Book Club

[dawg lover]

I'm reading "HEART OF BARKNESS," the new Chet and Bernie mystery by Spencer Quinn.  This is the first new entry in this series in several years.

After that will be "THE GOWN" by Jennifer Robson, a historical fiction novel about the women who made Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown.

[kitty45]

@Judaline .  I know.  I'm hoping that she will do better with Lost Roses. If she hasn't improved as a writer, that will be it for me.  I like giving debut authors a second chance.  

[LoriLori]

@insomniac2   perhaps you've read me say this before:  We Need to Talk About Kevin is one of my all-time favorite books.

[LoriLori]

I'm only half done because Life's gotten in the way of reading but Norco '80 by Peter Houlahan is one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read.

It's completely mind-blowing.  About a blown bank robbery by Christian doomsday cultists armed with assault rifles -- before the police carried them.  Led by a Vietnam Vet.  Shooting at everyone, everything.  These led to police everywhere being armed with assault rifles.  The perps also had home-made bombs and grenades.  This was before the internet.  There was a book.

The part I'm at they tried to escape into a part of the San Gabriel Mountains of San Bernadino and they're on a one-way road behind the vehicle going up a narrow mountain road with switchbacks and there are over forty police cars from different jurisdictions in single file behind  behind the shooters' vehicle.  The cops and helicopter are being fired upon from long range. They're mostly unable to communicate with one another.

Three were captured alive and the second half of the book includes their trials.  I'm fifty pages from that and I can't wait.  Just wish I could sit and just read, it's so "not my kind of book" and it's so amazing.

Houlahan makes a coherent and compelling narrative out of the most chaotic crime scenes imagineable which played out in multiple cities, rural and suburban areas, on the freeway, in the mountains, with cops and civilians shot at and cars and homes and.I..don't want to say more.

I poked around and learned he's writen magazine articles.  And he's an EMT.  And he was a first responder at Sandy Hook in Newtown.  Maybe that helps explain how he can tell such a complex and heart-stopping story so well.

FYI I am not a fan of action movies or action/adventure books.  I never heard of this robbery before.  I just can't get over this book.

Those with husbands and/or sons who read, boyfriends, whatever, if you're not at all interested they might be very.

[insomniac2]

LoriLori, the Kevin book (which I'll be finishing tonight) stuns me.I have never read a book like this!

I've read a few other books by Shriver: they're all amazingly unique. She's a most gifted author.

[Judaline]

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@kitty45 wrote:

@Judaline .  I know.  I'm hoping that she will do better with Lost Roses. If she hasn't improved as a writer, that will be it for me.  I like giving debut authors a second chance.  

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'You're a better man than I am', lol. I only give them one chance. Not fair maybe, but it's just that, as I said, there are so many books out there just begging to be read! Good luck with #2-hoping you prove me wrong.

[tansy]

THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo.  I’d forgotten how much I like this author.

[beckyb1012]

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@paulazaj wrote:

I just finished Summer of "69.too. I loved it as I was 21 that year and remembered all the events,songs,etc, that she used in writing the story. Her books are always good summer reading!!!

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I finished it early yesterday morning before work and raced it back to the library at lunch for the next person on hold for it.  I do love her books.  I have followed her on Twitter and sometimes she will tweet a photo of her sunning on the beach in Nantucket while writing on her legal pad.  What a great life and job.

[Grammycakes]

I'll be finishing Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver in the next couple of days.  It's not as good as I was hoping.  Plus, I'm tired of fiction books making political statements.  It's not that I agree or disagree.  I just want to live in a fictional world for awhile!  Has anyone else read it?

[Bridgegal]

I just finished Correspondents by Tim Murphy.  It was excellent.  So well written.  I read a lot of 'popular fiction" for fun.  The difference was amazing.  Nice to read real quality every now and then. 

I finished it just in time because I got an email that Becoming by Michelle Obama was ready for downloading.  I've waited about 8 months for it.