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Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzcat22
And Dawn, I couldn't finish Not Attending. Loved the first chapter when he was a kid, but the Disney World chapter lost me---too mean spirited and not believable that he would speak to his sister-in-law like that and live to tell the tale/put it in a book that she would read. And since I didn't watch the Saturday Night Live special, I think it's official: I must not have a sense of humor!
WHAT?!?! You didn't watch #SNL40????? Blasphemy (says one lapsed Jew to another ). It was a lot of fun. I didn't think I'd be able to watch 3.5 hours of it, but the Steve Martin intro had me hooked and by the second hour I was disappointed that it was more than half over. Celebrity Jeopardy! Hahaha! Anyway, I know that it's not "a thing" for some people, but it made me nostalgic.
As for Not Attending, I get that too. He's -- what's the word that I'm looking for that won't be asterisked out on this censored site? -- ummm, okay, I'll stick with acerbic. I wouldn't have believed it either -- how caustic he could be -- but like I said, I know people like that so, as with them in real life, I can just smirk and roll my eyes and shake my head.
Your gifty library thing sounds really cool! I like that a lot. Have a super weekend.
^^^ That sounds fun, Jazz. But your husband's book sounds better than yours.
From the library I have Three Junes by Julia Glass which I don't know anything about, and Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore. I usually like Moore, so I'll probably start with Three Junes just to see what it's about.
The Plague and I was sure disgusting! No wonder it made such an impression on me as a kid. Those of you who are interested in medical history might find it really interesting. On the plus side for Betty McDonald, her best friend in the sanitorium was Japanese and she wrote about how beautiful some of the Black women were, so I don't think we can think of her as a racist. I think she was just an equal opportunity people hater - she was pretty rough tongued about most of the doctors, nurses and fellow patients. That's what made her books humorous. I sure hope she changed their names!
Now I want to read a biography about her, if there is one.
I searched for Not Attending, and I believe the name is WILL NOT ATTEND . (Resnick is the author?)If that's the case, I did reserve it at the library based on your suggestions.
I now have so many suggestions from this forum I am getting a bit overwhelmed (but in a good way). I finished Big Little Lies which was a great great read. The only thing was that I felt, as I often do with many books I read, that the ending was a bit too easy or tying up the pieces. However, what a great ride and read.
I just started Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, as it has been on my "list" forever...Will see, hopefully it keeps me.
I do remember liking Olive Kitteridge very much so Burgess Boys will definitely be added to the list-
I don't know if I will actually read this, but I did take home a "blind date" from the library today. Like many libraries, there is a cute thing going on where books are gift wrapped so you can't see what they are. It's to encourage people to go outside their comfort zone and take a chance on a book they might not normally read. Each one has a label with 3 descriptors.
That is a really fun idea. I hope you and your husband enjoy your books
I just finished two books:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I gave this book a 5 out of 5. I thought this was an excellent book about how the HeLa cells came about. Rather than being about Henrietta Lacks it was more about her family. Sadly not much is really known about Henrietta Lacks even from her family.
It is an amazing account of what happened to Henrietta's cancerous cells and what her cells have done for scientific research and medical studies of today.
I found it a very interesting and informative read. I am glad Henrietta and her family have finally been recognized. I wish all the best to Henrietta's grandchildren who seem to be moving in a better direction in life because of their grandmother's story.
If you are looking for just technical read try one of the many scientific papers. This is a wonderful and heartbreaking story of how the doctors got Henrietta's cells and her family.
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen. I really enjoyed this sweet little book and gave it 3 1/2 stars. It was a sweet whimsical book about the magical Waverley women. Now I need to go back and read the first one.
Next I am reading Haunted by Kay Hooper which is a Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novel. I love those books
Then I will start Brown Girl Dreaming which is a different kind of book for me as it is written in free verse poetry.
"Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become."
I swear I'm not trying to be a contrarian (although it seems to come naturally---I just don't seem to be in step with most people), but I couldn't get through The Husband's Secret. I know a lot of you loved it. I wasn't very invested in the opening/main characters and then when it switched to some others, I found it confusing and tedious. I thumbed through to find the big secret and wasn't intrigued. Found the writing flat. I don't want to be like Chris Roberts (the reviewer on Amazon who only does one star reviews), but I'd give this only a star.
I swear I'm not trying to be a contrarian (although it seems to come naturally---I just don't seem to be in step with most people), but I couldn't get through The Husband's Secret. I know a lot of you loved it. I wasn't very invested in the opening/main characters and then when it switched to some others, I found it confusing and tedious. I thumbed through to find the big secret and wasn't intrigued. Found the writing flat. I don't want to be like Chris Roberts (the reviewer on Amazon who only does one star reviews), but I'd give this only a star.
Off to try another book....
It happens to all of us. A book gets rave reviews and sometimes we just don't care for it.
I looked at some of the past books you liked and came up with a list for you to check. I have no idea if they are good or bad but here goes:
I swear I'm not trying to be a contrarian (although it seems to come naturally---I just don't seem to be in step with most people), but I couldn't get through The Husband's Secret. I know a lot of you loved it. I wasn't very invested in the opening/main characters and then when it switched to some others, I found it confusing and tedious. I thumbed through to find the big secret and wasn't intrigued. Found the writing flat. I don't want to be like Chris Roberts (the reviewer on Amazon who only does one star reviews), but I'd give this only a star.
Just finished A Man Called Ove, and loved it! Now I am looking for a new one to start this evening.
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I wouldn't have believed it either -- how caustic he could be -- but like I said, I know people like that so, as with them in real life, I can just smirk and roll my eyes and shake my head. 
