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One of my favorite authors has been Richard Ford (my other favorite Richard is R. Russo), so of course I was delighted to get Let Me Be Frank with You. It's the fourth book about Frank Bascombe, a former sportswriter and real estate agent, now 68, living with second wife in post-hurricane Jersey shore. Loved the first three books. Kind of a more contemporary Rabbit persona. But I couldn't get through the book. Slim volume, with lots of space between the lines---I think maybe there wasn't enough of a book left for Ford/Bascombe. So instead, it consists of four novellas, where Frank revisits characters/people from the past. Lots of stream of consciousness stuff (never a good thing for me) where one paragraph runs on for a page or two. So----in the spirit of frankness, I'm done with you, Frank Bascombe! And possibly Richard Ford as well, but I'm likely to give another book a chance.
Then I started A Song for Issy Bradley by Cary Brays. About a Mormon family in England, with each family member dealing with the death of one of the children. Can't explain what I didn't like about it, but after a couple of pages, knew I wouldn't get into it.
Got halfway through Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest. It's a memoir from a woman about 40 who has never been married, but attended 20 plus weddings. As someone who hasn't attended a lot of weddings, I thought this could show me what I have missed---turns out not much!
Just started There Must Be Some Mistake by Frederick Bartheleme. Am very encouraged. This is the sort of book I enjoy, about a contemporary man of a certain age dealing with the world around him:
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Originally Posted by jazzcat22
Just started There Must Be Some Mistake by Frederick Bartheleme. Am very encouraged. This is the sort of book I enjoy, about a contemporary man of a certain age dealing with the world around him:
I'm glad to see you posting on this thread again, jazzcat! No judgment, as you mentioned on the other thread. My gosh, never!
Also: thank you. That book up there ^^ that you just started looks great. It's going on my "to read" list, which means that I'll get to it before 2021. Hopefully.
I'm glad to see you posting on this thread again, jazzcat! No judgment, as you mentioned on the other thread. My gosh, never!
Also: thank you. That book up there ^^ that you just started looks great. It's going on my "to read" list, which means that I'll get to it before 2021. Hopefully.
Thanks, Dawn. No, none of you seem judgmental at all. It was my feeling like a failure that I wasn't liking what the critics acclaimed. Reading Amazon reviews help since I can then see that at least a few other people didn't like the book and gave it one star reviews.
Speaking of Amazon, there is one reviewer who specializes in one star reviews! That's all he posts. I'd hate to be that negative and have that be my focus.
But definitely, no one here needs to apologize for what they read. It's just wonderful that they/we are reading at all (too few people I meet IRL do!).
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,018,915 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzcat22
Thanks, Dawn. No, none of you seem judgmental at all. It was my feeling like a failure that I wasn't liking what the critics acclaimed. Reading Amazon reviews help since I can then see that at least a few other people didn't like the book and gave it one star reviews.
Speaking of Amazon, there is one reviewer who specializes in one star reviews! That's all he posts. I'd hate to be that negative and have that be my focus.
But definitely, no one here needs to apologize for what they read. It's just wonderful that they/we are reading at all (too few people I meet IRL do!).
OMG, I know who you're talking about! Chris Roberts, or something like that??? And he sometimes writes his reviews in the form of a sarcastic poem? Hahaha! What an idiot he is! Awful. He's on a mission -- if a book is highly acclaimed, he'll bash it to the moon and back. I'm 100% sure he hasn't read any of them.
On this forum, we all have varying tastes. A book that I love, someone else hates... and vice versa. But if we were all the same, it would be boring. This way, we get to hear about books that we typically wouldn't seek out... and maybe even like them. It's nice to hear about what everyone else is reading. Even if it doesn't broaden my own horizons, or even if someone disagrees with me, it's always enlightening.
Yup, that's the one. He seems very impressed with his "cleverness" with his poems. I will own up to not liking everything out there, but there isn't anything he does that gets more than one star.
Just picked up this new Kindle Freebie yesterday and I think it sounds divine,so will be my next read.... The Mark Of The Loon(Gen Delacourt Mystery Book 1) by Molly Greene
Madison Boone is keen to buy a fabulous stone cottage in the country and she nixes her budding relationship with Coleman Welles to do it. But once the renovation begins, the property’s long-buried secret threatens to derail everything. Can her friends help solve the mystery?
Want to know more? ...
What happens when a single workaholic falls in love with an old stone cottage in Northern California? In Mark of the Loon, Madison renovates and sells property in addition to her busy real estate sales career. Her work-centric lifestyle leaves little time for anything beyond business and her three wise, hilarious friends. When Madison buys the Blackburne’s former house, a series of mysterious events both endanger her and lead her to love – and a permanent home. Mark of the Loon is the skillful combination of history, mystery, and romance in a novel that explores choices, taking risks, dealing with loss, deep, satisfying, unconditional friendships – and introduces Genevieve Delacourt as an impressive amateur sleuth!
What people are saying:
Molly Greene's stunning debut novel, Mark of the Loon, is a glorious read, with brilliant descriptions and pitch-perfect characterization. I loved spending time with the four smart, wise, fun-loving women at the center of this novel. As I read, their gorgeously developed friendship made me wish I could climb into their world and join them. With Mark of the Loon, Molly Greene has established herself as a remarkable new voice in contemporary fiction. ~ Terri Giuliano Long, Author of the bestselling novel, In Leah's Wake
Reviewer Aya Walksfar says: “From the time that Mallory Blackburne hears “the thunderous boom of metal striking wood…” this mystery captures the reader. Romance and mystery without the need for graphic sex or graphic violence; just a great read!”
Reviewer Lisa Mack says, “...a mystery that doesn't devolve around murder, peopled by smart women who are figuring out things for themselves, who have personal issues that don't center on whether they're overweight or pretty or...whatever. The main characters are all fleshed out and real, with real people problems. And well edited to boot!”
Reviewer Susan Goldin says, “Molly Greene has a gift which spins a tale that keeps you in the dark until the dawn slowly rises and reveals a landscape of unexpected proportions. Ms. Greene is very good at defining characters via their actions and dialogue. The dialogue is so well crafted the reader feels they are sitting in an armchair or at the table with those in discussion instead of reading words on a page.”
I started Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante and I like it. (Thanks for the recommendation, Dawn!) It's solidly written and entertaining, but I did notice one thing about it that I thought was very strange. One of the minor character's name changes from one page to the next. She's "Joyce" a couple of times and then the next time she's mentioned she's "Cecilia." I know nothing about how editing a book works, but it befuddles me that something could make it to print with such an error. Oh well--I'm going to keep reading it.
And yes on the "no judgment." One of the reasons I love this thread is that it's a great source of ideas for reading but no one takes it personally if you do or don't like a particular book. I admit to wanting to stomp my foot every now and again and demand that everyone read whatever my favorite book of the moment is, but I refrain. And something that I find truly fascinating is agreeing with someone about how great a particular book is and then completely disagreeing on another book. It keeps things interesting.
And something that I find truly fascinating is agreeing with someone about how great a particular book is and then completely disagreeing on another book. It keeps things interesting.
That is very true here, lol.
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And something that I find truly fascinating is agreeing with someone about how great a particular book is and then completely disagreeing on another book. It keeps things interesting.