Off-Topic Summer Reading

[Carol K]

I read March by Geraldine Brooks, about the father from Little Women's experience in the Civil War.

[SpiritYogi]

Originally Posted by toaster

See Bee's comment below - everyone is different! Of King's recent books, I really liked The Institute as well as the Mr Mercedes trilogy.


Yes, clearly YMMV! I didn't dislike 11/22/63, but I thought the passages about the main character researching and observing Oswald were long and boring, and I just didn't enjoy it as much overall as others seem to.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I've been reading a non-fiction book I'm enjoying, Confessions of a Comma Queen (attention grammar nerds!). I decided to finish it before starting another novel.

Okay, I'll leave Billy Summers on my list , and I'm adding Confessions of a Comma Queen. I'm constantly correcting my boyfriend's and co-worker's grammar (many who have a bachelor or masters degree...don't get me started on that!) so it is definitely a book I'll enjoy!

[Rivercat]

Originally Posted by bee

Yes, actually! Well, I'm enjoying the "peace" -- the "war" parts are a little slow and boring. Have you read it?

I haven't but try to read one "challenging" book each year so always interested to hear what people think of those.

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

Just finished The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. It was a very interesting read, set in the Carville leper colony in Louisiana in the 1920s.

Just finished The Undertaker’s Assistant from the same author. This one’s set in post-Civil War New Orleans. Just like the above book, it has some emotionally hard parts to read, but was interesting and drew me in.

[Pat58]

I've been reading but haven't had much to report on. Some real downer book club reads, meh Prime books, and an absolutely grim tome - Medicare for Dummies [roll eyes]. DH is turning 65 so we've got to figure it out.

My last book club read was All About Me by Mel Brooks. It was okay, funny in parts. Lots of details I began to skip over. What a life this man has led! All on his terms. But it was L-O-N-G. I did not know that Mel Brooks produced The Elephant Man.

The two best ones I've read recently are Kassandra Reinhardt's new release, Year of Yoga: Rituals for Every Day and Every Season. The other is one from the Amazon World Book Day ebook giveaways - The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, a coming of age story about a young man's adventures working in Japan's forestry program.

A bizarre read was Starvation Heights by Gregg Olson, a true story of two sisters who become imprisoned in a diet clinic run by a psychopathic woman who starves them - one literally to death and the other to within inches of it. I gave it three stars. It occurs in 1911, and was fascinating, but the trial at the end was so bogged down and overly long.

Not sure if I mentioned The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff yet. Ack! Another true and bizarre story.

I'm hoping to get truly enraptured with something soon!

[Pat58]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

Just finished The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. It was a very interesting read, set in the Carville leper colony in Louisiana in the 1920s.

Ooh, that sounds right up my weird alley. Thanks!

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by Pat58

My last book club read was All About Me by Mel Brooks. It was okay, funny in parts. Lots of details I began to skip over. What a life this man has led! All on his terms.

I read this earlier this year and felt the same way. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were more familiar with his work. My dad really loved some of his movies and also had a similar childhood so I enjoyed reading those parts the most. But, yes, what a life he has led!

Erica

[bee]

Originally Posted by toaster

See Bee's comment below - everyone is different! Of King's recent books, I really liked The Institute as well as the Mr Mercedes trilogy.

I liked Mr. Mercedes but I don't think I read the other two in the trilogy. Out of curiosity, did you like Joyland or Under the Dome? I enjoyed both of those.

[toaster]

Originally Posted by bee

I liked Mr. Mercedes but I don't think I read the other two in the trilogy. Out of curiosity, did you like Joyland or Under the Dome? I enjoyed both of those.

I loved Joyland; Under the Dome I thought was just okay - I remember finding a lot of errors while reading it and behind disappointed in the ending.

[Laura S.]

On my Kindle app I'm reading:

A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick. I read a lot of this book YEARS ago. It got set aside and I didn't finish it for some reason. I loved it back then and I love it now. It's a book about William Marshal, a knight in the 12th century. When I picked it up to re-read it, I found out that it's the first book in a series and I'll probably move beyond this first book.

The Emerald Affair by Janet MacLeod Trotter, a Prime Reading book. It's a Prime Reading book and found I am enjoying it. It's another historical novel about two English couples who went to India/Pakistan in the early 1900s.