here are my May reads. I will post them in two messages.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories (audio) a good introduction to Hemingway, some stories good, others I did not enjoy so much. 3 stars.

Mauretania NF. One of my grandfather's old books. Author travels through Nth Africa in 1939, but his writing became sidetracked with memories of previous travels. 3 stars.


Alentejo Blue (audio) Disjointed stories of several people living in a Portugese village as they consider their past and future. I bit rambling and I felt nothing for the characters. May be better in written form I think. 2 stars.

This Is How The thoughts of a murderer before his crime and as he goes on trial and later in jail. Interesing but also disturbing. 3 stars.

Purple Hibiscus Girl growing up in Nigeria in a dysfunctional family under the tyranny of her abusive father during the time of the coup. 4 stars.

Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman NF. Writer's struggles growing up in a large family in Ireland with abuse and alcoholism, with these struggles continuing in her adult life. A great writer. I would like to read her novel someday. 4 stars.

Fine Just the Way it Is (audio) Short stories,some I would like to read as stand alone novels. 3 stars.

Brick Lane Bangladeshi girl moves into London's Brick Lane community to marry an older man, leaving behind her sister while her new family grows into their new life. A little drawn out. 3 stars.

The Bride Stripped Bare A selfish wife's perspective on her new marriage. I kept wondering
'what's the point'. 2 stars.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (audio) American-educated and employed Pakistani man's monologue with an American in Lahore after 9/11 attacks. 2 stars.

Allah Is Not Obliged Set in Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone, a boy soldier's view of warlords and his own involvement in the civil war.I thought the author did a great job in presenting from the perspective of a drug-affected, screwed-up 10 year old. 4 stars.

Alias Reader wrote: "The author explains why we should care and what we can do about this unpopular decision. "

I think corporations AND unions should be made to abide by the same political donation laws. Imagine that!

Did this author only look at one side of this issue? From the book description, it sure sounds like it.

And I assume his book was published by a corporation. LOL LOL

The "infamous" (defined as wicked or abominable) decision is unpopular because.....????

Lesley wrote: "Brick Lane Bangladeshi girl moves into London's Brick Lane community to marry an older man, leaving behind her sister while her new family grows into their new life. A little drawn out. 3 stars.T..."
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Thanks for posting your reads, Lesley. I read Brick Lane a few years ago and loved it. I think the author writes really well.

Niki wrote: "The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
4/5
Another graphic novel, as I've mentioned above. A little hard to get into at first, but once I was in I didn't want to leave. It was like nothing I've ever read before, and I looked forward to continuing to read the entire series. "


This is by far the weakest of Gaiman's Sandman series. It gets so much better in the following 9 books. Let me know how you enjoy them.

I also found Graveyard book to be an adorable take on the Jungle Book

Lesley wrote: "Here are my May reads. I will post them in two messages.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories (audio) a good introduction to Hemingway, some stories good, others I did not enjoy so much. 3..."

I had similar thoughts to you on Kilimanjaro. My favorites were "Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "Happy Life" but I thought some of the others were weak. Nice reading month

May 2012
East, West -Salman Rushdie (224 pages)
My first introduction to Rushdie. It offered some great slice of life and more magical realism elements while turning traditional Orientalism on its head (in making the East seem more slice of life and the West more mystical). Pretty interesting short stories, though I now understand why he was banned by religious groups in so many countries.

A Clash of Kings -George R. R. Martin (1009 pages)
Had to finish this before the second season of Game of Thrones. I thought it was a little weaker than the first but really gave a great ending. This month I'll get to the third book

Never Let Me Go -Kazuo Ishiguro (304 pages)
Saw the movie with Kira Knightly first and felt that ruined the book a little for me because I went in knowing that it was a dystopian science fiction novel. I feel like it would have been better if you went in knowing of it only as a coming of age story. Not a great book, and at times it was boring, but a worthwhile read nevertheless

Kafka on the Shore -Haruki Murakami (467 pages)
I love returning to the world of Murakami because it feels like putting on an old pair of shoes. They all feel so comfortable and so similar, but I haven't encountered one of his books that I liked this much since Wind Up Bird

Wow! I am impressed by the variety of books read & the sterling accompanying assessments/recaps. Thank you to everyone who has contributed their list thus far. (And, of course, to those who will do so.)

While i'd love to comment on each post, i'm going to hold off, as it's taken me awhile to just get ready to post my own list.

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. It was a pleasure to finally read this book, having purchased it at least a decade ago. While each nun may not remain in my mind the overall peace and gentle conflict resolution will.

Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. Well written with good recapping of names & history. I got a good handle on many characters, including Spartacus, Cleopatra, Cicero and Sulla. The timing of this reading with one about the American Revolution earlier this year helped me see how the colonials adopted several ideas from the Romans. My favorite line was, "Pompey's shows of simplicity were always ostentatious." LOL

The Cowboy Way: An Exploration of History and Culture by Paul Howard Carlson, who was more editor of other's work here than author. While i learned plenty of facts and history about the west in the first couple of essays, the bulk of the book wasn't worth the effort. Mostly the essays appeared to be works for conferences and, therefore, rather dry. Or maybe the material doesn't lend itself to nonfiction? That written, i did like this line, "At old-time western dances in the 19th century many cowboys tied bandanas around their arms to signal that they would dance the female part." Who knew?

Quaker Silence and Quaker Witness by Irene Allen. The mysteries themselves were ho-hum but how the Quaker Way led suspects to share their truth was interesting. As there are only 4 books in the series, which was written in the '90s, i will probably read the others. However, it's not a series i particularly think is good. Of course, this may explain why there are only 4. Btw, the book is set in Cambridge, Mass., where the author went to school.

Dutchman & The Slave by Amiri Baraka. Two plays in one book. I don't know about rules/law of publishing but i'm unclear why this book was published under his birth name, LeRoi Jones, as opposed to the name linked above. Perhaps because they were staged when he was still called Jones? Yet, the book was published in '71, several years after his name change. ANYway, the first play was superior to the second. The first is set on a subway and is about a discussion (in many forms, including violent) between a male & female. The second is set during a race war but in the home of a family.

Bloodletters and Badmen by Jay Robert Nash. This is one of those "clean up" books that i began in the '80s. It's over 500 pages of biographies, so one is easily overwhelmed. I moved before finishing it & forgot to look it up until i went through my files & saw my notes. There were some fascinating killers listed. For my money too many were mob-related from the 30s & 40s, but the ones from rural areas, where serial killers with monetary motives (women killed men they married/seduced just for money) were fascinating. It's interesting how many just disappeared once things got heated with the law. Who knows what havoc they wrecked elsewhere?!

Sleeping Where I Fall: A Chronicle by Peter Coyote. This is one of those saw it on the library table books. I've always liked Coyote and found his Digger past intriguing, so read it. The Diggers were in San Francisco during what many consider the hippie era but they were actively trying to avoid the money-focused economy, considering themselves anarchists. ANYway, Coyote is honest about all the drugs & sex but didn't make it particularly interesting. Still, as a memoir & summing up of his activities, it was fine. He barely mentioned his film career toward the end but spent much time discussing his time on the California Arts Council and how they moved to offer grants & help to non-traditional artists.

Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, and the entire 6-series/two trilogy effort, by Nick Bantock. I really liked the artwork, collage being an art which fascinates me, by the end of one-after-another reading (probably NOT the way to read them!), i was less interested in the outcome. As usual, i treasured the epistolary aspect of the works--and think making "real" letters the reader pulls out of real envelopes is terrific, helping me feel like a voyeur, of sorts. The references to Yeats was fun, too. So, i think it was the short-term problem which left me less pleased. Still, i think i would have been disappointed had i waited for each book to come out. LOL--no pleasing me.

On the Nature of the Universe by Titus Lucretius Carus, translated & noted by R. E. Latham. This is in preparation for reading The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt next month. It was amazing to see how close Lucretius, Epicurus and the Atomists were with their concept of nature & the way things work. The language is not ours but the scientific ideas surprised me with their understanding of dense subjects.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. While i learned some trail history and enjoyed most of the humor, overall i was disappointed with this book. First of all, (view spoiler)[ he didn't walk the entire trail, nor even half of it. Ok, the idea is that this could show us how hard it is, etc. but i felt it was a let down. (hide spoiler)] Secondly, there was too much about non-trail things to please me. While interesting to learn PA. history re. mines, it was superfluous to the trail, imo.

How to Be a Civilian by Morton Thompson. Written in 1946 for soldiers just getting out of the military, i found it a pretty good book. I will discuss this later, as there were a few things worth sharing. For what it is, i felt he covered plenty of material. However, for the most part this would have served as a pamphlet just as well. :-)

Tea and Sympathy by Robert Woodruff Anderson. I read this play for our June discussion. It is a good one, imo.

It looks as though i read quite a bit but i'll note that there are 2 books of plays, the two trilogies and other short books. Still, i'm pleased i read so much, not to mention surprised! End of tv season helped!

Stephanie wrote:
A Clash of Kings -George R. R. Martin (1009 pages)"
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Holy Macaroni! 1009 pages ! I had to check that. I thought that was a typo.

Stephanie, I tried Fury by Rushdie book back in 2001. I didn't care for it at all. It was the magical realism that total tuned me off. Now when I see those two words I run the other way ! :)

Thanks for sharing your May reads with us.

Madrano wrote:
Quaker Silence and Quaker Witness by Irene Allen. The mysteries themselves were ho-hum but how the Quaker Way led suspects to share their truth was interesting. As there are only 4 books in the series, which was written in the '90s, i will probably read the others. However, it's not a series i particularly think is good. Of course, this may explain why there are only 4. Btw, the book is set in Cambridge, Mass., where the author went to school.
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First, terrific reading month, deb. I also enjoyed your thoughtful reviews.

Second, even though you weren't completely thrilled with the Quaker book I wrote it down in my TBR notebook. For some reason the Quakers interest me.

Regarding, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson.
I enjoyed the book and wasn't bothered by the spoiler you noted. I felt some parts were really LOL. I don't recall too much of it at this point as I read it a number of years ago. The friend he went with was funny, too.

I need to start on Tea & Sympathy and continue my Buddy read of Freedom of Fear but I've had some unexpected issues that have slowed my reading the past few days. I hope to get back on track sometime next week. Deb, I'm glad to read that you enjoyed Tea.

Madrano wrote: "i think it was the short-term problem which left me less pleased. Still, i think i would have been disappointed had i waited for each book to come out. LOL--no pleasing me...."

I wondered about you reading them all at once, Deb. I think that would be like eating too much rich dessert. As impatient as I was for each new Griffin and Sabine book, I think that was the better way to read them

I forgot to enter my books last month, or else I abandoned every book I started.....except one, Mike Lawson's upcoming House Blood. Very good and different, as Mahoney is not longer the Speaker of the House.

Alias Reader wrote: "Stephanie wrote:
A Clash of Kings -George R. R. Martin (1009 pages)"
-----------

Holy Macaroni! 1009 pages ! I had to check that. I thought that was a typo.

Stephanie, I tried Fury by Rushdie..."

The words 'magical realism' have the same effect on me....

The Caline Conspiracy by M.H. Head

5 out of 5 stars: This book successfully mingles elements from science fiction and mystery with the attachment people have to their pets, to excellent effect. The authors have also created complex and interesting characters across the board, from central characters to minor ones. The people and the society of the book are well defined and well developed without being trite on one hand or over explained on the other. The balance in this book is really incredible, and the ideas and questions the book deals with have surprising depth and resonance with our present world. Also, flawlessly edited and formatted and intelligently written. This book offers a little something for an incredibly wide variety of people, and uses each element perfectly from beginning to end. It’s a book that defines what a 5 star book should be, and illustrates some of the great possibilities open to independent writers and audiences.

The Caline Conspiracy is a science fiction novel by Margaret Yang and Harry R. Campion, together writing under the pen name of M.H. Head. The story begins when private investigator Aidra Scott is asked by a wealthy animal lover to investigate the murder of her husband by her beloved pet. The woman insists that the animal could never have committed such an act of violence, but Aidra isn’t convinced until she begins to understand exactly what kind of pet the woman is talking about. Melanie is what the woman calls it, and Melanie is a caline, a pet genetically engineered to compatibility with its owner. The company who creates and sells the calines are intent on putting Melanie down for the crime, but as Aidra learns more about the new species she’s more and more certain that GeCreations has other reasons to dispose of an innocent animal.

Full review at www.theunboundunderground.com The Caline Conspiracy

Unbound wrote: "The Caline Conspiracy by M.H. Head

5 out of 5 stars: This book successfully mingles elements from science fiction and mystery with the attachment people have to their pets, to excellent effect. Th..."

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Welcome to Book Nook Cafe, Unbound ! Thank you so much for joining in and posting your May reads.

I see the two books you read have a pet theme. Yesterday someone recommended a book to me about a dog that may interest you. I've put it on my TBR list.

Finding Atticus~~Laurie Gifford Adams

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "I forgot to enter my books last month, or else I abandoned every book I started.....except one, Mike Lawson's upcoming House Blood. Very good and different, as Mahoney is not longer the Speaker of ..."

I hope it was just that you forgot, JoAnn! I know i've done that a month or two.

Alias, re. Bryson's book. The humor was good, even when it was at his friend's expense. Actually, the first part of the book was good & i liked it. Once they realized how little they'd walked after so many weeks, it went downhill. As it happens my nephew's best friend is on the Appalachian Trail right now. I gave the book to my nephew to help give him an idea of what is being experienced.

deb

Connie wrote: "The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 5 stars. This was a thought-provoking, beautifully written book of short stories about a company of soldiers in Vietnam during the war, and their adjustment..."

This book is short stories? I've heard about it but never realized that.

Here is what I finished in May, with my "reviews" copied and pasted

Cannery Row 5 stars
What a strange but interesting cast of characters!

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration 5 stars
I spent over 5 months reading this a little at a time. Not because it wasn't good though...I found it to be very interesting and very easy to read. The book alternates back and forth between three black people's stories of their moves from Jim Crow south to New York, Chicago and LA, with some other relavant background history thrown in as well.

Night 5 stars
My favorite parts of this book were the telling of his relationship with his father and also his comments about how his experiences caused him to act in shameful ways that he never would have done before. (This book is about the author's experiences as a jew in the holocaust in case anyone doesn't know)

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced 3 stars
This is an interesting story about a brave girl who went through some horrible things, but I didn't care much for the writing. It is written in first person as if Nujood is telling her story (Despite the fact that the author is listed as "Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui", Nujood is a child with only a couple years of education and is pretty much illiterate and didn't write anything). The writing is pretty simple as if a child wrote it, but there are also a lot of words and phrases that I don't think an uneducated 10 year old would ever use. It made the whole thing seem odd. I would have much preferred to read Nujood's story in a third person adult voice.

Julie wrote: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration 5 stars
I spent over 5 months reading this a little at a time. Not because it wasn't good though...I found it to be very interesting and very easy to read. The book alternates back and forth between three black people's stories of their moves from Jim Crow south to New York, Chicago and LA, with some other relavant background history thrown in as well.
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I am so happy to see you gave this one a 5 star. I own it and am looking forward to reading it.

I agree with you on Night. An excellent read. I think the way the story is told, the tone is a bit understated, is what gives it such power. It's a book that I would put in the "everyone must read" category.

Nujood is the first book my f2f book club selected back in 2010. I gave it a 2+ rating.

Thanks for sharing, Julie !

Very nice reading month, Julie.

I read Night last year after hearing about it for years, and I'm so pleased I eventually did read it. I agree, it is a 'must read'.

Julie wrote: "Here is what I finished in May, with my "reviews" copied and pasted

Cannery Row 5 stars
What a strange but interesting cast of characters!
..."

A person just can't put a description of this book any better, Julie! I delighted in it but...well...you wrote what i think.

Stephanie wrote: "Never Let Me Go -Kazuo Ishiguro (304 pages)
Saw the movie with Kira Knightly first and felt that ruined the book a little for me because I went in knowing that it was a dystopian science fiction novel. I feel like it would have been better if you went in knowing of it only as a coming of age story. Not a great book, and at times it was boring, but a worthwhile read nevertheless."

I felt the same way about the book & didn't see the movie first. Unaware it was science fiction, i didn't know what to make of it until well into it. Still, it was boring at times, as you noted.

Amy wrote: The Hungry Season by T. Greenwood: 2.5-3 stars. Purchased it on my Nook on a whim as a "Daily Find" for $1.99. For that price, it was a fine read. I found it rather uneven.

I know what you mean, Amy. While i enjoyed the book & read it in a short period of time, i had no desire to read the rest in the series. Fortunately my DD was visiting when i read it & filled me in on the other books, just to know what i would miss. :-)

Connie wrote: "Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn. Wow! Considering I've had such a hard time sticking with a book lately, I flew through this one and could hardly put it down....it's a real thriller."

Adding this one to my list. Thanks.

Another Connie wrote: "84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. 4 stars. This delightful little book is a collection of letters between the author and a bookseller in a London antiquarian book store."

I found several of her books a pleasure.Duchess of Bloomsbury Street was about visiting 84, Charing Cross road years later. Q's Legacy was also nice, filling readers in on the Q to whom she alludes in earlier books. She was rather obsessed with him.

Once again, thank you to all who have shared their monthly reading list. Full of info & titles.

deb

Deb, I'll put Helene Hanff's other two books on my TBR list. I enjoyed the combination of her humor with her love of books in 84, Charing Cross Road.

I loved Never Let Me Go and didn't think it was boring.

Julie wrote: "Connie wrote: "The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. 5 stars. This was a thought-provoking, beautifully written book of short stories about a company of soldiers in Vietnam during the war, and t..."

As I recall, each chapter relates a different story, but it is not a book of unconnected stories. I thought it was terrific.

"I found several of her books a pleasure.Duchess of "Bloomsbury Street was about visiting 84, Charing Cross road years later. Q's Legacy was also nice, filling readers in on the Q to whom she alludes in earlier books. She was rather obsessed with him.

Once again, thank you to all who have shared their monthly reading list. Full of info & titles.

deb "

I really enjoyed those three Helene Hanff books. She was such an interesting person, and the stories were engaging.

Madrano wrote: "I know what you mean, Amy. While i enjoyed the book & read it in a short period of time, i had no desire to read the rest in the series. Fortunately my DD was visiting when i read it & filled me in on the other books, just to know what i would miss. :-)."

Was it part of a series? It was about a family who spends a summer in Vermont while mourning the death of their teen daughter to anorexia, and how each family member learns to deal with the grief and guilt around her death. I knew that T. Greenwood had written other books, but I wasn't aware that there was a series. What else could possibly be extended in the storyline?

Julie wrote: "I loved Never Let Me Go and didn't think it was boring."

Julie, it may be that i had such high hopes, having truly enjoyed The Remains of the Day. Usually i'm a fan of science fiction but something about this one didn't click, intriguing as the idea was. The love angle, perhaps?

deb

Amy wrote: "Was it part of a series? It was about a family who spends a summer in Vermont while mourning the death of their teen daughter to anorexia, and how each family member learns to deal with the grief ..."

My VERY BAD! I read "Games", not "Season". Sorry
'bout that, Amy.

deb

Connie wrote: "Deb, I'll put Helene Hanff's other two books on my TBR list. I enjoyed the combination of her humor with her love of books in 84, Charing Cross Road."

It's the books that first hooked me. Later, as her personality developed through the letters, that caught my imagination. As Carolyn wrote, she just seemed to be such an interesting person. The contrast between the very British letters & hers were a pleasure, too, of course.

deb

Madrano wrote: "Julie wrote: "I loved Never Let Me Go and didn't think it was boring."

Julie, it may be that i had such high hopes, having truly enjoyed The Remains of the Day. Usually i'm a fan of science fictio..."

I felt exactly the same way. I loved Remains of the Day and really wanted to like this one more

A big SIGH for George Elliot's work. Middlemarch is such a worthwhile book. To think i almost didn't read it, due to size! Thanks for sharing, Liana.

Liana wrote: "Re-read and thoroughly enjoyed 'Middlemarch' by George Elliot, very English countryside, very literary, brilliant for ending the day, 5/5; Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life

Also read 'The Gr..."
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Welcome to Book Nook Cafe Liana ! Thanks so much for sharing your May reads with us. I look forward to chatting about books with you.

Heading Out to Wonderful

*****Rate 5/5 and I would rate higher if I could. Beautifully written prose that holds your attention until the last chapter. Sad but beautiful characters and story line. I have now added this author to my favorite list. I thought that nothing could top "A Reliable Wife", but this book did. I have to now patiently wait for Mr. Goolrick to write his next novel...

That's some review, RNocean ! I haven't read anything by this author. I'll have to check him out.

Thanks for sharing.