Stacey_mb:

Independent People by Halldor Laxness. I am in the slump that comes after reading a wonderful book with the knowledge that it is an exceptional treat that comes only once in a while. Laxness won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. The book is set in Iceland and, as described on the back cover, "Bjartur of Summerhouses, the book's protagonist, is an ordinary sheep farmer, his flinty determination to achieve independence is genuinely heroic and, at the same time, terrifying and bleakly comic." Original and beautifully written.

faftris:

I am reading Brotherless Night, by V.V. Ganeshananthan. It takes place during the civil war in Sri Lanka, when a girl from a Tamil family has to cope with the politics of the day and the effect on her family and career. It is very good and worth seeking out.

kculbers:

I am starting to read “Emma” a classic by Jane Austin. She is one of my favorite English authors.

anj_p:

I took a nearly 15 year hiatus from serious books after my mother died (too young for her and me), and spent the time in my favorite escapist genre, fantasy. Read and reread a lot of great books, and they served their purpose. Before she died I was actually really into reading non-fiction, and started picking that up again recently. Now I'm reading Washington by Ron Chernow.

English was my fun major in college so I love talking books!

Olychick:

Just looking at April's and saw Annies comment about Exiles options. I love Jane Harper and really loved her Exiles! I haven't read the other mentioned.

lily316:

The Housemaid.

Thank you so much, Annie!

I finished Exiles (Harper) and it was just ok for me. Seems a lot of build up and the actual action seems to be given short shrift...at least for how I like the timing. I thought it felt familiar and realized I'd read The Dry before. 3 stars, not for book group.

I was larking along in Jane Smiley's new novel Lucky until our young female wanna be pop star protagonist got to age 30. Guess I'm slow on the insight. 'Finding yourself' isn't such a fun lark. I'll see where the second half of the book takes our composer/singer/star -- and me. Wherever. I do love Smiley.

Mary Higgins Clark (Before I Say Goodbye) just started last week..so far so good

I finished up April with the memoire genre-reading Being Henry : the Fonz ...and Beyond. It was very interesting, learning about his life. I find with most of these, they are all over the place so it's almost lke someone talking to you. I was glad I read it but not omg glad. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5 and think it's a nice read. I am not sure it's book club worthy?

Next I read The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall. It had come very highly recommended and is well rated on goodreads. I think it would be a good book club book, and had lots to ponder, but I just couldn't get too invested in it. It's a story of 4 people ( 2 couples) over the course of their adult lives, and all their issues with the predominant one being religion. I just felt like maybe some of the character development was lacking or something was lacking. I gave that one a 3 as well.

I am reading Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig. I am not quite at halfway but I am loving it.

Not a specific book comment, but for those who enjoy gripping books set in the Tudor era, sad news. CJ Sansom, author of the Matthew Shardlake series, died last week.

I'm always so sad at the loss of a favorite author. I feel like I did when Hilary Mantel passed away, and in this case it's been such a long reading relationship starting with his first book

And a tv adaptation just started airing, will so miss our intrepid crook back barrister.

I just started listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin's An Unfinished Love Story, and am really enjoying it.

My book club met two days ago and discussed The House Of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Every one of us loved it. It takes place in Malaysia at the home of a British couple. Their houseguest is Willie Maugham and his”secretary” Gerald.

We are all interested in Maugham now and since we cant get together again until July, we are reading two Maugham books, The Casuarina Tree, and The Razor’s Edge.

In the meantime I just started and am thoroughly enjoying James by percival Everett. My brother just sent me a copy of Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, so that’s up next. Ive listened to his lectures on youtube.

And I am tired of wrestling with bold font on this site!

I loved House of Doors as well. And you know my OCD--have to read other books by the author--so I read The Garden of Evening Mists. Good, but not quite as much.

Dear Running, thank you for letting us know of the passing of CJ Sansom. I have loved all the Shardlake books and I’m sad there will be no more.

Just finished Trooper: The Bobcat Who Came in from The Wild. It was such a sweet and interesting story. I knew I was going to cry at the end, and I did. But it was worth it getting to know Trooper. I'd almost list it for happy reads, except for the end. 4 stars, but not for book group.

Next up is Foster by Claire Keegan.

Pulitzers 2024. I was glad to see that Master Slave Husband Wife was a winner. I have never heard of any of the other works. But I just downloaded Night Watch. Grabbed it while the grabbing was good.

I just finished We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. I gave it a 4 for the power of the narrative. The author introduces each chapter with the events transpiring in the War (WW2) at the time, which I found framed the individual struggles and enhanced the sheer terror of their efforts to survive. Although I have some quibbles with the writing style, mainly anytime the focus shifted to one son whose portrayal I found tiresome, I couldn't put it down.

Finished Foster. Sweet novelette. Next up is One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot for book group.

Loved One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

Just finished After Annie by Anna Quindlen

Just finished The Fellowship of Puzzle Makers, which (as a crossword/spellingbee/etc lover) I really enjoyed. There was one element of the ending that I was not happy with -- a missing piece, I guess -- but otherwise it was a great story with good, quirky characters.

Really, super enjoyed The Collected Regrets of Cover. Since it's about discussing death, and other issues surrounding death, I hadn't anticipated it having the same theme as my last book The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost.

Both books are about women who are afraid to step outside their comfort zone, to live life without plans, to enjoy the moment. I'm not seeking this out, but it's what I need most. I'm not sure what I'll read next. I just feel transparent and vulnerable.

Maybe The Frozen River. Surely, it won't be about living life with no plans. Others here have read it, but it was given to me by a coworker, unsolicited. From her book club. They picked it because the writer is from Nashville.

Currently in the middle of Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood and really enjoying it. So far it has gently skewered some of the pieties of youth, while also being a ripping good yarn.

Bookwoman, I'm in the middle of Nightingale Wood. It's so fun. Thank you for the heads-up.

I've been feeling too *serious* lately. I collected, then put aside, Dorothy Hughes' The Expendable Man after just two pages. Instead, I've read most of Ray Bradbury's collected short stories, A Medicine For Melancholy. 4 Stars. What a treat. I'd forgotten that Bradbury was a famous 'local' -- Waukegan, Illinois. Sweet stories of another era (mine), originally published 1948 - 1959 -- one of them in Playboy. <ha-ha> This copy (1971) has certainly been through the wars.

DH is raving about the audio version of Towles' new fiction, Table For Two. If I start John Crowley's Little, Big (538 pages), my request for the book version will surely be filled the next day.

Recently read The Measure by Nikki Erlick. This story opens with everyone over the age of 22 waking up to a small box outside their front door. Inside the box is a piece of string. The length of the string determines how long you will live. Some people want to open the box while others do not want to know their fate. Once you know how long you will live, what life decisions will you make? Will people treat the short stringers differently? Goodreads gave it 4 stars and I agree. Should be an interesting bookclub discussion.

I also read After Annie by Anna Quindlen. This story is about a young mother of 4 children who dies suddenly. Over the next year, the oldest daughter Ali attempts to care for her younger brothers, as well as her father in hopes of keeping their lives as normal as possible. This transition year is difficult, but offers some hope as the family grieves and grows. It was a sad book, but I enjoy Anna Quindlen’s writing.

I just finished The Last Bus to Wisdom and wow. What a great book. I was kind of savoring it. It was so wonderfully written, so sweet, so touching, and at parts so funny.

I rate it 5 stars.

I think the only other book I've read by the author, Ivan Doig, is The Whistling Season which I adored. He had written quite a few, so I intend to read more of his books.

I love reading about Britain and WWI. I picked up Muse of Fire, by Michael Korda. It's non-fiction and is about some of the English war poets, like Rupert Brooke and Siegfried Sassoon. I have been skipping over some of the descriptions of the battles, since my interest is in the lives of the poets. One interesting person is Alan Seeger--not remembered all that much-- but we all know his nephew Pete.

faftris, I'm a big fan of WWI poetry, so will definitely get the Korda book. I assume you've read Pat Barker's trilogy that begins with Regeneration?

I finished up Birnam Wood and it was a cracking good read. Now I'm halfway through Dennis Lehane's Small Mercies. I've never read any of his books before, but am a huge fan of two films made from his novels: Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone. I'm sure this one will be a movie before too long as well. If you like stories set in working-class South Boston, this is for you. He knows the landscape intimately, and his characters are rezl individuals, very well drawn.

During the first few weeks of broken leg recovery, I couldn't read anything beyond magazine captions. And yet I had some time to kill. I didn't want anything taxing. The perfect solution was Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly. Definitely not taxing, but just the ticket, plenty of courtroom action. 3+ stars.

No, but it's on my hold list as of two minutes ago.

You are in for an extraordinary experience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_%28novel%29?wprov=sfla1

Keeping on the Ivan Doig roll, I have started the Bartender's Tale. I'm at about 20% so far, and finding it just beautiful and sweet. A similar narration to Last Bus to Wisdom ( a 12 ish year old boy in Montana Dakota country) but different storyline. I'm really enjoying t. I don't know what other words to use, but the writing i just so distinct and endearing.

Finished One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot and loved it. 4 stars for sure, and I look forward to our discussion in book group.

Next up is just for fun, Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein.

There are a number of Longmire books I have yet to read and am hoping to find them and squeeze them in soon.

I am reading Last Orders, by Graham Swift. It's about a group of old guys, who are taking the ashes of their friend to be scattered. The narrative switches back and forth, and old resentments and events come to the surface. It's really good. Swift wrote Mothering Sunday.

He also wrote one of my favorite books, Waterland.

They are starting to hate me at the library, Bookwoman, with all of my holds!

🙃

Has anyone here read "The Women" by Kristen Hannah? I'm about halfway through it, and curious about others' opinions.

Rusty

I cannot tag you Rusty I have not read The Women, but pretty sure several have on these threads. Maybe it was last month, but anyway I know i was highly praised.

I just finished The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig and thought it was so beautifully written and such a great story. This is my 3rd book by him, and I am going to take a short break but will continue to seek out his ther books. This would be a great book club read, a great book to read on your own, as I did,-- just a great book.

Five out of Five stars .Here is the Goodreads link to Bartender's Tale