Book Club

[icezeus]

---

@LoriLori wrote:

---

@icezeus wrote:

---

@LoriLori wrote:

@icezeus 

While you're reading "The Lost Man" or after, do google "lonely graves" (which is what they're really called in The Outback.  It's incredible, your heart will be in  your throat.  And people take walking tours of them.  Highgate Cemetery yes, lonely graves, last thing I'd want to vacation seeing!  

Hope you love the book as much as I did!  

---

@LoriLori 

I am actually going on vacation to Australia for two weeks next year. I will make sure to read the book before I leave. 

---

@icezeus   There's some fantastic writing coming out of Australia now so maybe pop into a bookstore if you can?  (Take a break from the giant spiders? OMG you brave woman) and get something that won't be published here for another year or two.  I have some Aussie friends on GR and they're reading great stuff, all kinds of genres, that won't be out here until...?

---

@LoriLori 

I am such a sissy girl when it comes to rodents (ick), spiders (yikes) or Snakes (heart failure). I will be going when it's their fall season. Instead of summer which is very hot, and from what I hear the snakes really come out.  My first week I will be in Melbourne and staying in a high-rise apartment (VRBO) 40th floor, so I am hoping that the critters will be kept at bay.

My second week will be at a resort (time-Share) and it's also a high rise. Please God do not let me see anything that my eyes can't unsee. Other than that, I love to do different activities  while I am on vacation and will attempt several in Australia. 

[GenXmuse]

I’ve read quite a few book since I last posted so I’ll have to condense a bit!

Missing You by Harlan Coben: He never disappoints, dovetailing several plots into his books. I’m surprised I don’t read more, given I love his books, but I like to bounce around to different authors 

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton: Another favorite author that I don’t read enough because her books are epic in length but they read as fast as a 300 page novel, I can’t commit to one writing style when books are my banquet. This is an intergrenerational novel as many of hers are, spanning eighty years with dark secrets that come to light that finally explain past events seen through the eyes of a child. Excellent.

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson: A book club that takes a sinister turn based on a teenage secret that is threatened to be exposed. This was not what I was expecting at all.  It’s a bit far fetched, but not without merit but the end was definitely a punch in the gut for me because I did not see that coming. A bit yuck yuck for me but not a bad read.

The Life We Bury by Zach Villa: I probably should have listened to my gut that said to skip this but it has gotten rave reviews for years that I thought I be doing myself a disservice by skipping it.  The story centers around a college student who interviews a dying man who has been serving a conviction for murder but is medically paroled. He uncovers details of the past and sets out to find justice before he dies. An interesting premise, but it just didn’t grab me at all. Forgettable. 

When Life gives you Lemons by Lauren Benati: I got this because it was on sale for $5 and since I like the Devil Wears Prada. This is just a fun book with great characterization that kept me invested in the story. Nothing that will change your life, but a great palate cleanser for me. 

Find Her by Lisa Gardner: This lady can write but her storylines are exhausting for me emotionally, not as bad as KL Slaughter who is way too graphic for me, but enough to make you feel sucker punched at the evil in this world. A series of kidnappings, captivity full of deprivation and abuse of all kinds, set Detective DD Warren on the case to unravel this depraved ring of deviants before it claims another victim. I always need a break between her books but she definitely brings it!

Now reading The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney. Too early to get a sense of if I’ll like it yet. 

[icezeus]

I finished reading the 9th Judgement by James Patterson.  I posted the review that I wrote on Goodreads. 

I had a hard time with this book. I am a fan of James Patterson and this series in particular, but certain subjects I do not care to read about. This one involved murdering very young children, and it was difficult for me to get through. As usual there were actually two murder stories, and they ran along parallel lines, we had a slight twist, being that they were somewhat connected. I was fine with the other storyline , but the main murder story was not my cup of tea.

I am now moving on to Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell.

[smoky22]

I started Never Have I Ever (Joshilyn Jackson) and sent it back.  Another book about secrets.  Based on your review @GenXmuse  I think I made the right decision.

Also sent back Lady in The Lake (Laura Lippman).  Just not what I was looking for.

I'm on waitlist for The Perfect Wife.   I'll be interested to see if you like it @GenXmuse.  

[icezeus]

@sunala 

Turbulence actually sounds interesting. I am going to add the book to my TBR list. A problem  that I have ran into, is that I get so many ideas from our forum, I add the book to my TBR list and then when I wish to read the book, search my library  and they do not carry it. (Sigh)

[sunala]

---

@icezeus wrote:

@sunala 

Turbulence actually sounds interesting. I am going to add the book to my TBR list. A problem  that I have ran into, is that I get so many ideas from our forum, I add the book to my TBR list and then when I wish to read the book, search my library  and they do not carry it. (Sigh)

---

@icezeus- I know, that really stinks. It happens to me sometimes too, or if it's a new book, the wait can be up to 14 weeks. Have you tried inter-library loans? We have several libraries in our county, and if my library doesn't have it yet and I want it sooner than later, I check out the inter- library loan service, but that's for paper books, not electronic devices.  Many times they do have it, and if so, they will deliver it to my library.

I even subscribed to Kindle Unlimited for a free 3-month subscription so I could get books that I can't get for free anywhere else. I've never seen the need to buy books, as I only read them once, so there's no sense in buying them to have them collect dust on my shelves. And I do have an excellent library system.

Good luck with finding Turbulence. I didn't describe it well but I did enjoy it.

[smoky22]

I read The Second-Worst Restaurant in France.  I'm not sure we needed another Paul Stuart novel.  It's pretty rambling, even for Alexander McCall Smith.  I did enjoy the beginning and the end, and I love this author, but this is  definitely not one of my favorites.

[GenXmuse]

---

@smoky22 wrote:

I started Never Have I Ever (Joshilyn Jackson) and sent it back.  Another book about secrets.  Based on your review @GenXmuse  I think I made the right decision.

Also sent back Lady in The Lake (Laura Lippman).  Just not what I was looking for.

I'm on waitlist for The Perfect Wife.   I'll be interested to see if you like it @GenXmuse.  

---

I don’t think you’re missing out by not reading Never Have I Ever at all. I fully expected to love this book because but it took a turn for the worse and just kept going. 

I’ll be sure to post an update on The Perfect Wife. I like JP Delaney so I expect to and it’s definitely different with the ethical questions it brings up when it come to AI. Kind of the old argument, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.

[teganslaw]

I finished A Night of Miracles  by Elizabeth Berg. It's the sequel to The Story of Arthur Truluv, which was excellent.  

The book was very good, and though I liked Arthur Truluv, slightly better, I recommend A Night of Miracles.  It continues the story of the people in the first book. 

[smoky22]

@sunala  I totally agree with you about Redemption (David Baldacci).  I was a little more generous in my stars than you were, but it was a disappointment.  And so was his other recent book, One Good Deed.  I definitely thought, who in the heck wrote this book?.  It couldn't have been David Baldacci. I'm giving him one more chance.  His follow-up to the Atlee Pine series is coming out in November (A Minute To Midnight).   Maybe third time is the charm.