Book Club

[poidog2]

I just started Martin Short's autobiography I Must Say and before that it was The Book of Joan by Melissa Rivers.  I am waiting for the Little Couple's book to arrive and will probably read that next.  I seem to be in an autobiography/biography phase.

[cerb]

These are the books I've finished in the past few weeks: 

Death at Wentwater Court - Carola Dunn - First in Cozy mystery series.   Likeable characters and decent plot, sent in the 1920's in England.  Lighthearted style.  Grade: B+

Wish You Were Here - Rita Mae Brown - First in cozy mystery series.  Started off a bit silly, but it grew on me.  Decent characters, setting, and plot, set in the south.  Grade: B+

Smart is the New Rich -  Christine Romans - Non fiction book about personal finances.  Incomplete book, but had interesting, useful sections.  Grade: B+

Why We Buy - Paco Underhill - Non fiction book about merchandizing.  I thought this was going to be a book about the psychology of why an individual shops, but was mistaken.  Grade: C

Death at Bishop's Keep - Robin Paige - First in cozy mystery series.  Very good historical setting in England, enjoyable characters, and good plot.  Grade: A

Meet Julie - Megan MacDonald - an American Girl children's book.  Really liked this story of a girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s.  Grade: A

Julie Tells Her Story - Megan MacDonald - an American Girl children's book.  Follow-up to "Meet Julie".  Grade: A-

[insomniac]

I agree that The Woman Upstairs would be a difficult one to recommend to someone else--unless they were kind of a quirky person (as I am). I did enjoy the book.

[DiAnne]

I just finished Golden State by Stephanie Kegan.  It deals with the dynamics that happen within family when a  member commits a major crime.  It is a very good book.   

[6kids]

I have just finished reading The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark. It was ok, but I did not love it. The characters did not seem to be fully developed to me.
Yesterday I started reading Jane Green's latest, Summer Secrets. It is a story about how a women's life is destroyed by alcoholism and how she rebuilds it. I find that I like Green's lighter books more than those in which she explores more serious subjects. I will to see how this one plays out.
I am still looking for something amazing to take down to the shore with me for my vacation. Does anyone have a suggestion?

[ChynnaBlue]

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@cerb wrote:

These are the books I've finished in the past few weeks: 

Death at Wentwater Court - Carola Dunn - First in Cozy mystery series.   Likeable characters and decent plot, sent in the 1920's in England.  Lighthearted style.  Grade: B+

Wish You Were Here - Rita Mae Brown - First in cozy mystery series.  Started off a bit silly, but it grew on me.  Decent characters, setting, and plot, set in the south.  Grade: B+

Smart is the New Rich -  Christine Romans - Non fiction book about personal finances.  Incomplete book, but had interesting, useful sections.  Grade: B+

Why We Buy - Paco Underhill - Non fiction book about merchandizing.  I thought this was going to be a book about the psychology of why an individual shops, but was mistaken.  Grade: C

Death at Bishop's Keep - Robin Paige - First in cozy mystery series.  Very good historical setting in England, enjoyable characters, and good plot.  Grade: A

Meet Julie - Megan MacDonald - an American Girl children's book.  Really liked this story of a girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s.  Grade: A

Julie Tells Her Story - Megan MacDonald - an American Girl children's book.  Follow-up to "Meet Julie".  Grade: A-

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I'm glad you enjoyed Wish You Were Here. I love Rita Mae Brown and the idea that such a powerful feminist icon can become a writer of cozy mysteries later in life. She's lived such an adventure! I've read most of her Sneaky Pie / Mrs Murphy books, but stopped a few yers back. They're definitely not GREAT books,  but they're enjoyable and I really like what she's done with the town of Crozet and the characters she's created.

I'll check out Death at Wentwater Court and Death and Bishop's Keep.

[SydneyH]

Has anyone read any of these books?  We need suggestions for our book club.

Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahari

A Hundred Flowers, Gail Tsukiyama

The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

The Maid Narratives, Katherine S Van Wormer

The Accounting, William Lashner

Remember Me Like This, Bret Anthony Johnson

The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

Wild Swans, Jung Chang

If This Is A Woman: Inside Ravensbruck Hitlers Camp for Women, Sarah Helm

Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir, Marina Nemat

Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo

[lovescats]

Behind the Beautiful Forevers has a lot of poverty. I couldn't finish it but someday I'll go back to it. The Secret Life of Bees has a young girl narrator. I liked it but would describe it as been there done that.

[lainey1]

I finished A Dark Lure by Loreth Anne White. It's about a woman who was was abducted and assaulted for months but managed to escape. 

Now I'm reading The Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner.

[lainey1]

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SydneyH wrote:

Has anyone read any of these books?  We need suggestions for our book club.

The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd

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I read The Secret Life of Bees and couldn't finish it (hmm....does that mean I didn't read it?). I just didn't like it. But I know I'm in the minority with that opinion - most people liked it.