Book Club

[Janey2]

CONVICTION  Julia Dahl

THE SECRETS YOU KEEP  Kate White

THE MEMORY MAN  David Baldacci

THE STARS ARE FIRE  Anita Shreve

[mollybgood]

started this audiobook ~

Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living

by Wiking (library CDs)

[CareBears]

I finished "Beartown by Fredrik Backman" last night,  I had written a partial review earlier and I find myself struggling with my final review of this book!

I do feel that it was brilliantly written, the story line captivated me from the beginning and held my interest until the very last page, however, it left me wanting more.

Maybe it is because I am such a fan of Mr. Backman that when I close the last page of any of his books I feel a sense of loss, I truly miss the characters, and would like to be able to follow their lives forever, I truly miss them when their stories end, and that is what I am struggling with today.

Mr. Backman develops his characters so completely that they no longer feel like characters but "Real" people with everyday struggles, hearts & souls, and in this book IMO he left some of the characters without an ending to their story. I do like a story to be wrapped up neatly by the end (unless I know that their story will continue on in the future) since nothing I have read indicates that this will happen I am left wondering about several of the characters?

If I had to rate this book I would without hesitation give it a 4.8 out of 5 stars, there were life lessons throughout the whole book, it touched my heartstrings like all of his books do, it showed how everyday decisions can affect more than 1 person or in this case a whole town for years to come if not forever!

What I take away from this book is a life lesson that I myself struggle with every day of my life and have for years. It is that you cannot allow the PAST to rule your life today or any day in the future, you must find a way to never forget your past, but somehow in your heart find a way to move past the hurt, confusion & anger so that your soul can be at peace and that you can live for brighter and better days ahead!  I have made a promise to myself to work on this much more diligently in the future!

To wrap up my review, this book is completely different than any of his previous books, it is a darker story, it deals with a controversial subject and it brings different lifestyles into light, it shows the consequences of what greed and the desire to win all the time and how it can change people and not always for the better!  But it also shows that loyalty, friendship & family support and how it can give a person the strength to help make a person rise above all obstacles that one might face, but it also shows that a privileged life without guidance can give a person a feeling that they are above consequences.

In the end we need each other, a person who stands alone is not as strong as those who stand united, we all do not have to agree, but when it comes to what is morally correct we need to speak out and not allow the "Evil" in this world to win!

[LoriLori]

@CareBears, what a thoughtful, clear-eyed yet deeply personal review of "Beartown.".  FWIW you made me cry.  I hope you post it on Amazon and Goodreads and wherever else.  It's an extraordinary review and though I'm not done yet you've captured beautifully what I've read so far.

[CareBears]

@LoriLori I certainly did not mean to make you cry with my review, but your kind words now have me in tears, LOL!

All I can say is that Fredrik Backman brings out something in me that makes me strive to be a better version of myself, and no other author has ever done that for me, he is truly a gifted writer, and I can only imagine a beautiful person inside and out in his personal life!

[IMW]

Saratoga Payback by  Steven Dobyns- light reading mystery with retired PI typical, but enjoyable

The Whores Child by Richard Russo- excellent short stories

Bad Dirt- Annie Proulx- short stories re people and land of Wyoming

I Hate to Leave this Beautiful Place - Howard Norman-coming of age in 1950s on Lake Michigan a memoir beautifully written

Deception- Denise Mina Scottish writer gritty mystery - author trying to clear his wife's name

[LoriLori]

@CareBears: 

@IMW, I've been reading "I Hate to Leave This Beautiful Place" for months!  I love Howard Norman's novels, some of my favorites -- "The Bird Artist" is one of my all-time favorite books, period,, and "Next Life Might Be Kinder" is a favorite too -- so it's confusing and disappointing I'm finding these autobiographical stories dull and flat.

Denise Mina!  I've completely forgotten about her!  I used to hang on her every book.  How did I forget an entire author LOL?  Well, so glad to see her name and I see she's got a few books I can catch up on.  Love her mysteries.

[jewelryjunkie]

Hi,

Can you please tell me how you liked Killing the Rising Sun?  I have been tempted to purchase it a few times, but didn't.  It is not a genre I usually gravitate toward, but it sounds interesting.  I have not read any of the other "Killing" books. 

Thanks

[skyblue]

I finished A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline. It's based on the Andrew Wyeth painting "Christina's World" She is the author who wrote Orphan Train. I enjoyed this book.📚😊

[kitty45]

Reading Wind/Pinball by Haruki Murakami.  It's two novels in one book.