What book are you reading?

[DawnMTL]

I read another memoir. It was sad -- as most memoirs tend to hint of -- but mostly lovely. By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by greatblueheron

Will be starting this weekend...


A Ladder to the Sky
by John Boyne

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

Ugh - I hated this book! The characters are miserable, mean and dark and the events are so disturbing.

That said - I turned every page and can still remember a very vivid description of a waiter pointing to a menu with his pinky. So - overall hated it, but it sure stuck with me!

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

After all this adulation, I'm going to pack A Ladder to the Sky in my suitcase for when I go to Hawaii later this week. I got it a few months back through BOMC and thought it looked interesting, but just haven't been able to get to it. I had a couple book club books I needed to get through and a couple library books I had to read before they were due back.

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Now I feel pressure. I hope that you enjoy it... and have a lovely vacation.

All right, so I just got back from Hawaii and read A Ladder to the Sky in about a day and a half. OMG -- it was just brilliant. Yes, most of the characters, especially the protagonist, are horrible people, but wow. What a story.

I also read a book that just came out, and I was psyched to have won an ARC on goodreads, called The Mastermind. It's a true story about a guy who is kind of an international drug kingpin, and it's supposed to be a Scarface/Godfather kind of story with some Breaking Bad thrown in, but I didn't think the story really held together very well. Now, it's a true story, so the facts and events are what they are, but I don't know-- it needed some kind of different angle. I expected to love it, but found it good/okay. It was interesting, but it wasn't as compelling as I thought it would or should be.

I'm almost halfway through a book called Blue Dreams, which is about psychotropic drugs. It's interesting, but I feel like the author (who is a psychologist who suffers from depression) really wants to be a novel-writer, as I'm finding many parts to be over-written and including grand descriptions of irrelevant things.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

All right, so I just got back from Hawaii and read A Ladder to the Sky in about a day and a half. OMG -- it was just brilliant. Yes, most of the characters, especially the protagonist, are horrible people, but wow. What a story.

I'm SO glad that you enjoyed it SO much. I feel relieved. I'm always worried when I think so highly of a book and recommend it in a pushy way.

Welcome back to the winter wonderland.

[loves2read]

Have been into historical novels lately
Read two by Maureen Ash set in era of William Rufus—son of William the Conqueror that were mysteries solved by a Saxon (conquered people) embroiderer —may be more in this series “Death Riddle” and “The King’s Riddle”
Available as Kindle Unlimited on Amazon if you are Unlimited member

And also by Ash a series w/Templar Knight as detective—Sir Bascot de Marins called Templar Knight Mysteries
Set during King John’s reign with the Lady of Haye as recurring character—if you like historical novels this is a good era
First was “Alehouse Murders” #2 “The Death of a Squire”
There are quite a few in this series—some are Kindle Unlimited
I read the first two on Open Library—that is hit or miss since not all are available there
Hoping I can use either Amazon or Open and read for free the entire series
Good writing, historically accurate and I love a mystery...

[jbgusa]

I just finished Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.

The book, and Ron Chernow, is exceptional, scholarly and entertaining at the same time. I had not realized how central a character was in American life. And how much of a "rags to riches" (well not financially but in terms of impact) he was. Alexander Hamilton's life, warts and all, is exposed. He was a true genius but then again, he operated in a sea of such people; John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin to name a few.

The book amply demonstrates that when the chips were down, he made what are now considered the right choices. He picked his political enemy, Thomas Jefferson, over Aaron Burr when it came to the deadlocked 1800 election. After romantic dalliances he returned to hearth and home. What wasn't explained was Chernow's strong distaste for John Adams. Generally the kind of people who like Adams would like Hamilton, or so you'd think.

But those are quibbles; I recommend the book, strongly.

[oeccscclhjhn]

Mission Critical (Gray Man #8), Mark Greaney (2019).

[miguel's mom]

The Marilyn Monroe memoir My Story was very lame. It felt like it was written by an innocent and very ignorant little girl. I just can't believe she was that naive. Horrible writing style.


Yesterday evening I picked up Age of Miracles. It's supposed to be climate fiction and I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight and read a bit

[oeccscclhjhn]

Put down Gray Man for now, and picked up The Longevity Solution: Rediscovering Centuries-Old Secrets to a Healthy, Long Life, Dr. Jason Fung, James Dinicolantonio (2019).

[loves2read]

Just finished “Lord Edward’s Archer” about the Black Prince and young man who becomes captain of his archers
Hoping it will be a series
Grif Hoskins is author—has impressive number of novels in fairly short time—less than 10 years

[pinetreelover]

Originally Posted by miguel's mom

Yesterday evening I picked up Age of Miracles. It's supposed to be climate fiction and I'm looking forward to going to bed tonight and read a bit

Ooohhh - I think I recommended that one. I hope you like it!