Christine
This has been on my list for a long time, so I was happy when my book club chose it. Looking forward to a lively discussion. She raises many interesting issues about DNA testing today, privacy and transparency around adoption and donors, and of course, identity. I listened to it, and enjoyed having that perspective.
I really enjoyed this book until the last chapter. Then I kind of hated it. The descriptions of the river, the trees, the canoes, and the danger reminded me of other outdoor adventure stories, like The Hatchet. It was exciting and compelling and curious. But some things were left unresolved for me. And frustrating. I listened, and the reading was excellent though.
This was a slow burn – taking its sweet time, just like the river Thames, which is kind of its own character in this magical, cozy, and a bit Jane Eyre-esque story. By the end, I was so pleased that I had read it, and think it will stick with me for a while. It had a compelling mystery, a bit of a love story, lots of family drama and dynamics, a love for storytelling within the story, and strong women (& a couple of men). It was a nice summer read, but with the chilly weather, rain, floods, and general darkness (outside and in some characters) in the story, it might have made for a good winter break read by the fire. I would like to find more by this author now.
Great listen for a car ride, especially with 3 of us ranging from teen to young adult to middle aged. We had fun discussing what was going on as we listened. Initially, I was put off by the violent premise, but it doesn't dwell on that too much. There is more violence than that one episode, but it's not lengthy. It's a clever book that seems like it could be a movie, but there are elements that aren't believable. Still, if you just go for the ride, it may keep you entertained and using your brain too. .
I love reading a classic with my book club and then throwing myself into the history, the author (whom I had not yet read, in this case), and the relevant movie adaptations. This did not disappoint, especially because we read Zadie Smith's On Beauty beforehand, which I highly recommend. Pairing them was brilliant and satisfying.
Complex. Smart. Beautiful setting again. Good characters. Maybe her best in a while. She knows what she's going!
I delayed reading this, but it exceeded my expectations. Interesting narratives and practical life advice. Makes you want to go to therapy.
This was edge-of-my seat good. Even though I had looked up what happened to this man, I still found myself anxious about his safety. This would be a great book for a long car ride, especially because it's written such that a number of people, personalities, and genders would enjoy it together. I learned a few things and found myself fulling engaged. Although I read it (listened to it) alone, I told my spouse all about it each evening.
I have so enjoyed this series. It's smart with good history and enough character development, but it is comforting and companionable, in spite of some difficult topics. I wasn't prepared for the animal abuse topic here, but it was veiled enough that I was not distraught. Maisie is my go to when I need to listen to something engaging and distracting with weighing me down.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. So good for my mental health because the mystery kept me thinking about the characters and who did it. It was a lot of talking, as some readers complained, but that didn’t bother me, maybe partly because I was listening. I’m ready for the next one!
Perhaps I will write more about this later after my bookclub discusses the novel, but I really enjoyed this! Smart, funny, insightful, mostly believable. The book is about so much: family, academia, marriage, culture wars, politics, religion, art, gender, class. I'm impressed with Zadie Smith, and eager to read more by her. I enjoyed listening to this, and then reading sometimes too.
I read this partly for class material, and did find some good information here that I didn't know. I was especially taken with Grandin's discussion of NAFTA and the impact it had on Mexicans and American companies flooded into Mexico, displacing agricultural work there. This contributed a lot to illegal immigration to the US. I also appreciated the discussion of MLK's critique of the frontier narrative in America's Vietnam policies and war. Finally (and I see that this is in reverse chronological order), I liked the way that he framed the War of 1898 as a triumph of national (white) unity (which I knew) and Confederate memory-making & the Lost Cause (which I didn't fully grasp in detail until I read this). All in all, there is a lot of valuable material here. There were times when I felt that his underlying argument overwhelmed the story. He sees a stark choice for Americans know between barbarism & socialism, or at least social democracy.
A dear coming of age story. The story was compelling, and upon completion, I felt that I knew better the person who recommended it to me so highly. I saw in her love for this book her purity of heart and commitment to loyalty, family, and faith. Sam is a character to stay with you and a reminder of what is important in life.
I love to escape into this world. It's smart, but easy to read. Perfect for when I need a break from heavy must reads. However, I don't like the depiction of Myrna, the one black character. I read that LP has addressed the stereotyping and focus on her body in more recent books.
Fascinating and extremely detailed. Will use some of this for class. But I had to skim because there was more than I would ever retain.
I was pleased to learn more about both of them, and their remarkable friendship and correspondence. But it was a sort of book that I will probably not be able to retain a lot from. I did appreciate his abolitionism, and his leadership of a black regiment during the Civil War. I did not know about that.
Another excellent Gamache book. The drug cartel story line was pretty dark and I was feeling disappointed early on, but it was worth it in the end. Clever and twisty with likable characters, some new.
Someone recommended this to me, and I'm glad I picked it up. I skimmed through, and it is a well written, but somewhat dated now, explanation of how stress affects the body, system by system. It's a good reminder of what most of us know now, and I appreciated the science simply explained, but I suspect the “stress is bad for you” narrative is more nuanced now to include the ways that stress must be recognized, appreciated, and (sometimes) embraced. The author has a nice sense of humor and obvious care for his readers. My take away: recognize the stress response when it happens and take it seriously because its reach is wide. I knew that already, but reminders are good.
This was an impressive riddle inside a riddle mystery. It wasn't as cozy as some that I've read recently, and I didn't find myself feeling warm and fuzzy about the characters, but I was definitely hooked into the narrative and the twisty turns. There is something about a smart whodunnit (and this is very clever) to draw me in and keep my mind occupied -- something that is good for my mental health. I do recommend for that.
I wanted to read this after I so enjoyed Still Life. This is similar in that she beautifully captures friendship and love among young people. it also has a similar working class culture background. And it also has an appreciation of, and focus on, art as a source of life and hope. This is a shorter piece, and reminds me of a watercolor painting. I did find it difficult to follow the plot, probably partly because I was listening. I also found it to be kind of depressing, but perhaps it just wasn't the right book for me at this moment. I might not have finished it if it weren't so short.
I read this classic in college and loved it then. I was eager to read it again, and I'm glad I did. Actually, I listened to it — a long, insightful epic. An American story of the West, a marriage, a historian's own family story. It's interesting to think about what I must have appreciated then and what I appreciate now.
An amazing accomplishment. The dialogue, alone, sustained for so many pages, is impressive! I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and wish that I had been reading it with someone else so that I could discuss.
I like Goldfinch better, partly because these characters didn't go very far. The setting and personalities started to wear a bit.
There were times in the first half that I considered bailing. It was slow in parts and quite dark, but I'm glad that I persevered.
I read this a few years ago, before I had this Goodreads account, but I wanted to add it to my have-read list. I was thinking about it because I was listening to an interview with Ann Patchett regarding her most recent book, Tom Lake. I wanted to jog my memory of this novel, and what I remember most was the unsupervised childhoods in the 1970s and 80s, and the parents who make bad(?) decisions for themselves and worse (?) for their children. In the interview I heard, Patchett talks about how autobiographical Commonwealth was ... and how fun it was to write.
This is a fascinating narrative of US history through the lens of class. I plan to use parts of it. I appreciate her work - the scope and import. However, it may be too detailed for a lay reader.
