Book Club

[CareBears]

I just finished Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly, this was a very good book, in fact  enjoyed this author so much I requested another of her boos!

Next up Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh, I have enjoyed previous books by this author so I know I am in for a good read, will post when I finish!

[BornToShop]

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@CareBears wrote:

I just finished Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly, this was a very good book, in fact  enjoyed this author so much I requested another of her boos!

Next up Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh, I have enjoyed previous books by this author so I know I am in for a good read, will post when I finish!

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@CareBears I can't wait to see your thoughts on THIRTEEN!  I really like this author & I have pre-ordered his next book; FIFTY-FIFTY coming out 8/2020. 

[LoriLori]

Welcome, @catlover00 !  You will find many fans of Frederik Backman here.  Many!  And he has a new book coming out in 2020 (August as of now) , "Anxious People," based on a serious thing that happened to him but he returns in this book to the comedic style of Ove.  Of course a big bestseller in Swedish.

@BirkiLady  interesting about Benjamin Franklin, had to google to figure out what the word was.  Among his accomplishments just want to, given the thread, give him credit because he invented the public library system. 

[LoriLori]

Finished Labyrinth of Ice by Buddy Levy published this week and an Amazon Best Book of the month.  He has a stellar reputation for research and writing nonfiction.

This is about the Lady Franklin Bay Expeditio aka the Greely expedition to find out what lay beyond Greenland.  No one knew.  Many thought it was a tropical ocean and islands with palm trees.  So they picked this career army guy and gave him a bunch of military, charged him with finding "Furthest North" -- whatever was beyond Greenland -- and setting up the beginning of an internatiional weather station (whose data is still used today and I googled it and the one there now is built on skis!).

Like the Franklin Expedition (where boats and bodies were located, most recently in 2014) and the Jeanette before this, it ended in tragedy.  This is worse because Greely had zero experience with boats, snow, ice, any of the conditions let alone calving bergs and miles-long floes and he never should have been chosen.

They were stuck in the Canadian Arctic for four years instead of one, with less and less food and harrowing conditions.  That anyone survived is amazing.  What they did to survive, dead and living, is remarkable..  

Ice, wolves, mutiny, it is a very very exciting book to read if you go for that sort of thing.  A tragic story, incredible courage, rescue ships not getting through, amazing stuff, I ate it up, it's so well written and such an incredible story if you go for that sort of thing.

It reads like fine suspense novels but it's all true.

[Lilysmom]

@LoriLori , I will check this one out.  What is the timeframe?

One of the best books I read was called Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Canadian author Wayne Johnston.  It was about Newfoundland and Labrador joining Canada in 1949.  Among other things, it weaved the story of Newfoundland and it's seafaring history.

One of the most poignant parts of the book was about a sealing expedition. The sealers left the ship and were lost on the ice flow in a storm.  When they were found, they were all huddled together in a circle.  It is a story of hardship and survival (but not in this case).

I spent a fair amount of my time in Newfoundland and it's history about ambivalence joining confederation is well known at least on the East Coast of Canada.  This book puts a historical perspective on the matter.  Very well written.  

Your description of Labyrinth of Ice put me to mind of this book.  LM

[LoriLori]

@Lilysmom , looking forward to your thoughts, it's such a great book.

They left in 1881 outfitted for about two years with the expectation of regular drops which didn't happen.  The rescue ship that got through at last did so in 1884.

The book you mention sounds very interesting.  I'm adding it to what I call Mt. TBR 2022 because I have own way over a year's worth of books right now, probably more like two.  I think I'm a book hoarder though a very clean, orderly one.

[CareBears]

@BornToShop  Itm sure starts out with a BANG!

[Alter Ego]

I finished listening to The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. After a series of unusual books, it was nice to go back to something more traditional.  I enjoyed the story and learning about the packhorse library.  If I were to critique the book, I would admit that there seems to be a lot going on - a little kitchen sink syndrome, as I like to say.  But, it flowed well for me and kept me on the edge of my seat in some parts.  Enjoyable.

I always love "traveling" to Australia in my books.  For my next Audible, I'm venturing to nearby New Zealand.  I'm a little concerned - this book is a thriller, but the author is apparently known for writing psy (changling??) romance. I don't think I even know what that is!!

[sunala]

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@smoky22 wrote:

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@Lilysmom wrote:

I just finished The Institute today by Stephen King.  Kind of disappointed.  Not his usual pull you right in kind of stories.  The book was too long at 550 pages, hardcover.  I don't mind long books when they hold my interest but this one was not one of his best.  Not a bad book by general standards but not a great book by Stephen King standards if you know what I mean.

@smoky22 

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@Lilysmom  I agree with everything you said, including that it was too long.  Maybe the subject matter was not to my liking either.  He's such a good writer, though.  We'll both look forward to his next one.

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@smoky22- @Lilysmom - I felt the same way. I wanted to like the book so much but I couldn't get into it, and the thought of such a long book I'm not liking in the first place made me decide against reading it. Even though Stephen King is my favorite author, I didn't want to read it. I feel that way about some of his books, and if I don't like them, I don't force myself to read them.

[Lilysmom]

@sunala , I understand and it is always such a disappointment when one of his books is not the kind I like because, when it is, I never want the book to end.  I so look forward to his books.  I never 'discovered' his fantastic story telling ability until the last ten years.  I thought he was all horror which is not my style.  He needs to write more of 'our' kind of book!  LM