Book Club

[smoky22]

I just finished A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny.  I agree with others here, it's definitely one of her better books.  I like that the setting of Three Pines figures so prominently in the story.  This one was a page turner 

[pateacher]

@smoky22 I enjoyed A World of Curiousities,too.

I always enjoy a trip to Three Pines, and I liked the fact that this book referenced an actual event, terrible though it was.

Have you watched the Amazon Prime series Three Pines?

[pateacher]

I have almost finished Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.

 The visionary time-travel classic whose Black female hero is pulled through time to face the horrors of American slavery and explores the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now. 

I am looking forward to reading  these titles, soon to be released:

Loyalty Lisa Scottoline 3/28

Hang the Moon Jeannette Walls 3/29

Small Mercies  Dennis Lehane  4/25

[beckyb1012]

The Heiress, the revelations of Anne de Bourgh, by Molly Greeley

This book is another family relation to Pride and Prejudice and the Darcy Family.

Remember Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the aunt to Darcy?  Well Anne is her daughter and the book is from her birth and her immediate betrothal between her and her first cousin Darcy.  Anne as a newborn has a problem with "the winds" as the Dr. calls it while we would refer to it as colic.  The choice of action by the Dr. is laudanum twice daily, forever.  Being addicted to laudanum is horrible enough but having Lady Catherine as a mother is truly painful.

[dmod nj]

Happy 2023 to all of you. 

ITA, I am a slow reader, as well. I go through periods of not reading at all. Right now, I'm listening more than reading.  Everyone here is welcoming and there are wonderful book selections to check out. 

Over the holidays, I listened to RaeAnne Thayne's,  Sleigh Bells Ring.  It was a fun, light read.  

I recently listened to Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel, by Judith Keim.  It's part 1 of 7 in a series.   I'll listen to book 2 and decide if I want to continue. Again, a light read. I did get a kick of out the narrator's accents. One of the characters is from Jersey.  She sounded a little like me. LOL LOL  

I am currently listening to Spare, by Prince Harry. I just started it today. 

[beckyb1012]

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@dmod nj wrote:

Happy 2023 to all of you. 

ITA, I am a slow reader, as well. I go through periods of not reading at all. Right now, I'm listening more than reading.  Everyone here is welcoming and there are wonderful book selections to check out. 

Over the holidays, I listened to RaeAnne Thayne's,  Sleigh Bells Ring.  It was a fun, light read.  

I recently listened to Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel, by Judith Keim.  It's part 1 of 7 in a series.   I'll listen to book 2 and decide if I want to continue. Again, a light read. I did get a kick of out the narrator's accents. One of the characters is from Jersey.  She sounded a little like me. LOL LOL  

I am currently listening to Spare, by Prince Harry. I just started it today. 

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Let us know what you think about Spare.

[Stelladorable]

Finished reading Spare by Prince Harry. 

I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good read, written well, though in some British vernacular I had to look up. It certainly kept my attention and was very poignant at the end.

Rather than all the salacious stuff put out, he tells the story of what he remembers of his childhood with his mother and how he journeyed to get those memories back. How he thought for years his mother was alive and would come back, how his magical thinking convinced him she disappeared to escape the relentless media lies and stalking. That maybe today she'd return. A lot about how he connected with animals and Africa and how he served his country in their allied effort with the US. He talks about meeting his wife and being forced out of the country he fought for to escape the intrusion and lying by the press.

it was not a whine fest. He didn't really "spill the beans" on anyone. His hatred of the tabloid press does drive him. The fact the royal family members and their handlers allow it and regularly feed it is baffling to him. The fact that he couldn't just ignore it was baffling to his family. 

It is clear through out the book he loves his Pa and Willy. Charles comes off as a loving but sometimes bumbling father who really doesn't know how to nurture. Not surprising. Though the public likes to think Harry and William were close as could be, that wasn't the case. There was tons of competition between the 2. Some resentment too. Some physical fights and rough housing. In context, the scene where William knocks Harry down (and Harry doesn't hit him back, but calls his therapist) isn't really surprising.

All said, I enjoyed this book. It gave me some insight I didn't have before and definitely made me more suspicious of the things we read and hear about from tabloids. After reading this, I understand how harmful it can be.

If you have a chance to read this book, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

[icezeus]

@Stelladorable 

Thank you for the thoughtful review. To tell the truth I was not really interested in reading a book that I was assuming would be more attacks on the RF. Not that they are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I am just over the long drawn out soap opera that is fed by both sides.

However, you have made me reconsider. 

[Stelladorable]

@icezeus the more salacious stuff is already out there and honestly, reading it in context makes it really a nothing burger. He's a rich guy who does rich guy stuff. Driving between country homes, shooting parties with his buddies, renting a houseboat on a river in africa. But he's philanthropic- he walked with disabled vets to the north and south poles (thus comes the frostbite story), started the Invictus Games, and seems to understand his privilege. Despite the tabloid fueled rumors that he's stupid (he talks about this often in the book) he is not stupid at all.