Book Club

[icezeus]

I finished The Banker's Wife by Christina Alger. I would consider it a thriller. It definitely held my interest and would have been a quick read,  but I have been distracted by a family member that has been ill. Making trips to the hospital has worn me out so even on the days when I have been home and can read. I just sort of vege out on my couch. 

I rated the book 4/5 on Goodreads. 

[Judaline]

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@Oznell wrote:

@Judaline ,   it sounds like it's a separate Slovak production, not an adaptation of this particular book-  but it covers the same material, of the two men, Rudi and his friend, escaping and rushing to tell the world what Auschwitz was.  Might be a good film!  Probably sub-titles, as far as I could tell.  If you watch, do report back.

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I finished the book. I think that author ought to get some kind of reward! The work he put into it. And as if that wasn't enough, the pages he added at the end.

I'm really sorry to read what those two years did to Rudy. He was so young, I thought he would be ok. A crime in itself. 

It was hard to read in places-like when the guards greeted the incoming families who thought now they'd be safe and go to their new quarters. Smiling, making jokes with them. The hate in me kind of boiled over. And the children. But it was really something reading about the workings of a place like that. Those two sure did a good thing letting the world know. Hasn't anyone else done this since they were discovered and freed? My dad wouldn't even talk about the war so I can imagine most of them today can't talk about the camps. Not many left I would say.

ETA The movie I told you about must be the Report that the two escapees wrote. (can you beieve what they went thru to get it to all concerned!) I don't know if I'll watch it. Not for a while, anyway!

[Oznell]

Agree, @Judaline .   The book is a solid achievement for the author.  It was emotionally exhausting, because of the heart-rending, tragic and evil actions that are front and center.   The mark left on nineteen year old Rudi would have to be indelible.  Given all that, he managed to do a lot with his life, and his actions and urgency in telling the world, were heroic.  Glad to hear your review! 

[SWEET]

Barbara Conrey's The Secret We Keep was sure interesting.  I read it in 2 days and it was sort of taboo in the 40s to have feelings for a woman when you were shunned especially in a small town.  Also dealt with teenage pregancy.

[teganslaw]

I  finished "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid. 

Aging Hollywood starlet and legend, Evelyn Hugo, is ready to tell the story of her glamorous  and scandalous life. She hires unknown journalist Monique Grant to tell about her life. While listening to Evelyn, Monique comes to realize that she has a connection to the starlet in a way she never expected. 

I was on a library waiting list for months, and I realize why the book is so popular. The wait was worth it. "Eveyn Hugo" is just as good as "Daisy Jones and the Six." Recommended for fans of the author. 

[mildoo]

I just finished The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan.

It's Historical Fiction about a young Portuguese woman who works for the Lincolns.  It covers a period of years and shows some very good insight into Mary Todd Lincoln for whom I think history is now not so harsh.

[Oznell]

@mildoo ,  that sounds like it would be good.  Anything that takes the Lincoln family as its subject, is interesting to me.

Just finished Linwood Barclay's "Take Your Breath Away".

The premise of this thriller drew me in, but in my opinion, the author's writing style in this was lacking.  It was too reliant on cliches, was lazy in its characterizations, with stale topical references thrown in here and there.  The plotting was fairly good.  I did oddly get the feeling that he's the sort of writer who could be better than he showed in this.  And for what it's worth, I did finish it to find out what really happened!

A woman stays home alone while her husband goes to their cabin for a boys' trip. It's mostly down time for her--  she and her husband have one last, affectionate phone or zoom call before he's to return the next day.   But she disappears, never to be found. 

Six years later.....

[beckyb1012]

The Only Survivors, by Megan Miranda;  Two vans with high school students driven by two teachers crash and the raging waters of the river take twelve.  The surviving 8 come together every year for a week to memorialize their being saved and remember the loss of the others.  Now on the 10th anniversary the weekend feels off.  One survivor dies a few years earlier and another as just taken their own life.  Something sinister is happening and the remaining survivors are being watched at their yearly beach front property or is the watcher inside with them.  Big settlements went out to them and the families of the dead.  Questions about that tragic night are being asked a decade later.

[CANDLEQUEEN]

Finished A Simple Favor! It was good, but not great. Too unbelievable in parts to me.....The ending was very unbelivable as well. It moved along quickly and I was glad I read it.....

Now onto The Nigerwife!!!

[Carolina925]

Currently reading The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe. I really like her writing; she usually writes about South Carolna, but this one does not. The theme is the monarch butterflies and their trip to return to Mexico for the winter. She adds lots of interesting information on these beautiful creatures, makes me think of the sea turtles that come to the same spot each year on our beaches to lay their eggs. While watching PBS yesterday, I discovered a show about the monarchs and can't wait to see it. She weaves the story between the main character's life and the monarch journey very nicely. A real joy to read this.