Community Chat

[LoriLori]

After the often slow pace and heaviness of "The Goldfinch" (well worth it, to me) and the annoyingness of "Orphan Train" --

Now reading "The Cuckoo's Calling" by JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith. It's great to be reading a page-turner again, and another book by JK.

[capatosta]

I met a woman at a meeting who is a writer. She writes mysteries that are light reading and really funny. If you need a break from heavy stories and want to laugh (kind of like Janet Evanovich style) get YOU CANNOLI DIE ONCE by Shelley Costa, an Edgar Award-nominated author. This book is the first of a series and she another one coming out in June. Something about BASIL in the title.

The story takes place in an Italian restaurant and the characters are very funny, from the grandma who owns the place to the various family members employed there. At the end of the book, she even includes the recipe for her cannoli!

I found the book on Amazon for $7 paperback.

[Lilysmom]

Lynneuk, thanks for the recommendations. I will check them out. Will definitely read more Reginald Hill. LM

[walkingal]

I only have a few chapters left to read in Lynn Austin's While We're Far Apart. I highly recommend it, especially if you like the WWII/Holocaust novels setting. This is my first book of Austin's, and I enjoyed it so much I ordered her A Woman's Place, also set during WWII.

[sunala]

On 1/5/2014 Troop_Angel said:

I only have a few chapters left to read in Lynn Austin's While We're Far Apart. I highly recommend it, especially if you like the WWII/Holocaust novels setting. This is my first book of Austin's, and I enjoyed it so much I ordered her A Woman's Place, also set during WWII.

Troop_Angel, I loved While We're Far Apart. Another book that reminds me of it is That Year of our War by Gloria Goldreich. I read that in the past year, and it was excellent, especially if you're enjoying While we're Far Apart.

This morning I finished reading Donbas:The True Story of an Escape from Russia, by Jacques Sandulescu. I mentioned it a few days ago, and that I couldn't wait to finish. It was outstanding and I highly recommend it. It's very easy reading and rated YA, but there doesn't seem to be anything YA in the book. It's truly a book for adults and tells the story of this teenager's escape from a Russian labor camp after WW2.

This afternoon I started My Mother's Secret by J.L. Witterick. This is a very short book based on a true story about a holocaust survivor. I'll probably finish it by tonight (if I stay off the computer).

Happy Reading!

Sunny

[PolkaDotPjs]

On 1/4/2014 Lilysmom said:

Happy New Year everyone. Someone recommended this book THE WOODCUTTER by Reginald Hill. This is the first book I have read by this author. I am about 1/3 through and am really enjoying it. It is a great read to get me through the big blizzard we just had. Awful weather ... Frigid temps, blizzard conditions and a five hour snow cleanup (in Nova Scotia). Done now and ready to read again!!! Many thanks for this recommendation. LM Description follows ...... Wolf Hadda's life has been a fairytale. From humble origins as a Cumbrian woodcutter's son, he has risen to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams.A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison while protesting his innocence, abandoned by friends and family, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later prison psychiatrist Alva Ozigbo makes the breakthrough. Wolf begins to talk and under her guidance gets parole, returning to his rundown family home in rural Cumbria.But there is a mysterious period in Wolf's youth when he disappeared from home and was known to his employers as the Woodcutter. And now the Woodcutter is back, looking for the truth - and with the truth, revenge. Can Alva intervene before his pursuit of vengeance takes him to a place from which he can never come back..?

Reginald Hill is one of my top five favorite authors of all time! Please begin his Daziel and Pascoe series. You'll love them.

[Judaline]

I remember the tv show on PBS.

[blessed10]

Just finished "Looking for Me" by Beth Hoffman. Really enjoyed this one, maybe not as much as her others, but still enjoyed and would recommend it. My sister gave me "The Orchadist" awhile back, so I am diving into this one next.

[walkingal]

Sunny, thanks for suggesting That Year of our War by Gloria Goldreich. I added it to my to-read list. Have to take a little break -- I'm still teary-eyed from While We're Far Apart.

PolkaDotPjs, thanks for suggesting Reginald Hill. I'm not familiar with him or his books, but I just ordered The Clubbable Woman, first in that series. I haven't read any mysteries for a while, and these sound great.

[slave2cats]

I just finished The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. It was okay. A little too long and wordy, but interesting. Before that I read a wonderful nonfiction book, One Summer, 1927 by Bill Bryson. That was an interesting, good read. I went quickly and didn't drag. I didn't realize how much happened in 1927 (besides my mother's birth)