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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,775
Registered: ‎08-30-2015

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

@CANDLEQUEEN  I have this on request, anxious to hear your thoughts,

Contributor
Posts: 74
Registered: ‎07-20-2010

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

I am reading THE DUTCH HOUSE, by Anne Patchett.  One of my writing classes stressed that the first 50 pages set up plot, characters, and voice.  Patchett does that so well.  I am only about 1/4 of the way through the book, but I cannot put it down.   I highly recommend it

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,014
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

The Floating Feldmans, by Elyssa Friedland.  So enjoying taking a "family" cruise with a family who often forgets they are a family and should love each other.  Fun fast read.

"Live frugally, but love extravagantly."
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,117
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019


@beckyb1012 wrote:

The Floating Feldmans, by Elyssa Friedland.  So enjoying taking a "family" cruise with a family who often forgets they are a family and should love each other.  Fun fast read.


I loved this book!! 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,322
Registered: ‎02-22-2015

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

[ Edited ]

Goodnight, Nebraska by Tom McNeal (4 Stars)

 

Picked this up at the library mainly because the title caught my attention. As it turns out, the novel begins in Utah with a family of four. Strong father figure, mother, daughter (Louise) and son (Randall). The author is exceptional in character building and portraying visuals of the plots for the reader.

The family moves to another location. An untimely death occurs and the family dynamics begin to fall apart. As unwanted people enter their lives, stress builds. Everyone is forced to cope with life on their own. The family unit has desolved. A love triangle developes. A stolen car; a murder; the family move to other states.

 

The rest of the book is devoted to Randall (17) moving to a small town in NW Nebraska's farming country. He is alone, missed Utah and his father. It becomes a story of coming of age in a small community where everyone knows everything. The author explains the rural life, the close-knit community, and the work ethnic of farmers (which I, as a SE "city" Nebraskan, did not know very well).

 

Randall is ambitious, honest, enjoys pheasant hunting, football, finds a place in Goodnight and becomes an unforgettable citizen as his life unfolds in a book that is difficult to put down. His father-in-law is another strong male figure in his life. Life, love, strange affairs of women around him and a community that takes him in as one of their own over the years.

 

Randall meets the ups and downs of his life slowly, but with a slow and methodical approach. There is also a murder and an accident toward the end of the book.

 

Tom NcNeal is an excellent writer. This was a coming-of-age, love story, thriller and geographical novel of Nebraska. The community is ficticious, but I have been in most of the places the author mentions with three generations of our family on many vacations to Utah, Montana, Colorado,  Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska which made the book fascinating.   

Money screams; wealth whispers.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,775
Registered: ‎08-30-2015

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

I just finished reading The Suspect by Fiona Barton, excellent book, I had no idea and did not figure anything out until the last page!

 

Next up A spark of Light by Jodi Picoult will post my final review when I finish!

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,966
Registered: ‎05-30-2010

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

I read Quietly In Their Sleep (Donna Leon) the 5th in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series.  I haven't read one of these in a while and forgot how much I enjoyed this character.  Lucky for me there are quite a few more in this series.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,293
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

@smoky22 - I love the Donna Leon books!  I've read the whole series and they are all so good.

 

I read "THE LYING ROOM" by Nicci French and thought it was pretty good.  I like the Frieda Klein series books better, though.

 

I am currently reading "IN THE WOODS" and then "THE LIKENESS" by Tana French.  They are the first two books in her Dublin Murder Squad series.  I have never read any of her books before, but in November, there will be a miniseries covering these two books on the STARZ channel.  I want to read the books first, before seeing the miniseries.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,322
Registered: ‎02-22-2015

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

[ Edited ]

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers (3+ Stars)

 

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, and was drawn to his fiery passion. As their marriage and children paid the price of his volitile episodes, she communicated (sometimes graphicly) in her best friend rather than in Ben. (This was a huge red flag for my pragmatic, sensible mind, which always believed a successful marriage was based on best friends!) The only common deniminator in the marriage seemed to be sexual; there were no other interests or fun events shared. The book began on a sad note for me. Did this couple even like each other? 

How could a social worker not practice what she had been trained to teach? How could she and her family suffer such dibilitating saddness and cruelty at Ben's outburts of anger? There were so many signs of disfunctional aspects to their marriage early in the book, but Maddy didn't see it. At times, their innocent children did; and both of their parents were aware of Ben's temper all through the marriage, yet it was unspoken. Only in a novel would this happen . . . or perhaps not?  

 

The marriage continues downhill until one rainy day when both Ben and Maddy are hurried for their work. Maddy calls Ben asking him to pick her up in the bad part of town. He's furious at being even later. When they are in his sportscar together, Ben's volitile temper is out of control and a terrible accident happens. Maddy is taken to the hospital where is is in a coma with TBI and fighting for her life.

 

The rest of the book is inside the minds of the characters, alternating between Maddy, Ben and their 14-year old daughter, Emma, who has had to assume the role of Maddy's caregiving and household roles. Emma  can't enjoy her own life as a normal teenager. Ben is filled with guilt, fits of anger, lies by omission, a one-night stand, financial problems and other failures he won't discuss with anyone. Maddy is awakening to the memories of past verbal abuse, a love that may not have been healthy, a previous life than was under the influence of drugs, and a marriage that was not what she anticipated for herself or her children. Even though fragile, she makes the choice to remove Ben from of her life.

 

This was the type of self-help story I normally would not read. Common-sense guides me. The red flags and selfish behaviors by both parties were clear that this was an unhealthy marriage. I wondered if Maddy was good at her career and if Ben was a bully, thus a good public defender? If Ben had been a well-rounded, kind man, he could have had a lucritive private pratice in law.

 

A good story of healthy healing, hope and survival for the entire family. Excellent character development by Randy Susan Meyers, whom I have not read before. This was a good read on a rainy night. 

 

 

 

  

Money screams; wealth whispers.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,757
Registered: ‎09-06-2014

Re: WHAT ARE YOU READING? OCTOBER 2019

[ Edited ]

I just finished Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand.  The story of a family who owns The Winter Street Inn in Nantucket.  The 3 older children are by the owner, Kelley Quinn, and his first wife, Margaret.  The youngest is by the owner and his second wife, Mitzi.  As the Christmas season nears, the family is worried about the youngest son who joined the Marines and is now in the Middle East.  The eldest son and his family live in Boston, and he has some big problems about to be uncovered.  The book starts as Kelley walks in on Mitzi and George kissing.  George has played Santa at the Inn the last twelve years which is how long their affair has been going on, but only during the holidays.  Mitzi soon announces that she is leaving Kelley to be with George.  This is just the start of family drama and how this family sticks together.  This book is the first in a series of 4 and today I started the 2nd book, Winter Stroll.   I highly recommend this book/series.